Cloud storage has its advantages over local solutions, but relying on a third party can make some folks uneasy. Western Digital is taking a crack at this issue and giving consumers their very own cloud. The company today announced the release of a new line of personal storage solutions called 'My Cloud.' The 'My Cloud' line allows customers the advantages of cloud storage (a central location for storing and accessing their digital content) without having to trust a third party with their data.
"We believe that there's no place like home for the cloud," said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. "Everyone is inundated with thousands of digital files scattered across multiple computers and mobile devices, and controlling that chaos is a challenge. WD's personal cloud is the easiest, most secure and most affordable way for customers to control that chaos, with access to all of their files anywhere, anytime."
In short, My Cloud is an NAS that's available in 2 TB, 3 TB and 4 TB capacities. Ranging in price from $150 to $250, the My Cloud drive features a dual-core CPU, a Gigabit Ethernet connection, and support for USB 3.0 (for expansion of storage). There are also iOS and Android apps and Western Digital's WD SmartWare Pro software. The My Cloud mobile app includes support for major public cloud services (like Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Google Drive), so that customers can easily transfer files between services.
Pricing is $150 for the 2 TB model, $180 for the 3 TB model, and $250 for the 4 TB model. The 2 TB and 3 TB models are already available, while the 4 TB version won't be out until November.
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