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Seagate crams Verizon 4G LTE into a battery-powered portable HDD; Thunderbolt GoFlex Adapter launches

So, here's the good news -- Seagate has managed to convince Verizon Wireless to stuff a 4G LTE module into a portable hard drive as part of its newly-launched Innovation Program. The bad news? Heaven only knows when it'll ship, and how much it'll cost. Ever since Google managed to squeeze Big Red for gratis data in Samsung's Chromebook line, we've longed for similar solutions in other products. Now, it seems as if Seagate's getting the message; the company just revealed a wild device here at CES that mimics the GoFlex Satellite in a myriad ways, but the prototype we were shown is obviously far thicker (fret not; it'll be slimmer when it ships).

The primary difference, however, is the built-in WWAN. It's so early on that the thing doesn't even have a proper name, with Seagate dubbing it the "4G LTE Mobile Wireless Storage" for the purposes of the show. Reportedly, there's a battery within that'll keep it streaming for up to five hours, with 802.11b/g/n devices capable of being served. We're told that the product can tap into VZW's 4G LTE network to connect with a library of entertainment (vague enough for you?), and it's also capable of downloading music, movies and photos before streaming over WiFi to up to three devices. There's nary a word on potential capacities, but it'll supposedly handle "over 300 HD movies." Now, if only we knew how much it'll cost to keep it connected from month to month...

Finally, the outfit is introducing its new GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter and the GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt Adapter, which we first caught wind up at last year's IDF. The former will be available during the first quarter of this year, while the latter is expected to be available before the second half of 2012.

Dante Cesa and Billy Steele contributed to this report.



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AT CES 2012 SEAGATE DEMONSTRATES THAT STORAGE IS AT THE CENTER OF ALLTHINGS DIGITAL

Seagate to Showcase 4G LTE Storage, Solid-state Hybrid Hard Drives and More Industry Firsts.

Come by the Seagate booth and you could win a new Alienware gaming laptop loaded with the industry's fastest solid-state hybrid drive


LAS VEGAS, NV - January 10, 2012 - Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) will be showcasing its full breadth of consumer, desktop and enterprise solutions at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. Follow all the news and contest info at Seagate.com/ces.

Award-Winning Mobile Storage

A Consumer Electronics Association Innovations Honoree, the GoFlex Satellite™ mobile wireless storage will be on display in the Innovations Hall located in the Venetian Ballroom of the Venetian Hotel. Seagate will demonstrate during CES new enhancements and added features that improve on the popular award-winning product. First introduced in May of 2011, the GoFlex Satellite drive is Wi-Fi enabled storage to wirelessly stream media to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Building on the success of the first battery-powered, wireless storage solution – GoFlex Satellite drive – Seagate has collaborated with Verizon Wireless to provide a technology showcase of the world's first 4G LTE mobile wireless storage solution. This industry-first innovation can be seen in action at the Verizon booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, Booth 30259).

The 4G LTE-connected Mobile Wireless Storage technology will demonstrate the ability to:

· Expand the storage capacity of your mobile device with enough space to enjoy over 300 HD movies on an iPad or Android tablet.

· Download music, movies and photos over 4G LTE and stream it all over Wi-Fi for up to three of your mobile devices.

· Use the lightning fast Verizon 4G LTE network to connect to an endless library of entertainment while on the go while it also provides Internet connectivity for up to three Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices.


Industry First: New Thunderbolt Technology Solutions

This week in Las Vegas, Seagate will also debut, the long-awaited GoFlex® Thunderbolt™ Adapter and the GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt Adapter. Seagate first unveiled working prototypes of these two advanced interface products during the Intel Developers Forum in November of 2011. These two products are the first to use the new Thunderbolt technology for widespread use by consumers for single drive enclosures. The GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter will be available during the first quarter of this year and the GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt Adapter is expected to be available before the second half of this calendar year.

Game on!

To help demonstrate the speed and performance of the new award-winning Momentus® XT solid-state hybrid hard drive, Seagate will be hosting a gaming demonstration with a head-to-head competition between two identical Alienware M18X dual-drive laptop computers. One will be equipped with two of Seagate's new solid-state hybrid Momentus XT drives, and the other will include 7200RPM 2.5-inch hard disk drives. Visit the Seagate booth (#31846) in the South Hall of Las Vegas Convention Center for an opportunity to win a Momentus XT hybrid drive, which is nearly three times faster than a traditional hard disk drive and has many of the benefits of solid state with much greater capacity at 750GB. Seagate will also host a contest to win one Alienware M11X laptop package valued at over $2000.00. For more details on the Alienware laptop equipped with a Momentus XT drive, and to enter the contest, please visit seagate.com/ces.

Check on all the action and updates from Seagate by following @Seagate and @Seagate_con on Twitter and Like the Seagate page on Facebook or visit the "Seagate @ CES 2012" web page.

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Verizon to showcase industry-first at 2012 CES: 4g lte mobile wireless Storage by Seagate

LAS VEGAS, BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and CUPERTINO, Calif. – From the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Verizon Wireless and Seagate will be showcasing a breakthrough technology demonstration of 4G LTE integrated into a Seagate Mobile Wireless Storage device for use with smartphones and tablets. This industry-first innovation can be seen at the Verizon booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, Booth #30259).

The 4G LTE-connected Mobile Wireless Storage technology will demonstrate the ability to:

· Expand the storage capacity of your mobile device with enough space to enjoy over 300 HD movies on an iPad or Android™ tablet. Imagine having the ability to carry every James Bond movie in HD, every season of both "Mad Men" and "Glee" and the entire catalog of the Rolling Stones, as well as thousands of photos.

· Download music, movies and photos over 4G LTE and stream it all over Wi-Fi for up to three of your mobile devices. It becomes the perfect road-trip companion providing hours of entertainment for the kids.

· Use the lightning fast Verizon 4G LTE network to connect to an endless library of entertainment in your pocket and provide Internet connectivity for up to three Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices.

Seagate, a worldwide leader of innovative storage solutions, is a participant in the Verizon LTE Innovation Center and has been engaged with Verizon Wireless and its 4G LTE Innovation Center for two years of development for this product concept. Earlier this year, Seagate joined a multi-party development collaboration agreement along with other Verizon certified LTE partners, Novatel Wireless and SkyCross, Inc., to develop the Seagate 4G LTE Mobile Wireless Storage.

Based on market and customer feedback, this Mobile Wireless Storage solution is a potential future product collaboration between Verizon and Seagate.

"Seagate continues to innovate in new ways for consumers to enjoy their use of storage technologies," said Scott Horn, vice president of global marketing for Seagate. "This showcase of 4G LTE storage opens up a whole new world of possibilities for consumers to access the content they desire on the go."

Verizon Wireless leads the way in 4G with the largest 4G LTE network and most reliable 4G network in the United States, which now covers more than 200 million people in 190 markets.

Verizon established its Innovation Program to encourage collaboration and help advance the 4G LTE ecosystem. The company's LTE Innovation Center in Waltham, Mass., and its Application Innovation Center in San Francisco were created to inspire, enable and develop non-traditional devices, services and applications that take advantage of Verizon Wireless' industry-leading wireless networks. Through the Innovation Program, Verizon seeks to expand the possibilities of 4G LTE by working with diverse companies, from start-ups to established players, in industries representing a broad range of verticals.

The Seagate 4G LTE Mobile Wireless Storage is a portable, rechargeable battery-powered storage device with up to five hours of battery life and emits a Wi-Fi b/g/n signal for accessing content on the device. It is compatible with all Wi-Fi-enabled iOS and Android phones and tablets that include a browser. For more information about Seagate, visit www.seagate.com/ces, follow @Seagate and @Seagate_Con on Twitter or like the company on Facebook.

For more information about Verizon at CES, visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow Verizon Wireless news on Twitter at @VZWnews.


Billy Steele and Dante Cesa contributed to this report.