What is Windows Home Server?

BYOB Podcast Episode 30 Out Now

News
Tech

Andrew Edney

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Jan 30, 2011

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The guys over at the BYOB Podcast, including our very own Tim Daleo, have just released episode 30.

Here’s what they say about this weeks show:

BYOB hits the big 3-0 this week! More on Sandy Bridge from Mike. Tim give us an informational sermon on video connector technology and what the differences are between VGA, DVI, HDMI, and Display Port. Then as a bonus Michael and Tim had an after podcast discussion about Eyefinity (again). We felt the discussion was informative enough and that enough listeners would appreciate hearing the exchange that we decided to include it.

And as usual, you an download or listen to the show from here.

Feedsource for Windows Home Server Now Available

Andrew Edney

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Jan 30, 2011

3

Feedsource for Windows Home Server Now Available

Back in December we talked about Sam Wood’s new Windows Home Server add-in Feedsource, which at the time was in beta. Sam has just been in touch to say its now finished and out there.

What is Feedsource?

Feedsource is a Windows Home Server Add-In that publishes secure Really Simple Syndication (“RSS”) feeds for Shared Folders through the Remote Access web site.

Authorized users access Feedsource RSS feeds from inside or outside the home network to view new and changed files in Shared Folders using any RSS reader that supports authenticated feeds.

Features

Authenticated RSS feeds for Shared Folders that show create, delete, rename, and change events for files and directories
Granular control to enable or disable RSS feeds for each Shared Folder
Automatic integration with the Remote Access web site to view feeds from outside your network with no extra port-forwarding or configuration
Simple setup through the Windows Home Server Console
Secure authentication and authorization using SSL and existing Windows Home Server access controls
RSS 2.0 and Atom support

Getting Started

For information on getting started with Feedsource, see the Feedsource help file in the Windows Home Server Console. Simply navigate to the Feedsource tab in the Windows Home Server Console Settings dialog and click the “Help” button.

You can also check out our original article which contains a step-by-step guide to installing and configuring Feedsource.

The add-in costs $10 (which I think is reasonable) and you can also download a 30 day trial edition.

You can learn more about Feedsource from the Tentacle Software website.

Hands On Review of the LaCie 5big Backup Server with Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

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Jan 28, 2011

4

LaCie have now entered the Windows Home Server market with their 5big Backup Server, but it isn’t cheap and it’s not really aimed at the home user.

We first heard about the LaCie 5big Backup Server at CES in 2010 (yes, 2010 not 2011) and then it went quiet. For months….. But now it is here…..

Here is how LaCie describe the 5big Backup Server:

Delivering seamless, full-featured backup for up to 10 PCs and 25 Macs, the 5big Backup Server is designed for small businesses requiring a high-performance backup strategy that doesn’t require an IT professional to deploy. Setup is as easy as connecting the 5big Backup Server to your LAN and configuring backup. Offering robust performance and the usability of Microsoft’s storage software, the LaCie 5ig Backup Server is a perfect solution for any small business with important data to protect.

With up to 10TB of internal capacity scalable through USB and eSATA connections, the 5big Backup Server offers huge storage to back up all your office’s workstations. For Macs, a professional-grade Time Machine feature creates a dedicated directory for every backed up workstation, making file restoration from the client straightforward. The 5big Backup Server also offers file-level and bare metal backup capabilities, so whether users experience accidental file loss or require an entire system to be restored, the 5big Backup Server ensures all data can be recovered through the network with minimum downtime. Additionally, you can back up the 5big Backup Server’s data onto an external hard drive via the USB or eSATA expansion port – truly enterprise-level capabilities within a desktop solution.

The 5big Backup Server features backup deduplication, centralized backup management, workstation agent-free configuration and protection against unexpected drive failure. With deduplication, only one copy of a given file is saved to the 5big Backup Server for ultimate backup efficiency and storage usage. Yet despite its high performance, the 5big Backup Server offers eco-friendly features. Its casing is made from fully recyclable including an ultra-quiet Noctua fan, allowing you to place the product wherever you choose – including on a desktop.

Deduplication seems to be a word that LaCie have decided to use for Single Instance Storage.

Specifications

Centralized file and bare metal backup for 10 PCs and 25 Macs
Powered by high performance 64-bit Intel^® processor and Microsoft WHS
Online file and full system restore
Time Machine^® compatible
Data protection against drive failure

There is a 5TB and a 10TB version of the 5big Backup Server – for this review we are looking at the 5TB version, even though the box claimed it was the 10TB version (this isn’t something to worry about as it was likely just an error with review units).

Apple Release iTunes 10.1.2

Andrew Edney

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Jan 28, 2011

1

Last night saw Apple released iTunes version 10.1.2 which contains mainly performance and stability improvements.

Here is what is included in this update:

iTunes 10.1.2 provides a number of important stability and performance improvements.

iTunes 10.1 came with several new features and improvements, including:

• Use AirPlay to instantly and wirelessly stream videos from iTunes to the all-new Apple TV.
• Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.2.

The download is a little under 50 MB and you can get it right now.

Sony Announces Next Generation Portable (NGP) Game System

Gadgets
News

Jim McCarthy

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Jan 27, 2011

2

Sony Announces Next Generation Portable (NGP) Game System

Over in Tokyo on Thursday, Sony announced the next-generation PSP system, which they are calling Next Generation Portable (NGP) System. It’s expected near the end of 2011. Four cores of processing goodness, 5” OLED display, and 3G capability. Sounds like fun!

From the press release, here are some details on features:

Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
Dual analog sticks
Two cameras (front and rear)
Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
PlayStation Network access, including ““LiveArea™”, “Near” and “Activity” log features Trophy Support
NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.

It looks similar to the old PSP, but very polished:

I am intrigued by the touch pad on the back. And of course with two analog sticks, FPS games should be more interesting! I may need to retire my Slim and upgrade!

Now the technical specs:

CPU	ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU	SGX543MP4+
External Dimensions	Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Screen (Touch screen)	5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
Rear touch pad	Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
Cameras	Front camera, Rear camera
Sound	Built-in stereo speakers Built-in microphone
Sensors	Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
Location	Built-in GPS Wi-Fi location service support
Keys / Switches	PS button Power button Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left) Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square) Shoulder buttons (Right/Left) Right stick, Left stick START button, SELECT button Volume buttons (+/-)
Wireless communications	Mobile network connectivity (3G) IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1) (Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode) Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR （A2DP/AVRCP/HSP）

Software Franchises shown or talked about at PlayStation Meeting 2011 (titles are not final):

Killzone
Uncharted
WipEout
LittleBigPlanet
Call of Duty
Resistance
Little Deviants
Hot Shots Golf
Reality Fighters
Gravity Daze
Smart As
Broken
Hustle Kings

They also announced an initiative to bring PlayStation gaming to Android-based systems. Here is what they had to say about this development:

Also announced this evening was PlayStation Suite, an entirely new initiative from PlayStation that will provide fans with the opportunity to enjoy PlayStation content on an open operating system for the first time in PlayStation history. PlayStation Suite will work with Android based, “PlayStation Certified” portable devices – including mobile phones, smart-phones, and tablet PCs – to offer “PlayStation quality” content to users worldwide. In addition to providing a selection of PS one Classics, we are also working with developers to create new and exciting content that will be available on both PlayStation Certified devices and the new NGP when it comes to market.

PlayStation games available on Android phones and tablets. That could be fun.

Pricing and release date are still to be determined. So what do you think? Is this interesting enough to get you to bite, or are you waiting for the Nintendo 3DS?

Head on over to http://us.playstation.com for more details.

Links to Sony announcements:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/01/27/next-generation-portable-ngp-all-the-early-details/

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/01/26/introducing-the-next-generation-of-portable-gaming/

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/01/26/live-from-japan-playstation-meeting-2011/

The Home Server Show 121

Andrew Edney

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Jan 27, 2011

0

Dave and the guys over at the Home Server Show have just released episode 121.

Here is what Dave has to say about this weeks show:

In today’s episode we go over UR2 and each bullet point that the update is supposed to address. There is a lot going on in the forums to chat about as well as upcoming reviews and blog posts. The conversation goes from UR2 to the Vail Fail issue and Dave shares some crazy thoughts on the product’s future. Jim says the “D” word and there are some outtakes!

As usual you can listen to the show here.

The Digital Lifestyle Show #290 This is not the home server you are looking for…

Andrew Edney

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Jan 27, 2011

0

Ian over at the Digital Lifestyle.com has just posted the Digital Lifestyle Show podcast number 290 – and it’s back to normal this week so Garry and I are back co-hosting with Ian.

Here is what Ian says about this weeks show:

Back to our normal format this week, Garry and Andrew join me to talking about streaming TV, we share our post CES thoughts, talk about VLC updates, XBMC on Apple TV, Freeview HD with Windows Media Center and Android Tablets

We also have the the results of the TDL Product Of The Year, your votes have been counted and the results are here! As you can see from the shownotes we have a packed show this week

As usual you can listen to the show here.

Windows Home Server V1 Update Available UR2 KB981089

Andrew Edney

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Jan 25, 2011

10

Windows Home Server V1 Update Available UR2 KB981089

If you have automatic updates enabled on your Windows Home Server then you are going to see a new update today for V1. It’s called Update Rollup 2 (UR2) and the KB article is KB981089.

An update for Windows Home Server is available through Windows Update on January 25, 2011.

This update contains fixes for eight issues that were found since the release of the Windows Home Server update that was released on August 24, 2010 (KB 979453).

The following issues are fixed in this update.

Issue 1

Assume that you use Windows Internet Explorer 9 to access the computer page of the Windows Home Server Remote Access website. In this situation, your connection fails if your Windows Home Server Remote Access website is not added to the trusted sites zone.

Issue 2

The TV archive add-in in Media Center fails on the TV archive page after you change the calendar to the Japanese format.

Issue 3

The uninstallation process fails on your first attempt to uninstall Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Client Connector from a home computer.

Issue 4

When you shut down a home computer, Windows Home Server may report that antivirus software is not installed or is out of date. This occurs even though the antivirus software is installed and up-to-date.

Issue 5

A home computer that is joined to one of the following servers is not blocked when the computer tries to join Windows Home Server:

The next version of Windows Home Server
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials
Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

This causes software compatibility issues.

Issue 6

The current version of Identity Client Run Time Library that is included in Windows Home Server

contains a potential privacy issue.

Issue 7

A function call may fail if you use the Windows Home Server software development kit (SDK) to retrieve user information on a German or French version of Windows Home Server.

Issue 8

The Remote Access website may be vulnerable to cross-site request forgery attacks.

You can read the complete KB article from here.

Zotac introduces new GeForce GTX 560 Ti Graphics Card

News
Tech

Timothy Daleo

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Jan 25, 2011

1

Zotac has just announced the release of their new GTX 560 graphics card. Their third release into the GeForce 500 series, this card seems to be poised for the $250 range and ready to blast through some of the heavy GTX 560 competition announced today from companies like EVGA, PNY, Galaxy and MSI.

The Zotac GTX 560Ti should be in the $250 range when released.

This new card is NVIDIA 3D Vision ready, HDMI 1.4a compliant and supports SLI. The card will require a PSU of at least 450 watts and run under load at around 175 watts. My 9800’s run up to 200+ watts so this is not too bad of a power draw.

Connections

Dual dual-link DVI (Up to 2560×1600)
Mini-HDMI 1.4a w/audio
HDCP ready
SLI™ bridge connector (2-way SLI™ ready)

Not liking the connector plate but the picture above shows a cleaner production model.

The full pdf spec sheet is available directly from Zotac.

Specs from their press release:

· New ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti graphics card

· Engine clock: 822 MHz

· 384 unified shaders

· Shader clock: 1645 MHz

· 1GB DDR5 memory

· 256-bit memory interface

· Memory clock: 4000 MHz

· Dual dual-link DVI-I, HDMI 1.4a & DisplayPort outputs

· PCI Express 2.0 interface (Compatible with 1.1)

· Microsoft DirectX^® 11 & OpenGL^® 4.1 compatible

· NVIDIA^® CUDA^™, 3D Vision™ Surround & SLI™ ready

· ZOTAC® Boost Premium software bundle included

· Assassin’s Creed™: Brotherhood download voucher bundled

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Download

The Zotac GTX 560 ships with a free download of the latest third-person action-adventure game Assassin’s Creed. The rendering of the Italian backdrop in this great game should do well on this high-powered card when paired with a gaming rig and some decent screen real estate.

Specification Impressions

Based on the press release, and the early specs, this card should do well for those wanting to try 3D or those who are looking to get into the GeForce 5000 series for the first time.

This card seems just barely off the mark compared to the Galaxy GTX 560 Ti but should impress none the same. Amazon has the Galaxy version listed at $257.50 so we can expect a similar price for the Zotac GTX 560 model.

In addition to Zotac and Galaxy, two other companies are are in the market.

EVGA GTX 560

PNY GTX 560 Ti

MSI GTX 560

Fractal Design Announce the Arc Series Case

Andrew Edney

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Jan 25, 2011

0

Today Fractal Design officially announced their new Arc Series case range – and I saw them up close and personal at CES 2011.

The new Fractal Design Arc Series of cases create a niche of their own; a combination of stellar performance and cooling options with stylish, minimalistic looks and an overall understated elegance.

This new Arc Mini case in micro ATX format offers plenty of cooling options, up to 7 fans of various sizes can be installed. Unique for its small size, it also offers room to mount a thick, dual 120mm radiator in the top panel.

Elegant top and front panels are both easily removable and pre-fitted with fan filters to ensure a dust free interior. The sleek black interior is matched and contrasted with white expansion slots and HDD trays. Similar to the Define Series, all the HDD trays are fitted with anti-vibration silicon grommets.

The upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable, which enables support for even the longest graphic cards.

Tangled cables are a thing of the past as the Arc Series offers an innovative, convenient and great looking way to hide them. The motherboard mounting plate has rubber covered holes in which you can easily route the cables to a compartment behind the motherboard, which has more than ample storage space.

Key Features

Stylish, minimalistic front panel with alu-look

Optimized for performance – massive cooling and water cooling support

A total of 7(!) fan slots (2x 120mm in front, 2x 120/140mm in top, 1x 120mm in bottom, 1x 120mm in rear, 1x 120/140mm in side panel)

Three fans included (1x 120mm in front, 1x 120mm in rear and 1x 140mm in top)

Support for dual 120mm radiator in top*

6x white painted HDD trays, with silicone mounting grommets

Upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable

USB3 support in front panel

Support graphic with lengths up to circa 400mm

Excellent cable routing and cable routing covers

Upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable

USB3 support in front panel

Extra, vertically mounted expansion slot, suitable for fan controllers or non-input expansion cards

*The component support in the case when using radiator in top is depending on the thickness of the radiator. See info below. When having a 2x120mm radiator mounted in top, you cannot use the rear 120mm fan slot at the same time.

– Up to 40mm radiator thickness: Support for most water CPU coolers and larger memory modules.

– Up to 50mm radiator thickness: Support for most water CPU coolers and standard memory modules with a height of max 35mm.

– Up to 70mm radiator thickness: Support for only certain water CPU coolers, depending on the water inlet and outlet. Supports standard memory modules with a height of max 35mm.

Specifications

6x 3,5 inch HDD trays, compatible with SSD!

2x 5,25 inch bays, with 1x 5,25>3,5 inch converter included

On top of front panel: 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0 and Audio I/OThree fans included

Removable filter below PSU (PSU not included)USB3 support in front panel

M/B compatibility: Mini ITX and Micro ATX

4+1 expansion slots with sleek white painted brackets

Support graphic cards with lengths up to ca 260mm when removable HDD-Bay is in place

Support graphic with lengths up to circa 400mm without removable HDD-Bay

Supports CPU coolers with height of ca 165mm

Supports PSU’s with a depth of maximum circa 170mm, when using bottom 120mm fan location. When not using the bottom 120mm fan location, the case supports also longer PSU’s, typically 200-220mm.

Case size (WxHxD): 210x395x486mm with front and top bezel in place

Net weight: 9kg

You can learn more about the Arc Mini from the Fractal Design website.

The Arc Mini will be available from April, no specifics on price yet though.

Watch our for our UWHS review soon – in the mean time we are currently playing with the Define XL – so watch out for that review as well.

Toshiba Announce 1.8-inch Hard Drives with LIF SATA Connectors

Andrew Edney

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Jan 25, 2011

1

Toshiba Announce 1.8-inch Hard Drives with LIF SATA Connectors

Today Toshiba have announced the worlds first 1.8-inch hard drives with LIF SATA connectors – what’s that you might ask – read on to find out more.

Image Source: Engadget

LIF stands for Low-Insertion Force, which basically means a smaller form factor.

The drives have been designed with devices such as tablets and other consumer electronics devices (maybe some embedded media center devices could benefit from these) in mind.

The new tiny drives come in 160GB, 200GB and 220GB models – no pricing as yet, but watch this space!

Here is the full press release:

Toshiba Expands 1.8″ HDD Leadership with Smaller, Larger Capacity Drives
Tablets, Consumer Electronics Devices, External Drives Will All Benefit From LIF SATA Connectivity, Vibration Robustness, Up to 220GB Capacity in 5mmH Form Factor

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Extending its innovation in the 1.8″ hard disk drive (HDD) category, Toshiba Storage Device Division announces the industry’s first 1.8″ drives with low-insertion force (LIF) SATA (Serial ATA) connectors, enabling a 10% smaller footprint compared to standard 1.8″ drives using microSATA connectors.

Developed for use in multiple devices, including tablets, consumer electronics devices and external HDDs, the new MKxx39GSL series offers three models, at 160GB (MK1639GSL), 200GB (MK2039GSL) and 220GB (MK2239GSL) capacities.

The MK2239GSL features the largest capacity 1.8″ single-platter HDD (5mmH) available. The MK2239GSL, MK2039GSL, and the MK1639GSL are designed for the most demanding mobile computing applications, surpassing 2.5″ HDDs in terms of vibration robustness, low power consumption, and quiet operation. Samples will be available for customer qualification in February.

“Regardless of the device, customers expect to be able to store and access their favorite content, applications, and key data wherever they are.”
“These new drives build on Toshiba’s history of innovation and leadership in the 1.8″ drive segment,” said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of mobile marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “Designers of next-generation consumer electronics, tablets, and mobile devices need disk drives that will stand up to the demands of day-to-day usage in a world increasingly defined by mobility and connectivity to all forms of content. These newest members of our 1.8″ family are designed to meet those demands.”

The MKxx39GSL family is designed for applications requiring not only the smaller, lighter footprint of 1.8″ drives, but also the highest possible storage capacities. Both feature a 16MB buffer for improved performance. The drives are capable of withstanding the demands of mobility usage, tolerating up to 1,500Gs of non-operational shock and 600Gs of operational shock, compared to 900G of non-operational shock and 400G of operational shock for the most robust 2.5-inch HDDs currently available. The drives are also exceptionally quiet, operating at 14dB at idle and 15dB at seek, and require only 0.35 Watts of power at low power idle, the smallest power consumption levels for any SATA drive. All of this performance is delivered in a form factor of just 48g/5x54x71mm.

Toshiba has pioneered the development and advancement of 1.8″ drives, starting with the industry’s first volume 1.8″ drives in 2000. Industry analyst firm IDC reported that Toshiba shipped more than 92% of all 1.8″ drives on a global basis in the third quarter of 2010.

“The proliferation of devices targeted at media-savvy and media-hungry consumers and businesses have been a major factor in the continued demand for higher-capacity mobile hard disk drives,” said John Rydning, research director, IDC.

“Regardless of the device, customers expect to be able to store and access their favorite content, applications, and key data wherever they are.”

Hands On Review of the Synology DS411slim NAS Box

Andrew Edney

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Jan 25, 2011

8

Hands On Review of the Synology DS411slim NAS Box

Earlier today we announced the launch of Synology’s new little DS411slim NAS box – now we have our hands on review of it.

Synology DiskStation DS411slim is designed to provide users with a compact yet feature laden solution for easy file sharing and backup. Snap-in 2.5” hard drives design brings low power consumption, quiet operation, reliability and easy disk replacement in a compact size. The operating system, Synology DiskStation Manager 3.0, delivers rich features for multimedia enjoyments, Internet sharing, worry-free data protection and energy-saving options.

Highlights:

● Small Footprint
● Flexible RAID Data Protection
● Cross Platform File Sharing & Backup
● DLNA Certified Media Server
● Cool and Quiet
● Power-Saving (9W~16W)

The Synology DS411slim is designed to work with 2.5” hard drives. The low power consumption characteristic of 2.5” hard drives will lower your electricity bill, as well as reduce your carbon footprint. In addition, 2.5” hard drives have reduced vibration, increased MTBF (mean time before failure), and shock tolerance. It not only extends hard drive’s lifespan, but also provides better reliability. The smart fan design keeps the DS411slim’s fan off under normal operations and spinning up at a very low speed only when needed, thus minimizing the noise level.

Synology DiskStation is designed for data storage and sharing among Windows, Mac, and Linux. Seamless file sharing across different operation systems is an effortless process. Internet file access is simplified by the encrypted FTP server, the web-based File Browser and File Station. HTTPS, firewall, and IP auto-block support ensure file sharing over the Internet is protected at a high security level.

The Synology DS411slim offers a centralized backup target to consolidate fragmented and unstructured data across a network. PC Users can back up their data to the Synology DS411slim using the free Synology Data Replicator software, while Mac OS X users enjoy native Apple® Time Machine integration.

A web-based backup wizard is provided for backing up data in the Synology DS411slim to another Synology DiskStation or any rsync server via an encrypted transmission, or to an external hard drive via USB or eSATA connection. In addition, backing up to the cloud using Amazon® S3 service is also supported.

Download Station functions as a 24×7 BitTorrent, FTP, HTTP, eMule, and NZB download center without a PC. The eMule download engine allows search-n-download capability with a web-browser without installing additional desktop applications.

Audio Station supports music, Internet radio stations, and iPod playback with the optional speakers.

An optional direction-free Synology Remote allows you to freely enjoy your music. Streaming mode allows your music to be shared with multiple users over the Intranet or Internet.
DLNA/UPnP Compliant Media Sever allows you to stream multimedia files with an UPnP Digital Media Adapter (DMA) to a stereo system or a TV-set. Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox360 are also supported.

iTunes® Server is an easy way to share music with other iTunes clients over the network. Password protection prevents unauthorized sharing.

Synology DiskStation is designed and developed perpetually with the concept of energy saving. Compared with average PC counterparts, Synology DiskStation consumes a relatively low amount of power and hibernates when not in use. This not only helps to save energy but also extends the lifespan of the hard disk.

Synology DiskStation truly earns the title of “green product” because of the unique Scheduled Power On/Off feature.

Finally, all Synology products are produced with RoHS compliant parts and packed with recyclable packing materials. Synology recognizes its responsibility as a global citizen and is continually working to reduce the environmental impact of the products we create.

Specifications

Synology Announce the DS411slim NAS Box

Andrew Edney

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Jan 25, 2011

3

Today Synology have added another NAS box to it’s line up – this time it’s the DS411slim.