Seagate Meets Pogoplug.

DockStar Network Adapter shown with optional FreeAgent Go portable drive.Seagate has a line of FreeAgent Go portable hard drives. They can automatically back up files and folders on your computer with the software on the drive. And now you can combine a FreeAgent Go portable hard drive with Seagate’s new FreeAgent DockStar. It’s a combination of a docking station and network attached storage device. It allows for the data stored on a Seagate FreeAgent Go drive and up to three other USB connected hard drives to be shared via a network connection. It gives you an easy way to share and access digital photos, videos and files anywhere you can find an Internet connection. You can also access files from any networked PC or Mac computer in your home. Or access and share files with friends, over the Internet —no special software required. You can enable friends and/or family to upload content, creating a comprehensive share space. It appears as a local drive whether at home or accessed through the Internet. It’s just simple drag-and-drop access. The device keeps your workspace neat by letting you dock a FreeAgent Go drive and then connect up to three additional USB storage devices. If you like, you can send pictures straight from your iPhone to the FreeAgent DockStar network adapter. Now you’ll notice in my heading to this gadget I mentioned Pogoplug. That’s because this device uses Pogoplug technology for the Ethernet connectivity and file sharing. Seagate made a licensing agreement with them, which means they pay a fee to Pogoplug. They offer the Pogoplug service to buyers for free for the 1st year, but then there is a $29.95 annual fee after that. You don’t have to pay the fee if you just want to use the docking station as a networked device in your own network, but not over the Internet. Or you can buy a stand-alone Pogoplug, which does a little bit less, and looks a lot less techie for about $99.00 - and pay no monthly fee. But be warned: The current Pogoplug is available only in glowing pink for some strange reason. (Check it out at the link below.) The FreeAgent DockStar lists for $99.99, but do a web search and you can usually find it a bit cheaper. I saw it on Amazon for $79.99.  You can team your FreeAgent DockStar with a FreeAgent Go Portable Drive. There are now 7 models in various colors that run from 250GB to 1TB. They start at about $70 for the 250 GB model. 

More info and video demo at the Seagate website: http://www.seagate.com/www/products/network_storage/freeagent_dockstar

Here this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1028

Here’s the Daily Giz Wiz on the original Pogoplug: www.twit.tv/dgw817

Learn more about the current Pogoplug: http://pogoplug.com/