External, wireless hard drives aren’t a new way of storing and enjoying your precious data anywhere, anytime, on any kind of device, but Toshiba’s just-unveiled Canvio AeroCast has the potential to eclipse all its established rivals.
The AeroCast is only available with 1TB of storage, which is slightly disappointing, but its complete PC, Mac, tablet and smartphone compatibility more than makes up for the lack of capacity options. You may have to limit your digital hoarding, but at least you know accessing and sharing the content will be as easy as pie on all mobile and computing platforms.
Related: This new 8TB hard disk from Seagate costs only $260
Even better, the tiny contraption can wirelessly pair to a separately sold Google Chromecast and beam your home movies and pictures on the big-screen living room TV via Toshiba’s proprietary Google Cast Ready app. Speaking of size, we should mention the Canvio AeroCast measures 4.8 x 3.4 x 0.95 inches, so it tucks nicely into a home theater or can be hidden in a bookshelf. Battery life is said to be five hours, which is quite good for a portable hard disk.
Wireless connectivity works with devices besides Chromecast, of course, so you can sync up to a phone, tablet or laptop in the blink of an eye. Transfer rates can reach a thunderous 150 Mbps courtesy of 802.11 b/g/n support. Connections can be made directly with the drive over Wi-Fi, as it can be configured to appear as an access point. There’s also an Internet Pass-Through mode, which ensures PCs and other machines connected to the wireless HDD in this way can also connect to the web.
Related: Seagate has a decent external storage solution as well
At $220, Toshiba’s portable hard drive is a little steeper than competing products from WD or Seagate. But it’s faster, better-looking and easier to use both at home and on the go – or so it would seem a first glance. Make sure to check out the AeroCast if you’re shopping for Wi-Fi capable network drive.
