DAVE device separates hard drive from mobile phone

One of the hurdles hindering widespread adoption of multimedia downloads (music, movies) to a mobile phone is the amount of storage space available on the phone. Flash-based media cards can store only 4GB, and adding a hard drive to a cell phone adds bulk, weight and takes away from the phone's battery life.

Storage vendor Seagate is hoping to revolutionize this market by announcing its DAVE (Digital Audio Video Experience) device at DEMO 2007. Formerly known as "Crickett," the palm-sized device separates storage from the mobile phone yet gives users an additional 10G to 20GB of space to play with. Wireless connectivity (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) lets users play the content on their phone while the file stays on the DAVE hard drive.

An applet that sits on the mobile phone creates the user interface for users to manage the digital content.
From Seagate's perspective, having large amounts of storage available for users at the endpoint helps revolutionize the market. Cable TV, for example, saw an uptick in usage once the personal video recorder allowed shows to be saved to a hard drive.

Music downloads took off once MP3 players had the ability to store lots of files in a portable format. Likewise, having extra storage available for a mobile phone, yet not adding to the bulk of the device (keeping it mobile), may spur users to download music and movie services from a mobile carrier.

That's what Seagate is hoping, at least -- the vendor plans to offer DAVE to carriers and mobile handset OEMs for sale under their own brand names -- Seagate itself has no plans to sell or market this device on its own. "This device allows carriers to monetize their next-generation networks and offer their customers a rich media pipeline," says Rob Pait, director of global consumer electronics marketing at Seagate. The company says it plans to offer DAVE to manufacturers for resale in the second quarter of 2007.

The DAVE device measures 3.5- by 4.7- by 2.4-inches and weighs 2.5 ounces, small enough to carry around or store in a briefcase or shirt pocket. Seagate has added ruggedness to the device, adding Free Fall Protection technology that allows the DAVE to be dropped five feet onto concrete with a 95 percent survival rate, the company says. In addition, its Storage Management Module (launched at CES 2007) uses power-saving features to provide up to 10 hours of media streaming or up to 14 days of standby power. The device is built on Linux and an open API, and Seagate says it will offer a software developer's kit later this quarter.

In addition to the two wireless options, the DAVE device will include a USB port for a wired connection to a PC or Macintosh. Through its USB To Go feature, wireless transfer of data between a PC and the DAVE will be enabled, Seagate says. When connected to a PC, the device will just show up as an extra drive, allowing for drag-and-drop transfer of files from a PC to the DAVE, or vice-versa. This gives the added benefit of being able to take all of that content downloaded via the mobile service and store it on a PC for backup or even playback on a different device.

The big question is whether mobile phone users who often complain about having to carry multiple devices around with them (mobile phone, e-mail device, MP3 player, digital camera) will want to carry around another device, and one that is only used for storage.