Corsair releases "Flash Padlock" PIN-based flash drive

Innovation in the flash drive sphere seems to be limited to bringing the price down, and adding on new security features. Corsair's new "Flash Padlock" flash drive seemingly does both, by retailing at $29.99 and $39.99 in 1GB and 2GB variants, and tacking on a PIN based security system that limits who can access the drive. The benefit to the Flash Padlock is that its security solution is entirely hardware based, so it's supposedly impervious to hackers and crackers and other deviant folk: the downside is that if your computer's USB ports are out of reach, then this solution is going to be extremely bad for your back.

[Oban @ Aug 18th 2007 2:59PM]

How exactly does being hardware based make it impervious to hackers?

[nate @ Aug 18th 2007 3:04PM]

it doesn't.

[Tech^Cellfish @ Aug 19th 2007 10:08AM]

It doesn't. I beleive I saw a hardware alarm-panel numpad cracker on hackaday some time ago.
Another hardware bruteforce crackers: http://web.mit.edu/kvogt/www/safecracker.html

[Horglasdr @ Aug 18th 2007 3:01PM]

One good tug and that thing will come right off...

impervious? Not hardly.

[nate @ Aug 18th 2007 3:05PM]

The lock doesn't keep it from coming out of you computer, it just secures the data once you remove it.

[sunlite @ Aug 18th 2007 4:02PM]

"the downside is that if your computer's USB ports are out of reach" is not a downside because you can get a usb extension cable, I think anyone that reads/writes engadget can figure that out. Very smart device, and I hope that the contents of the EEPROM are encrypted

[Megan @ Aug 18th 2007 4:36PM]

Well this will keep out stupid people, but not people who really want to get in. It'd be good for college. But I think having to enter the password would get annoying fast

[Mile @ Aug 18th 2007 5:03PM]

It's a horrible thing when colleges are all filled with the stupid people!

[Megan @ Aug 18th 2007 8:04PM]

What I meant was, most colleges kids I know, aren't great with computers. With the exception of those in computer or science related fields.

[Alex @ Aug 18th 2007 4:50PM]

I like this. I might buy it.

[dj-kenpo @ Aug 18th 2007 5:15PM]

I bet 7/10 purchasers of these thing will use them to stash pr0n secretly. "hmm? oh it just has business documents on it, that's all".

[Ryan @ Aug 19th 2007 12:50AM]

Here's a good article on it and another unique drive from Corsair.

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=440

[Andrew @ Aug 18th 2007 6:49PM]

Would this work on a Mac?

[LukeHarbinson @ Aug 18th 2007 7:29PM]

its hardware based, you could use it with anything which supports usb

[rockeranimefreak @ Aug 18th 2007 10:50PM]

i think the question that everyone wants answered is: Will it Blend??

[tk @ Aug 19th 2007 12:39AM]

The question I want answered is how much longer I have to deal with stupid comments about stuff blending.

[Matt O @ Aug 19th 2007 1:05AM]

shutup.

[Matt O @ Aug 19th 2007 1:05AM]

i never really liked rocker anime freaks anyways

[unitarder @ Aug 19th 2007 11:15AM]

might be a good idea to add a feature where after a certain amount of tries it in a given time it erases the data. Either that, or disable the locking mechanism after a number of wrong entries for 24 hours. Sure it would be hacked, but by then you'd be dead and not giving a shit.

[benny @ Aug 19th 2007 4:30PM]

This product won't heart your back. Flash Padlock is battery equipped so you don’t have to connect it to a computer in order to unlock it. First you unlock it, then you have 15 seconds to connect it to the computer before it automatically re-locks.

[benny @ Aug 19th 2007 4:35PM]

Sorry, meant to say "hurt"...

[rockeranimefreak @ Aug 20th 2007 1:32AM]

STFU "Mat O." not like i like people whose names begin with "Matnd end with "O". and i didn't really start the blender stuff i just happened to find it here on engadget in like two other posts. so ya just back off..