hard

Hard drives are easily surpassing 3TB storage capacities, either individually or when used in RAID arrays, and have become attractive options for external storage on various Mac users, not only for various data libraries (i.e., iTunes and iPhoto), but also for Time Machine backups. However, some people have encountered an apparent bug in which using some drives in Mountain Lion results in partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives.

When the problems happen, the drive becomes inaccessible, and when checking with Disk Utility users will see an error that states, "Error: Partition map repair … Read more

Need a mammoth backup drive to connect to your router, Pogoplug, or PC? No, really, I mean mammoth, as in the highest capacity you can buy.

While supplies last, Newegg has the Toshiba Canvio Desk 3TB USB hard drive for $127.49 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCJNNF79 at checkout.

Update: This code is now producing a "not valid" message, and the info on Newegg's product page indicating it was valid until Oct. 6 is gone. I've reached out to Newegg to get some explanation for this and will update the post if and … Read more

Western Digital announced today the availability of its WD RE internal 3.5-inch hard drive, which offers up to 4TB of storage space.

This new drive is available in either the SAS or SATA interface standards. The former is used in enterprise/business products such as servers, while the latter is also used in consumer products, such as desktop computers. While WD says the new drive combines capacity with enterprise-class features, the fact that a SATA version of the drive is also available means that consumers can also benefit.… Read more

If you want the best network-attached storage (NAS) experience, get a Synology NAS server like the DiskStation DS412+. But if you want to guard data from even the worst disaster, an IoSafe storage device, such as the Solo G3, will fit your needs. In fact, you can use those two combined for the best of both worlds.

Now, what if you just need a single device that offers both a great user experience and top-notch data security? There's something you can look forward to: the N2 that IoSafe announced today.

This is a new NAS server, which the disaster-proof … Read more

If the iPhone case fits, acquit.

Last year, Hard Candy Cases released an iPhone 5 case before the iPhone 5 actually was announced and got a little mud on its face when it didn't fit the iPhone 4S. It wasn't even close. (Hard Candy chalks it up to faulty intelligence and perhaps even some diversionary tactics by Apple).

Well, after last year's small embarrassment, Hard Candy is at it again, announcing the ShockDrop case for iPhone 5. And I just got received the new Gumdrop Drop Tech Series iPhone 5 case ($44.95) in the mail about … Read more

OS X will automatically attempt to mount an attached volume when the system is started, and if successful the volume will appear in the Finder either in the sidebar or on your desktop if you have these options enabled. However, there may be instances such as in multi-boot environments when you might want a specific volume to remain unmounted.

With multiple boot volumes in a system, when loaded in one operating system it is relatively easy to access and edit important files on the boot disk of other operating systems. Therefore, keeping the unused boot drive unmounted may be a … Read more

WD today made the good old portable hard drive concept something totally new again.

The storage vendor announced a new family of portable external hard drives for Macs and Windows PCs, called My Passport Edge, that's ultrasleek and ultraslim.

There are minor differences between the Mac version and the Windows version of the new drive.… Read more

After more than a month in beta state, Synology's final latest version, version 4.1, of the DiskStation Manager operating system for its NAS server, was released today.

Synology is one of a few NAS vendors that regularly releases new versions of the operating system, which improves and adds features to its existing NAS servers. DSM has been by far the most advanced operating system for network-attached storage servers, which offers not just a vast amount of features and ease of use, but also the most robust user interface that resembles a native operating system. Like all NAS operating systems, DSM is accessed via a Web interface using a connected computer.

DSM is one of the main reasons Synology NAS servers, such as the DS1511+, or the DS412+, have been the best on the market, for both home and small business environments.… Read more

Generally, the term "hard-core" and external hard drives don't go together. This is because external, portable hard drives are probably the most popular and casual type of consumer storage.

But some of them can get really serious, too.

These are external storage devices that are not just fast or rugged, but also are likely to make you think before purchasing due to their cost. In other words, they are not for everyone, but only those who have the need for them and can appreciate their value.

If you are one of these people, the following five drives are totally worth the investment.… Read more