Because you shouldn't need a PC to use Google Drive and Dropbox services

May 7, 2014 13:32 GMT  ·  By

If you're familiar with the idea of cloud storage, you might also be familiar with the way they all pretty much depend on programs and apps specially designed for this and that operating system. Seagate wanted cloud services accessible no matter the host device.

So it took it upon itself to integrate Cloud Service support, like Dropbox and Google Drive, in its latest series of Seagate Wireless Plus HDDs.

The wireless storage devices are the latest additions to the product line started back in 2011, when Seagate created the first wireless storage devices for tablets and smartphones.

There are three of them, in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB, respectively, and all of them have the look of pretty normal, rectangular drives.

You can still use the Seagate Media app to sync files on it with an existing cloud storage provider if you wish.

It does mean that you'll be using twice the storage space (the cloud space occupied by the film or whatever, and the corresponding HDD space).

There isn't another workaround though. Cloud storage is all well and good when that integrated Wi-Fi has an Internet connection to tap into, but not at every other time.

And mobile HDDs are the sort of thing you take with you anywhere, even outdoors, where there aren't any Wi-Fi access points to be had.

So you can sync files at home and, later, when you're at a lookout or wherever, you can watch a film off the drive.

The link works both ways too. You get Dropbox and Google Drive folders, you see, and if you copy a movie from your PC HDD to the Wireless Plus, the file will be duplicated in the cloud once you connect to the network again.

All in all, the portable HDD is just that bit better at extending the storage capacity of your Android / Apple iOS tablet/smartphone beyond the norm. It's not fun to be limited to 64 GB or less after all.

Getting a hang of all the cloud-based features might take a while though, so you might want to try that while you're on a Windows 8 PC at home. That said, Windows RT tablets are supported too, in case you were wondering. There are very few of them in use in the world, but there's nothing wrong with covering all the bases.

Finally, the Wireless Plus technology lets you display music, photos and videos, or documents, on HDTVs / Smart TVs via DLNA, Apple Airplay or the specially designed Samsung Smart TV and blue-ray Player app.

The prices of the 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB Seagate Wireless Plus HDDs are of $150 / €150, $170 / €170, and $200 / €200, though only pre-orders can be made for now. Shipments will begin in 2 days, on May 9, 2014.