Seagate has introduced a network adapter designed to make it easy for people to share digital content over the Web.

The FreeAgent DockStar works with its FreeAgent external hard drive and other USB-connected storage devices. It plugs into a router and makes all the content in connected drives available to all computers on the home network. In addition, the DockStar interface also makes all content on the network accessible through any computer with a Web browser and Internet access.

To share files, a person chooses a folder, types in an email address and the DockStar software sends an email invitation to view the content. The person sharing the content can decide whether to give read-only or read-write access.

The DockStar interface works on Macs, Windows, and Linux PCs with Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari browsers. The software provides access to thumbnails of images and also provides the ability to scrape and present the first frame of video files.

Users can generate a browser-based slide show of all images in a folder. People can also play music files from the shared folder and stream video content.

DockStar includes small client applications for Windows, Mac and Linux that mounts all attached drives and shareable folders as local desktop drives, making dragging and dropping of files possible. In addition, there's an iPhone app called Pogoplug for accessing files and uploading pictures to a DockStar-attached storage device.

Finally, shared folders can be set up as RSS feeds to give people notification of changes to content. Also, DockStar can be used to host pictures, videos and music files posted on social networks Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Seagate says users can set up the DockStar by plugging it into a router and storage device and then going to the activation Web site to create an account. The signup process activates the device and puts it on the network without any additional input. A person can have multiple DockStars on a single account.

DockStar sells for $100 and is the latest in several FreeAgent docking stations. Seagate also offers the FreeAgent Dock for backing up files on a home computer, and FreeAgent Theater for plugging into a digital TV to view pictures and video on the FreeAgent hard drive.

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