LaCie unveils USB 3.0 Raid storage kit

The LaCie 2Big USB 3.0 has two drives supporting Raid levels 0 and 1

LaCie has announced a new external storage device that it claims is the first USB 3.0 dual-drive Raid product, offering data transfer speeds high enough for real-time streaming of high-definition (HD) video, the company said.

To be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, and due to ship sometime in early 2010, the LaCie 2Big USB 3.0 has two drives supporting Raid levels 0 and 1, and will be available in capacities up to 4TB.

The product is aimed at applications that involve large volumes of data and call for high data transfer speeds, such as video editing. The 2Big USB 3.0 can handle HD uncompressed video at up to 275MB/s burst read transfer speed, or perform real-time streaming and editing of multiple HD files simultaneously, according to LaCie.

"Offering fast speeds is a major priority for LaCie. Our customers have long awaited a robust, super-fast interface to enable a better workflow," said LaCie marketing director Minh Lê.

LaCie intends to lead the market transition to USB 3.0 technology, and will launch a full range of products in the coming months, Lê added.

However, users looking to get their hands on products such as the 2Big USB 3.0 will also need a compatible host controller, as the USB 3.0 standard - also known as SuperSpeed USB - is so new that few motherboards or PC systems have these ports built in as standard yet.

Pricing has yet to be disclosed for the 2Big USB 3.0, which will come bundled with backup software for both Mac and PC users, LaCie said.