How to backup your data anywhere with this tiny Synology BeeDrive data hub

We live in a data-dependent civilization, whether it’s the “Big Data” feeding all-powerful AIs or the photos and videos that we record on our smartphones. Despite being intangible, this data still takes up space, sometimes much more than what we can afford on cloud storage. At the same time, our dependence on data means that our files aren’t just more precious than ever, they also contain more sensitive data that can be tempting to hackers from anywhere in the world. Keeping data safe, secured, and always accessible has been a never-ending puzzle to solve since the beginning of personal computing, and the data storage experts over at Synology are adding another piece to the solution that aims to make the most common backups even easier and accessible wherever you are.

Designer: Synology

Up until recently, cloud storage was hailed as the ideal solution for data backup and ubiquitous access from any device and any location. However, low Internet speeds and the always-present threat of security breaches have soured the idea, leading some people to go back to extremely basic and error-prone manual copying of files to external storage. Synology’s NAS or Network-Attached Storage products offer robust backup solutions, but their large boxes make them impossible to bring with you anywhere and are practically overkill for just small pieces of important data from your laptop or phone.

That’s why Synology designed the new BeeDrive, a data hub that’s almost as large as a tile Bluetooth tracker. Despite its small appearance, it hides a 1TB or 2TB SSD inside, the same kind of fast and reliable data storage used in many external drives these days. The BeeDrive is more than just external storage, though, since it also possesses one of Synology’s best-known features: painless backups and syncing.

Simply plug in the Synology BeeDrive to a computer, select the folders you want to backup, and let it do the rest. It will make backups every time you plug it into the same computer while making sure to store only what has changed in order to save up space. You can sync those same files on a different computer to have your important files always up-to-date on both your work and personal computers. You can even back up photos and videos from your phone, though you’ll have to connect the BeeDrive to a computer in order to use wireless data transfers.

Truth be told, the Synology BeeDrive isn’t completely original, but its small size, simple design, and ease of use make it an ideal solution for keeping your work and precious memories safe and sound. And since you don’t even need an Internet connection to make it work, you have nearly instant access to your files from anywhere, without fear of your data leaking out and being exposed for unauthorized eyes to see.

The post How to backup your data anywhere with this tiny Synology BeeDrive data hub first appeared on Yanko Design.

TerraMaster delivers a sleek, easy-to-use data storage solution for modern homes

We live in a world that revolves around information, particularly information stored as electronic data. From the files we use at work to the photos we use to record our memories, we accumulate and use a ton of data that can easily outgrow the common 2TB hard drives available on the market. In our homes alone, we have photos, videos, music, and other files that we need to keep safe and have quick access to, sometimes from different devices. Products like USB flash drives can no longer keep up with our growing collections and needs. That’s why there has been a surge in data storage solutions like NAS or Network Attached Storage products, and TerraMaster, one of the leading brands in that market, just dropped two new options designed to accommodate all your data needs at home and then some.

Designer: TerraMaster

Truth be told, NAS boxes won’t fit the bill of designer products, and that’s not exactly surprising. Their designs are more utilitarian than anything, preferring to err on the side of usability and efficiency rather than aesthetics. That’s not to say, however, that the new TerraMaster F4-223 and F2-223 are nothing to look at because their sharp metal bodies and compact designs are exactly what make them ideal for use at home and home offices.

The aluminum chassis of these two NAS solutions give them a certain luster that makes them fit with the rest of your silver-coated computer accessories, like your monitor or laptop. Although it isn’t bereft of some accents and branding marks, its design is pretty spartan and minimalist. Everything you see exists to serve a practical purpose rather than just being eye candy. The panels in front, for example, aren’t just for show and make it trivial to access the drive bay inside by simply lifting up the corresponding cover.

Everything about the F4-223 and F2-223 is designed for ease of use. You don’t need tools to attach or remove a drive, not even a screwdriver, reducing the downtime needed to add storage or replace corrupted drives. Although you might need tools to access the innards of the NAS, you can still easily upgrade the RAM or add an SSD cache to speed things up. Considering these products are made to last a long time, the ability to upgrade certain specs definitely helps in prolonging their use.

Of course, a NAS isn’t just a glorified external data storage, and TerraMaster equipped these two new products with its best hardware and software. NAS boxes are practically computers in their own right, and these two are no exception. Especially with the new TerraMaster OS or TOS 5.0 and TRAID functionality. Whether you’re simply storing file backups, using it as your home media center, or hosting your own private cloud and photo management solution, the TerraMaster F4-223 and F2-223 promise a stress-free solution that will look good on your desk or in any corner of the room.

The post TerraMaster delivers a sleek, easy-to-use data storage solution for modern homes first appeared on Yanko Design.

Crazy MagSafe ‘iStorage’ adds a snap-on physical drive to increase the storage on your iPhone

Sure, a MagSafe battery pack is nice, but how about some extra MagSafe storage for my iPhone’s camera roll?

Everyone knows those pesky iCloud fees can be an absolute bummer. Yes, Apple makes it very certain that you’re getting a whole lot of functionality for the price, but what if I just want to bump up my phone’s storage because I’m busy clicking selfies and taking videos on my iPhone? Designer Abdelrahman Shaapan has an idea – Magsafe Storage. Designed to resemble Apple’s newly launched MagSafe Battery Pack (although Abdel came up with this design all the way back in May), the iStorage is a nifty wireless drive that lets you add extra storage to your phone in literally a snap.

To most people, it would seem quite unlike Apple to release a product that competes with one of its other services, but then again, the iPad is constantly pitched against the MacBook by being referred to as the laptop reinvented. For a while, the AirPods and the Beats by Dre constantly competed with each other too. Similarly, the iStorage is ‘somewhat’ a competitor to Apple’s iCloud service… although it’s purpose-built to work as more of an offline-only storage system. Snap it on, and the iPhone’s internal memory instantly gets a boost. You can back your phone up to the iStorage, or just transfer heavy files to it, like a wireless pen-drive.

How would the iStorage even work in theory? Clearly, the MagSafe is built just for hooking accessories to the iPhone and chargers to the wireless-charging coil. How would the iStorage even transfer data? Well, even though Abdelrahman’s iStorage is just a fan-made concept, the real device could easily communicate with the iPhone or any other Apple device using AirDrop protocols. The snap-on feature would probably be just something of a convenience, but I could easily imagine the iStorage as being Apple’s own hard-drive… something that the company hasn’t really ever worked on.

What’s really remarkable about Abdelrahman’s concept is that it also comes in a splash of colors to match your phone. He’s been rather clever in matching the iStorage’s colors with the current iPhone 12 palette, including the new purple color-way as well as Apple’s signature Project RED edition.

While there’s absolutely no chance that Apple’s working on something like this, it’s fun to see what designers come up with. More often than not, they’re indicative of what the consumer actually wants… and I’m pretty sure no consumer wants to pay recurring cloud-storage fees!

Designer: Abdelrahman Shaapan

Ford begins sharing its driver-collected accident data with other car makers

There would be fewer accidents if drivers could tell each other about accidents and other potentially dangerous obstacles. That’s why Ford has started sharing its own car data, which includes airbag activations, emergency braking and fog light usage,...