A pet peeve of most Apple (iPad, iPhone) users or anyone with fixed in-built memory on their devices is the inability to connect to an external storage. But solutions are at hand. Here are a few.
SEAGATE GOFLEX SATELLITE || 500GB : Rs 11,500
SeaGate’s GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage drives allows iPad, iPhone or other supported wireless device users to view their media files directly from the hard drive. An external 500GB hard disk drive, Goflex Satellite can stream content to three devices simultaneously over WiFi.
With dimensions of 120x90x22mm and a weight of 267g, it is portable enough to carry around. If one only has a 16GB iPad, they can have access to up 300 high definition movies (depending upon file size) on the iPad, and up to three iPads (or three wireless devices) can stream movies from the GoFlex Satellite simultaneously.
GoFlex Satellite connects to any iOS or Android device via Seagate’s free GoFlex Media app, and has a certain flaws. At times, the app becomes unresponsive or is unable to load a video file without a restart. But mostly users will appreciate the simple operations of loading movies, photos, music onto the hard drive. Just activate the WiFi on the external storage and you can share content. We tested the GoFlex Satellite by streaming media files to an iPhone 3GS, Acer Iconia Tab, and an iPad 2. Even when streaming video content to three devices simultaneously, we found the playback over WiFi was smooth.
The Lithium Ion batteries on GoFlex Satellite provide maximum of five hours of streaming (good for about three Hollywood films before you need to recharge). Each of the three devices can watch the same or different content so it is like your own local cloud storage service. Seagate provides a wall to USB power plug and 12-volt car plug to USB power so you can take the GoFlex on road trips. Also, the WiFi range of the GoFlex Satellite is only around 30 feet, as per Seagate, which means you may need to factor it in if you intend to stream movies to devices around the house.
Who should buy it? If you want all your media library on your iPad, iPhone while on a trip and its fixed memory is coming in your way then invest in the GoFlex Satellite.
KINGSTON WI-DRIVE || 16 GB : Rs 10,000; 32GB : Rs 12,000
If you have (somehow) managed to store apps, movies, data and music on your 64 GB iPad, the good news is that Kingston Wi-Drive can help you carry more than just built-in storage. The Wi-Drive is a compact flash drive, with dimensions of 121.5x61.8x9.8 mm and a weight of 84g. Portability is the main strength of Wi-Drive, which comes in either 16 GB or 32GB. And although you may argue it’s still another piece of hardware to tote around, Kingston helps by making the drive thin and lightweight.
Wi-Drive connects with your iOS devices wirelessly in the form of an integrated 802.11n wireless access point and is supported by lithium ion battery. Currently, the Kingston Wi-Drive is targeted at Apple users and supports the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch models through the free Wi-Drive app you can find on the Apple App Store. The manufacturer has recently updated the app and now includes the ability to copy content from the Wi-Drive hardware to the Wi-Drive app (and vice versa).
Getting the Wi-Drive up and running is simple. Attach the drive to a PC or Mac using the bundled USB cable and you can copy content on it while it gets charged. Getting content loaded onto the drive, therefore, is as simple as dragging and dropping. To access content from an iOS device, you select the Wi-Drive from your wireless networks list and launch the dedicated Wi-Drive app — available as a free download from the iTunes store. And, if you’re worried about unauthorised over-the-air access, the Wi-Drive’s network can be secured using the WEP, WPA or WPA2 security protocols. Users can connect to another WiFi hotspot, and browse the internet without having to drop the connection to the Wi-Drive, which is a useful feature. Wi-Drive also comes with 24/7 tech support and a one year warranty.
Who should buy it? The Wi-Drive is not more cost-effective than buying a higher capacity smartphone or tablet but if you don’t want to upgrade your device(s) and yet want that additional capacity, Kingston Wi-Drive might be a good option.
