Topping off an award-filled 2005 in which the NewerTech miniStack was named Accessory of the Year by 123Macmini, an Editors’ Choice by MacAddict, and Top Product by Macworld, Newer Technology Inc. (NewerTech) is kicking off 2006 with the premier of a sleek upgraded design at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.

“At NewerTech our goal is to provide the best solutions for today’s technology users at the best prices possible. When we hear actual users say they ‘can’t do without’ our miniStack, that’s an amazing reward,” says Larry O’Connor, president of NewerTech in a statement.

The NewerTech miniStack retails for less than $139.99 for an 80 Gigabyte (GB) version and is available in capacities up to 500GB at 7200RPM. An economical ‘add your own hard drive’ kit is available for $79.99.

The newly enhanced NewerTech miniStack v2 is engineered to increase drive capacity 80- to 500GB while adding multiple FireWire and USB port options ergonomically divided between rear and side configurations.

Although specifically designed to work in conjunction with the Mac mini, the NewerTech miniStack works with any Apple or PC computer with an available FireWire or USB port.

All NewerTech miniStack models feature data buffers of 2- or 8 Megabytes (MB), the latest Oxford911+ chipset and integrated 2-Port FireWire and 3-Port USB 2.0/1.1 powered hubs.

Each NewerTech miniStack features a smart power switch so the drive turns on and off with its corresponding mini or PC and intelligent thermal monitoring which automatically engages and varies fan speed according to the temperature. The advantageous dimensions of the NewerTech miniStack are 6.5 inches x 6.5 inches x 1.5 inches.

More information on the full NewerTech miniStack line can be viewed at http://www.newertech.com/ministack