On today’s SiliconANGLE Live NewsDesk Show, (see live feed below or visit youtube.com/siliconangle to watch on-demand), we learn about
Connected Data announcing version 2.0 of its Transporter, and a possible merger with Drobo.

Transporter is Connected Data’s bottle-shaped desktop drive that raised more than $260k on Kickstarter. Existing owners will get the updated Transporter functionality through a software upgrade. The upgrade pairs back the interface for easier link-sharing and drag’n’drop file management. Additionally, it allows for a more granular control over which files are synchronized. Think of it like this: large music folders can be kept just on the Transporter, while other document files can be synched across multiple devices.

Connected Data’s Transporter is like a localized Dropbox. Connected Data argues that having a local drive is more secure than Dropbox, Box, SkyDrive, etc. and it still allows the flexibility of accessing from anywhere with its Internet-connectivity.

Joining us now to tell us more about Connected Data’s Transporter and the technology is SiliconANGLE Contributing Editor John Casaretto. (See the live broadcast, embed below ~ if you missed today’s topic, check our YouTube channel for archived clips.)

Some of the things we’ll be discussing with Casaretto include:

1. Can you discuss this in a “how does it compete with big box cloud storage options” way?
2. There’s news of merger discussions between Connected Data and Drobo and Connected Data’s CEO, Geoff Barrall, was the original founder and former CEO of Drobo. Do you think this merger is inevitable?
3. Connected Data argues that a local drive like that of its Transporter, is more secure than entrusting your files to Dropbox, Box, SkyDrive, or any of the other cloud storage providers. What’s your take? Would you agree?
4. What about accessibility and price? How do desktop drives and local storage solutions compare with big box cloud storage options in those two regards?

Image credit: Slashgear