Apricorn's Aegis Padlock 3 (Fig. 1) is a secure, shock mounted 1 Tbyte USB 3.0 hard drive. It is a little larger than Seagate’s USB 3.0 BlackArmor PS 110 is a 7200-rpm, 500-Gbyte hard drive that I checked out over a year ago. Both deliver USB 3.0 performance but the Padlock 3 adds a water-resistant keyboard for entering your security code. No code. No data.

The sealed, epoxy coated Aegis Padlock 3 I checked out is a newer version of the USB 2.0 one that Joe Desposito looked at (see Two New Drives Feature Data Protection That's Easy To Use). They all use the same technology as Apricorn's Aegis Secure Key. A keypad is used to enter a code to unlock the encrypted drive. In the case of the Aegis Secure Key, the drive is a USB flash drive.

The big difference between the Secure Key and the Padlock 3, other than the storage technology, is that the Secure Key has a battery so the code can be entered before the drive is plugged in. The code is entered on the Padlock 3 after it is plugged into a USB port. The status LED goes green after the correct key is entered and the drives work as usual.

The Padlock 3 uses a 256-bit AES encryption hardware so the drive can transfer data at USB 3.0 speeds. This includes the ability to stream HD video or any other data for that matter.

Read full online review at Electronic Design

Apricorn's Aegis Netdock -- Mac Edition is making me rethink some future purchases. It actually has me considering a MacBook Air as my main Mac.

As for the Apple US$79 SuperDrive, forget it. The Aegis Netdock blows it away.

The Mac Edition of the Aegis NetDock is an ultra-compact 3-in-1 USB docking station that combines a four-port USB hub, a space-saving vertical stand, a dual layer DVD burner and 1TB hard drive in a footprint smaller than a stapler. It's designed especially as an accessory for a MacBook Air, which has no optical drive and a small solid state drive.

The Aegis NetDock -- which costs US$229 for a1TB model, which is what I took for a test drive -- adds desktop functionality with a single USB connection. Of course, it works with any Mac, but it's a near-perfect complement to the Air line.

With the Aegis NetDock's dual layer recording engine you can record up to 8.5GB of data per DVD, virtually doubling data storage capacity on a DVD recordable disc from the single layer recording capacity of 4.7 GBs. With the optical drive, you can play and burn CDs and DVDs from your Air.

Do you have SATA III desires but only an IDE budget?

Do you find yourself drooling over those new, high-speed PCs, but only have lint and a couple of quarters in your pocket?

Fear not! The folks at Apricorn have developed a way for you to upgrade that old PC to take advantage of SATA III, high-speed technology.