Transcend's latest JetFlash drives: the 220 with fingerprint scanning, the V35 without

Sure, they're just USB flash drives but Transcend has a knack with NAND stylings unmatched by most manufacturers. The JetFlash 220 (top) brings fingerprint scanning and 256-bit AES encryption to the mix with a max capacity of 8GB for ¥17,800 (about $149). Otherwise, there's the JetFlash V35 offering the same max capacity in Grimace-grape only without all that pesky security for ¥16,800 or right around $141. Both available in Japan in August and presumably, the rest of world shortly thereafter.

[Via Impress]

Read -- JetFlash 220
Read -- JetFlash V35

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 3rd 2007 4:18AM]

USB portable drives are getting much more nicer and sleeker. Nice way to make a statement.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 3rd 2007 4:33AM]

Hmmm, no mention of Mac support for the JetFlash 220. Anyone know of a fingerprint-scanning USB drive that will play nicely with Mac and PC?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 3rd 2007 9:01PM]

I wonder if the fingerprint software is built in (i.e. the device itself only becomes a mass storage device once it verifies your fingerprint)... I'm sick as s**t of USB drives with fingerprint readers that require software to be installed on the host.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2007 6:42PM]

This is software encryption, and software to run the fingerprint reader and unlock the drive. There is a CD-ROM that comes with the product.

Also, very slow read/write speeds. 9mbps read, 8mbps write.

Hardware encrypted secure flash drives like IronKey (https://www.ironkey.com) have much faster speeds (28mbps read, 18mbps write) and are probably more secure.