In another post, I mentioned how we were at a co-sponsored party during CES. The other sponsor was Kingston and they gave us a Kingston Wi-Drive to use. They first introduced the Wi-Drive in 2011 and was designed for use with Apple iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. The drive came with either 16 GB or 32 GB of storage. They gave us the 16 GB version.
Kingston announced that they will soon be releasing a 64 GB version. Later this quarter the app to enable Wi-Drive use with Kindle Fire will be released and available from the Amazon Appstore.
Side note: I have heard that some people are already using it with the Kindle, but I seem to recall that the Kingston representative told me it was not out yet.
Connecting the Kindle Fire to the Wi-Drive will provide a sizable increase to the storage accessible by the Kindle Fire. Currently, an Android version is in Beta testing. Also now available for existing Wi-Drive and Apple device users is a free app update that allows AirPlay and DRM support.
The Wi-Drive is basically a portable, wireless USB flash storage drive that can be simultaneously access by up to 3 users. Currently, it can be used to store the following non-DRM file types:
- Audio: aac, mp3, wav
- Video: m4v, mp4, mov
- Image: bmp, jpeg, jpg, png
- Docs: pdf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, txt, rtf, xls, xlsx
After downloading your files to the drive and making it a Wi-Fi hot spot with an advertised range of 30 feet, then it can be accessed by others having the Wi-Drive App on their iPad, iPhone, or iPod. Once they access the Wi-Drive they will have access to anything stored on the drive. Up to three users can simultaneously access different file types without any performance degradation.
I was told that more than three users can access the drive simultaneously, but performance may become degraded.
The Wi-Drive is easy to setup and use. Simply open the box, connect the provided USB cable to the AC adapter, plug it into a standard wall outlet, and let it charge the battery. (I always make sure a rechargeable device has a full charge before doing anything with it.)
While the device is charging, you need to download the free Wi-Drive App from the appropriate app store onto your iPad, iPhone, or iPod. (Later this year, this will include the Kindle Fire.) You will need the app to access the drive and if you want to configure / customize any of the wireless network settings and access the uploaded content.
After it has charged for a while and you have configured the drive to your liking, you can start downloading the desired files to it. Once connected to your computer, it acts just like it other standard USB Flash drive.
Not only does the Power Button turn it on and off, it also provides battery status:
- Green: 51%-100% battery charge left
- Amber: 25%-50% battery charge left
- Red: less than 25% battery charge left
- Flashing green power: battery is charging (only when using AC power adapter)
It also has an Internet LED that is steady when the drive is on and flashes when there is Internet activity. A Wi-Fi LED flashes when there is activity across the Wi-Fi.
Okay, the drive is fully charged, has files stored on it, and your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch has the app on it; now you want to be able to view that movie on it. On your Apple device browse for ‘Wi-Drive’ in the list of available wireless networks and select it. There is no password required to connect. Now that your device is wirelessly connected to the drive, open the Wi-Drive App, tap the Home icon, tap the Device Name link, browse and select that movie you want to watch.
Because the Wi-Drive substitutes the Apple device’s Internet connection with Wi-Drive’s wireless connection you will no longer have access to the Internet. Thankfully Kingston thought of those diehard Internet users and provides a bridging function allowing access to Wi-Drive’s files and Wi-Fi Internet connection at the same time.
When the drive is connected to your computer, it does not broadcast a wireless signal, so nobody can access the files on the drive, thus preventing any possible file transfer problems.
Summary
A small, easy to use storage device that can be accessed by multiple users at the same time and adds additional storage to those devices with limited storage capacity. A good traveling companion for families going on road trips where each child can separately watch their favorite movie or listen to their own music. The small footprint (about the size of an iPhone) makes it easy to carry around.
The battery offers approximately four hours of continuous access and does not allow access to the drive while being charged. So, if you are traveling for more than four hours and use it to keep your children entertained, you may need to plan out those food breaks to allow the drive to charge while eating.
I have seen the cost for the 32 GB Wi-Drive range from $90 to $130, which in my opinion, makes it a cost effective way to add storage to those compatible devices that have limited storage capacity or are maxed out.
Disclaimer: We received the Kingston Wi-Drive from Kingston while at CES to test out and we decided to post a review about it and give our opinion of it. This post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
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