Netgear has announced ‘Stora’ at CES, an easy to use Network Attached Storage device packing a friendly 1TB drive.

Netgear describes it as the device for “first-time users who don’t want to learn server administration as a hobby,” and it is certainly simple to use.

It supports gigabit internet, has a USB 2.0 port, is DLNA certified so can stream media to compatible devices, and also has an in-built iTunes server.

The ease of use, decent size disk space, and ability to stream media also makes it double as a entry level media extender allowing you to watch video and listen to music on different devices on your home network.

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2010 will be the year that web TV set-top-boxes start to make it into the mainstream. The recently announced Popbox priced just shy of $130 has received a lot of promising buzz, but does it deliver?

The PopBox is replacing its predecessor, the Popcorn Hour box with newer features and a sleeker interface.

Content Partners

The PopBox has partnered with a number of companies to bring a variety of video. It’ not got everything, but it’s got decent selection to keep you busy.

• Netflix – rent and buy movies instantly.
• Crunchyroll (Asain entertainment site)
• BlipTV – video clips and independent episodes
• NextNewNetworks – independent web TV shows
• Revision3 – independent web TV shows with a tech focus
• Livestation – live TV from various worldwide sources
• Internet Video Archive – archive of public domain video and old movies.
• MalaysiaKini – Malaysian videos

App Innovation Myth?

Apps were certainly big in 2010 on cell phone devices, and Popbox is trying to cash in on the app craze for the set-top-box.

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The Roku Box, which started life as the Roku Netflix player before evolving to its current form, is getting some brothers in the shape of two new boxes. Roku is also promising new channels will be coming to the service soon. Which, with Netflix now headed for the PS3, is needed more than ever.

Roku and Netflix

Roku started out relying on Netflix’ ‘Watch Instantly’ streaming service as the be all and end all of its content offering to buyers of the $99 box. But since launching in May 2008, other content channels have been added, including Amazon Video-on-Demand and MLB TV.

Netflix soon moved on to a host of other set-top boxes and devices, including the Xbox 360, Internet-enabled televisions, and hybrid Blu-ray players. And it’s now adding a new one to its line-up in the shape of the Playstation 3.

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Announced back in January at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was the Addlogix EchoView FM PC2TV Wireless Video Converter. Basically it allowed you to watch your PC on your TV wirelessly.

The device has now been re-launched and re-branded as the ‘InternetVue’. I definitely prefer the new name.

Essentially the device is a wireless video router that can stream a video of what’s on your PC’s screen, wirelessly to your TV set.

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On Thursday I said that Media Extender’s will have a short life span and here is the reason. Not so far in the future, maybe within 3-5 years we will have one enabling device that will do absolutely everything. No longer will we have several black boxes of circuit boards all connected together by a mish mash of cables, we’ll have one device: The Ultimate DVR.

On Tuesday I talked about the Xbox 360 and Apple TV, two very hot topics of conversation when it comes to spreading video and music onto your TV screen.

In fact media extenders are a hot topic in general. This year’s consumer electronics show in January was packed with new innovative products designed to meld your home network into one, making all the media in your house accessible on every PC and TV. Well at least that’s the idea.

The Apple TV was finally released last week and as I expected the reviews of the device are not that flattering. I’ve said already that the Apple TV was over-hyped and I’ve noted a number of alternatives to the Apple TV (now there are even more).