Seagate to launch mobile HD with built-in WiFi, Bluetooth

As mobile phones move further away from their humble telephony roots and inch closer toward becoming the ultimate handheld convergence device, we're seeing more manufacturers target the mobile platform with technologies that will make it easier to work and play on a handset. One of the more compelling technologies like this to emerge recently is Seagate's Digital Audio Video Experience or DAVE, for short. DAVE is essentially a portable, Bluetooth and WiFi-equipped hard drive that will allow users to transfer files wirelessly between their various devices. The company claims that the device will be able to handle 10 hours of streaming and 14 hours of standby on a single charge and will ship with a capacity somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20GB. There's no denying it: mobile devices are going to need more storage and the wireless transfer of files is an inevitability. However, copyright-holders and their beholden (see: handset vendors, carriers) aren't going to like the idea of beaming content over the airwaves--unless they maintain full control of where, when and how you do it. DAVE is a compelling idea but don't expect to see it in a mobile phone anytime soon, unless it's locked up with enough DRM to make a Zune jealous.

For more on DAVE:
- see this Ars Technica article