STACK #128 Jun 2016

TECH

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Storage Solutions With homes using more and more digital devices, storage is becoming a real issue. Seagate has got it covered.

Seagate 500GB Wireless Mobile Storage It's a problem we all face on a daily basis – storage space. Chances are your mobile devices are already at capacity, filled with music, photos and movies. Well, Seagate has a solution that not only works well, it looks good too. The wireless 500GB Go mobile storage hard drive can connect up to three different mobile devices – including smartphones, laptops or tablets – and features its own Wi-Fi network. The battery, charged with a

Personal Cloud

that one mirrors the other for data replication piece of mind. On the unit is a small white indicator light, a USB port and a USB 3.0 port. That’s it; it’s very minimalist. Seagate are pitching this to a more mainstream market and consequently the set-up is practically dummy-proof. Plug in to a power source, attach the Personal Cloud to your router via Ethernet cable and wait for, in this case a Macbook, to recognise it. Then you simply set up an account that can be remotely accessed with a handy iOS and Android app. This means you can access your content anywhere in the world. On a recent trip to Sydney we tested this continuously and experienced no problems. Once your content is uploaded, it can be organised so it can be viewed just by you, or alternatively, by anyone with access to the Personal Cloud. It can also be configured to back up content automatically – a super time-saving feature that we used to great effect. Not only does the Personal Cloud perform in the capacity of a hard drive (it works well with Time Machine), it also functions as a capable media server too, allowing you to stream directly to your Smart TV or mobile devices. Additionally, the Personal Cloud now runs Plex, an excellent system that will organise all your movies, music and photos. If you’re in the market for a NAS that puts content control and management directly in your hands without involving a third-party, the Seagate Personal Cloud, with its user- friendly and pleasing design, is worth further investigation.

Most of us utilise and pay for a cloud storage service to house all our files, videos and movies, etc. Sufficient storage is an ongoing concern for many. Whether it's cataloguing digital versions of movies, housing entire photo and music libraries, or even storing video games that on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, for example, chew up 50GB a title, the need for a safe and dependable system for all these requirements is essential. If, like us, you find trusting a third-party establishment to manage your content a little unsettling, Seagate has designed a secure product (the same tech that online banking employs) that could be just what you’re looking for. We're talking about the new Network Attached Storage (NAS), the Personal Cloud for PC and Mac. The unit comes in several sizes; the one we tested was 4TB. From an aesthetic viewpoint, the Personal Cloud more closely resembles the aforementioned gaming consoles than a traditional NAS, and has clearly been designed to sit next to any home entertainment rig and not appear incongruous. It’s a 2-bay system that allocates, in this instance, 2TB per bay. This can be used as total storage or configured, so

detachable USB 2.0 cable (included), is touted to last for six hours and we found this to be relatively accurate (after streaming Jaws continuously during our review, the battery life lasted just a shade under).

The sleek design and colour range makes a refreshing change from the bland conformity of a traditional hard drive. On top of the Seagate Wireless there's a power switch, a USB indicator and a Wi-Fi status light. Operation couldn't be any simpler. Turn on the power switch and when the Wi-Fi indicator stops flashing, locate the drive in your settings. Download the Seagate Media app, register, select the drive from the list and upload all of your documents, photos, movies, music and photos, ready for easy access whenever you need them. These are perfect for car trips or domestic flights where more than one user can stream content at the same time. For people on the move, the Seagate Wireless is your new best friend. It's the perfect solution for all your portable storage worries, is simple to set-up and connect, performs exceptionally well as a streaming platform, and fits handily into a bag. You won't mind the price, either.

JUNE 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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