Backup device for families

Central Shared Storage

THE latest networked home storage solution from Seagate Technology is designed to meet the needs of families that use different types of computers, tablets and smartphones.

Called the Seagate Central Shared Storage, it is the first system of its kind to feature a Smart TV app, so that content can be viewed, sorted and classified on what is usually the largest screen in the home, and works with both Apple and Microsoft devices and social media sites.

Available with up to 4TB of storage, it will automatically back up every computer in a home, whether it is a Mac or a PC.

The device automatically organises content by type — ie, film, photo or music — and can wirelessly stream content to any device in the home, whether it be an iPhone, laptop or Kindle Fire tablet.

It also automatically backs up content from social media sites such as Facebook such as images, video clips and music to help households keep track of all of their digital content.

Recent research by Parks Associates highlights the growing need for a centralised secure digital storage platform for connected households.

“Consumers are looking for storage solutions that help them consolidate and safeguard the content they’ve got scattered across a growing number of places,” said John Barrett, director of Consumer Analytics at Parks Associates.

“Young consumers in particular do not have central repositories of content but rather many places where content naturally ends-up as a result of their media habits.”

Many traditional external hard drive solutions, though effective for storing individual files, need to be formatted to work with either an Apple or a Microsoft operating system as a full backup solution and are therefore unable to support both types of computer simultaneously.

The Seagate Central Shared storage will officially launch in March with prices starting at US$189.99 (RM570) for the 2TB model and going up to US$259.99 (RM780) for 4TB of storage. — Relaxnews 2013