Consumer Electronics Show 2014 ASUSTOR Visit

One of my first company visits for CES was with ASUSTOR and while many people don’t consider NAS devices to be a major part of the PC Enthusiast landscape I find them to be more of a silent partner designed to make our lives easier.

ASUSTOR was highlighting the new features of their NAS devices including the new ADM 2.1 interface and a number of additional features added to the robust hardware platform.   The hardware hasn’t changed that much, they still leverage the Intel Atom processor and offer NAS devices in 2, 4, 6 and 8 drive configurations.  They also offer rack mountable enterprise grade NAS boxes with more powerful Haswell based processors and additional connectivity.

Additional information on ASUSTOR's highlighted features for CES 2014 is as follows:

High Definition Multimedia

•  ASUSTOR Portal: After connecting their NAS to any HD ready monitor or TV via HDMI, users will be able to use the ASUSTOR Portal interface to access the Boxee and XBMC media players, surf the Internet using Google Chrome, and view all video feeds from Surveillance Center. ASUSTOR Portal also offers users a range of customizable settings allowing users to configure the interface according to their preferences.

 New Core Features with ADM 2.1

• File Explorer: File Explorer receives upgrades with ADM 2.1 providing users with thumbnail previews of files, drag and drop file transfers from computer to NAS, high-speed file transfers of large files through their web browser, and the My Computer feature which allows users to seamlessly transfer files between their computer and NAS from within File Explorer.

• MyArchive: The revolutionary MyArchive function allows users to use hard disks as removable storage archives. Users can simply plug in an archive when they need it and swap it out for a different one when they don't.  MyArchive truly provides “plug and play” convenience as users are free to swap between different data collections and even share terabytes of media archives with friends.

 New Apps and Utilities

• VPN Server: ASUSTOR's VPN Server App allows an ASUSTOR NAS to act as either a VPN server or client, allowing users to quickly establish secure connections. VPN Server supports commonly used PPTP and OpenVPN protocols, gives users the ability to instantly view and disconnect connections when acting as a VPN server, and supports the ability to disconnect and automatically connect upon system startup when acting as a VPN client.

• Takeasy: Takeasy allows users to conveniently download online videos and playlists from YouTube or other video streaming sites. Users also have the option of selecting the type of video file and video quality that they want.

• Photo Gallery:  Photo Gallery offers users an easy and intuitive way to recapture their favorite memories. Photo Gallery's unique Photo Wall function allows users to quickly go back and find all of their most precious moments. Users can also leave comments and thoughts on photos while sharing them with family and friends. Additionally, social media integration allows users to conveniently publish content directly from Photo Gallery to their favorite social media platforms such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Plurk.
   
• Antivirus: ASUSTOR's antivirus App stops malware from infecting the NAS, user accounts and other external devices. It effectively protects critical data on the NAS and prevents malware from spreading by providing automatic virus definition updates and quarantining of infected files.
   
•  Download Center Helper: Download Center Helper is an add-on for Google Chrome and FireFox that allows users to right click on any download link and then instruct their NAS to download the file for them. Download Center Helper also provides a simple management interface, allowing users to  quickly view the status and execute simple management tasks on all their downloads.

 Mobile Apps

• AiMusic: AiMusic integrates with ASUSTOR's SoundsGood App to allow users to stream music from their NAS to their mobile device, letting them enjoy their entire music collection while on the go. AiMusic allows for the creating of different types of playlists and also allows for the downloading of songs to the mobile device for offline listening. AiMusic is available for both Android and iOS operating systems and can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store.