servers

The state of networking and storage, and what to expect at CES 2013

It's been an exciting -- and busy -- year for networking and storage, two very important categories in consumer electronics. Important because they are at the core of information technology -- without either, most or all of your gadgets will come to a grinding halt. And as far as I know, we haven't yet seen the limit of what they can do.

That said, here is a quick roundup of the current state of this sector and what we can expect, based on my educated guesses, heading into CES 2013.

Networking

802.11ac This year will be remembered … Read more

My post-iTunes life

iTunes 11 is finally here. I hear that it's a step in the right direction, correcting many of the missteps and redundancies that have crept into the bloated software over the years.

But I can't really give you a full opinion on iTunes 11 because I really haven't spent that much time with it on a personal level.

That's because I don't use my Mac for media.… Read more

WD ships 8TB My Book Live Duo NAS server

Following its recent announcement of the availability of a new 4TB hard drive, Western Digital today announced that its RAID-capable NAS server, the My Book Live Duo, now offers up to 8TB of storage space.

The My Book Live Duo is the dual-bay version of the single-volume My Book Live and originally had a storage cap of 6TB.

The server houses two user-serviceable 3.5-inch hard drives and supports both RAID 1 and RAID 0 configurations. The top 8TB capacity is available only in the RAID 0 setup, which is fast but provides no redundancy. If you want data safety, … Read more

Convert and play video files in several formats with DivX Plus for Mac

Handling many popular file formats, DivX Plus for Mac is the latest DivX player for the Mac platform. With its editing and conversion options as well, we found it to be a great potential addition to any user's Mac toolbox.

As you would expect, DivX Plus for Mac handles DivX format video files, as well as MKV and AVI files. This latest version of the player also allows for conversion from MP4 format, so you can format existing video files for use on the iPhone and iPad. You can also use DivX Plus for Mac as a streaming platform … Read more

Storage buying guide

Information runs the computing world, and handling it is crucial. So it's important that you select the best storage device to not only keep your data, but also distribute it. In this guide, I'll explain the basics of storage and list the features that you should consider when shopping. But if you're ready to leave for the store right now, here are my top picks.

Hard-core users hoping to get the most out of a home storage solution should consider a network-attached storage (NAS) server from Synology, such as the DS1511+, DS412+, or the DS213air. Both offer … Read more

Google reveals seven years of evolving data-center strategy

In an extension of its data-center glasnost, Google is offering an in-depth profile of its evolving strategy in center management.

During the 7×24 Exchange conference today in Phoenix, Joe Kava, the VP of data centers for Google, delivered a presentation giving an intimate look at how the company's data-center strategy has evolved, according to a GigOm report. Kava began his presentation with a seven-year timeline of Google's data-center history that showed the progression of the search giant's strategy.

While profiling an industry shift in data-center strategy, Kava's presentation showed a progression of the search … Read more

Stream video from your Mac to your game console

PS3 Media Server for Mac is a UPnP media server designed to stream most media files with a minimum of configuration required between your Mac and PlayStation 3 console. It installs cleanly; there are no codec packs to install, as they are part of the package.

PS3 Media Server for Mac lets you select a folder or multiple folders on your machine that will be shared with the PlayStation 3. From the PS3, you can browse the contents of the shared folders and launch any file there, with the file conversion being handled by PS3 Media Server for Mac. To … Read more

Control your Mac from your mobile device

Mobile Mouse Server solves a problem you may not have known you had. What Mobile Mouse Server does is convert your iPhone, iPod, or iPad into a motion-based mouse, trackpad, and wireless remote for your MacBook or iMac. With this software installed on both the Mac and your mobile device, you can manipulate your Mac using your mobile device.

The Mobile Mouse Server installs easily on both Mac and mobile iDevice. Once installed, you can manipulate your Mac from any reasonable distance. Moving the remote device triggers the accelerometer in the device, which translates to mouse movements on screen. While … Read more

Iomega ships 2 new business StorCenter NAS servers

Iomega today announced the availability of the StorCenter px2-300d and the StorCenter ix4-300d NAS servers for business environments, ranging from small offices to enterprises.

The former is a dual-bay NAS that offers up to 6TB of storage space and the latter is a four-bay with a top capacity of 12TB. Both servers are available in a diskless configuration, leaving users the option of picking the type of hard drive and the capacity on their own. Both also offer Iomega's Personal Cloud feature, which was first introduced with the Home Media Network Drive more than a year ago.

Iomega says … Read more

Manage display arrangement errors in OS X

When you connect an external display to your Mac, the system will usually by default resort to its native resolution and arrange it to the right of your main display. You can modify these settings in the Displays system preferences, which should preserve separate settings for each display you use with the system; however, after updating or upgrading OS X the system may not keep these changes and persistently revert to defaults every time your display is attached or when the system restarts.

If you use the default arrangement then this issue may not be much of a problem, but … Read more