When it comes to direct access storage devices that offer built in disk failure redundancy features and multi drive capabilities the biggest name is Drobo by Data Robotics.

However, I lived with a Drobo V2 for just over a year.  This version had the USB2 and Firewire 800 interfaces. In the beginning it was great. Drobo was small, quiet and kept my files safe and protected. But I was soon wanting more from the diminutive device. I needed faster random access, faster sequential data throughput and finally I wanted an transfer interface that wasn’t based on 10 year old technology (USB and FireWire). So it was time to move on and I sold it.

18 months later there was a Drobo shaped space next on my desk. I still wanted all those features which the Drobo couldn’t offer. I looked at the Drobo’s newer siblings; the Drobo S and Drobo FS but reviews slated them for the slow speed and their inadequate ability to maximize their eSata and USB 3 interfaces. Plus they were notoriously expensive.

The search continued for many months when I stumbled on a small device from MediaSonic for around £100 (approx $160 US).

The device has a very silly name, it’s called the HFR2-SU3S2. Even with the silly name it does have a lot features. It has an eSata and USB 3 interface, 4 drive bays and a choice of RAID 0, 1,5 and 10.

This is how I’ve configured it:

• Three 2TB Western Digital drive at 5200RPM
• USB 3 interface
• RAID 5 configuration giving me 4TB of usable storage

Using the USB 3 interface it’s as speedy as any SATA drive in my PC; I was hoping it would be faster since I have it configured in RAID 5. I was expected higher performance since the data is spread across the three 2TB drives I have installed but without doubt the results are faster than the Drobos.

There is no software provided and the instructions are short; however this was not an issue for myself as I have a lot of experience with these devices, but I can imagine it would be a bit intimidating for the absolute beginner.

I have read other comments about the HFR2-SU3S2 being quite noisy; I have found it to be very quiet. It is by no means silent. I would describe the noise level to be on the ‘very quiet’ scale. I set the fans on auto and it just does the rest!

In the box, you get a USB3 and a eSATA cable. Both are quite short so if you plan on having the unit on your desk and your computer is underneath your desk, then you may have to purchase a longer lead like I did. I got a 2m eSATA cable for only £2.00

The lights on the front are bright but not distracting. When the drives are being accessed the activity lights turn purple. There have been comments from other users saying it’s too bright but I disagree. While they are noticeable on my desk they don’t annoy me.

Overall, this is a magnificent little device that has little compromise when compared to the more expensive Drobo. The only limitation I see is all the drives have to be matched (you can mix up manufacturers and sizes on the Drobo).

Buy it, it’s cheap and offers an expandable means of storage with redundancy.

It arrived yesterday and it makes a massive difference to the wireless basic mouse I had been using. I can totally recommend this mouse if you’re even semi serious about PC gaming.

I am always on the look out for unique photos that have a narrative so when I stumbled upon these set of photos about the Japanese Yakuza then it immediately opened my eyes.

These images are incredibly powerful when you realize that these people are reputed to be the toughest gangsters in the world. They are legendary and have often been compared with the Italian Mafia gangs.

Check out this website for more amazing images!! 

Since I upgraded my processors over year ago I’ve often wondered what the full abilities of my Mac Pro was in a 64bit test. I’ve recently purchased the full version of Geekbench, and I’m very happy with the results!

I do intend to write a blog about all the software tools I use to make my job a little easier, but for now I want to talk about a little utility I use daily called Dropbox.

Dropbox is probably the best file synchronisation and ‘cloud’ manager there is. I can work on any file on my Mac (or PC) and I know that file will be automatically saved online every time I change that file. Not only that, but the synchronisation is fully automated.

The free version starts off with 2gb so the it’s not massive. Even the biggest version of 100gb isn’t enough to hold all my photos which currently a stands at 2.7TB.  But it’s not all about size, besides I wouldn’t want to hang around waiting for 2.7TB to sync!!

Dropbox is about simplicity and having your previous files up to date,  always available and minimises duplication of projects.

Dropbox Case Study:

I’m a professional photographer, so that means I deal with thousands of photos any given month, but I don’t use Dropbox for all those files. I use dropbox when I’m working on larger single images like a Photoshop file of a large Magazine cover composition. These files are typically a manageable 100mb. I use Dropbox to keep that file always backed up every time I change the file by saving.  Not only that, with Dropbox it stores previous versions of the same file so if I make an irreversible change in Photoshop I can go to the Dropbox website and retrieve the previously saved version up to a few days! Think of it like an online version of Apple’s Time Machine.

Another advantage is I can work on that file on my Macbook Pro when I need to work remotely, but when I am home I can work on the same UP TO DATE file on my Apple Mac Pro without having to copy from the Macbook Pro. Also because I’m working on virtually the same file I don’t need to worry about storing duplicate files; I just need to store and manage one file which is always up to date and backed up.

Once my Photoshop file is complete I can then use Dropbox as a delivery method. I simply move the file onto the Public folder within the Dropbox folder, right click, copy the unique dropbox link then paste that link to send to my clients as you would send any link; by email, online chat etc.

You can try out Dropbox for free with the standard 2GB, but if you click my referral link then we both get an extra 250mb for free!

I appreciate this may upset some Call of Duty fans but Black Ops was only a commercial hit because of it’s name. Had it been a brand new title it would not have had a fraction of it’s record breaking sales.

That is not to say it isn’t a good game, but I have always believed The Battlefield Series was a superior experience.

Battlefield 3 is the big game of 2011, and I couldn’t be happier!! I’m sure if you’re a gamer of any kind you’ll have seen the sneak previews released by EA and Dice. The hype will reach a fanatical fever level by this Autumn.