Network Storage for Cheap!

Just picked up these too from my local Aldi

The HDD was €79.99 and the hub was €49.99. For the longest time I've been wanting a NAS solution. Since my dream one is slightly vaunted and unattainable at present due to budget constraints. But this was cheap and looked okay. Either way I have an external 1TB HDD if it all goes south, and they always come in handy.

The Installation was disappointingly simple, insert the CD, install the software, connect via ethernet cable, log into hub, connect it tp your network and your done. Plug in a USB device and from there coftware choice which ones you want to connect and there you go.

Now its not all rainbows and teddy bears. Its not proper NAS, only one user can be connected to a specific USB device at a time, so if you got you photos and music on same HDD and granny wants to look at photos and you want to listen to music and are at different computers it aint gonna happen, and it has WPS option (good idea in theory but never really works correctly in my experience)

Thet wireless Hub has some pretty basic features, Station or Access Point mode, Esssentially Station mode if you have a existing wireless network The other one if you do not. Lanaguages English or German, Set IP and thats about it. File transfer is a little slower that I had hoped but not unworkably slow, I transfered a 1.26 GB file in a little under seven minutes.

The HDD doesn't require explanation is has an eSata port which is nice, but the Hub Doesn't. It seems a little loud but thats probably just my imagination since it's sitting beside me, Wont notice it when its on a shelf. One note I feel I should mention is that it comes formated in FAT32(pretty much standard) But at 1TB in size your losing about 70 GB in storage, so reformatting in NTFS or exFAT or anything else is advisable.

All in all its pretty good it has four USB ports, so its expandable to other devices. Im happy with the purchase and im sure it will serve its purpose for a long time to come and would recommend it to all.

Search Amazon.com for network attached storage

The Road a Review

I have been meaning to read this for years since I heard it won the Pulitzer in '07.
Was trolling Amazon as I am oft to do, and sure enough I saw The road for £3.86 and I jumped at it. Of course not even looking at the cover (shouldn't judge books by 'em anyway) When It arrived I thought what the hell is Aragorn doin on my book cover! Did I get the right one. Turns out its now a major motion of all things The Road.

Anywho onto the  review I literally couldn't put it down. Normally I like to read a little slower savouring as I go and what now. I tore through It in two days.

Highly recommend it. The Story follows a man and his son, Who remain unnamed, as they travel across a post apocalyptic wasteland of a burned United States. Finding food, shelter, supplies avoiding the various dangers presented by not just the environment, but other survivors of the Nuclear Fallout.

Initally the lack of punctuation especially around dialog as you'd expect from normal prose was a little off putting but after a few pages it drags you in and you can't escape. Its akin to an epic poem more than a novel.


Its a very moving story full of emotion, really some parts where especially emotionally draining, so much so as I was shocked. It has been a very long time since a book captured me this way. (and there was me thinking I was getting too cynical or something) But at the same time as it is depressing it is also very uplifting, quiet the emotional roller-coaster.

So inconclusion go read it. Haven't watched the movie yet. Not sure if I will as with other books I really enjoy the movie often disappoints.

Let the Blogs begin!

Blog Post #1. Sure to be a collectors item in years to come. Be sure to store yours in its original packaging.