Kingston Wi-Drive

Many will not be aware, but I'm not apples biggest fan, this is not because I don't like their products I actually think they make some of the best tech products in the world. What I never understand is why they always fall short of producing that product that can do everything the competition can do. One of the most annoying problems for Apple users when it comes to things like the i-pad, i-phone, i-pod etc is the fact that you can't expand the storage space via SD Card. Nearly all other similar devices on other platforms can achieve this relatively small feat.

However the problem does exist and a solution was required. Enter the Kingston Wi-Drive, this little piece of tech allows you to have an extra 16Gb or 32Gb of extra storage space on your device run by iOS. The connection is made by the Wi-Drive creating its own Wi-Fi network and is connected to by using the Kingston Wi-Drive Application. While it seems like a very awkward way of expanding the storage space it does have its advantages. For example you can store music films or documents on the device which you can access from any of your iOS powered devices allowing you to reduce the amount of storage required by only storing each file once. Also more people can access your shared files such as friends and family, even better for university where lots of people may need resources off the same device.

The Wi-Drive is compatible with the iPad; iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4G (3G is limited to iOS 4.2.1 or higher); and iPod Touch Gen 3 and Gen 4. You can also use the drive with computers running Mac OS X (10.5.x or higher), Windows 7, Windows Vista (SP1, SP2), Windows XP (SP2, SP3), or Linux (v.2.6+ kernel).

The device itself looks a little bit like an i-phone by its thin design 121.5mm x 61.8mm x 9.8mm. Of course you may have to carry an extra piece of equipment around with you in order to have this extra storage but at least its slim line, And because it uses Wi-Fi it only has to be in the vicinity of you main device, you can leave it in your bag or coat pocket etc.

Obviously the device uses Wi-Fi as a means of connection but the Wi-Drive also comes with a mini USB connection which is used to connect to a PC or MAC and is also how the device is charged. Officially the Kingston Wi-Drive will last for 4 hours of continuous use this of course will vary depending on how much the device is being accessed.

 The Wi-Drive supports a wide range of file types but does have a few that it doesn't support, WMA being a notable example. The device supports the same file types as your Apple products. Unfortunately it doesn't matter what device you are using to connect the Wi-Drive, if your not using a Apple compatible file format you will not be able to use that file.

One thing to be aware of is that when connecting to an i-pad for example, you will have to use you i-pad to connect to the Wi-Drives own network, this will mean it will lose the connection to your home network and any internet connection through it. To combat this problem the Wi-Drive has a second antenna that can be set to "bridge mode" which can be used to connect to your home network and and "bridge" an internet connection back to your i-pad / i-phone etc. through the Wi-Drive.

Currently this device is only for iOS mobile devices as well as a PC or MAC, however there is work going to on to make a android app and allow the Wi-drive to be compatible with android devices. Capacities of the Wi-Drive come in two types 16Gb and 32Gb, check on the prices of the Kingston Wi-Drive.

So what do we think about the Wi-Drive, well as a device its very good. its quick, easy very mobile and can be used by multiple devices. The fact it creates its own network for your devices to connect to means its truly portable. If your away from a computer, battery life at 4 hours could be an issue. Price might also be a problem, not especially expensive for what it is but its cheaper to buy the higher capacity i-Pad / I-Pod etc from the start. So while the device is a nice piece of tech I still believe its a solution to a problem that should not even exist.

Kingston Wi-Drive Specifications

• Capacities*: 16GB, 32GB
• Dimensions: 121.5mm x 61.8mm x 9.8mm
• Operating Temperature: 32°F to 122°F (0°C to 50°C)
• Storage Temperature: 14°F to 185°F (-10°C to 70°C)
• Wireless Network Interface: Wi-Fi 802.11g/n with wireless security (WPA/WEP)
• Rechargeable Battery: up to four hours of continuous use
• Cable: Mini-USB to USB cable included. User can upload files and content from their desktop or laptop to the Wi-Drive using the USB cable
• Portable: Uses Flash-based technology for durability and reliability
• Convenient: pocket-sized for easy transportability
• Simple: just plug into a USB port
• Guaranteed: one-year warranty
• App: downloadable at Apple’s App Store
• Compatible with: iPad, iPhone 3G/3GS/4, iPod touch (3G is limited to iOS 4.2.1+)
• Configurable APN (access point name) and Key functions to connect to Wireless Access Point (Internet Connection)
• Supported File Formats:
o Audio: AAC, MP3, WAV
o Video: m4v, mp4, mov, Motion JPEG (M-JPEG), AVI
o Image: jpg, bmp, tiff
o Document: pdf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, txt, rtf, xls

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