The USB drive that meowed

USB drives these days come shaped like everything from ducks to rockstar jewellery, but Taiwanese firm Panram sets the standard for others to follow with its 256MB Cat Bar, which both looks like a cat (well, sort of) and meows when you plug it in (well, sort of; see below). This silliness belies a useful spec—USB2.0, an app that enables you to send and receive mail from your own account on any computer, password protection, etc. Unfortunately, you apparently need to install the software that comes with it to get the meow, and it's your computer that does the meowing rather than the device itself. If that makes you feel cheated and bitter, you may feel more attracted to Panram's range of natty Lego-like drives, which can be stacked up to make colourful little houses of data storage that your kids can throw at things and break.

[Via Slashdot Japan]

[Jody @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

The 'Lego-like drives' link is dead. Please fix I'd be interested in seeing it! Of course I could google it but that takes the fun out of reading Engadget!

-Jody-

[Mark Cridland @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

Months ago, someone, somewhere, had a survey of application that worked well as a platform for use on a USB keychain drive. Word for Windows (2.0?) figured into this somehow, and I think a download link was provided. I've googled to exhaustion. Does anyone remember such a thing or have their own thoughts? Thanks.

[Logicdustbin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

http://www.panram.com.tw/EN/productsD.asp?ProductsID=37



I think this is what you were looking for.

[Davron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

Mark -- Is this what you are referencing?

http://www.mildewhall.com/pendrive/mypendrive.html

See The Red Ferret Journal post entitled "Pen Drive PC?" 2/3 down the page at:

http://enorgis.com/arc20040307.htm

[Gareth Edwards @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

Thanks for spotting the dead link--I've fixed it.

[Mark Cridland @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

DAVRON! That's it. Thanks a MILLION! You've pulled a needle out a of a haystack. It had been bugging me for weeks that I didn;t save that page. You are owed good Karma. I'd love to know how you found it. Or if you just remembered it.

Gareth, if you could forward this to Davron's email, or send my address to him that would be great.

[ceci @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

hi!im from argentina and i would like to get one but i don�t know how,i seeked it in e-bay but it wasn�t there.thanks

[katy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

i want one of these so much! Anyone found anywhere you can buy them?

[Carl V @ Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM]

I searched "Panram Cat bar" on google and found this in one of the links

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=102