What is Windows Home Server?

Samsung Galaxy S III gets some new colours

Andrew Edney

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Sep 11, 2012

Samsung Galaxy S III gets some new colours

The Samsung Galaxy S III has just had some new colours added to the range. The new colours are inspired by the Earth’s richest materials: Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Sapphire Black and Titanium Grey.

Elegant, intelligent and stylish, the Samsung Galaxy S III is designed for humans and inspired by nature. This design ethos is brought to life through the new colour range. The Galaxy S III boasts an organic appearance, with gently curved lines and clean features which are accentuated by these latest colour options:

• Titanium Grey: Inspired by the colour grey as a symbol for intelligence, insight and curiosity, all of which are embodied within the design of the Galaxy S III. The Galaxy S III LTE Titanium Grey will be available through EE in the UK as a launch partner for the 4G mobile network.

• Garnet Red: Garnet Red reflects the elegance of Almandite Garnet, in line with the Galaxy S III’s curves and smooth lines. The Galaxy S III Garnet Red will be available from Carphone Warehouse in the UK joining the Pebble Blue and Marble White versions currently available.

• Amber Brown: The deep, rich colour of Amber Brown enhances the advanced organic design of the Galaxy S III. The Amber Brown Galaxy S III will be available in the UK later this year.

• Sapphire Black: Showcases the stylish Galaxy S III design, with the sophisticated and refined Sapphire Black colour option. The Sapphire Black Galaxy S III will be available in the UK later this year.

So what do you think of these new colours? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Check out our hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S III

Hulu Plus update on the PS3 brings improved navigation and discovery

Andrew Edney

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Sep 11, 2012

0

Hulu Plus update on the PS3 brings improved navigation and discovery

The Hulu Plus app on the PS3 has been updated and it brings a number of improvements and enhancements.

This is what Hulu posted on their blog:

We’ve implemented a tray-style format that allows you to scroll through recommendations based on your viewing history, or check out popular shows and movies, the top 100 clips on Hulu Plus, movie trailers and more.

We’ve included a “Shows You Watch” feature that highlights the content you regularly enjoy and lets you jump straight to the latest episode.

The updated search experience provides a simple way to find content with results that appear directly beneath the search.

When you select a show, you’ll have access to all of the episodes and clips in one place. If it’s a show you’ve watched before, you can pick up right where you left off.

The latest update also features simplified playback, with clean, intuitive controls: press up or down to display a playback menu, or left or right to fast-forward or rewind.

To get started, go to PlayStation’s “TV/Video Services” in the cross media bar, install the new Hulu Plus app in the “My Channels” section and start watching your favorite current season TV today for only $7.99/month. If you’re new to Hulu Plus, you can sign up for a free one-week trial at www.huluplus.com/ps3promo.

PlayStation 3 is the first living room platform we are rolling out the new Hulu Plus experience on, so please take it for a spin and let us know what you think. We hope you enjoy it.

Have you tried it yet? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Nokia Announces Upcoming Upgrades for Existing Lumias

Jim McCarthy

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Sep 11, 2012

1

Nokia today clarified some of the upcoming updates that they intend to deliver to existing Lumia customers. Read on for details!

Nokia clarified today the updates that they intend to deliver to existing Lumia handsets. Here are the highlights:

Brand new, compelling updates are in the pipeline. Nokia City Lens, launched just last week to make exploring surroundings more intuitive, is already available in the Windows Phone Marketplace for Lumia 710, Lumia 800 and Lumia 900, as is Nokia Counters, to help you keep an eye on your phone usage.

We will also bring Cinemagraph and updates to Smart Group Shot to the existing Lumia devices with some additional surprises to make photo shooting and sharing as easy as possible. Additional new features for all Lumia devices will include:

A new Start screen look and feel, familiar from Windows Phone 8, giving you a whole new look the moment you unlock your phone

Ringtone maker app to selected markets to create a personal ringtone

Contact share app updated to support sharing over Bluetooth in addition to SMS and email

Bluetooth file transfer to send media files via Bluetooth from your Lumia device to any other phone

The rollout of these updates for the Lumia 610, Lumia 710, Lumia 800 and Lumia 900 smartphones will be phased, and we will share more details closer to the start of delivery.

New and exclusive apps continue to be launched in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Coming up, there is Zynga’s smash hit games Draw Something and Words with Friends, new apps from Bloomberg, WhatsApp, Groupon and a whole lot more.

It is good to see Nokia being willing to invest time and effort to bring updates to these handsets, which can’t make the jump to Windows Phone 8 due to hardware limitations.

Superfast 4G LTE mobile services and fibre broadband announced by Everything Everywhere or rather EE

Andrew Edney

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Sep 11, 2012

2

Superfast 4G LTE mobile services and fibre broadband announced by Everything Everywhere or rather EE

This morning in London Everything Everywhere, or now referred to as EE, announced their superfast 4G LTE mobile services and fibre broadband were coming to the UK.

The EE network – which launches today – has been created by bringing together the former 3G and 2G networks of Orange and T-Mobile, coupled with a three-year £1.5bn investment for upgrades and new 4G services.

With the Orange and T-Mobile networks now combined, from today customers will begin switching over to the new seamless EE network, the largest in the UK. By the end of the year, all 27 million customers will be using the EE network.

It means that Orange and T-Mobile customers can now get faster 3G service, with speeds of up to 21Mbps, and more coverage than ever before.

EE will also launch superfast 4G mobile and fixed-line fibre broadband services in the coming weeks. It will also offer standard broadband via ADSL in non-fibre areas.

EE will offer a range of state-of-the-art devices alongside its superfast 4G mobile network with more to be announced shortly. Today, EE confirmed it is to launch the following 4G devices:

Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE – with a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display, you can watch videos on your mobile like never before. Innovative Smart Stay automatically recognises when you are looking at the phone, maintaining a bright display for continued viewing pleasure.

Nokia Lumia 920 – flagship Nokia Windows Phone 8 smartphone. Take bright, blur-free photos and videos in any light conditions with PureView technology – Optical Image Stabilisation and Carl Zeiss lens and view on a 4.5” PureMotion HD+ capacitive display.

Nokia Lumia 820 – colourful, stylish, innovative design, with a 4.3 OLED WVGA screen. Capture great photos and movies with an 8MP Auto Focus camera, with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash. Charge wirelessly without plugging in using a Wireless Charging Shell.

The HTC One XL – high quality entertainment and precision navigation combine in this handset, thanks to a large 4.7” HD touchscreen display. Full HD video, and front and rear facing camera let you capture crisp, vivid photos and movies in high quality wherever you are.

Huawei Ascend P1 LTE – a powerhouse dual-core processor is packed in to this handset’s slim design. Take stunningly clear images or HD videos on an 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash and playback on the 4.3” high-res touchscreen.

Huawei E589 Mobile WiFi – hook up to five devices to the EE 4G network, making your existing phone, laptop or digital screen superfast even if they’re not 4G. Long battery life of up to 10 hours, enjoy 4G wireless broadband anytime, anywhere.

Huawei E392 Mobile Broadband stick – download and upload documents and files in super quick time on the go with this device. Make your laptop mobile and superfast, by hooking it up to the EE network. You’ll stay compatible with 3G too and seamlessly switch to the optimal connection.

You will notice that the iPhone 5 is not on the list, however the “And one more thing, we’ll be announcing more devices shortly…” indicated that the iPhone 5 would be there, they just couldn’t talk about it yet.

EE’s superfast fibre broadband service will launch at the same time to complement the company’s superfast 4G mobile service. It will be available to 11 million households and businesses by the end of the year reaching two thirds of UK households and businesses by the end of 2014.

They even had the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson on hand to launch it!

So what do you think? Are you going to give EE a try? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

FireCore update Apple TV ATV Flash (Black) to version 2.0

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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Sep 11, 2012

0

FireCore update Apple TV ATV Flash (Black) to version 2.0

FireCore have today released an update to its ATV Flash software for the Apple TV 2, taking it to version 2.0.

This is what FireCore posted on their blog tonight:

We are pleased to announce the release aTV Flash (black) 2.0 for the 2nd generation Apple TV. Version 2.0 goes beyond just watching videos, and adds in a ton of new features that make browsing and watching media on the Apple TV more enjoyable that ever.

2.0 is a free update for all current aTV Flash (black) users, so keep reading for more details on everything that’s new.

Browse by category

The new Library View will now index all your media (even if stored on multiple devices) and automatically organize movies, TV shows and music into easy to use categories such as: genre, release date, star rating, age rating and others. TV shows will also be group by series/season automatically so there’s no more worrying about keeping your folders perfectly organized.

While we think this is a great new way to browse and enjoy your media, the original file/folder based browsing will remain intact and working as an alternative option.

Fully integrated search

Sometimes you know what you want to watch, and don’t want to browse. With our new integrated search you can do just that. This powerful search tool allows you to search by movie, TV series/episode, song, artist, album or filename. Just start typing and the results will start being displayed instantly.

Keep it all in sync

Also new for 2.0 is trakt.tv syncing. This is a great feature if you’re trying to keep multiple Apple TVs in sync, as if you watch a movie on the first device it will also appear as watched on the 2nd. Additionally, if you manually mark a movie or show as watched on trakt.tv, it will automatically get marked as watched on the Apple TV. In a similar fashion, Last.fm scrobbling allows you track music plays in your Last.fm profile.

Full changelog

Added all-new Library View

Added integrated media search

Added trakt.tv 2-way syncing

Added Last.fm scrobbling

Added genre/artist based playlists

Added Recently Added display option

Improved handling of WTV files

Improved handling of DVD audio tracks

Improved AFP connections

Improved filename recognition

Improved subtitle handling

Resolved various navigation issues

Resolved rare DVD playback issues

Resolved rare subtitles positioning issue

Many other minor improvements and fixes

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Google launch standalone iOS 6 YouTube app for the iPhone

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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Sep 11, 2012

0

Google launch standalone iOS 6 YouTube app for the iPhone

I’ve been using iOS 6 now for a few months and one of the things that it brings, or rather removes is the YouTube app. Now Google have launched a standalone YouTube app for iOS 6 and its really good!

As we told you back in August, the YouTube app was removed, and this was the reason:

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

The app is only available for the iPhone and iPod Touch right now, but will be available for the iPad at a later date.

I really like the new app, it’s faster, more responsive and it looks great!

http://itunes.apple.com/app/youtube/id544007664

And why not subscribe to our YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/usingwhs

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Capture the Flag vignette released

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

0

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Capture the Flag vignette released

343 Industries has premiered the third instalment of a series of vignettes from the upcoming live-action digital series, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.”

At Corbulo Academy of Military Science, cadets master many training exercises to simulate combat missions. Two cadets share their memories of childhood, when “Capture the Flag” was just a game with less deadly stakes.

Check out Capture the Flag below:

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the “Halo” universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war and leading into the events of “Halo 4.” Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. “Halo” fans that experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” will be rewarded with special insights into the story of “Halo 4” and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience.

Directed by Stewart Hendler (“H+,” “Sorority Row”) and written by Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing (“Smallville,” “Spartacus”), “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” features a diverse cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, including Tom Green (“Dance Academy”) as Thomas Lasky, Anna Popplewell (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) as Chyler Silva, Daniel Cudmore (“X2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Twilight Saga”) as the Master Chief, Ayelet Zurer (“Angels & Demons,” “Munich”) as Mehaffey, Mike Dopud (“Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol”) as General Black, Enisha Brewster (“Footloose”) as April Orenski, Masam Holden (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Elizabethtown”) as Michael “Sully” Sullivan, Osric Chau (“2012”) as JJ Chen, Iain Belcher (“Supernatural”) as Vickers, and Kat De Lieva as Dimah.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is backed by a top-tier production team led by executive producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman, former Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively. Continuing its involvement with the “Halo” franchise, Legacy Effects (“The Hunger Games,” “The Avengers,” “Avatar”) is creating specialised costumes and armor, and visual effects are being designed by an award-winning team led by John Sullivan (“The Pacific”). Production services are provided by Herzog & Co.

An extended, 90-minute Special Edition featuring additional footage and bonus content will be available Nov. 6 in the “Halo 4” Limited Edition and on video on-demand services.

Set almost five years after the events of “Halo 3,” “Halo 4” takes the series in a bold new direction and sets the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga, in which the Master Chief returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. In addition to a rich story and campaign, “Halo 4” introduces a groundbreaking new multiplayer offering, called “Halo Infinity Multiplayer,” that builds off of the “Halo” franchise’s rich multiplayer history and promises to continue to innovate and redefine the way people think about storytelling and multiplayer experiences.

HP announce the new SpectreONE All-in-One Windows 8 PC

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

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HP announce the new SpectreONE All-in-One Windows 8 PC

Today HP announced their all new All-in-One Windows 8 PC – the SpectreONE.

The HP Spectre^ONE all-in-one desktop PC has a gorgeous ultra-slim design complemented by a 59.9 cm (23.6”) flush glass full HD display and a unique curved back. At just 11.5 millimeters thin, the HP Spectre^One is the thinnest all-in-one available in HP’s portfolio and one of the thinnest all-in-ones available on the market today. An accompanying stylish wireless trackpad, designed specifically for the Spectre^ONE, offers users freedom of movement with multi-touch capabilities. Users can scroll, swipe and tap their way through the new Windows 8 environment.

As powerful as it is beautiful, the Spectre^ONE features the latest Intel processors, and an NVIDIA one gigabyte graphics card. It also delivers on connectivity with near-field communication (NFC) technology and a full array of ports, including two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI in and a Beats headphones jack. With NFC technology, users simply tap a smartphone or other mobile device on the Spectre^ONE to instantly transfer content or web URLs.

An entertainment powerhouse, the Spectre^ONE comes standard with Beats Audio, an HP HD TrueVision webcam and the new HP Connected Remote and HP Connected Photoapplications. Full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Adobe Premiere Elements 10 are pre-loaded to give users additional photo and video editing capabilities.

To safeguard confidential data and thwart cyber threats, the HP Spectre^ONE PC includes a two year subscription to Norton Internet Security. The Spectre^ONE also gives users support from a dedicated team of experts, and 90 days of complimentary HP SmartFriend Services. HP SmartFriend Services for product orientation, stress-free assistance for new PC setup, and answers to all how-to questions. Customers receive prioritised treatment, with a direct number, minimum wait time, extended support hours and follow-up calls. Users can also choose to receive chat support with remote assistance.

The HP Spectre^ONE is expected to be available from mid-November with a starting price of £1,199.99.

HP announce the new ENVY 23 All-in-One Windows 8 PC

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

0

HP announce the new ENVY 23 All-in-One Windows 8 PC

Today HP announced their all new All-in-One Windows 8 PC – the ENVY 23.

HP continues to build on its expertise with enhanced TouchSmart technology to make working, playing and staying connected as easy as a tap here or a swipe there. Designed to work with Microsoft Windows 8, the new ENVY 23 delivers excellent performance and the capability of sensing up to 10 fingers on the screen for a more precise and immersive experience.

The ENVY 23 offers a 58.4 cm (23”) diagonal HD display and comes equipped with the latest Intel processors, optional ExpressCache and solid state drives, and up to 3 terabytes of storage for photos, videos and music. An ExpressCache SSD option provides users with fast boot-up and application start times.

For added entertainment, the ENVY 23 comes standard with Beats Audio^TM and exclusive HP innovations such as the HP TrueVision HD webcam and HP Connected Photo.The new HP Connected Photo application seamlessly syncs photos across multiple devices and offers basic editing options and instant-sharing capabilities for social networks.

The HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC is expected to be available from late October at a starting price of £749.99.

StableBit DrivePool for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta 1.0.2.6864 released

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

1

StableBit DrivePool for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta 1.0.2.6864 released

There has been another beta build from CoveCube! StableBit DrivePool development marches on – now its version 1.0.2.6864.

Here is how CoveCube describes this application:

Combine all your hard drives into one big storage pool (except the system drive with the OS).
Add and remove drives from the pool at any time without re-partitioning or manually moving folders.
Create duplicated folders on the storage drive pool that are protected against single drive failure. If a drive fails on which a duplicated file was stored, the contents of that file will remain readable even without the drive.
All your data is stored in standard NTFS files. You can always access your files even if the Windows Home Server completely crashes or this add-in can’t be used.

This beta version’s change log:

1.2.0.6864

Scanner integration + 3rd party balancer support

Download the latest beta version from here

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 updated to version 2.2.0.2706 BETA

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

0

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 updated to version 2.2.0.2706 BETA

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 has been updated to version 2.2.0.2706 BETA.

An advanced hard disk surface scanner, monitor and more.

Monitors all your hard drives and ensures that every bit holding your precious data is readable.

2.2.0.2706 BETA

WMI integration features

Download the latest version from here

App Update: Kindle for the Mac updated to version 1.10.3

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

0

App Update: Kindle for the Mac updated to version 1.10.3

The Kindle app for the Mac has been updated, brining Lion gesture support, amongst other things.

The Kindle app gives users the ability to read Kindle books on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. You’ll have access to over 1,000,000* books in the Kindle Store, including best sellers and new releases. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including Kindle), so you can pick up where you left off on another device.

What’s New in Version 1.10.3

• Support for Lion gestures (panning and swiping).
• Support for Kindle Format 8 books, providing richer formatting.
• Improved support for larger libraries; Bug fixes and performance improvements.
• Improved performance for books that have a large number of notes and highlights.
• Support for Japanese.
• Miscellaneous bug fixes.

Download now from the Mac App Store

BYOB Podcast Episode 98 Out Now

News
Tech

Andrew Edney

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Sep 10, 2012

0

The guys over at the BYOB podcast have just released episode 98.

Here is what is included in this weeks show:

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]Mike and Michael are joined by Josh Pollard from Entertainment 2.0 this week to discuss Media Center, HTPCs and where its all going on this weeks BYOB Podcast.[/box]

As usual you can listen to the show from here.

ICY DOCK Blizzard External Hard Drive Enclosure Review

Storage & NAS

Jim McCarthy

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Sep 10, 2012

1

ICY DOCK Blizzard External Hard Drive Enclosure Review

ICY DOCK recently released the Blizzard hard drive enclosure with 80mm fan. Here is our review!

ICY DOCK recently released a new hard drive enclosure, the Blizzard. The company wanted a hard drive enclosure that delivered USB 3.0/esata/FireWire 800 speeds, no-tool hard drive installation and switching, nearly silent operation and cool hard drive temperatures. Did they succeed? We find out.

First, here is how ICY DOCK describes the Blizzard.

Elegantly Designed Hardware

The Blizzard has a uniquely designed front panel integrated with a massive 80mm fan for an elegant and nonintrusive design for the best ventilation, all in a single 3.5” hard drive that is installed into the front of the enclosure. There are two important reasons for the particular fan placement and design. First, the MB080U3S-1SB will be able to cool all sides of the hard drive and create only one direction of airflow from the front to the back, where the air then exits. This extends the life of the cooling fan as it only intakes cool cold air and increases the overall cooling efficiency of the hard drive, in comparison to other enclosure cooling designs. Second, the 80mm fan is integrated into the detachable front panel which allows to easily swap your hard drive without any screws or tools to worry about. On the sides, includes two slightly concealed button ejectors that when pressed, will eject the front panel enabling the user to swap the hard drive as needed, similar to popular hard drive docking stations.

Smarter Cooling Functionality

The rear panel comprises of a multitude of defining features coming all together from only the best ideas of our previous external enclosure models. The enclosure has a single LED brightness dial to effortlessly adjust the ambient LED brightness to your preferred liking. To increase the level of functionality, the Blizzard’s LED color will turn red when the hard drive temperature is over 50°C. The built in fan controller allows you to select low, high, and auto to properly cool the hard drive to help if such a case appears. The auto mode properly adjusts accordingly to your hard drive’s requirements by increasing or decreasing the fan speed as needed.

Lighting Quick Speed

Taking advantage of the new ultra fast USB 3.0 interface, users will be able to transfer at high speeds at a maximum of 5 Gbps or perhaps use the similarly fast eSATA interface for system when there is a lack of USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 interface is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 so using the MB080U3S-1SB on your legacy PC or Mac is not a problem. With tool-less drive installation, you can easily swap the drives in between systems. The Blizzard is perfect for users in the fields requiring the best cooling and performance on the market.

Key Features

* Unique & Elegant design.
* Massive 80mm fan for optimal cooling.
* Direct airflow design to completely cool all sides of the hard drive.
* Completely screw-less / tool-less design for any 3.5” SATA I/II/III HDD.
* USB 3.0 & eSATA interface for the fastest connections anywhere.
* Backward compatible with USB 2.0 for wide-ranging use.
* 3 Speed Adjustable Cooling Fan, including auto setting featuring.
* Smart Cooling technology. Smart Cooling Technology is active in auto mode
and accurately adjusts the fan speed according to your hard drive’s needs.
* Cool blue ambient LED with adjustable brightness control.
* Smart-Temp functionality – Front LED changes from blue to red when over 50° C.
* Supports SATA 6Gbit hard drive up to 3TB capacity.
* Great for Media and IT Professionals.
* Designed for PC & Mac systems.

Let’s look at each category.

Elegantly Designed Hardware

This is a really attractive design. The LED indicator lights are visible up front but are reserved, and the fan on the front makes for a striking presentation.

They also used LED’s inside the unit, visible from the front, that glow blue when the drives are under 50 C and red when they hit 50 C. This light’s brightness can be set to your liking.

The case is well-made plastic, and feels fairly heavy when empty. Drives are installed by taking the front off of the unit and sliding the hard drive into guides, seating into the SATA connector without tools. This unit should hold up well to switching out hard drives.

The visual design works well. The overall design is well-executed, and is one hard drive enclosure that will look good next to your PC out on your desk!

Smarter Cooling Functionality

ICY DOCK installed an 80mm fan on the front of the unit. In addition, they included settings to control the fan speed; I left it on Auto to let the enclosure control the fan speed. Hard drive temps never were high enough to trip the LED’s red, and even after thrashing the hard drive with large file transfers, the drive was not overly warm to the touch once I pulled it out. Note that this unit also has a switch on the back so you can set the fan speed to high, low or auto and take control over the fan and cooling function. Nice touch!

Lightning Quick Speed

I don’t usually expect too much from a BYOB hard drive enclosure as far as speeds go, as the performance of the unit will largely depend on the hard drive that you install in it. I had several Seagate 5900 RPM green drives in 2TB flavor laying around, so I used one of these to test. Using both the esata connector to my HP EX475 MSS and USB 3.0 connected to my desktop, speeds were very good.

If you are a Mac user, you’ll be happy to know that they also have a version that includes esata and FireWire 800, which is a pretty good feature set for Mac users.

Providing both esata and USB 3.0 connections, or esata and FireWire 800, ticks the right boxes from a speed perspective.