LaCie announced the LaPlug which lets you turn any USB hard drive into a network storage device accessible on your home network (wired or via Wi-Fi) or remotely through an Internet connection. The little black box does nothing until you connect it to your home network through the ethernet port and connect up to four USB 2.0 devices (hard drive, USB key, thumb drive, printer, etc.). Whatever is connected becomes instantly accessible, wirelessly over LaPlug's built-in Wi-Fi b/g/n access point.
Once connected LaPlug can stream multimedia content and back up multiple computers to one central location. Or connect a USB printer to the LaPlug and make it wirelessly available to all computers on the network.
LaPlug also supports remote access, providing private cloud storage and streaming. Instead of emailing large files between friends, just give them access to the LaPlug — all they need is an Internet connection. The user can even set up a custom web address so access to the LaPlug is as easy as typing a URL.
It is easy to access USB drives connected to the LaPlug from any networked equipment that's UPnP/DLNA-certified, such as the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, as well as the LaCie LaCinema Classic HD. If a user has movies on a USB key they can just connect it to the LaPlug then play the movie using the multimedia device on the network. Instantly watch movies from the comfort of your living room even if the LaPlug is located in another part of the house. The LaPlug also plays music files from a USB drive or streams music to computers on the network running iTunes.
The LaPlug offers a convenient way to automatically back up all computers in a household onto one central location. Use the included backup software or Time Machine. Either way, simply configure automatic backups once then rest assured knowing all data is secure. Since the LaPlug supports Wi-Fi, once the computer is configured the user does not need to connect it to the LaPlug in order to initiate backups. It works as soon as the computer is connected to the local network.
Price and Availability
The LaCie LaPlug will be available for $74.99.
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