Author : Gregg Ellman

By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman

There is what seems like an endless number of cloud storage solutions for storing and sharing digital files but it’s often confusing, so most just keep their digital data on home storage devices.

Simply put, cloud storage has nothing to do with the weather. Instead, it involves moving digital files to an off-site storage location.

Typically, after you move files to the storage site you can view, share or edit the data on any computer, smartphone or tablet from anywhere.

After going to a demonstration recently by executives from WD (a Western Digital company) of the new My Cloud storage solution, I came away thinking ”this is a company that finally understands the consumer cloud confusion and has a simple, user-friendly solution.”

The hardware system makes it simple for professional photographers down to beginners to store digital images, videos or documents to the My Cloud personal drive.

Simply put, the My Cloud is hard drive device (available 2, 3 and 4 TB capacities) and is simple to set up. After your done, connect it to the Internet and you can access the files you store on it from anywhere in the world, all with no monthly fees.

My Cloud has a Gigabit Ethernet connection, along with a Dual-Core processor, which results in blazing fast speeds to transfer files.

There was a statement WD had in a recent press release, which I couldn’t agree with more: “Everyone is inundated with thousands of digital files scattered across multiple computers and mobile devices and controlling that chaos is a challenge.”

WD also supplied research saying that the average household will own approximately 3.3 terabytes (TB) of digital content by 2016, which is a large amount to control.

After you’re done with the simple setup using the WD web-based interface on a Mac or PC, the software will automatically detect the drive, enabling you to connect to it via the web from any remote location.

Using the remote My Cloud storage allows your devices to free up storage space, while still be able to access the files at any time.

I’ve had many people tell me a lot of the insecurity with cloud storage is you don’t know where the files actually are. In this case with the WD My Cloud, the files are sitting on your desk.

The system can also be used as a computer backup with Apple Time Machine or WD SmartWare Pro software on a PC.

Accessing files on mobile devices (iOS and Android) is a breeze using the WD My Cloud mobile app available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

www.WDStore.com 2TB $149.99, 3TB $179.99, which are both available now. The 4 TB will be available in November with an MSRP of $249.99

Logitech’s Z600 Bluetooth speakers ($149.99) are designed to be desktop space saving with a curved, vertical design looking like a pair of cool white vases.

Once you connect them to a computer or any of Bluetooth media source, crank them up – you’ll hear great room-filling sound.

The Z600 speakers can be simultaneously paired with up to three devices and if wireless isn’t your device’s thing, there is a 3.5mm port for a direct wired connection.

A USB Bluetooth transceiver also included if your computer doesn’t stream audio or support Bluetooth.

To switch between devices just press pause on the one playing and then hit the play button on the other and the speaker will know to switch over.

Setting the volume up or down is done on a touch panel on the top of one of the speakers, which is very responsive.

They are powered with the included AC adapter.

www.Logitech.com

The CardNinja is simple solution to rid yourself of a bulky wallet.

It attaches to the back of a smartphone and stores up to eight credit or ID cards.

Installation takes seconds: just peel off the backing and stick it to the back of your device. It can be removed easily if needed.

After it’s attached, load it with your cash, driver’s license and credit cards. In some case you can even use a smartphone cover to hide the CardNinja and your credit cards or whatever you store in it.

It’s made with a flexible spandex material and is available in black, purple eggplant or steel gray.

www.grandst.com $19.95

Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @greggellman.
2013, Gregg Ellman.

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating: If you have a product from Quirky, no matter how simple it is, it’s going to be a cool, useful and innovative. Take the Upwrite Stylus and Kickstand ($27.99) for example. It combines what the name implies; a rubber stylus on one end […]

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By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman

Any smartphone or tablet user knows they’re often juggling content due to the device’s storage limitations.

SanDisk’s amazing new line of wireless flash storage solutions takes storage to a whole new level.

Storing data is as simple as ever and users can share or stream digital content to up to eight hand-held devices simultaneously without using any storage on your smartphones or tablets.

While it might sound complicated, using it really couldn’t be any easier.

I’m not one to read instructions on the first go round and you really don’t on this either.

The box describes three easy steps for those who like directions; charge it up (via USB), download and launch the free SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive app and connect to it from your wireless device.

Obviously there are other little steps to do like turning it on with the front-facing button and loading your content, etc.

Testing the iOS version (also available for Kindle Fire, Android, PC and Mac computers) it showed up as a choice in my WiFi settings, which I selected.

From there I went to the app and could view the photos, documents, music or videos I stored on the drive. It’s that easy.

Storage isn’t limited to the size of the drive you purchase since it’s built with a microSD slot on the side for unlimited media expansion (microSD card not included).

It’s built like an average-sized flash drive so you can easily store it in your pocket and use the content on the go. Up to eight devices can connect simultaneously; three of them can stream video from it at the same time.
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive is available in 16GB ($49.99) and 32GB ($59.99) capacities.

Another choice is the SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive (2.5 x 2.5 x .5-inches), which is about the size of a single pad of Post-it notes and has the storage capacity of up to 64GB of flash memory.

It’s also built with an expandable memory slot for SD memory cards.

With this amount of storage, high-def movies can be stored and streamed by up to five different users.

You must download a free app to get this going and then, again, using it is pretty simple.

It’s also built with an expandable memory slot for memory cards (SDHC/SDXC), which can allow photographers to view images on the go.

An internal battery is charged via USB and will run for up to eight hours before a charge is needed.

The Media Drive is available in 32GB ($79.99) or 64GB ($99.99) capacities and works with iOS, Android, Kindle, PC and Mac systems.

When you connect either device to you computer, it appears as an external hard drive and can work as just that. But the wireless functions allow these to work as much more.

www.SanDisk.com

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By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman

Using a smartphone or tablet to store and play music and video is common these days but the speaker built into these devices just isn’t good.

Bluetooth speakers are the best choice for wireless listening and generally have a range of about 30 feet from the media source.

Some have built-in rechargeable batteries while others need an AC outlet for power. The setup for each is generally pretty simple: just pair it with your device and you should be ready to go.

When shopping for the speakers, obviously consider price and sound but be aware of size, too. They range from pocket-sized speakers up to some that take up the same amount of space as a small piece of furniture.

Here’s a bunch of choices in a variety of sizes, sounds, colors and prices from $14.99 up to $599.

RadioShack’s Auvio Bluetooth speaker line comes in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors.

The Auvio 1.5-Watt 3-inch cubed speaker ($39.99) is good for about six hours of playback and can also be used as a handsfree devices for answering cell phone calls with its built in mic.

It pumps out great sounding music but doesn’t take up much space, making it very portable.

The speaker is available in blue, black, white and TCU purple.

The Auvio HBT6000 Bluetooth speaker ($149) has a 60W output from six internal 10W speakers to make it the life of a party.

RadioShack calls it Sonic Emotion Absolute 3D technology, which produces the powerful sound.

A remote control is included to give you wireless access for controlling music choices, pause/play along with volume. You can also control everything with similar buttons on the top of the speaker.

It measures 4.7 x 14 x 5.2-inches and comes with an AC power adapter for the needed power and has a black mate finish.

www.RadioShack.com

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman As important as your cup holders are in your car, gadget-crazy families will find it easy to give one up for the Energizer 180W Cup Inverter to charge up to five portable devices at once. After you plug it into your 12V outlet, it transfers the power to the cup, which […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman SanDisk Corp. has announced what it calls the fastest microSDXC card to hit the market with SanDisk Extreme microsSDXC, which has read speeds up to 80MB/sec and write speeds up to 50MB/sec. Combine this type of card with the advanced digital SLR cameras today and photographers will get continuous burst modes […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman  The new myCharge Freedom Power Case for iPhone 5 has a 2000 mAh battery inside the case, which can give your more than double the power of your existing phone battery. Depending on how you use your device, it can give you upwards of 44 extra hours of audio, 11 hours […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman If you’re serious about your health, the Withings Smart Body Analyzer is so smart, it can tell the world its findings almost instantly. It looks like a standard bathroom scale, which you could tuck away in the corner of any room but does a whole lot more. Along with the basics […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman The iHome iBT4 boombox brings you back to high school days, at least for me. After connecting with any Bluetooth-enabled device, music is streamed to the hand-held speaker. The old school look, complete with dial knobs on top, makes you want to carry it on your shoulder with the moveable handle […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman The olloclip photo lens is now available for the iPhone 5, bringing photography to new levels for iPhoneographers. A pair of durable lenses give you a fish eye, wide angle and a macro view. Each lens is built on a clip, which fits right on the phone to cover the built-in […]

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