Storage solutions provider WiebeTech LLC is presenting a range of new products at Macworld Expo.
Mainly focused on FireWire, the company is introducing its UltraGB drives, Pocket Drive, and FireWire encryption technology at the show.
WiebeTech is announcing UltraGB, a combined FireWire and USB 2.0 portable drive available in 80GB (US$399.95) and 120GB ($499.95) configurations. A third version ($199.95) is also available that allows users to install their own drive. Powered by the FireWire bus, the drive offers sustained transfer rates of 30MB per second (MBps).
This family of drives are designed for low power consumption – the 80GB version uses 7W of power in heavy usage. It ships with MacDrive 5 software that lets Mac-formatted drives be read by Macs or PCs.
The company has begun shipping its Super DriveDock. This is a small module designed to let users attach hard drives as well as any CD or DVD device to a FireWire port. The product is bus-powered and attaches to any 3.5-inch hard drives with no need to open the case. It lets storage devices mount on a variety of operating systems, including Mac OS. It costs $159.95.
WiebeTech has also updated its MicroGB+, introducing smaller dual FireWire ports and cutting the price. The product is available in 20-60GB configurations with hard drives revolving at either 5,400 or 4,200rpm and costs between $199.95 and $349.95. The devices weigh 198g.
Also available now is WiebeTech’s DesktopGB+TM FireWire drive. This is described as a “very high performance desktop FireWire drive in a quiet, fanless aluminium enclosure.”
These products are available in capacities up to 180GB ($429.95). An empty user-installable version is also available for $139.95. They host dual FireWire ports so users can daisy chain devices together.
The company is also announcing new FireWire software called FireWire Encrypt. This technology allows a storage device to be a self-contained encryption/decryption system. The software will receive its first public demonstration at Macworld Expo.
FireWire Encrypt provides better security than software-based encryption techniques by encrypting user data, file structures and partition tables. It allows encryption and decryption of data within the hard drive, rather than on the Mac. The technology isn’t ready for market yet, the company said.
