Brando's Paper Storage Box inconspicuously hides your HDDs

Oh, Brando -- how you make our hearts flutter. One day, you're pumping out new kit fit only for our Crapgadget roundup; the next, you're delivering gems such as this. The 5-bay HDD Paper Storage Box with Cover covertly hides up to five of your precious 3.5-inch hard drives, and it likely provides more security for your personal information than a fireproof lock box. 'Cause really, what data thief is going to shuffle through a cardboard container looking for valuable platters?

[chanmanplanet @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:47PM]

could use a fan or 6

[OneLove @ Jun 4th 2009 11:23AM]

wait, you mean its just a cardboard box? its not a dock? lol.

[Jason @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:47PM]

Wow... best invention ever.

[cadogan30 @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:48PM]

so....where can i buy one??

[Casey @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:05PM]

I think this is pretty sweet!

raw food detox

[EGOvoruhk @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:50PM]

Don't tell the thiefs, but I hide my HDDs inside of my computer

[T-Will @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:59PM]

The files are IN the computer??!

[Wewtaco @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:10PM]

genius.

[yoyoma @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:14PM]

to freaking funny I can't believe no one got that.

[E C S Sucks @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:35PM]

Zoolander is it not.

[SupaKing @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:46PM]

Zoolander FTW!

[Bonqueesha @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:50PM]

*blinks*

[PGP-Protector @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:58PM]

If you're using one of the external adapters that lets you plug in a Hard Drive, I could see this having Some use.
I guess in that case it would beat having them just lying on the desk.

[chispito @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:48PM]

This is actually pretty useful for labs/workrooms where extra drives would otherwise be stacked on top of each other.

[Benson @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:02PM]

Exactly so -- and Brando sells lots of those HDD Docks.

[Arturo @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:58PM]

That's actually kind of neat.

[Arnold @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:01PM]

Without the cover, they're not hidden very well.. and they're already packed neatly in a box for the taking.

[Joe @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:03PM]

Excellent invention... A box! Say, what's the possibility of someone ripping off this invention and selling other boxes? Bigger ones that store 10, 20 even 100?

(why would anyone keep FIVE important drives in the same place??)

Oh, and assuming that your data is going to get stolen, not burn in a fire.

[Nadool @ Jun 4th 2009 7:41PM]

They have ones that can hold any of those sizes...they're called boxes ;p

[something clever @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:05PM]

All it needs is "Broken Hard Drives" written on the side. Who would bother stealing broken hard drives?

[whowhatme @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:05PM]

Following complaints that the original HDD Paper Storage Box did not offer enough protection from coffee spills, the marketing team spent a grueling two weeks to come up with alternative designs. Now, Brando has released a new and improved version of their storage solution.

From the link: "Now, it comes with cover and more protection."

$7 well spent.

[whowhatme @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:08PM]

For best results, place box right beside your monitor, in plain view, and make sure it takes up as much usable desk space as possible.

[whowhatme @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:13PM]

I'm sorry, I really should stop posting about this, but... it's just too easy... clicking around on their website, I actually found out that they DID have the original HDD Paper storage box.

The original box was coverless, and cost $13. I guess they had to come up with something else when they discovered that demand for a $13 HDD cardboard box wasn't exactly where they hoped it would be.

[ronl12 @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:09PM]

Yeah, that's really smart storing your backup drives next to the drive box. I would worry less about theft than damage . My backup drives ARE kept in a fireproof safe and rotated on a weekly basis.

[Wolfticket @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:31PM]

I realise that this isn't relevant to the original post/box (which is "Made by cardboard" as well as made out of cardboard, according to the product page), but a quick google shows that fireproof/resistant storage is reasonably affordable. Which I did not know.
https://www.hddfiresafe.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=47&osCsid=fd6912f43cdd6025d117478d64db7ec2

[jonk @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:14PM]

Nice Shuttle SN27P2.

[Sirius @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:21PM]

"'Cause really, what data thief is going to shuffle through a cardboard container looking for valuable platters?"

The ones that read Engadget, that's what.
Or Brando's website. :)

But regular (/opportunistic) thieves *are* going to look in it, so good luck hiding these from them... Fireproof safe ftw!

[paul34 @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:40PM]

What a ripoff! Apple came out with boxes a long time ago. And as we know, iBoxes are superior to everything else.

[required @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:41PM]

I think the box should have a sticker that reads STOLEN because nobody wants to steal stolen.

[regionto @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:23PM]

You guys couldn't wait till Computex was over? Now I'm only going to be met with disappointment when I compare everything to this must have gadget of the year.

[guy943 @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:41PM]

Brando should stick to mutilating thirst.

[Gregorian @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:09PM]

I actually don't think it's stupid.
I look about my room and there's old computer bits lying about.
Old 20Gig hard drives sitting on bookshelves.
So, it makes sense. If I'm not going to throw them out, put 'em in a box.
Not a $7 box admittedly.

It would make sense in some office IT guys bits-and-pieces cupboard.

[Matthew C @ Jun 3rd 2009 11:59PM]

I always put mine in too large a box, and then the box falls off the shelf. And used hard drives dont generally enjoy a five foot drop, so a properly designed box might actually be nice.

[engler @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:10PM]

Unfortunately for them, the show a picture of the cardboard prefolded. I'm going to use these plans to make my own harddrive storage boxes that thieves would be even more likely to pass over!

[BigD145 @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:22PM]

It's so damn simple. Now where's the actual dock so you can use them all?

[Martin @ Jun 3rd 2009 9:30PM]

I'll wait for a version with more "bays" before plunking down my hard-earned dollars.

[tekd @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:06PM]

I can't believe I'm spending my time reading this "news" about this "product" on engadget. Fellow readers, it's time for a moment of introspection-what decisions did we make in our life that have lead to this point, this moment where we find ourselves reading about the introduction of a cardboard box to the marketplace. Was it the lack of love in our childhoods? That fateful day on the playground in 3rd grade? Or was it the way your first marriage ended and broke you forever?
Dark days indeed, but the light is at the end of the tunnel-hang in there and surely soon we will be spending our time doing something slightly less depressing.

[ScooterDe @ Jun 4th 2009 6:18PM]

at what point did we start reading the comments on such a post? Posting comments? OMG: replying to others' comments...

[gr8wheelss @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:20PM]

This is certainly environmentally friendly!

[Daniel @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:48PM]

They could have gone a step further and add SATA ports on the bottom to turn this into a badass RAID

[Kelvinyam @ Jun 4th 2009 12:30AM]

I'm sure someone could mod that.

[Shaun @ Jun 4th 2009 10:47AM]

What Daniel said. Have it set up for a RAID and then I'd consider it.

[James @ Jun 4th 2009 12:57AM]

Hey, someone had to invent it. Wait a minute...

[ran @ Jun 4th 2009 1:38AM]

Just add a SATA port and we're good.

[evol @ Jun 4th 2009 2:08AM]

Does this invention have a patent to go with it?

[WTForce @ Jun 4th 2009 3:49AM]

This is a must for recession antidote

[superhobo @ Jun 4th 2009 6:32AM]

iPhone killer!!!

[Sanskrit @ Jun 4th 2009 9:07AM]

...unless it's put out from Verizon, in which case they'll strip it of the good stuff and add crap things like VBox and VCardboard.

[superhobo @ Jun 4th 2009 9:11AM]

And they'll paint it red and black.

Damn you verizon!

[otdrummer @ Jun 4th 2009 10:04AM]

wait, so it's not even a SATA to USB adapter . . it's a box . . . . . AWESOME!!