I never thought tech devices that consume relatively little energy, such as external hard drives, can actually be optimized to consume even less energy. Apparently, I was wrong. Case in point: the Guardian MAXimus external hard drive enclosure from Newer Technology.

The device is the company's first effort into "Green" storage. It features triple interfaces: FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0 and it supports up to 1TB of storage space in RAID 1 (mirrored) configuration. Utilizing the latest technology in energy efficiency, the Guardian MAXimus provides a 15 percent power savings and consumes up to 50 percent less power than traditionally powered 1TB external hard drives.

It's a little disappointing that the eSATA interface is left out, as the device is designed to house high-speed 3.5-inch SATA desktop hard drives. However, the Guardian MAXimus makes up for this by offering a relatively compact size and a sturdy, shock resistant casing. And it's probably the first external drive on the market that's certified by RoHS (an EU directive that sets standard for Restriction of Hazardous Substances) to be one of its kind that delivers maximum data protection and backup performance while using less energy.

You can get the Guardain MAXimus now for $150 without the hard drive. The enclosure comes with a good bundle of software including: Intech Hard Disk SpeedTools, ProSoft Engineering Data Backup (For Mac), and NovaStor ..