Netgear ReadyNAS Duo: BitTorrent media streamer

By Rory Reid on 06 January 2008, 10:57pm

Those crazy funsters at Netgear have just announced a brand new network attached storage device called the ReadyNAS. It -- get this -- stores stuff, which you can access across a network. That's rock 'n roll, baby. That's why we're in Las Vegas.

No, seriously, stifle that yawn -- this bad boy has integrated BitTorrent support. That means you can download movies and music directly from the Internet to the device itself, then stream that content through a media adaptor -- such as the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD -- into a home entertainment centre without requiring any computers to be switched on. It supports uPnP AV, iTunes and Logitech Squeezecenter streaming protocols, so it's pretty comprehensive.

Netgear will release the ReadyNAS in two forms: Duo and NV+, which accept two and four drives respectively. Each automatically backs up files across all drives, so if one breaks, you won't lose any data. They also have Continuous Data Protection (CDP), which monitors your data and automatically updates files when they change on your PC. Integrated USB ports let you attach a digital camera, and share photos across your entire network, and it'll work regardless of whether it's Mac or Windows. Cool, huh?

The basic ReadyNAS Duo includes a 500GB hard drive and costs $500 (£250), but you can also get it with 750GB and 1TB drives. It should be available to buy in late Q1. -Rory Reid