Necklace USB Flash Drive

Is your girlfriend a geek at heart? Why, she might chide you for getting a new hard drive when you already have so many, but deep down inside she’s pleased as punch because she knows she’ll need the additional storage space as well to store torrents of her favorite drama series. Why not surprise her out of the blue with this $25 Jewel Car Necklace USB Flash Drive? It might not contain any Swarovski crystals, and neither does it hold a diamond, but hey - isn’t it the thought that counts? This supposedly “fashionable and elegant” piece of tech can be worn as a necklace, making it extremely portable. Inside, you will find 4GB of storage capacity to tote around important files from one place to another in style.

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32GB Pico Flash Drive

Super Talent have managed to squeeze 32GB of NAND based Flash storage on to it’s tiny thumb-sized USB drive. The 6 new drives are named the Pico drives and have a transfer speed of up to 30MB/second.

Each of the new drives are waterproof and the 3 high end USB drives also feature AES 256bit security to protect the data you store on them.

The drives are a nice alternative to larger bulky drives. These ones can be put on a keychain as they only measure 31 x 12 x 3mm (the Pico C drive) and weigh less than 5g.

The new Pico Drives available as follows…
STU32GPCG – 32GB Pico C Gold, 200X, Water resistant $85
STU32GPCN – 32GB Pico C Nickel, 200X, Water resistant $85
STU32GPEG – 32GB Pico E Gold, 200X, Water resistant $85
STU32GPCGE – 32GB Pico C Gold, 200X, Water resistant, hardware encryption $99
STU32GPCNE – 32GB Pico C Nickel, 200X, Water resistant, hardware encryption $99
STU32GPEGE – 32GB Pico E Gold, 200X, Water resistant, hardware encryption $99

The Pico C versions have either a Nickel or Gold connector on them while the Pico E versions have a sliding lit to protect the drive a bit more. AES encryption sets you back another $14 on the total pricing bringing each drive up to $99.

The Pico USB Flash Drives will be shipping this week to suppliers.

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USB Fingerprint Security Flash Drive

This isn’t the first USB drive with a little fingerprint security thrown in. It is definitely one of the cheaper versions though. When it comes to extra security though, some might not like that the drive is remarkably cheaper than the rest. That is, since it might be indication of a slightly more inferior product. However, for those that are willing to give the cheaper drive a chance, you might want to check out this USB Fingerprint Security Lock Flash Disk.

It comes with a decent amount of storage packed into it, 8GB to be specific. Which isn’t too shabby when you factor in that the drive is only going to cost you $37.61 a piece. Other than that, it’s a fairly simple drive, it comes with a strap to make it more difficult to lose. To get your data just press your finger to the USB drive. It claims that even if your hands are highly greasy or have anything on them, it will still be able to read the print. You can purchase the drive from Chinavasion.

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Bluetooth VTR USB Flash Drive

The VTR USB Flash Drive is a concept designed by Raja that functions as an innovated pen drive. The flashdrive has an LCD screen built in which allows you to browse through the files stored on it. Bluetooth is then used to transmit files selected on screen to a mobile device.

Storage capacity of the concept drive is 160GB which in most cases would be more than enough to store all your files on.

Nice idea and I don’t see anything in there that cannot be created with today’s technology. Image Credit – Flickr

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CK's USB Sunglasses

Sure, we have seen USB memory devices on objects that probably shouldn’t have USB memory devices, and so why not put one on a pair of sunglasses? And if you are going to put it on sunglasses, then put it on Calvin Klein sunglasses.

As you can see, the sunglasses come with a detachable right arm that houses the memory device itself. What you don’t see is that it has a 4GB capacity.

So the next time you are on the beach with your netbook, feel free to make a backup of your files on your sunglasses. Of course, you will have to partially disassemble the sunglasses to do that, don’t you? You might be able to keep them on your head with one arm if you don’t shake your head too much.

I suppose that the Calvin Klein memory drive sunglasses prove that just because you can make something, doesn’t mean you necessarily should. Of course, if you’re some sort of spy like Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise’s character from the Mission Impossible films, in case you forgot) then I can think of a few good uses for them. Hopefully they are water resistant, because of that hokey scene where Cruise hangs inches off the floor, and almost undone by a single drop of his sweat.

So, if you want to store your memory in style, be prepared to pay about $199 for these guys. Yeah, that’s a little pricey considering most 4GB flash drives are considerably less than that, so I’m guessing the high price is for the shades, man.

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Spinpoint N3U hard drive

Portable hard drives are dime a dozen, and there are already many players available in the market currently. Samsung aims to be at the forefront with their most recent release, the Spinpoint N3U which will incorporate a native USB controller on its printed circuit board. This optimized design will ultimately result in a much smaller foot print, alongside a greener solution with less power consumption and optimized performance that makes it suitable as a portable external storage device. In fact, the 1.8″ Spinpoint N3U is able to hold up to 250GB worth of data, storing up to 125 Gigabytes per platter.

While the majority of other external hard drives will require the addition of a bridge circuit board to convert the hard drive’s PATA interface into a USB interface, Samsung’s latest N3U drive with its native USB interface will do away with the need for such a bridge board. According to Choel-Hee Lee, vice president of marketing Storage System Division, Samsung Electronics, “The new high-capacity 1.8” 250GB drive enhances Samsung’s product offerings and is ideal for consumers who require a small form factor, high capacity data storage. It is easy to carry around and it is designed to withstand a free fall drop of up to 50 centimeters and be resistant to a maximum shock incident of up to 1500G.”

50cm might not sound like much, but then again it is better than nothing. Then again, do always remember to make a backup of your data in any hard drive just in case any untoward incident happens. Using a native USB interface device, the Spinpoint N3U eliminates possible points of failure due to loose cable connections while optimizing performance by eliminating the interrupt service time for the bridge board to convert PATA to USB signals. In addition, the N3U 1.8” drive is eco-friendly as it sips a mere 60% of power compared to a 2.5” hard drive of an equivalent capacity. The Spinpoint N3U will be available in 120GB, 160GB, 200GB and 250GB capacities, with shipping commencing from mid-July onwards with the 250GB model going for $199.

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Review: Eye-Fi Pro 4GB wireless SD memory card

What can be said about the latest Eye-Fi SD card that hasn’t been said about every other iteration? The Pro is just that, a Pro. With support for RAW files, Ad Hoc network support and Selective Transfer, the Eye-Fi Pro is perfection.

Using the Eye-Fi Manager, it took all of three minutes to get the Pro up and running on my Mac. Setting up an Ad Hoc network to my Mac was simple enough that a donkey could do it. From the wireless network dropdown list, select the “set up ad hoc network” option and create an ad hoc network. Once you’ve done that, refresh the network list, select your new ad hoc network and configure the Pro to recognize it going forward. Switch back to your wireless network and you’re done.

DSLR users can now shoot in RAW or RAW+ and have those images directly upload to their respective desktops/laptops over Wi-Fi. Eye-Fi creates two separate folders for RAW images (7-6-09) and JPEG images (July 06, 2009) with differing date formats.

Rather than uploading every single image or video that you capture, the Selective Transfer mode utilizes your camera’s protect function to identify which images to upload and which ones to leave. It’s dead simple. Protect the images you want to upload and then Eye-Fi takes care of the rest.

The Pro, as I’ve said before, is a dream come true — but at $150 it’s tough to justify such a purchase for a slow 4GB SD card. However, it also automagically uploads to your photo sharing site of choice and supports Ad Hoc networks. In a pressure-filled situation, like a live blog, the Eye-Fi Pro is a required gadget in a blogger’s bag. I’d throw down $150 clams for one, but I have the luxury of expensing it back to the big guy.

Eye-Fi Pro [Eye-Fi]


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Leyio 16GB File Sharer

Leyio is a secure portable hard drive which has a 16GB capacity and allows you to wirelessly share files without Leyio users in a secure way.

The 16GB of on-board flash can be used to store photos, videos, documents and other formats which can be quickly transferred to other users at speeds up to 10Mbps.

The wireless connectivity comes from ultra-wideband radio technology and when 2 devices are near each other the users can select which files and media to transfer. If your friends do not have their own Leyio then a USB port on the side accepts USB flash drives which can be inserted and files copied to them. If you for some reason do not have a memory stick and need one then a 2GB USB shuttle is built in to the casing which can be removed when needed.

The Leyio also includes a small 1.5″ OLED screen that allows you to quickly browse through the contents of the drive and tell it what you want to transfer. It also has a usage indicator letting you know exactly how much storage space you have left.

Leyio Details and Contents

* 1x Leyio
* 1x USB cable
* 1x Instruction leaflet
* Storage memory: Flash memory (MLC NAND) 16GB
* Freescale arm ejs 320MHz processor
* Interfaces – An external port for mass storage USB key
- An internal USB port (occupied by the satellite)- A mini USB port for connecting to computer and/or charging battery
* SDRAM 8MB
* 3-axis accelerometer
* UWB radio module allowing 10MB/s Leyio/Leyio transfers at 3-5m
* 1.5-inch OLED screen – 65k colors – RGB565 – 128×128
* Digital fingerprint sensor for identification and interface browsing
* Vibrate function
* Satellite that acts as a 2GB USB key
* Lithium Polymer Li-Po-3.7V Battery, 900mAh, 30-day autonomy (1)
* Rechargeable using external mini USB port.

Available from Firebox costing £129.95 in the UK.

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Toshiba Portable Hard Drives with Backup and Security

Toshiba have launched new portable hard drives. New features include better backup functions and greater security. This allows both beginner and advanced users to feel comfortable storing data on to the USB hard drives.

The backup software running on the drives is NTI BackupNow EZ software which allows you to make automated backups of your data and allows for the data to be restored should you loose or damage it. The software also makes suggestions on what folders and files should be secured. Password protection on the drives further secures the data and a Drive Space Alert system also informs you of any problems if the drive is filling up to the limit.

The USB Hard Drives are available in 2 capacities which are 320GB and 500GB and cost $119.99 and $149.99 respectively. Each drive comes in red, green, white and blue.

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4GB Eye-Fi SD card for $59.99

I really dig Eye-Fi memory cards, which wirelessly beam photos from your digital camera to your PC (and/or an online sharing service). But I always thought they were overpriced.

They still are, but at least you can score a deal on one: Costco has the Eye-Fi 4GB Anniversary Edition for $59.99 shipped. Nonmembers pay an extra $3, and nearly everyone pays sales tax.

In case you're not familiar with it, the Eye-Fi is a standard-size SDHC memory card (meaning it's compatible with most cameras) that happens to have built-in Wi-Fi.

When it's in range of your home network and your camera is on, the Eye-Fi automatically transfers photos to your PC. Alternately, it can upload photos directly to the online service of your choice: Facebook, Flickr, Snapfish, Photobucket, etc.

Ultimately, it's a convenience. A pricey one, yes, especially considering that you can get an ordinary 4GB SDHC card for about 8 bucks. On the other hand, the last time I posted this product, it was $99.

So now that it's $40 less, will you jump on it? Or are you satisfied with your perfectly cromulent SD card reader and/or USB cable? Though still pricey, the 4GB Eye-Fi card is now a much better deal.

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Verizon's Global Modem

Verizon Wireless today launched their first truly global USB modem, the USB1000. Designed by Novatel Wireless, the USB1000 combines - get this - CDMA EVDO Rev A on 850/1900 MHz, HSDPA/HSUPA on 850/1900/2100 MHz, and GSM/EDGE on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz. In English, that means it can access high-speed networks here and abroad; it comes with a special SIM built in for when travelers leave the US. All that network switching comes thanks to a Qualcomm MDM1000 Gobi chip set.

The USB1000 works with Windows XP and Vista, but not Macs or Linux machines. It will cost $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year contract once it goes on sale on Friday, June 19.

To use the global modem, you'll need a global service plan. Verizon's $129.99 monthly plan gives you 5 GB at home and 100 MB in 31 countries. Raising the fee to $219.99/month raises the international data limit to 200 MB. Otherwise, you're paying a harsh $20/MB - yes, that's per megabyte - when you go abroad.

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Kingston’s new Flash Drives 128GB

I’m surprised that no one has covered this already, but Kingston has some new Flash drives that come in 32GB, 64GB, and a whopping 128GB!

I’m told that the DataTraveler 200 is the very first 128GB flash drive on the market. Of course, I always get suspicious when something says “world’s first” on it. Usually it ends up not being the world’s first of anything, but just the company who could spend the most money on promotion.

One of the things that make these flash drives unique is they don’t have any easy-to-lose caps, but the USB end can retract into the housing itself. They also come with Password Traveler security software for Windows computers, and are Windows ReadyBoost compatible.

The prices might dent your wallet. The 32GB sells for $120, the 64GB sells for $213, and the big ticket item, the 128GB for $546.

So is this the beginning of a new age of flash drives? Who knows? I can honestly say that they are getting to the point that they are tiny portable hard drives. If you head over the Kingston site, you won’t see any information about these particular hard drives, but you will see a lot of info about other types.

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Western Digital My Book Studio Edition (2TB)

The Western Digital My Book Studio (2TB) ($380 list) is an extremely high-capacity drive in a smallish enclosure. Using Western Digital's first 2TB single-mechanism drive (as opposed to other 2TB hard drives that consist of two 1TB drives), the Studio gives the Mac artist (or Mac fan) a huge storage tank to hold videos, photos, and music. Its four interfaces mean that you'll always be able to connect the drive, no matter which Mac model you have. The Studio (2TB) can be reformatted for Windows use as well.

Housed in a compact external chassis that measures 6.5 by 2.1 by 5.4 inches HWD (about the size of Webster's Compact Dictionary), the Studio is painted silver to match the aluminum Macs it's likely to be attached to. Like others in the current crop of My Book drives, it has a vertical bar of LEDs on the front panel that serves as a capacity indicator, in addition to the power/activity functions you expect in an external drive.

The rear panel has the power connector for the requisite power brick, a mini USB port, eSATA, and a pair of FireWire 800 ports. You can also connect to FireWire 400 with the included FireWire 800-to-400 adapter cable. You'll have to buy an eSATA cable separately, but then again, not many Macs have eSATA at this point. There's also a power button, but if you're using the drive with either USB or FireWire, the drive will automatically power up and shut down if it detects activity on those ports.

The system comes with a few utilities for the Mac, including WD Anywhere backup, a standard file-based backup program. I assume that most Mac users will use Time Machine, back up their files manually, or use the drive as an external repository. Drag-and-drop copying of our 1.2GB test folder took 34 seconds via USB and 24 seconds via FireWire 800—very quick times considering that the two-drive My Book Studio Edition II took 49 seconds on USB and 38 seconds with FireWire 800. The Studio II is slower because it has to manage two drive mechanisms at once. I formatted the Studio for Windows use without problem, though the format process did take a few hours. The drive doesn't come with WD tools for Windows, so if backup software is important to you, look at other drives like the Seagate FreeAgent Desk.

The My Book Studio (2TB) is a bit more expensive than the current 2TB version of the Studio II ($330 list), though the Studio II was $430 just three months ago. This translates into about 19 cents per GB for the 2TB Studio, which is pretty good for a drive with so many inputs. The Studio, however, is a bit faster than the Studio II, which makes up for some of the price difference. The 1TB Seagate FreeAgent Desk was only about 15 cents per GB when we reviewed it in April, but that's likely to drop soon, like all drive prices.

Regardless of price fluctuations, the My Book Studio is a good choice for the Mac-based multimedia maven who needs a lot of space with a fast interface. While Macs with eSATA are rare, just about all new Macs have FireWire 800 (except for the MacBook and MacBook Air), and all of them have USB 2.0. If you need a lot of external storage on a Mac but not the mirroring capability of the Studio II, take a look at the My Book Studio (2TB).

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Nanotube chip could store data for a billion years

Researchers have demonstrated a form of archive memory using carbon nanotubes that can theoretically store a trillion bits of data per square inch for a billion years.

The technology could easily be incorporated into today's silicon processing systems and it could be available in the next two years, a lead researcher said.

The scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California said the new technology can potentially pack thousands of times more data into one square inch of space than today's chips.

"We've developed a new mechanism for digital memory storage that consists of a crystalline iron nanoparticle shuttle enclosed within the hollow of a multiwalled carbon nanotube," said physicist Alex Zettl, who led this research.

Zettl, who was lead author of the paper published online by Nano Letters entitled "Nanoscale Reversible Mass Transport for Archival Memory," is perhaps best known for his work on creating the world's smallest radioin 2007, which is one ten-thousandth the width of a human hair.

Zettl said this latest nanotube breakthrough uses an iron nanoparticle, approximately 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, that in the presence of a low voltage electrical current can be shuttled back and forth inside a hollow carbon nanotube with remarkable precision.


(An iron nanoparticle shuttle moving through a carbon nanotube in the presence of a low-voltage electrical. Click arrow button to play video. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers may require two clicks to start the video.)


The shuttle's position inside the tube can be read out directly via a simple measurement of electrical resistance, allowing the shuttle to function as a nonvolatile memory element with potentially hundreds of binary memory states

"The shuttle memory has application for archival data storage with information density as high as one trillion bits per square inch and thermodynamic stability in excess of one billion years," Zettl said in a statement. "Furthermore, as the system is naturally hermetically sealed, it provides its own protection against environmental contamination."

Zettl said the low-voltage electrical write/read capabilities of the memory element in the electromechanical device allows for large-scale integration and should make for easy incorporation into today's silicon processing systems.

Zettl believes the technology could be on the market within the next two years.


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5 High-Capacity USB Drives

For years, IT geeks have been wearing USB flash drives proudly like 21st-century pocket protectors, occasionally dangling half a dozen unmatched drives around their necks. But expanded capacities, attractive designs, and lower prices have broadened their appeal far beyond geeks and desk jockeys. With new capacities topping 32GB, and prices on some dipping to under $2 per gigabyte, documents and system configuration files are being replaced by music libraries and entire system backups.

If you've been to a trade show or two, you probably have over a dozen USB flash drives, with some holding only 32MB. Chances are you haven't used them once, and likely never will, because in this day and age, a 32MB drive is worth little more than a good chuckle. That's no reason to shrug off flash drives altogether, though—larger drives, ranging from 4GB to 64GB, can be very useful.

With large capacities, flash drives have become staples for photographers, IT professionals, audiophiles, and even college students. Photographers can now back up days or weeks of photos on a single USB stick, perfect for vacation shoots. But with great capacity comes great responsibility: If you lose your flash drive, you lose everything on it.

If you choose a USB flash drive that includes a lanyard or a carrying case, you're far more likely to misplace the drive than actually lose it. Even so, put an easy-to-identify text file with your contact information on the drive's root directory, and affix your printed e-mail address or phone number to the bottom of the drive. The low cost of flash drives makes it more likely that a Good Samaritan will return the drive.

USB caps are also easy to lose, though they're necessary to help protect your drive from the elements. (At least one drive, the Corsair Flash Survivor (32GB), can withstand particularly rugged conditions, including stints underwater—provided its cap is tightly in place.) Some drives, such as the SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour, include built-in covers to protect the drive's USB connector, making lost caps a thing of the past. If you're prone to losing accessories, consider a drive with a built-in cover.

Size is also a major factor in the search for the perfect USB drive. While a smaller drive may be easier to lose, many are nonetheless too wide to be practical for most users. Wide drives often end up blocking a second USB port, especially on a laptop. If size is a top priority, the OCZ Rally2, our Editors' Choice among 32GB USB flash drives, is a perfect choice: Apart from its other attributes, it's barely wider than its USB connector. Smaller drives may leave out features to stay slim, such as the eSATA connector included with the Kanguru e-Flash, or the built-in USB cover featured on the SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour.

A slim drive can still pack plenty of storage, but even power users may have room to spare on a 32GB drive. Don't fret—it's easy to put that extra space to good use. SanDisk's U3 software, included with the company's Cruzer Contour drives, enables users to install applications directly on the drive, letting you surf the Web or check your e-mail without ever using a computer's hard drive. Portable applications won't leave behind trails on a public computer, and they make traveling with your entire inbox and Web bookmarks as easy as ever. Simply plug in the drive and pick up where you left off. A variety of portable applications, ranging from Mozilla Firefox to FTP clients, are available for download.

If you don't want to pay the SanDisk drive's high premium ($115 street for 32GB), the free PortableApps.com suite lets you carry over a dozen applications on any flash drive, with dozens more available for free download. Our recent article, "Your Computing Life, on a USB Thumb Drive," provides a more detailed look at the benefits of portable applications.

USB flash drives are compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, and are useful for more than just storing data. In addition to running portable applications, many flash drives are compatible with Windows Vista ReadyBoost, enabling users to utilize available storage to reduce the time needed for launching applications. And since they're now selling at a small fraction of their cost just a few years ago, high-capacity USB flash drives are finally within reach of most consumers.

Featured in this Roundup:

Corsair Flash Survivor

$85 street
As its name suggests, the Corsair Flash Survivor is impervious to vibration, impact, and even water. It doesn't score high marks for performance, however, coming in dead last among 32GB flash drives.

Kanguru e-Flash

$120 street
This double-duty flash drive includes a USB 2.0 port on one end and an eSATA connector on the other. By far the largest of the bunch, the Kanguru e-Flash also offers the best performance.

Kingston DataTraveler 150

$60 street
You'll sacrifice a slim design and carrying case to get this bare-bones 32GB drive on the cheap, but the Kingston DataTraveler 150 can still keep up with the pack.

OCZ Rally2

$80 street
As our Editors' Choice among 32GB USB flash drives, the OCZ Rally2 is inexpensive, fast, and sexy.

SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour

$115 street
The SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour offers a sleek design and includes SanDisk's U3 software for running applications directly from the drive, but lagging performance makes it difficult to justify the high price.

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Memory Pill USB Drive

This is one of those drives that you wouldn’t expect it to be a USB drive concealed within. It looks more like something someone would stash a little Tylenol within. Instead it’s a small USB drive that allows for you to store random files inside. It’d be a humorous keychain for nurses and various medical workers to carry around. Of course it won’t discriminate if you’re not within the medical field, it’ll still safely store your files just the same. Plus it can be attached to your keys as a keychain.

Once again this is another one that the keychain part is attached to the cap. Which makes me a little concerned that it would stop clinging to the lid so well and the drive itself, with all of your data, would be dropped and lost. The serious down side of the drive is that it’s only a 64MB drive. That still leaves room for 40 photos though or 30 minutes of MP3s. Still, it’s not exactly a decently sized drive. The drive will cost you £10.95 or about $18 from GiftLab.

Fujitsu HandyDrive (400GB)

Fujitsu has provided both looks and functionality with its newest line of HandyDrive 5,400-rpm 2.5-inch external hard drives. Small, sleek, and slick, they've got the laid-back sexiness of an iPhone as well as an ease of setup that saves protecting your data from being a chore—and their very reasonable prices don't hurt. The HandyDrive is available in capacities ranging from 250GB to 500GB; we tested the representative 400GB model ($90 street). The included software isn't that distinctive, but just about everything else about the HandyDrive helps it live up to its name.

Measuring about 0.6 by 3.3 by 5.4 inches (HWD) and glossy black on top (the back is gunmetal gray), the HandyDrive is small enough to fit into your back pocket and stylish enough to pull out in front of other people. True, it's less elegant than the Seagate FreeAgent Go, our Editors' Choice portable hard drive—and it comes only in black—but we like the HandyDrive's simple, clean looks. Where you'll stow the two cords you may need is a potential problem, though. One plugs into a mini USB port on the drive, and the other a DC power jack. Both cables connect to your computer's standard USB 2.0 ports, so if your computer can't carry enough electricity over USB alone, you'll need to use both whenever you use the drive.

Setting up the HandyDrive is a snap. As long as your PC runs Windows 2000 Professional or later, or your Mac runs at least OS 10.3, all you need to do is plug the two USB cables into your computer and you're ready to go—although if you're planning on connecting the HandyDrive to a Mac, you'll first need to reformat the drive; it's preformatted as FAT32.

A CD included with the HandyDrive contains PC (but not Mac) versions of three utilities. Acronis TrueImage Personal HDD (version 1.1) lets you back up only individual files and folders, not your full computer, application settings, or e-mail. (For that you'll need to purchase the full version of the software, Acronis True Home Image 2009, or use Windows' own backup apps.) Hard Disk Password Lock Tool (version 2.3) lets you password-protect the drive, but not individual files or folders. And Hard Disk Format Tool (version 3.2.1), as the name implies, is an elementary formatting and partition app. This software all works acceptably and meets the basic utility needs of any hard drive owner, but it doesn't deliver much more than Windows itself is capable of.

The HandyDrive's results on our benchmark tests were quite adequate. The drive took just under 56 seconds to copy a 1.2GB folder from our desktop's hard drive, a task that took the recently reviewed Apricorn Aegis Mini 58 seconds and the Seagate FreeAgent Desk a solid minute. On the PCMark05 test, which measures a hard drive's performance under a variety of test conditions, the HandyDrive scored a respectable 2,931, well ahead of the Aegis Mini (2,165) but behind the FreeAgent Desk (3,263).

With a cost per gigabyte of about 22.5 cents, the 400GB Fujitsu HandyDrive is as affordable as it is visually appealing, and HandyDrive models at other capacities offer similar value. (The 250GB model has a street price of $64.99, the 320GB model can be had for about $74.99, and the 500GB version runs about $109.99.) Although we do wish better software were bundled with the drive, its combination of cost and capabilities makes the HandyDrive a handy addition to your personal backup strategy.

IOGEAR releases new 3-port USB 2.0 hub

Just like handbags and shoes are to a fashionista, you can never have enough USB ports for a geek. After all, aren’t tons of devices these days maintain connectivity to your computer via USB? Hence the ever increasing need for more USB ports on a computer, but sometimes design constraints and technical limitations do not help if you want to hook up to a dozen USB devices simultaneously. Good thing USB ports can be daisy chained using USB hubs, and IOGEAR is stepping up to meet this need with their new 3-port USB 2.0 hub.


Unfortunately, many USB hubs seem to be poorly designed, as they lack the necessary space between ports just in case there are devices that come with equally ill designed USB connectors that have absolutely no need to bulge out on one end. This will actually lead you to end up with at least one useless USB port just because it is being blocked by another device’s connector that is plugged in. IOGEAR understands this conundrum, and they have made sure that this won’t happen with the new 3-Port USB 2.0 Mobile Hub with Built-in Mini-USB Cable. Also known by its less glamorous model number, GUH276, this product features an integrated mini-USB cord and three evenly-spaced, upward-facing USB ports that ensures blockage to other outlets won’t happen even when you plug in a large dongle or flash drive to another port.

Ideal for road warriors who want more USB ports (netbooks these days aren’t too kind in this department with a trio of USB 2.0 ports at best) and students who have plenty of devices to charge simultaneously, the 3-Port USB 2.0 Mobile Hub with Built-in Mini-USB Cable sounds (and looks) like the ideal solution. It will retail for $12.95 a pop and is accompanied by a limited three-year warranty.

Kingston's 32GB DataTraveler 150

Kingston is a name associated with memory products, and we have news that the company will begin to ship its high capacity 32GB DataTraveler 150 USB Flash drive. Also known as the DT150, this USB flash drive model boasts the largest capacity in Kingston’s entire line of DataTraveler USB drives, which is almost as convenient as toting around a portable hard drive since many large files (and I mean huge - even those bigger than 8GB) won’t exactly spill over 32GB, right? Perfect for folks who want to merge work-related content and personal digital content on the same drive, although it can be quite a pain trying to get all the data inside organized properly. My 4GB USB flash drive is already in a mess with files all over the place sans a proper folder structure.

Don’t worry about which computing platform you’re running on - Kingston’s DataTraveler 150 plays nice with Windows Vista, XP and Windows 2000, Mac OS X 10.3 (and above) and Linux 2.6 (and above). Just like all the other USB flash drives from Kingston, the DT 150 will come with a five-year warranty and round the clock tech support just in case (touch wood) anything goes wrong. Some of the features and specifications of the DT 150 include :-

Capacity: 32GB
Dimensions: 3.06″ x 0.9″ x 0.47″ (77.9mm x 22mm x 12.05mm)
Operating Temperature: 32 degrees F to 140 degrees F (0 degrees C to 60 degrees C)
Storage Temperature: -4 degrees F to 185 degrees F (-20 degrees C to 85 degrees C)
USB plug and play
It will retail for $139, which ain’t too shabby. I wonder whether it supports Vista’s ReadyBoost feature or not - surely you have some bragging rights over your mates if that is the case. What is the largest capacity USB flash drive you have at the moment, and do you see the need for something bigger?