SourceCrowd.com

The new LaCie Network Space, designed by Neil Poulton, is a networked attached storage (NAS) and media server aimed squarely at the home user and small office use and is available in capacities of 500 gigabytes to 1 terabyte.

The LaCie Network Space is a full-featured home server utilizing Gigabit Ethernet for localized data transfers from any networked PC or Mac. With an additional USB 2.0 port located on the front of the unit, users can connect any USB drive or camera to copy additional files or photos automatically without needing the local computer turned on.

The device comes pre-built with two separate shares. One share is public for easy open access from any networked computer, while the other is password-protected for secured private use. LaCie Network Agent software is included to make access to the shares quicker and easier.

The LaCie Network Space also has the ability to stream multimedia files through DLNA-compatible UPnP media players, such as Xbox 360 and or Sony Playstation 3, or act as an iTunes music server: this feature is so welcome in small home networks where iTunes music sharing may become nightmare with hours in moving iTunes libraries back and forth from PCs and Macs.

This benefits users by allowing them to watch videos on their television elsewhere in their house rather than needing to be in front of the computer. The device is also FTP accessible, enabling remote access to upload or download files from abroad through a static IP address.

The LaCie Network Space will be available starting in early September for Europe and early October worldwide. Prices will start at $149.99.

Partner site MacSwitching.com attended Apple’s presentation of new products like the MacBook Air and Time Capsule.

There’s a dedicated photo gallery about all new January 2008 Apple products available here.

First impressions?
MacBook Air is perfectly usable; keyboard layout is just like MacBook’s and the new LED display is much brighter and sports a wider viewing angle.

What really impresses is how fine the MacBook Air, as well all other Macs integrate with Time Capsule and get easier the usually tedious task of backing up data on a regular base using Leopard’s Time Machine feature.

Let’s admit it: from day one that Apple introduced Leopard’s Time Machine, finding an adequate hard disk to fit the tedious task of backing up our data has been quite a problem.
More problems for a multi-user home (more and more out there).

Meet Apple Time Capsule, right from the same MacWorld Expo where MacBook Air was born!

What’s inside Time Capsule?
- an Airport Extreme 802.11N base station, well known and quite proven,
- three Gigabit ethernet ports,
- one USB port for printer sharing,
- a 500GB or 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA server-grade hard disk drive
- same sleek form factor of Apple TV.

The hard disk is available to all connected Leopard users as the preferred Time Machine default storage device.

(By the way, Tiger and Windows users are allowed to access the disk too…)

Available for pre-order in 500 GB an 1 TB flavors, the Time Capsule retails US$299.99 and US$ 499.99 respectively.