While most Android users have the option to expand the available memory for their handsets, many competitors have yet to include that option. Even if you do have the option for memory expansion, sometimes you still can’t fit in all of the media you’d like to have on the go. The next logical step for iPhone users is to purchase the higher capacity version the next go around, or grab an external hard drive that you need to hook up and transfer files from. Well, to soften the blow of another device in your bag, Hitachi has announced the G-Connect, which gives you all of the storage you’d want and so much more.
With a focus on, but not limited to Apple products, Hitachi has provided a great solution for getting the media you want on your device when you don’t have the space. Not only is the device an external hard drive (500GB), but it allows you to easily stream content to your device, along with a handful of others at the same time. The G-Connect will allow you to stream three HD movies from it simultaneously, or 5 SD movies. It also comes with an ethernet port so you can surf the web and stream content at the same time as well.
Set up of the device is dead simple, and one of the first things that you can do is set up a password for the content you’d like to keep protected, in addition to the regular SDD for WiFi. You can easily access your content from the native iOS applications for iPhone and iPad, or through a web-based UI on devices that do not currently have applications available yet. Android apps are on the way, but the web-based access to your content ensures that no one is left out.
Hitachi isn’t shoving its software down your throat, even though it’s likely one of the most simple you’ll find. The G-Connect is a DLNA certified device, and you can use any player you choose to if for some reason you don’t like the simplicity of the software that comes with the G-Connect.
While I personally believe I don’t need devices like this, I think I’d find myself using the G-Connect pretty often. We just touched on some of the handfuls of features for the G-Connect, and you should keep your eye out for this device in the near future.
The G-Connect will be available in July for only $199, which is more than reasonable considering what this thing can do.
For more information about the device, head over to the Hitachi site here.