ONE HARD DRIVE FOR ALL
Walk into any small office or even most homes with more than one computer and you'll more than likely find some kind of network in use. A network lets your computer share its information and peripherals such as printers and scanners with the other computers in your local area. But sharing a hard drive has always been a bit more complex. A networked hard drive usually has to be configured with things such as it's own unique IP address. This can prove to be a bit daunting for the average user. That's one of the primary reasons XIMETA has come out with an easy to install external hard drive unit that doesn't need to be attached directly to any computer on the network.
 The NetDisk Storage drive attaches to your network by plugging into any available Ethernet port on the network. This can be located on any router, hub or PC that is part of the network. You can also connect the drive directly to your computer via its USB 2.0 port. Once connected, you must install the included driver on each networked computer. Each networked computer will see the NetDisk on its own desktop as though it were a hard drive attached directly to the computer itself. You can access, read and write your information as you would with any other hard drive connected to your computer.
Currently, multiple Windows PCs connected on the network can simultaneously read and write to the NetDisk. According to XIMETA, newer drivers also allow different platforms such as Macintosh and Linux computers on the same network to access the NetDisk drive as well. Each computer will show the NetDisk as its own local hard drive on its desktop display.
The NetDisk comes in four storage sizes: 80, 120, 160 and 250 gigabytes with prices starting at $139.99 to $349.99. If you're looking to attach a single hard drive that can be shared independently or together by every networked computer, then the NetDisk has got your connection.
www.ximeta.com
New Designer Mouse Is Beautiful and Functional
If you're into design, then the name of Philippe Starck is no stranger to you. Stark Design continues to produce beautiful industrial designs for the home, furnishings, automotive, watches, clothing and now the computer. Teaming up with Microsoft, the renowned designer has come up with the Microsoft Optical Mouse by STARK and it's a thing of beauty.
 Envision an ambidextrous matte finish, silver-toned ovoid mouse with two equal-sized hemisphere sections split lengthwise down its center. Serving as a divider between the sections that also serve as the mouse's left and right buttons is a glowing band of colored light. Available colors are either neon orange or electric blue that glow with an intense energy that just won't quit. The reason it can continuously glow so brightly is that the STARK mouse comes only as a corded version. Since the mouse draws its power directly from the computer and no batteries are necessary, the light can be much brighter than what is typically found on battery-operated optical cordless versions that must conserve their energy more efficiently. The mouse also sports the familiar scroll wheel/button that's translucent and glows in the same color.
If you're looking for something that's different when it comes to your computer's mouse, this sleek looking, high-tech rodent should definitely be on your list. Works with Windows or Macintosh. $34.95.
www.microsoft.com/hardware
www.philippe-starck.com |
