Box’s Next Frontier: Cloud Storage For The Federal Government

For Box, 2011 was a huge year in terms of customer acquisition. Box ended the year with 77% of the Fortune 500 using the company's cloud storage offerings. Procter and Gamble marked one of Box's largest deployments for the year. While Box is still continuing to focus on cloud solutions for the enterprise in 2012, the company has set its sights on a potentially huge fish for the year—the federal government.Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie tells me that there is a huge opportunity for Box in procuring cloud storage options for government agencies. "There's going to be a big shift in public sector using cloud services this year," Levie explains. "With so many agencies having to collaborate with public and other organizations, it's more efficient to do this in the cloud."]]>

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Netgear at CES 2012: Consumer Networking, Storage and Media Products

It is almost a week since CES got over, but I still have a few meetings from the show that are pending coverage. There isn't much point in just rehashing press releases, and I take the extra effort to gather the right information that readers want. Given that most of my focus is on HTPCs and media streamers, I did talk with Netgear in detail about their plans for that market segment. But, before presenting that, let me take a small detour to write about the other interesting products.

WNDR4700 Media Storage Router

This router was honoured with a CES Innovations Design and Engineering award. It is quite different from any of the routers from other companies because of the addition of an internal hard drive slot. The model comes barebones or with a 2 TB hard disk installed internally. With the ability to act as a backup target for both Macs and PCs, it is an interesting alternative for users hooking up an external hard drive to the USB port of their routers.

The router also comes with all the high end features expected from a flagship model (simultaneous dual band with 450 Mbps in each channel, four GbE ports and two USB 3.0 ports for additional storage needs). Availability is slated for summer this year, while pricing is set to be announced at a later date.

XAVB5101 Nano Powerline Kit

Netgear also announced a small 500 Mbps powerline adapter, the XAVB5101 Nano. Its exceptionally small form factor ensure that the unit doesn't become a wall wart like most of the other powerline adapters that I have seen. The internal chipset is still from Atheros Qualcomm. We have been evaluating a number of powerline adapters based on that chipset, and initial testing results seem to indicate that there is not much of a performance improvement over the 200 Mbps kits in noisy line conditions (which could be all the time, if the end user is unlucky!).

In any case, if you are exploring powerline networking options and want something small and sleek, the XAVB5101 is a nice option. It will be available later this quarter for $120.

Apps for Networked Devices

While D-Link was concentrating on the cloud aspect for the control of networking equipment, Netgear seems to have hit upon apps as the way to move forward. Recognizing that many consumers install DD-WRT or Tomato on their routers, Netgear is providing an incentive for the developers of those firmwares to develop apps for their routers (and other products) to enable specific functionality not present in the original firmware.

In addition to router apps, Netgear also envisages that the 'Smart Network Cloud Application Platform' will include their NAS devices and media players. Netgear provides a SDK for developers to join in, and more information can be found here.

I saw some apps in action, running on a WNDR3500L v2. This seems like an interesting endeavour, and I am looking forward to see the types of apps which will eventually turn up for the various devices in the Netgear ecosystem.

Media Streamers

Readers who have followed my coverage of the NTV550 probably know that I was deeply disappointed with the way Netgear handled the product's firmware development. It looks like the NTV550 will get one more firmware update in February and then, will no longer be supported in terms of new firmwares. Unfortunately, I don't think one firmware update can fix all the issues that the unit currently suffers from. That said, the NTV550 is probably the cheapest Blu-ray enabled (unofficially) media streamer you can get, and it does work well enough in specific usage scenarios.

We also reviewed the Netgear NTV200 late last year, and were quite impressed for the range of OTT premium services supported for the price. Netgear just made the deal a whole lot sweeter at CES by adding Hulu Plus to the list of supported channels. The only premium service of note which the Roku 2 units have, but the NTV200 doesn't, is Amazon VoD. Netgear indicated that support was being planned for Amazon VoD too, but wouldn't commit on dates. The new killer feature of the NTV200 is undoubtedly Intel WiDi. Consumers wanting to take advantage of WiDi have often been forced to buy a separate unit with just a H.264 decoder in it, costing more than $50 usually. With the WiDi app, the NTV200 is able to replace the dedicated WiDi unit. I am very excited by this development, and Netgear deserves lot of credit for bringing this feature to the NTV200.

The Roku 2 comes in four different varieties (Roku 2 XS, Roku 2 XD, Roku 2 HD and Roku 2 LT) with pricepoints ranging from $50 to $100. The NTV200 has settled down to $50 at most retailers, and in terms of features it compares favorably to the Roku 2 XD priced at $80. Netgear seems to be preparing (but wouldn't confirm officially) another model based on the same chipset as the NTV200 and hopes to release it soon at $80. Tagged as the NTV210, it will include a USB port for local media support. Personally, I don't believe that the NTV200's chipset is powerful enough for local media streaming requirements. So, it will be interesting to see whether the NTV210 is at least better than the Roku 2 XS in terms of local media compatibility. Of course, our current recommendation for the best balance between local and online media support lies with the WDTV Live Hub / WDTV Live SMP, with the latter being available for less than $100. Can the NTV210 upstage the WDTV Live SMP? That will be something to wait and watch.

In addition to the above, Netgear also introduced a range of other products such as range extenders and DSL/cable modem/router combos. Hit up the source link for a detailed list.

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Data Storage Company Nexenta Scores $21 Million In Series C Funding

Data storage solutions provider Nexenta this morning announced that it has secured $21 million in Series C funding in a round led by new investor Menlo Ventures and joined by Sierra Ventures and Razor’s Edge Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners and TransLink Capital.Nexenta claims its open source storage software solutions help enterprises avoid vendor lock-in and enjoy unified storage management at a fraction of the cost of legacy systems.]]>

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QNAP at CES : SMB Lineup Refresh and a 200TB+ SAS Storage Rack

QNAP is one of the more popular vendors in the SMB NAS space along with Synology. At CES, QNAP had a booth with samples of selected lineup members.

The 1 and 2 bay home consumer solutions continue to be based on Marvell. The TS-119 P II and TS-219 P II are new for CES, but they have been available in the market for the last 3 months or so. Running on a 2 GHz Marvell processor, they both have 512 MB DDR3 DRAM. One of the updates to the 1-bay model is the appearance of a removable slot instead of the fully enclosed disk in the previous generation model (the white models shown in the picture below are the previous year's model, wrongly tagged on top)

Moving on to the Intel based lineup, I realised that the tags on top appeared to indicate last year's models.
However, I spied something strange on the rear side of some of the units. Take a look for yourself.

Were you able to spot it? On the top right corner, we have a HDMI port! Further questioning revealed that the model was actually a new one based on a yet-to-be-officially-released Intel platform. Given QNAP's experience with the media player market and the issues with getting licenses for various A/V codecs, it is logical to assume that they could create a NAS-media player hybrid (though I am not sure about whether it is a value-add that QNAP customers really want).

A quick search on the web revealed that Thecus has a similar model lined up. While TweakTown has revealed that it is a faster Atom processor under the hood, it is not clear why both QNAP and Synology didn't want me to write about the specifics.

The 2U rack units (TS-EC879U-RP and TS-EC1279U-RP) sport a Xeon E3-1225 processor, and can interface with the JB-1200U-RP storage expansion enclosure. The expansion eclosure supports two high speed SAS ports to enable daisy chaining. A maximum of 6 expansion units can be strung together for more than 200TB of storage.

One of the issues that some readers sent us after the TS-659 Pro II review was a problem with the kernel in the recent Turbo NAS firmware versions. It is good that QNAP has owned up to the issue (also, apparently existing in some versions of Ubuntu according to QNAP). While the recent firmware updates have taken care of a number of issues causing the behavior specified in the above thread, it looks like it will take another quarter at least to fully upgrade the kernel version in the firmware.

QNAP has earned the trust of consumers by providing quality hardware and consumer support. While I wasn't happy with the initial handling of the issue, I am sure QNAP based NAS systems can be recommended with confidence once the fragmentation / I/O handling issue is resolved fully.

 

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Patriot’s Portable Cloud Storage and Media Streamers

Patriot also has some portable storage solutions and media players on display. Their concept of the portable cloud storage is basically an external USB 3.0 + WiFi enabled HDD/SSD enclosure with a built-in battery. Instead of transferring large media files onto your tablet or other portable device, you can store them on a device like the Gauntlet 2. It supports HDDs and SSDs and should last upwards of five hours while streaming content over wireless (and potentially longer with an SSD). Probably the most likely use case is for those who want to take a large media library with them on a trip and they lack the storage capacity to hold it all on their tablet/smartphone (though it works with other OSes as well). So you could stash your Gauntlet 2 in the overhead compartment and still watch all of your media library while seated on a plane.

The other additions are the PBO Alpine and Core XT media streamers. (PBO stood for Patriot Box Office originally, though now it’s just the PBO brand.) The Alpine side is Android based, with the current Alpine using an ARM926EJ-S SoC (500MHz, 128MB DDR2, 256MB NAND); the Core XT side uses a Linux based interface with a larger form factor and a Realtek 1186 SoC (750MHz). The Alpine is intended primarily as a media streamer with support for up to 1080p playback with no internal storage, but it does support USB storage; availability is expected in the March time frame with a price of $89. The Core XT has an internal 3.5” drive tray capable of supporting up to 4TB drives. It also has USB 3.0, Ethernet, and WiFi connectivity and again supports up to 1080p video. Availability is also expected around March, with pricing TBD (based on configuration).

Gallery: Patriot’s Portable Cloud Storage and Media Streamers

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Canonical Releases Windows Client for Ubuntu One Cloud Storage Service

Ubuntu One, the cloud storage service available for Ubuntu versions 9.04 and higher, now has an official Windows client. Previously available as a beta, Ubuntu One for Windows gives XP, Vista, and 7 users a free 5GB of cloud storage space in which to keep their files.

Ubuntu One works a bit differently than, say, Dropbox, a competing cloud storage service: for example, if you'd like to sync your My Documents and My Pictures folders, Dropbox would require you to store them within your Dropbox folder, while the Ubuntu One client allows you to select folders anywhere on your hard drive for syncing. Once synced, your files can be accessed from Ubuntu, Windows, and Android devices, as well as through the Ubuntu One web site.

For users with more storage needs, Canonical will bump your space up to 20GB for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year. You can also add an Android and iOS-compatible MP3 streaming service (which also includes the 20GB storage upgrade) for $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year.

Source: Canonical

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Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage Review

Legit Storage Reviews

My 500 GB Apple iPad 2!

Wouldn't it be great to watch any one of many HD videos you own while on that 1 1/2 hour subway ride?  Well now you can.  Seagate recently released the latest addition to their GoFlex line of external hard drives, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage system.  The key words here are "mobile" and "wireless". 

This 500GB external HDD is more than just a shell on a 2.5" hard drive supporting USB 3.0 connectivity and external power brick.  This drive has its own battery supply and integrated 802.11n wireless access point all in the same form factor as other external drives in the GoFlex line. 

Since companies like Apple release fixed configuration devices such as the iPad and iPhone Seagate saw a need for people with large libraries of multimedia beyond the maximum 64GB on the largest iPad.  Since all these modern devices support 802.11n, Seagate thought: wireless + hard drive + battery = success.

The only limit is you can only stream to 3 devices at a time and the Lithium Ion batteries provide a maximum of 5 hours of streaming.  Each of the three devices are able to watch the same or different content so it is like your own local cloud storage service.  To supplement this, Seagate provides a wall to USB power plug and 12 volt car plug to USB power so you can take the Goflex on longer trips.

To transfer files onto the GoFlex Satellite, Seagate provides a USB 3.0 connection that is ultra fast giving me over 170MB/s transfer rates.  My 650MB file took mere seconds to copy onto the Satellite.

Seagate has the GoFlex Satellite at an MSRP of $199.99 and due to this being a very new device that is the price we found it at the few retailers that currently carry the GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless device.   I am sure once inventories increase we will see it avaliable in more stores.

Current Seagate GoFlex Satellite pricing:  

The GoFlex Satellite comes with a 3 year warranty from Seagate.

In order to show you all the features, the interface, and set up we did this review as a HD video that you can watch below.

Next Page - Final Thoughts and Conclusions

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Expand iPhone, iPad, Storage upto 32GB of Storage - Flash-Drive

There is a new device coming that could actually be better than Apple’s own camera connection kit. The PhotoFast i-FlashDrive adds memory expansion to your iPhone/iPod touch, according to news

If you are looking for a device to add additional storage to your iPhone, iPad or iPad 2, a company called PhotoFast has just launched a new device that will give you up to 32GB of storage on your iOS device, the i-FlashDrive.

The PhotoFast i-Flash Drive features a USB connector on one end so you can hook it up to your PC or Mac and a 30 pin connector on the other end so you can connect it to your iPhone, iPad or iPod, it also comes with a free app from the iTunes app store that lets you manage files on the device.

Unlike Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite, the i-FlashDrive does not require a Wi-Fi connection. It is basically a memory dongle that features a 30-pin connector on one side and a USB plug on the other, which makes it easy to carry around.

The device can be used to backup content stored on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, and you can also playback MP3 files which are stored on the i-FlashDrive.

The i-FlashDrive will launch in late June only in Taiwan. However, it will make its U.S. debut quickly after that.

The PhotoFast i-FlashDrive will go on sale later this month, and it will come in a range of different sizes, which include and 8GB model that will retail for $95, up to a 32GB model that will retail for $180.

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Kingston Wi-Drive Offers Wireless iPad Storage Expansion

Dozens of companies have built entire businesses supplying accessories to the iPod and iPhone. With the iPad, storage vendors are trying to get a piece of the pie by addressing the inherent storage limitations of the platform. Without an SD card slot, your iPad is stuck with however much storage you buy it with. Upgrading isn't possible and higher capacity models are sold at a pretty steep premium. Seagate and now Kingston are offering 802.11 enabled, battery powered external storage devices to use with the iPad or any device with a web browser (iOS or not).

 

While Seagate went the mass storage route with a 500GB hard drive, today Kingston is announcing its Wi-Drive an external 16GB or 32GB wireless addition deisgned for mobile devices. The Wi-Drive can support up to three simultaneous users either through a free iOS app or by connecting to the Wi-Drive via a web browser. 

You get your content onto the Wi-Drive via USB and then can access it wirelessly via your mobile device. Kingston is promising up to 4 hours of battery life.

The 16GB version will retail for $129.99 while the 32GB version will set you back $174.99.

Personally I see the need for expandable tablet storage, but I'm not entirely sure what the sweet spot is. For users who use the iPad as their only computing device, these devices are going to make a lot of sense.  I plan on looking at both the Seagate solution and the Kingston Wi-Drive after I get back from Computex.

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