LaCie has announced several new products at CES 2014, including the LaCie Fuel–a mobile, wireless hard drive for the iPad, iPhone, and Mac that doesn’t require Internet access; the LaCie Sphère, which is a handcrafted hard drive enclosed in a spherical case of silver-plated steel; the LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2–one of the first storage solutions enabled by Thunderbolt 2 and the fastest portable storage solution on the market.
LaCie has announced several new products at CES 2014, including the LaCie Fuel–a mobile, wireless hard drive for the iPad, iPhone, and Mac that doesn’t require Internet access; the LaCie Sphère, which is a handcrafted hard drive enclosed in a spherical case of silver-plated steel; the LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2–one of the first storage solutions enabled by Thunderbolt 2 and the fastest portable storage solution on the market.
LaCie Fuel
The LaCie Fuel adds 1TB of external storage capacity with the ability to store up to 500 movies, 160,000 songs or 190,000 photos, and shares them with a maximum of five devices at a time. Additionally, AirPlay compatibility means users can easily stream movies on the big screen with Apple TV or music to compatible speakers.
The LaCie Fuel gives users access to their files even when they go off-the-grid. Its 10-hour battery allows users enjoy their media throughout the day without the need for Internet or cables. The LaCie fuel also creates its own Wi-Fi network–similar to a router–so that other devices can connect directly without Internet access. In addition, the LaCie Fuel acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot when connected to the Internet, allowing it to share Internet access with other connected devices.
AirPlay compatibility with the LaCie Fuel gives users the ability to mirror content playing on a mobile device to a TV with a single tap as well as listening to their favorite playlist on the Airplay-enabled speakers.
Fuel works virtually the same as an external drive on a computer, so users can wirelessly upload or download files without using battery power from their laptop. It also easily integrates Dropbox so users can automatically sync files between a computer and the LaCie Fuel. As a result, every time users add music, movies, or photos to the Dropbox folder on their Mac, the change is reflected on the LaCie Fuel – or vice versa. Additionally, the Lacie Fuel is compatible with USB 3.0 for fast transfer speeds.
LaCie Fuel is the first product collaboration between Seagate and LaCie. Seagate helps deliver seamless file access via their free app (Seagate Media) for iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle, which automatically organizes files by type for easy to browsing. Users can also stream videos or music, open office documents, and enjoy full-screen navigation.
LaCie Sphère
Also announced is the LaCie Sphère, designed by silver craft specialist, Christofle. The Sphère is a handcrafted hard drive enclosed in a spherical case of silver-plated steel, which is stamped, silver-plated and polished in Christofle’s silversmith workshop in Yainville (Normandy), France. Its highly reflective finish makes the hard drive look like a decorative piece to accompany any home or office workstation.
The LaCie Sphère connects to a computer via USB 3.0, which also powers the hard drive, delivering fast performance so users can quickly back up business documents or media libraries. A blue LED illuminates the front of the LaCie Sphère to indicate hard drive status. Additionally, LaCie’s software suite is included with the 1TB hard drive: Backup Assistant for easy and automatic backup, Private-Public for password protection, and Eco Mode for energy savings.
LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2
The LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 is one of the first storage solutions enabled by Thunderbolt 2 and the fastest portable storage solution on the market. It is several times faster than any mobile USB 3.0 hard drive, delivering speeds up to 1375Mb/s while sporting a sleek, black finish to its fully aluminium enclosure by designer Neil Poulton.
The new LaCie Little Big Disk is perfect for no-compromise video professionals, with the ability to stream and edit 4K or 3D video while in the field. It is also powered by a set of 500GB PCIe Gen 2 SSDs in RAID 0, which deliver a perfect blend of performance and capacity that accelerates in the most demanding workflow.
With the fastest SSDs on the market, the Little Big Disk’s interior is designed to improve cooling efficiency, all the while keeping it as silent as possible. With a thermoregulated fan, it only turns on when necessary and produces virtually no noise, delivering the best possible performance without disrupting users.
Additionally, LaCie demonstrated how the Little Big Disk lets videographers work directly from RAW files at CES, getting full quality from footage and seeing the edits in real time. LaCie will also show how professionals can capture 250 gigabytes of 4k footage on a Little Big Disk in the field, and then transfer the content to the post-production team in under 10 minutes.
Pricing and availability
The 1TB LaCie Fuel will be available in the near future through the LaCie Online Store and LaCie Resellers for $199.00 USD. The Seagate Media app is currently available. The LaCie Sphère starts at $490 and will be available in the first quarter of 2014 in a 1TB capacity through the LaCie Online Store, select concept stores, and Christofle retail stores. The Sphère comes with a 2-year limited warranty. The LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 will be available in the first quarter of 2014 through LaCie’s resellers and LaCie.com with a Thunderbolt cable included. The LaCie Little Big Disk is backed by a 3-year limited warranty.
LaCie Culbuto
Lastly, LaCie has announced the Culbuto, a decorative USB storage key designed by French designer Constance Guisset, which bobs side to side as it is pushed. The term Culbuto is French for a toy with a weighted base that keeps the object vertical even after it is knocked down.
The LaCie Culbuto has a spherical solid-metal base–which was molded from a cast–and is topped with a silicone rubber stem that ends with a USB 3.0 connector. Additionally, the removable cap that protects the Culbuto connector features a slit to hold a photo or business card.
The Culbuto ships with LaCie's Private-Public software to protect confidential data stored on the drive. Even when lost, stolen, or accessed by unwanted eyes, files are secure with password protection. The key also comes equipped with LaCie Backup Assistant for automatic backup.
Pricing and availability
The LaCie Culbuto is available in 16GB and 32GB capacities through the LaCie Online Store and LaCie Resellers starting at $49.99.