Ultra Cool Gadgets

With USB and FireWire connection interfaces, the Iomega UltraMax Desktop Hard Drive 500GB ensures that your data can be accessed no matter where you take it. This drive provides an easy way to add 500GB of storage to a computer, it supports Firewire 400 and USB 2.0, and even has a stylish look that complements a Mac. The drive is a perfect complement for Macs as it has a sleek silver design that matches the Mac style and it is HFS+ preformatted to work right out of the box. It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 and Time Machine. With 500GB of storage capacity, you’ll be able to save up to 2,000,000 photos, 9,250 hours of music, or 750 hours of video.

Technical Details
- Device Type - External
- Removable Storage Type - Hard Drive
- Storage Capacity - 500GB
- Storage Interface Type - USB2.0/ FireWire 400
- Rotational Speed — 7200 rpm

Customer feedback:

1. I received this hard drive about a week ago for Mac OS 10.5.2 Time Machine. The drive looks and works great. I own a Mac Pro so as you can see in the Amazon ad, this thing is like a “mini me” of the Mac Pro which I think is the coolest part of it. I have had no problems (yet) with this HD and I honestly do not see it happening.
Iomega has been around for so many years and I trust their products. There is indeed ONLY one drawback to this drive. When the drive is reading and writing, it could get a little loud. I don’t think this would justify one less star because the hard drive itself works perfectly so far. The firewire 400 speed is just fine for Time Machine once per hour.

2. I’ve had this external drive for a couple weeks now and it’s running fine. I don’t find it very loud or bothersome.

The LaCie Hard Disk 301302U 500 GB USB 2.0, Design by Neil Poulton adds a sleek, sophisticated style to your desktop while delivering high-speed performance as a hard drive. You no longer have to worry about running out of disk space for your latest music, movies, and photos. And with universal compatibility and a compact size, this portable drive lets you easily share your music, photos and video files with your friends and family.
Designed by internationally acclaimed designer Neil Poulton, the Hard Disk features sleek and sophisticated styling. The case is entirely black with a fashionable, mirror-polished finish. A cool, blue LED strip on the bottom casts an ambient glow. The ultra-minimalist look will blend perfectly into home entertainment setups and workstations.
But don’t think the design is just about looking good. Built to optimize heat dissipation so that it can operate without a fan, the drive is also designed for convenience and portability. At just 4.6 x 1.8 x 7.6 inches (WxHxD) and weighing barely two pounds, it can be easily transported into your briefcase, allowing you to shuttle files between your home and office, or move your work between your laptop and desktop with ease.

Technical Details
- 500 GB USB external hard drive with a stunning design by Neil Poulton
- Fast USB 2.0 interface offers connectivity and transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps
- Plug and Play functionality for both Macs and Windows
- Includes 1-Click Backup Software (Windows and Mac) and LaCie SilverKeeper Backup Software (Mac)
- Measures 4.6 x 1.8 x 7.6 inches (WxHxD); 2-year limited warranty

Customer feedback:

1. I was about to purchase one of the older F.A. Porsche disks when I stumbled upon this one last week. I purchased this to primarily be the Time Machine disk for my 230GB iMac (Leopard). In the spirit of a nearly all-wireless iMac, I wanted the disk to be as inconspicuous as possible. The glossy black enclosure is nearly invisible sitting under the iMac on our black desk. The only truly visible feature is the ambient blue light beneath the front, but that’s just cool. There are no markings whatsoever on the front or top of the drive.
Out of the box, the drive is easy to setup. After plugging it in, the Setup Assistant popped right up and had the drive properly formatted in just a couple of minutes. Then, Time Machine popped up automatically and presented the options to use the new disk.

2. I love this product. I just bought it a month ago. Easy to set up, it’s fast, it’s got huge storage and such a sleek design.

These elegant portable drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter — they are powered directly through the USB cable (except where the computer limits power available from the USB port). Works with Windows and Mac. Synchronize files between home and office and encrypt everything on the drive for added security. Pick from multiple colors to express your unique style.

Ideal For
- Storing or backing up your digital music, videos and photos.
- Carrying important files and e-mail between work and home or on the road and keeping them in sync.
- Sharing large files between office and home, between PC and Mac.

Technical Details
- Box Contents - My Passport Essential 320GB Portable USB Hard Drive, USB 2.0 cable, Quick Install guide
- 320GB Hard Drive Capacity
- Installation is a snap because you don’t really install this drive; you just plug it in and it’s ready to use. There is no CD to install; the included software loads from the drive the first time you plug it in
- Powered by the USB bus. No separate power supply is needed
- This ultra-portable drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs only a few ounces, and holds tons of valuable data

Customer feedback:

1. Pros
+ Great capacity options at good prices available in this line of products
+ Nice portable form factor that easily connects via USB
+ USB powered, no A/C required, which is great for portability
+ Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X
+ Easy to set up disk encryption for security and privacy
+ Nice looks, and cool color options for those that care about that
+ Turns on and off with your computer or easily ejected via system tray
+ Easy plug-and-play installation
+ Integrates nicely with my growing stable of WD MyBook drives
+ Included software may be useful for some novices
+ Drives are sufficiently durable holding up to normal use over time
+ 320 GB capacity is just about right for most users

Cons
- Somewhat slow file transfer speeds for larger backups
- Included software not useful for power users
- Shiny body attracts scratch, fingerprints and dust
- Only USB, so look to the LaCie 250 GB Rugged Hard Disk if you need fire-wire ports too
- Only up to 320 GB right now, so look to the LaCie 500 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire and USB if you need more capacity in a portable drive
- Have to spend your cash to get a case that should have been included

2. The Western Digital Passport reduced my 388 CD rack to a pocket-sized miracle. Likewise, all the photos, lesson plans, and Power-Point presentations that were cluttering my computer are now on my Passport.
Here’s the low-down. I was a bit worried that I might have difficultly setting-up this little guy. My fears were alleviated in about 15 seconds. About a month ago, I downgraded from Vista to XP and had NO PROBLEMS with the installation of this product … whatsoever (seems some people who run Vista have been having some trouble). It could not have been easier. (Thank you Western Digital!)
Now, the pre-installed software is REALLLLLY bad (that part is true). Western Digital should rethink this approach since nearly everyone removes it (and it deters some people from even purchasing their products). Minus one-star for being SERIOUSLY annoying!!
As mentioned by other reviewers, the product is whisper-quiet. And, while some folks found that they need an USB Power Adapter Y Cable, I did not. I have a two-year old Alien Area 51 m5550 and experienced no problems with power (regarding this product). I would advise that you purchase the Passport without the substitute cable and give it a try before you invest the extra cash.

When its time to back up and protect your digital content–photos, music, documents, and more–it doesn’t get much easier than the Seagate Free Agent Desktop USB Portable Hard Drive. Simply plug it in to any power source, connect the USB cable to any computer, and you’re ready to go. This hip-looking hard drive takes up less room on your desk than an ordinary stapler, giving you more space for your other desktop items.
Computers come and go, but your content should always be nearby. With up to 1000 glorious gigabytes, the Free Agent external hard drive is the best place to gather and access all of your important photos, movies, music, games and documents. Simply plug in the power and the USB cable and you’re ready to go. The Seagate Free Agent is big enough to store a huge portion of your digital content in a safe and secure environment, but small enough to let you take that content with you wherever you go. In other words, having the Seagate Free Agent is like having your entire computer with you at all times, but in a package that’s a small fraction of the space and weight of your computer.

Technical Details

- 500 GB external hard drive connects to your computer via USB cable
- 7200 RPM spindle speed for high-speed performance and fast read times
- Footprint is no bigger than a stapler; Just plug it in and you’re ready to go
Backup CDs, DVDs or store files and programs for on-the-go
- Includes external drive, USB 2.0 cable, AC power adapter, and quick start guide

Customer feedback:

1. If your sole purpose is to offload archives, then this is a great product. Most people don’t think twice of backing up their existing data. Also, each version of windows comes with a backup program which originated from the Veritas Brand of Software. You can easily set the Free Agent Hardware and make it an active drive, then setup the Backup Software within MS 2000, XP, or Vista.
I’ve read reviews that seem to point out the burden of USB2 write speed. It makes no difference if the interface is Firewire or USB if the intent is to just backup data. If it takes a few extra seconds or minutes, no big deal. Either way the data will get to the disk and you can rest peacefully.

2. Love everything about this product! It came quickly and it is excellent! Brand new and works great!

The D-Link DNS-323 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure, when used with internal SATA drives, enables you to share documents, files, and digital media such as music, photos, and video with everyone on the home or office network. Remotely accessing files through the Internet is also possible with the built-in FTP server. Whether you are allowing access locally or over the Internet, keep data safe by only giving rights to specific users or groups. When configuring the DNS-323, you can create users and groups and assign them to folders with either read or read/write permissions. This is ideal for an office environment with employee-specific sensitive data or for the home where you can ensure your children will only have access to age appropriate material.

Features

* SATA Drive Support
* Internet Access via FTP
* UPnP AV for Storing and Streaming Media Files
* 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Port
* USB Print Server Port
* Built-In Fan Included

Product features:
* Secure and share your digital files
* Insert one or two internal 3.5 SATA hard drives without tools or cables
* Protect your important files with mirrored hard drives using RAID 1 technology
* Access stored files over the Internet
* Hard drives not included

Customer feedback:

1. Receiving the product is another revelation. I’m the obsessive-compulsive type who can see every single flaw, which tend to be plenty on mass produced products these days. I couldn’t find one scratch on the brushed metal sides of this NAS case. The product is very solid, with hefty metallic casing (I don’t think you can find any NAS box made of metal under $200.. or maybe even $500), that actually has a suede rubberized finish on top and bottom. The metal case proved to be important as it helped dissipated the heat of the drives as I turned off the fan with scripts later. It is also VERY spatially efficient, with no space wasted. The only gap between the drives were well thought out as cooling channel. I don’t think it could get any smaller without hurting its function. The speed-controlled fan is very quiet to the point of being nearly silent; an amazing feat due to its size (40mm). I don’t think I have ever seen a small fan that quiet. The lights are discreet, no Christmas colors. The box looked great and exuded quality. I can’t complain about the build quality at all. It’s just well made with solid components. D-link’s accountant must be asleep at the switch.

2. It’s a new product, and surely firmware updates will make it more stable as time goes on. Now on v1.02. But overall, I’ve had a great time with this, and few problems other than the normal Windows network browsing issues. I am now running backups from three systems to this NAS without any issues (Mac, Linux, and XP). The speed is very good on gigabit ethernet. Power management works well - the disks spin down after 5 minutes of inactivity, and it’s more economical than running a full-blown PC to share data.

The Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is really four devices in one box. First, there’s the dual-band Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect to the network without wires. There’s also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100/1000 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together at up to gigabit speeds. The Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
We’ve also included a Storage Link that lets you easily add gigabytes of storage space onto your network using readily available USB 2.0 hard drives — or plug in a USB flash disk for a convenient way to access your portable data files. The built-in Media Server streams music, video, and photos from the attached storage device to any UPnP compatible media adapter. And you can get to your files from anywhere in the world through the Internet.

Technical Details

* Internet-sharing Router and 4-port Gigabit Switch, with a built-in, dual-band, speed and range enhanced Wireless Access Point
* Two simultaneous, separate, radio bands double your available bandwidth
* MIMO technology uses multiple radios per band to create robust signals for maximum range and speed, with reduced dead spots
* Connect a hard drive or flash-based USB storage device to allow access to your music, video, or data files from within your network, or through the Internet
* Advanced wireless security and SPI firewall for protection from Internet attacks

Customer feedback:

1. Purchased because needed extended range to reach a computer in my basement (3 floors down from my router) and I wanted to get a gigabit router. I also liked the storage link function. Overall, the router performs great. I don’t get the blazing speeds in the basement, but I do get connection where my old G router did not quite make it there. I also believe that moving my router may also increase performance. Setup was very easy moving from one linksys router to another, however I would say that the wizard doesn’t do everything it should…
I also like the interface (with the exception of storage link noted below) and it is VERY easy to set up. I use a VoIP phone and it was simple to set up the phone for QoS and that has worked flawlessly. (Another big reason for purchasing the phone.) You can set QoS by MAC address, IP address, ports, etc. Very few people use this function and you definitely should.

2. First thing I have to say is that the network storage feature does not work at all. The first time you set it up it works and after that it’s anybody’s guess.

Now you can quickly and easily add gigabytes of storage space onto your network with the Network Storage Link from Linksys. This tiny network appliance connects USB 2.0 hard drives directly to your Ethernet network. You can connect up to two stand-alone USB disk drives of any size, and access them from anywhere on your network. You can even plug a USB flash disk into the Network Storage Link, for a convenient way of accessing your portable data files. The Network Storage Link can also be set up so that your storage devices are accessible from the Internet — files can be easily downloaded via your web browser. Your files can be available publicly, or create password-protected accounts for authorized users.
Installation of the Network Storage Link is simple — just plug it directly into your 10/100 Ethernet network, and attach your USB 2.0 hard drives or flash disk. It can self-configure to your network via DHCP or you can use the built-in utility to manually configure it. With the speedy USB 2.0 interface, you’ll get quick response times with even your largest files.

Technical Details

* Connects USB 1.1 or 2.0 hard drives and flash drives directly to your network
* Share music, video, or data files with managed access by user name or group
* Integrated file server — access your files from the Internet
* Built-in disk utilities — format, backup, and scandisk
* Connects directly to a 10/100 Ethernet network for throughput up to 200 Mbps

Customer feedback:

A. Last week I purchased the linksys storage link. This product is an excellent example or a device that does not try to be all things to all people. Essentially, it is an tiny computer or embeded device with a tiny os that runs code that provides SMB or Windows file sharing. It is 100% compatible with windows, linux, or mac as long as you dont have a personal firewall installed.
Installation is simple.
1. Unbox device
2. Use CD-ROM to set up address, if you have dhcp this is not neccesary
3. Connect drive
4. Format drive via web interface
5. Set any password information
6. Add Users and permissions
7. Enjoy

B. I have been using this for past 1 week. It is a great product. I have learned to work with it rather than against it. Here are some observations that actually add exceptional value to the product. I have discovered some undocumented features too.
1. You can actually use it as a webserver! I am running one, though for personal use. To do this you need to put the files in the public area on the NSLU2, and using webhop like feature from DynDNS, you can map the index.html to a web address.
2. If the above feature is used and the html files are put into the restricted area, it will webserve, but will need password and user name. I serve my family photo site using this method!
3. The file systems seems to be Linux based. I used Acronis True Image 7.0 for backup of the USB drive. It indicated 3 partitions. Two of them were ext3 and one Linux swap! Acronis complained about some errors in the Linux partition. Looks like some propriatory stuff in there.
4. The device features really needs to be explored carefully before deployment and making any judgement call. The features like user+group+password can be used for excellent security. I have multiple pseudo users setup with private directories categorized according to the data, like music, videos, photos, downloads etc. Then I setup most of the actual users without private directories and provided them with selective permission to use the data. This adds to security since I can bump off any user without having to move files or data.
5. Documentation is lacking details and examples. In fact it is inadequate. But this does not make the device any less valuable. I had to explore and experiment with the device to make full use of it.

SDHC (SD High-Capacity) is the new generation of SD cards (Version 2.0). Formatted in FAT32, SDHC cards reach a maximum capacity of 32GB and can fulfill the high-capacity demand of the new SDHC devices such as Casio Exilim Z1000/Z600/S600 cameras, Panasonic DMC-L1 camera, and HP printer A/B. Now you can enjoy a high-quality digital life and store all of your MP3 music files, high-resolution pictures, and video clips on your SDHC card.
Customer review:
1. Works well with a 10 MP camera (PowerShot G7) - fits about 900 highest quality JPEGs. No problems shooting continuous video. You are much more likely to run out of battery power than space.
2. This card does eveything they say about it. It’s got tremendous capacity and it’s plenty fast enough for 640 x 320 resolution 30 frame/sec videos on my Canon A560 camera.

Product features:

* Fully compatible with the SD 2.0 Standard
* Class 6 specification
* Original NAND Flash Chip
* Supports Error Correcting Code (ECC) to detect and correct errors

SDHC (SD High-Capacity) is the new generation of SD cards (Version 2.0). Formatted in FAT32, SDHC cards reach a maximum capacity of 32GB and can fulfill the high-capacity demand of the new SDHC devices such as Casio Exilim Z1000/Z600/S600 cameras, Panasonic DMC-L1 camera, and HP printer A/B. Now you can enjoy a high-quality digital life and store all of your MP3 music files, high-resolution pictures, and video clips on your SDHC card.
Customer feedback:
1. I wanted to take advantage of the video capability on the Canon SD800IS digital camera and required a large memory card. Given the way memory requirements increase over time I opted for the largest available. I also wanted a fast memory write speed. The Transcend 8Gb SDHC Class 6 card was the best value available.
So far this card has worked flawlessly.
2. This card is able to hold a complete DVD movie, thousands of songs/photos, or just serve as a backup device for one’s files. It operates very well - I now have purchased 3 and with each use its value becomes more apparent. One word of caution - even though most laptops and systems have an SD card slot, older computers may not be able to recognize or write to this card. Make sure your system has the ability to read SDHC configured products. If you do not have an SD slot you can purchase an tiny SD reader (very inexpensive) that plugs into your USB port.

Product features:

* Protected with a Lifetime Warranty
* Ultra Performance “Class 6″ speed
* Includes convenient storage/carry case
* Write protect switch to prevent accidental image erasure
* Ultra Performance technology at 6MB/sec. minimum

Iomega’s 33654 is simply a great external drive for fast USB connectivity with either a Macintosh or Windows PC computer. Iomega’s Limited Edition Desktop Hard Drive is the affordable way to save precious memories. It has 500GB storage for lots of data. Apart from written files, 500GB translates to lots of other file types - Save up to 2,000,000 photos, 9,250 hours of music, or 750 hours of video. Not only is this drive economical but it is very easy-to-use and preformatted for simple set up - just plug and play. AC-powered, it’s a fast, efficient way to add storage to your current desktop. It’s also a great way to transfer files from one computer to the next, solving data-transfer difficulties when upgrading to a new computer.
Customer feedback:
1. The drive looks well-built and sturdy with a brushed aluminum case. The backside, however - where all the cables are plugged in - seems to be made from extremely thin plastic which immediately gives when only touched slightly. It is true plug-and-play, the drive was immediately and quickly recognized, no problems there. I reformatted from FAT32 to NTFS which took a while but nothing out of the ordinary given that it had to format almost 500 GB. From what I can tell, the drive is very fast which makes it a pleasure to use when having to work with huge files.
2. This is a GREAT external hard drive. It’s fast (7200 RPM), can stream a movie straight off it and simultaneously backup a movie with very few lag spikes. It’s quiet, only hear it every once in a while when it’s doing some heavy duty writing / reading. It’s Reliable, haven’t had a single problem with it yet. Best of all, the price is right. I wholeheartedly recommend this external drive to everyone. Just plug the usb cable and plug in the ac/adapter and you’re ready to roll. In fact, I’m going to go get another one myself.

Product features:

* Includes Iomega External Desktop Hard Drive 33654; USB 1.1/2.0 cable; Power cable;
* Stand;
* Quick Install Guide;
* One year warranty
* Capacity - 500GB
* Preformatted FAT32
* Fast 7200 RPM
* Compatible with PC and Mac