nas

Acronis True Image Home backup gets file sync

Acronis, the maker of the arguably most effective True Image backup software solution, announced today the latest version of its True Image Home 2012. Among other features and improvements, the software now offers file synchronization. This is the first time this feature is included in the company's line of disk-imaging products, which are generally designed to store backups in a proprietary "image" format, which requires backup software for the recovery process.

File synchronization, on the other hand, means that the exact copies of the data are kept in real time at different locations. This allows people to … Read more

QNAP to release Lion-friendly NAS firmware

QNAP, the maker of robust NAS servers such as the TS-412 Turbo NAS server, announced today that it will release the version V3.5 NAS management software for its Turbo NAS series in mid-August. This new version will fully support OS X Lion so Mac users can once again use existing Linux-based NAS servers for Time Machine.

This makes QNAP the second NAS maker to announce its continued support for Mac OS X. Last month, Synology also announced the downloadable beta version of its Diskstation Management software, a similar update.

QNAP says, in addition to the support for Lion, the new version will also boast loads of new features, such as a new antivirus protocol that detects and quarantines malware in the data stored on the server, and LDAP, aka support for sending alerts via Windows Live instant messenger.

The company says that the new firmware version will be available for free and will be compatible with all of QNAP's current NAS servers. Aside from the common support for Mac OS X Lion, some of the new features will be available only to its select servers, however.… Read more

Lion mauls third-party NAS support for Time Machine

As predicted by Synology, upgrading to the new and shiny OS X 10.7 Lion will for now mean that you can't use a third-party NAS server as the backup device for use with Apple's Time Machine software.

This is because Lion now uses a new version of Netatalk, which has different requirements from the previous version, making current third-party NAS servers incompatible with its filing protocol until their firmware is updated.

I tried the new OS with a few NAS servers in the last two days, and while Lion could still see the NAS server as the … Read more

Synology to release Lion-friendly NAS firmware, add features

Mac users with a NAS server should probably wait a bit before upgrading to OS X 10.7 Lion, due for release later this month.

According to Synology, maker of the highest-rated NAS servers on the market, its DiskStation servers will not work well with Lion, or at least the support for the Time Machine. This is because with Lion, Apple has changed the way Mac file service works, and it uses the new version of Netatalk for Time Machine. This means most, if not all, NAS servers that currently support Mac 10.6 will not be fully compatible with … Read more

Apple unveils new Time Capsules

After weeks of leaks and rumors, Apple has finally unveiled its updated Time Capsule model.

Apple's network attached storage device will now be available in 2TB and 3TB capacities for $299 and $499, respectively. (Before today, the $299 bought the 1TB model and the 2TB model cost $499.) Apple's online store is reporting that both models ship within 24 hours. However, we stopped in a Manhattan Apple Store earlier today, and the new Time Capsules were not yet available.

Related links • Apple Time Capsule (2009): Full CNET review • How to fix Apple's Time Capsule • New Mac Pros, Minis due this summer … Read more

Your dad wants to fight for the right to paaaarty!

Forget the tools and ties for dear old Dad this Father's Day. What he really wants is the Beastie Boys' new tunes on vinyl--or so the message goes from a new video uploaded to YouTube by the band on June 15.

Because of an Internet leak of the Beastie Boys' "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two" album, the band was forced to stream the entire thing (the explicit version), on its Web site before the actual June release date. By the end of April, the CDs and digital downloads of the album were (and are) made available on iTunes, Amazon, and Best Buy.

The focus for this new video, however, is on the sale of the vinyl format, which Mike D. says "...will be slightly different than the other formats. But please know that our corps of engineers and experts have been on this, making sure the wait is worth it and that I can personally tell you that in my humble opinion, the test pressing of the vinyl sounded banging on my home hi fi." … Read more

Networking talk: From cloud to iCloud and why you should care

I recently got an e-mail from a reader that asked, "Since when has the Internet become the cloud?" and it struck me how far from the truth the term "cloud" is (and I am talking about computing, of course). After all, there's nothing up in the air about this. Quite the contrary.

When facing something cool and hard to explain, we tend to give it a sexy name that might not have much to do with what it is. This is because we like it that way and because sexy sells. And Steve Jobs' recent … Read more

CNET's roundup of top-rated storage devices

From photos and music to home movies and recorded TV shows, it seems you'll never have enough space to store all the digital content you generate daily. You also want to access it fast and share it all easily, too. You want too much, but it's OK.

The good news is the development of storage devices has been rapid, and there are so many types of devices for you to choose from. If you want your laptop (or desktop for that matter) to boot fast and wake up instantly, there are solid state drives, such as the OCZ Vertex 3. … Read more

Cloudy, with a chance of video

With Apple's iCloud coming next week, hot on the heels of Amazon and Google's cloud services for music, it seems like the years-old dream of cloud media streaming is coming to greater fruition than ever before. That's promising news to me, a person who cut the cord on his cable TV over a year and a half ago. I live off the Internet and my various devices--my laptop, game consoles, iPhone, and iPad--to get my media, be it TV shows, movies, music or books.

So far, it looks like 2011 will be more the year of Cloud Music than that of Cloud Video. And that's a shame, because I'm getting fed up with my half-baked digital-video life.

I've spent the last week with a product called Pogoplug Video, which attempts to do what no one's currently offering yet: the ability to stream multiformat video files easily across multiple platforms, be they gaming console, computer, or phone/tablet, even across the Internet or 3G.

I held high hopes for the Pogoplug Video. The $199 device is much like the Pogoplug Pro we reviewed last year, equipped with a more powerful processor. And, it does what it promises, to a point: video files stored on hard drives or USB sticks plugged into the Pogoplug do indeed technically play back on iPhones, iPads, laptops, or even via DLNA on an Xbox 360 or PS3.… Read more