Rack Mount a Windows Home Server 2011 with Tranquil PC

Andrew Edney
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0
Rack Mount a Windows Home Server 2011 with Tranquil PC

Earlier we posted about some great summer savings Tranquil were offering. The eagle eyed amongst you would have spotted the new Tranquil’s T2iWHS box – its rack mountable.

t2e_black__91116__48185_zoom

The T2iWHS is assembled in the beautifully engineered fan less chassis (silent of course) – it is available in Satin black or Metallic silver, and comes delivered with the very latest Windows Home Server 2011, powered by Intel’s latest i3-2100T processor.

There is no fan cooling the PSU or the CPU / GPU, resulting in not only a near silent unit, but also an extremely reliable system.

Ideal for home / office / industrial applications where near silence / reliability are of paramount importance. Of course it looks great too.

The T2iWHS series is powered by Intel’s latest 2nd Generation Core 2 CPU and H67 chipset, delivering excellent performance from the powerful CPU and yet amazingly low power consumption – the base configuration (1x HDD) consumes only 23W !

What do you get:

 

  • T2iWHS Home Server appliance incl Window Home Server 2011
  • 2TB Low Energy Primary Hard Disk
  • 2GB DDR3 RAM
  • Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor (i3-2100T 2.5GHz)
  • AVA Media CD ripping Add In (new 5th July 2011) Innovative storage expansion manager (to create storage pools, and also manage data duplication)
  • Media Kit including PC Restore CD and Server Restore DVD
  • 120W 12V external power adapter
  • 24 month RTB (return to base) warranty

Rear connections:

  • Display: DVD-D
  • DisplayPort
  • HDMI (Audio / Video)
  • Audio: Centre / Sub – Rear – Side – In (Line) – Out (L/R) – Mic’ In – SPDIF Optical
  • Storage: 2x USB 3.0 – 4x USB 2.0 – 1x eSata
  • Network:10/100/1000 LAN
  • Power: 12V DC Input

SAVE – use the following COUPON CODE at the checkout, and save £45+VAT

T2WHSSAVE – but hurry it expires soon.

[ilink url=”http://www.tranquilpcshop.co.uk/products/T2iWHS.html”%5DLearn more and place your order from the Tranquil website[/ilink]

Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011

Andrew Edney
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1
Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011

Back in June we told you about a new Windows Home Server from a UK company called HumuHumu. We have got our hands on one for review, so here is the usual unboxing to keep you going.

UWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 box

The box is pretty plain packaging.

UWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 box

Inside that box is another box which contains the HumuHumu Windows Home Server. This box is the Lian Li case box.

UWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 boxUWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 box

There is a package of manuals, software, etc.

UWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 box

And here is the box itself – I went for the red one as it looks very cool and makes a difference from the usual black servers in my office!

UWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 boxUWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 boxUWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 boxUWHS - Unboxing the HumuHumu Windows Home Server 2011 box

Here are the specs:

Spec

My initial thoughts are that this is a very nice looking box, and it is very light as well!

Expect the full usual hands-on review shortly.

And don’t forget that UWHS host the official support forums for HumuHumu, so if you have any questions, issues, etc, jump into the forums and start talking.

Visit the official HumuHumu forums

[ilink url=”http://www.humuhumu.co.uk/”%5DLearn more about HumuHumu from their website[/ilink]

Windows Live Essentials 2011 Gets an Update

Andrew Edney
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2
Windows Live Essentials 2011 Gets an Update

Yesterday saw Microsoft release an update to its Windows Live Essential 2011 suite.

WLE

The updates include minor bug fixes and improvements rather than any major new functionality, but if you use any of the elements of WLE you should update now.

It isn’t appearing in Windows Update yet (at least for me) so for now you can download it from the Microsoft website.

[ilink url=”http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials?os=other” style=”download”]Download the new version of Windows Live Essentials 2011 today[/ilink]

Spotify Coming to US – Sign Up for the Beta Now

Andrew Edney
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1
Spotify Coming to US – Sign Up for the Beta Now

Here is the UK we have had Spotify for a while, and it’s very cool! Now the news has come that Spotify will be launching very soon in the US, and you can even sign up for the beta.

spotify US

What is Spotify?

Here is how they describe themselves if you don’t know what Spotify is:

Spotify is a new way to listen to music. Millions of tracks, any time you like. Just search for it in Spotify, then play it. Just help yourself to whatever you want, whenever you want it.

Basically Spotify is an on demand music service, but to really appreciate it you have to try it. It is really good!

So with Spotify launching in the US soon, I can only wonder what this will do to Pandora’s customer base?

Have you used Spotify? Tell us what you think.

[ilink url=”http://www.spotify.com/uk/about/what/”%5DLearn more about Spotify[/ilink]

[ilink url=”http://www.spotify.com/uk/coming-to-the-us/”%5DSign up for the Spotify US beta[/ilink]

Tranquil Offering a Summer of Savings on Windows Home Server 2011 Hardware

Andrew Edney
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1
Tranquil Offering a Summer of Savings on Windows Home Server 2011 Hardware

Yesterday we told you that Tranquil were offering a £100 discount on their Leo SS4 server, well to follow that up they have a number of other savings to offer.

These offers are really good, for example, you can get the T7 Harmony Series 3 with Windows Home Server 2011 for £249.00 plus VAT. Now if you think about it, WHS 2011 alone is around £80.

Anyway, here are the savings and offers Tranquil have right now…

BIG savings to be had on the TINY T7, running Windows Home Server 2011.

The tiny, almost silent T7 Harmony Series 3 (Windows Home Server 2011) has just seen a massive price reduction – from £329.00 to £249.00 for the 2GB /1TB version.

The 2GB/2TB version has also been reduced by a huge £107.00

Tranquil’s T2 design has done it again!

The T2 chassis is now almost 7 years old, and has been and is still supplied to 10000’s of customers for many OEM applications, especially telecoms. It gave an appearance as a Windows Home Server unit in 2008, and now re-born with a new CPU is available supporting WHS2011.

We’re not talking the new Atom 525, or even the Atom that will replace the 525, we’re talking Intel’s 2nd Generation Core Processor – the i3-2100T.

It’s the same processor as we have servicing https://leohs4demo.homeserver.com – and that has proven over many months that it will service 100’s of simultaneous customer connections and it’s quite happy to service multiple streaming requests and those include on the fly transcoding of HD video. The i3-2100T is a very clever processor – and it’s now available in the T2iWHS

All of the Leo HS4 services are included – AVA Media CD ripper, MonStor Storage Manager etc.

There is a limit to the number of internal HDDs to 2x, but for many a 2x 2TB server is more than enough.

The cost – it’s affordable @ £549.00 (with the coupon code).

It’s rack mountable, but looks equally as good on the desk!

The T2iWHS – now available

Bare Bones Option

New operating systems are providing more and more services where raw CPU power is assumed, and Intel’s 2nd Generation Core Processors, as used in the Leo Servers, deliver processing power in spades!

But not everyone wants WHS2011 or Storage Server 2008, or they want to build a server ‘my way’ as the famous singer sang!

The BBS2 Power unit is the answer.

With the same basic core components as used in the Leo HS4 and Leo SS4, the BBS2 Power delivers huge amounts of processing power, yet consumes as little as 21W when idle.

The motherboard does support hot swap HDDs (all 4 of them) and also support on board RAID 0,1,5,10.

It’s not only a good product, but good value too @ £479.00 and for a limited period that drops to £434.00 (using coupon code BBS2SAVE) – and that includes the i3-2100 CPU and 2GB DDR3 RAM (both upgradeable)

[ilink url=”http://www.tranquilpcshop.co.uk/”%5DVisit the Tranquil PC shop to learn more and place an order[/ilink]

The Home Server Show 142 Out Now

Andrew Edney
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0
The Home Server Show 142 Out Now

Dave and the guys have just released the Home Server Show episode 142.

home_server_show_small_thumb_thumb_t[2]

Here’s what Dave says about this weeks show:

We are back after a week off and a successful meetup. In episode 142 we have the live audio from the meetup as well as plenty of chat about the news for the past week. This is a fun show so don’t miss it!

As usual you can download the show from here.

HomeServerShow.Com Meetup

Jim McCarthy
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3

On Saturday June 25th, Dave McCabe of the Home Server Show sponsored a meetup in Wisconsin.  I attended…here is what happened!

2011 06 25_1366

Dave reserved a room in a Ft. Atkison, WI hotel and obtained sponsorship from Drobo.  Giveaway items were donated by Microsoft, Drobo, Crashplan and KeepVault.  One lucky participant, Andne, won a four-bay Drobo unit!  Here are a few pictures:

Dave and Jim With VF's Swag

Tim Black AKA Vinylfreak gave Jim Collison a dollar sign bling necklace to tease him about Drobo and gave Dave a box of poptarts.  Frequent listeners to the podcast will know that Dave made an unfortunate comment about coding in one’s underwear eating poptarts; now Dave gets to eat some!  I don’t want to know about the underwear part.

John Z

John Zadler AKA Diehard was present from Quebec via Skype, and briefed us all on the Canadian mail carrier strike and the impact of Canadian bandwidth caps on internet usage, among other things!

Dave Podcasting

Dave and Jim recorded a podcast episode while we were there…this is Dave working hard.

Western Digital Launch My Book Studio for Mac with 3TB Storage

Andrew Edney
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0
Western Digital Launch My Book Studio for Mac with 3TB Storage

Today Western Digital launched a new drive, the My Book Studio for the Mac, which comes with 3TB storage and is great for Time Machine.

wdfMB_Studio_G2

Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC) today announced that its newest generation of the popular My Book® Studio™ external hard drives are designed for use with Mac® computers and Apple Time Machine. Now available with a 3 TB storage capacity, the new design features a brushed aluminium casing to match the appearance of a Mac computer, and also serves to keep the drive cool while in use. The aluminium exterior, combined with its WD® Caviar® Green™ drives, eliminates the need for an internal fan to reduce drive noise and extend the life of the drive. Although formatted for Mac computers, the My Book Studio external hard drives can also be reformatted for PCs.

The My Book Studio external hard drive includes all the features and benefits that have made it one of the favourites among creative professionals and Mac computer enthusiasts, including its fast and flexible Firewire 800/400 and USB 2.0 interfaces, user-controlled automatic backup software and drive management, password protection and hardware encryption. Shipping in capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB and 3 TB, the My Book Studio drive includes the WD Caviar Green series of internal hard drives with WD GreenPower Technology™.

“WD has updated the design of its My Book Studio drive while providing natural cooling features delivered by the new aluminium enclosure,” said Jim Welsh, vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups. “The drive will maintain all the features that are important to the creative community, including high speed Firewire 800 and adding large capacities up to 3 TB.”

Pricing and Availability

WD’s My Book Studio is available on the WD store at www.wdstore.co.uk and at select retailers and distributors. The approximate MSRP’s for My Book Studio with 1 TB is £120.00; My Book Studio with 2 TB is £153.00 and My Book Studio with 3 TB is £205.00.

wdfMB_Studio_G2-2wdfMB_Studio_G2-3

[ilink url=”http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=200″%5DMore Information Available from the WD website[/ilink]

The Digital Lifestyle Show #310 – Mission Implausible

Andrew Edney
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0
The Digital Lifestyle Show #310 – Mission Implausible

This weeks Digital Lifestyle Show has just been released – its show 310.

DLS Show

Here’s what Ian says about this week show:

Great show for you this week, Garry is away on a top secret mission so Andrew and I talk ITV on the iPad, Media Center guide editor, Windows Embedded Media Center, death of Zune originals, Apple TV and new videos. Plus the latest Windows Home Server news.

Download the show from here

D-Link Introduces Boxee Remote Control for PC and Mac

Andrew Edney
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4
D-Link Introduces Boxee Remote Control for PC and Mac

Do you want the Boxee Box remote control but don’t have a Boxee Box? Well now you can buy the remote control to use with Boxee software on your PC and Mac.

DSM-22_backDSM-22_front

The ingenious Boxee Remote by D-Link brings the freedom of the Internet to your HDTV in stunning 1080p with a sleek interface to simplify everything. Featuring a sleek, two-sided design and a full QWERTY keypad, the Boxee Remote works seamlessly with the award-winning Boxee software–the best way to watch movies, TV shows and clips from the Internet on your TV.

The Internet gives you the freedom to watch what you want, and the power to choose what you want to pay for. It‚s awesome. What‚s not awesome about the Internet: no big screen, no HD, no home theater experience, no easy interface designed to sift through the mountains of TV shows, Movies, and content available online. And the real killer: no remote. If only there was a way to bring the freedom of the Internet to your HDTV in stunning 1080p, with a sleek interface to simplify everything and – wait for it, a remote to put it all at the tips of your fingers. Too bad nobody has thought of that yet. Oh wait, we did. Haha! The ingenious Boxee Remote, by D-Link. Featuring a sleek, two-sided design and a full QWERTY keypad, the Boxee remote works seamlessly with our award-winning Boxee software – the best way to watch movies, TV shows and clips from the Internet on your TV. And the best part? The software is absolutely free! Holy monkey! Go ahead, download it and try it out before you buy – it only takes a minute to register, and you can use it as long as you want on your PC without the remote. When you‚re ready to put the freedom of the Internet at your fingertips, come on back and buy the Boxee Remote! Easy!

Not bad for $49.99.

Learn more from the D-Link website

Here is the press release:

Boxee Remote by D-Link Gives Boxee Software Users Living Room Feel From Home Theater PCs

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – July 6, 2011 – D-Link today announced the Boxee Remote Control by D-Link, giving Boxee users on PC and Mac the innovative remote previously only found with the Boxee Box by D-Link. The Boxee Remote Control features a sleek, two-sided design with a full QWERTY keypad that works seamlessly with Boxee software – the most intuitive way for Mac and PC users to bring TV shows, movies, music, and photos from the Internet to their TV.

“The Boxee Remote Control is ideal for home theater enthusiasts who have customized their home entertainment environment with a specialized PC or Mac media center, but still want the Boxee Box’s unique viewing experience on their TV,” said Daniel Kelley, D-Link’s Associate Vice President of Consumer Marketing, North America. “We are thrilled to offer this complementary tool to consumers already using Boxee’s software on their home computers – enabling people to more easily search, browse and type from the couch.”

Featuring double-sided controls with a built-in QWERTY keyboard and simple browsing interface, the Boxee Remote Control enables easy access to the search and social capabilities of the Boxee software on PC or Mac. Allowing users to enjoy and share their favorite video-on-demand service through their social networks, the Boxee Remote Control lets anyone quickly and easily input URLs and account information for their favorite websites. In addition, unlike infrared TV remotes, the Boxee Remote Control uses RF signals via an included nano-sized USB adapter so consumers never have to worry about pointing the remote at the computer.

“The Boxee Remote Control was one of the most talked about advances with the Boxee Box by D-Link. We’re excited to bring it to all of the Boxee users who’ve built customized home media centers and want to get even more out of their Boxee software,” said Andrew Kippen, vice president of marketing, Boxee. “For Boxee software users, this remote makes all the difference between a PC experience and one that feels like watching TV. Consumers can literally kick back, relax and control their SmartTV experience from their couch.”

The Boxee Remote Control can also be used as an additional remote for the Boxee Box by D-Link. The Boxee Box is the easiest way to bring TV shows, movies, music, and photos from the Internet to your TV in a simple, easy-to-use way – all that’s needed is a TV with an HDMI input and an Internet connection. Unlike any other set-top device, the Boxee Box has support for a full web browser, full HD streaming from the Internet, support for all popular media file formats, and integrated social networking that delivers personal recommendations from Facebook and Twitter straight to the TV.

Availability and Pricing

The Boxee Remote by D-Link (DSM-22) is currently available at Amazon.com, TigerDirect.com, NewEgg.com, and Buy.com, with an MSRP of $49.99.

Tranquil Reduces Price of Leo SS4 Storage Server

Andrew Edney
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2
Tranquil Reduces Price of Leo SS4 Storage Server

Tranquil PC have now just reduced the cost of the Leo SS4 Storage Server appliance, by £100 + VAT

Storage Server is very similar to Windows Home Server 2011, with a few extensions, ie it supports up to 25x connected users (auto-backups etc) compared to the 10x users supported on the Leo HS4 (WHS2011). You can also join the Leo SS4 to a domain, for simplified integrate your into your existing infrastructure.

There is a coupon code you need to use to make the £100.00 (+VAT) saving:

COUPON CODE TO USE – CSS10011

Stream audio and video to your iPhone / iPad from WHS2011

Andrew Edney
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7
Stream audio and video to your iPhone / iPad from WHS2011

Today Tranquil are talking about a new app called StreamToMe which you can use to stream audio and video from Windows Home Server 2011 to your iPhone or iPad.

Here is what Tranquil have said:

Utilising the substantial CPU performance of the Leo HS4 server, you can now enjoy audio / video streaming both local (LAN) and remote (Internet) to various mobile devices.

But we have now also set up streaming for iPhone / iPad. The StreamToMe Add in can be installed to your iPhone or iPad for a nominal fee (£1.79) you can get it from the App Store. If you would like to give the server a test drive for yourself, drop a line to Tranquil PC now, and we’ll provide you with the WHS2011 details to stream from.

You can stream music test files, recorded TV (.wtv), HD recorded TV, .mp4 video (HD) etc. There may be occasional issues with some of the video files, ie the audio codec may or may not stream. (SALT in the videos folder is a good example of movie streaming!)

See how you get on with your iPad or iPhone !!

I haven’t tried it yet, but I will do soon and let you know what I think.

Skype 5.5 Beta is Available for Windows

Jim McCarthy
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0
Skype 5.5 Beta is Available for Windows

A few days ago, Andrew told us about Skype 5.2 being available for the Mac.  In addition, Skype 5.5 Beta is out, including Facebook integration.  Read on for details!

beta-skype-logo

Skype released Skype 5.5 Beta for Windows on June 20th.  Here is what Skype had to say about new features:

New features in this version:

  • See Facebook friends in your Skype contact list
  • Instant message with your Facebook friends
  • Easier, smarter call controls
Your Skype experience just got friendlier

With our new Skype 5.5 Beta for Windows you get all the Skype features you love, and now instant messaging with your Facebook friends, too. So you can chat away with more people than ever. And all for free.

We’ve also made our call controls easier to use, with a new, smarter toolbar and simpler buttons.

The biggest advance here would be the ability to integrate Facebook contacts and IM capabilities with Skype.  I use Skype all the time to keep up with family back in Ohio, so I’ll be interested in these features.

Go ahead, download the beta and give it a whirl!

Skype 5.5 Beta

Sony BDP-S480 Review

Jim McCarthy
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0
Sony BDP-S480 Review

A few weeks back, I told you about a wireless USB LAN adaptor and a new Blu Ray player from Sony that came home with me.  Today, the review!

BDPS480

So my wife wanted to update the TV and disk player for our bedroom.  We took home a Sony 32” TV, a Sony 32BX420, and a Blu Ray player to match, the Sony BDP-S480.  In addition, I added a wireless USB adaptor to allow the TV and Blu Ray player to network.

Setup

Setup of the Blu Ray player was easy: plug it in, connect the cables, and install the USB adaptor.  Once the Blu Ray player found the USB adaptor, it asked for the security code to get onto my home network, established an N connection wirelessly, detected a firmware upgrade and asked for my permission to update.  Once updated, it then went out and found all of the DLNA servers that were on the network and switched on.  Setup could not have been easier.  Thank goodness for HDMI.  One cable from the Blu Ray player to the TV for video and sound.  Gotta love it!

Disk Playback

Disk playback has been very good, with dvd’s being upconverted to 1080P and Blu Rays playing well.  All as expected since this is a Blu Ray player.

Streaming Content

I don’t have Netflix, so I concentrated my streaming to on-network servers that had content to share.  The specs for the BDP-S480 claim that MP4 files are supported.  Almost all of my video is in MP4 containers with AAC audio and H.264 video encoding.  None of these files worked with the DLNA client onboard the BDP-S480.  This capability was the main reason that I spent the extra $80 for the USB adaptor; needless to say, I was not happy with this result.  However, recorded TV from my WHS V1 is converted to WMV files.  These all played very well with no issues at all and looked good on the 32” screen.  Not a total waste!

Qriocity

As a result of the PlayStation Network hack, Sony allowed 30 days of access to their service called Qriocity.  I availed myself of this freebie for a bit, and it played music back very well using this Blu Ray player.  I also tried the video playback and it streamed very well after a brief buffer when starting playback.  This is a good service, and I may upgrade and buy it if it works on the PS Vita due out towards the end of the year.

Overall

I really wish that my video files in H.264 and AAC encoding had worked with this DLNA client.  The streaming for Qriocity and for recorded TV shows inside the network worked well, but I was hoping to get my movies this way like I currently can with the PS3.  I’m not sure that paying the extra $80 for the USB adaptor was worth the cost in my case.  However, if you use Netflix or Qriocity or and of the other supported services (Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora and some others), then upgrading the networking capabilities of the Blu Ray player may make some sense.  At the end of the day, my wife is happy that she can watch movies and TV on a nice TV in the bedroom, so I’ll consider this one as Mission Accomplished!

Sony KDL-32BX420 TV Sony BDP-S480 Blu Ray Player

Sony Qriocity

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