14 DAY TRIAL // If you're the kind of person that often pulls their HDDs or SSD out of their computers when going on a trip or visit, you might want to check out the latest invention from Vantec, which gives Wi-Fi support to such devices.
Portable hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) are all well and good, but few of them have Wi-Fi support, and there are lots of people who don't mind the hassle of just pulling out their normal HDDs from their desktops and taking them along on a visit to someone else.
Vantec Thermal Technologies thought there was a market there, though. A market for portable Wi-Fi enclosures to be precise.
That is why the NexStar WiFi 2.5-inch Portable Wireless Enclosure was made: to give HDDs access to wireless bands.
Essentially, the NexStar is a small box in which you slide your SATA 6.0 Gbps or 3.0 Gbps drive and voila! Instant access to the data from any device capable of Wi-Fi connectivity.
That means everything from desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones, although you'll need an app for that.
Fortunately, Vantec has the Wi-Fi app already available for download in the Google Play store (for Android devices) and the Apple App Store (for iOS devices).
The NexStar Wi-Fi 2.5-inch enclosure can act as a central Wi-Fi hub for all devices within a certain range.
It doesn't need Internet to make files accessible, and can enable PCs and Macs to share files over the SMB protocol.
The newcomer is UPnP capable as well, which means that media centers and media players can browse files easily. Any devices supporting Airplay can stream video, for example.
As you might be able to guess, the NexStar can allow phones/tablets/PCs to link with each other as well, not just the drive inside it.
Speaking of which, the drive itself and the Wi-Fi technology are powered by an integrated 5000 mAh battery.
We're not sure exactly how long the battery will last, but it should be a few good hours, maybe even a day. The longest will be if an SSD is used, since those employ little energy compared to HDDs.
Unfortunately, while Vantec has provided the ETA (estimated time of arrival) for the NexStar WiFi 2.5-inch Portable Wireless Enclosure (April 2014), it didn't include a price in its press release. We'll be curious to see if Vantec goes one step further and makes one of these with a SIM slot and access to roaming data services. Although knowing how picky carriers can be, probably not.