Portable hard drives with SD card slots allow photographers and videographers to back up files without a laptop – but a new device brings that capability along with wireless file access and a modular dock to automatically back up the backup. The StationPC PocketCloud is a network-attached storage or NAS drive with a design that’s both mobile and modular.
Most NAS drives are bulky, desk-bound devices, but the PocketCloud looks more like a portable hard drive at six inches (153mm) wide and 3.6 inches (93mm) tall. On one side, the drive houses a tiny LCD screen with a rotating button knob that allows users to backup SD cards or USB devices plugged into the drive, without a laptop.
But the PocketCloud can also backup that field-created backup. As a modular system, users can set the PocketCloud to automatically back up its files in part or in whole whenever the NAS is plugged into its dock. This allows for the double backup of a RAID drive, but as two physically separate pieces, if disaster happens to befall the mobile drive, the deskbound dock means any duplicated files aren’t lost. The drive can also be connected to a cloud storage service, completing the recommended 3-2-1 backup rule that recommends three copies of data, two on separate devices and one on offsite storage.
The company says the aluminum alloy construction helps protect the drive while on the go, with optional shock-resistant covers available for mobile users. The drive’s batteries are rated for up to six hours of continuous use, with the swappable battery design making it possible to carry around extra power if needed. The drive also recharges through that desktop docking system.
StationPC also says that PocketCloud is designed for first-time NAS users, with simple one-click backups using the SD card port or USB port. Once data is uploaded, Wi-Fi mode allows for accessing those files without physically being connected to the device. The device's software also allows photos on the drive to be searched using AI.
The PocketCloud claims SD card read speeds up to 59 Mb/S, USB drive mode performance up to 1067 MB/s and SSD read speeds up to 1625 MB/s. The company says that translates roughly to uploading 4,000 photos in about 17 minutes. Wi-Fi 6 transfer allows wireless access to those files with a download speed of up to 68 MB/s and an upload speed of 65 MB/s.
As an NAS, those files can then be shared with others. For the privacy-conscious, the company notes that the drive includes encryption, private storage options, and a local LAN account option to avoid sending data to StationPC servers.
Like a large NAS, the PocketCloud requires using a compatible SSD plugged inside the portable drive, as well as one plugged into the dock for the backups. The storage will depend on the drives paired with the portable NAS, but the device supports up to 16 TB.
StationPC is using crowdfunding to launch the PocketCloud, with the device’s Kickstarter already exceeding the original goal by more than 20x. That negates some of the crowdfunding risk, but not all, as the company plans to produce the drives in May, with August as an estimated shipping date for the first supporters.
Early backers can get the PocketCloud with two Lexar 2TB SSD pre-installed in both the drive and dock for about $589 / £455 / AU$942 during the Kickstarter. Or, backers can add their own SSDs and pick up just the drive and dock for $289 / £224 / AU$463. After the crowdfunding, the company expects to list the PocketCloud with pre-installed drives for $806 / £623 / AU$1,285, or $428 / £331 / AU$682 for users installing their own SSDs.
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