Using a portable music player like the iPod to haul files around works—up to a point. But the iPod integrates well only with a computer, and only when iTunes is installed. Portable hard drives, on the other hand, are a great way to carry a copy of important data, but can't process any of that data and can't connect to TVs and cell phones. Neither device can interface with wireless networks. Chipmaker Agere today announced a "mobile content server" called the BluOnyx that attempts to combine a hard drive with a processor and some unique interface options so that consumers can carry their data with them at all times, and access it from any device.
The device resembles a screenless iPod. It's about the size of a credit card and can use either flash memory or a hard drive for storage (up to 40GB). It has built-in Bluetooth, a USB connection, and an SD card reader (version 2 will include WiFi). The idea is to create the ultimate portable storage solution—something that can accept inputs from any device and can output to any device.
The BluOnyx is primarily meant to be controlled by cell phone. When the two devices make a connection, the BluOnyx pushes a Java applet to the phone that allows pictures to be displayed, music to be streamed, and video to be shown on the handset. The device can also read from the phone, backing up the complete contents of the phone's memory, including its phone book and e-mails. Friends can also access (with permission) content on someone else's device.
But the BluOnyx is meant to interface with everything, not just cell phones. When an SD card is inserted, for instance, the device automatically copies all files over to a time-stamped internal directory, making it a portable repository for digital photos. It can also connect to PCs and printers and game consoles—assuming that it has the necessary bit of code installed.
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