Infinitec officially launches IUM ad hoc streaming device: ships in July for $129
By Darren Murph 
posted March 1st 2010 9:00AM
posted March 1st 2010 9:00AM
Dubai-based Infinitec unveils world's First Infinite USB Memory Drive
New drive leverages wireless capabilities to stream unlimited data between devices
Middle East, 1 March 2010: Dubai-based start-up, Infinitec, today unveiled the prototype of the world's first Infinite USB Memory (IUM) Drive to a selection of UAE's technology community. The drive, the first of its type to be developed in the Arab world by Middle East expatriates, Ahmad Zahran and David McKern, is the next generation of USB flash drives, providing a more efficient, practical and comprehensive solution for transferring files. As the next generation of USB flash drives, the new Infinitec IUM is compatible with any device that currently accepts the use of traditional flash drives or has a USB port, from printers to digital photo frames.
Ahmad Zahran, Chief Executive Officer at Infinitec, pointed out, "Since the first PC was invented there have been external storage devices starting with floppy drives, then CDs, DVDs, flash drives, etc. The thing they all have in common is that they all duplicate your computer's data and spread it over several units rather than having it all centralised. We needed a solution that kept your data in the same place while allowing you to share it with anyone without duplicating it."
The new Infinitec IUM's streaming capabilities allows users to share entire hard drives as well as any servers, external hard drives or other storage space that a PC or laptop has access to. There is no limit to the amount of storage capacity that the user can share, hence it's capabilities of acting as an infinite device. The IUM also gives the user the complete freedom of choosing whether to share a single file or an entire hard drive. This capability allows users to stream[1] movies, music and pictures directly to any TV, DVD player, Blu-ray player, HiFi system, or any other device with USB capability.
"Because the Infinitec IUM doesn't actually store any files, if it is lost or stolen, none of the files are lost or compromised," enthused Zahran. "Unlike traditional flash drives, the IUM doesn't store any content in it ensuring that data is always protected because it never leaves your laptop or PC."
The IUM supports all types of files and folders regardless of the functionality or the extension of the file. All you have to do is mark the file for sharing using the IUM software and your files will immediately appear on the IUM. The IUM also has the ability to streaming movies in full HD (1080p support). The IUM is plug-and-play device and therefore recognised by all operating systems. As a true Plug and Play device, it needs no additional software or drivers.
The IUM is also compatible with all major gaming consoles such as PlaysStation3, Xbox360, and Wii.
Pricing and Availability
Infinitec is currently setting up its retail and distribution channels across the USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. The product is expected to be available in these regions from 1st July 2010 and will retail at a price of under $129 (€95) depending on the location.
Tech Specs:
General
File System Capabilities: FAT32 and NTFS
Maximum Size Capacity: Unlimited
Interface: High Speed USB 2.0
Status Indicator: Tri-coloured LED
Mode Control: Physical switch to shift between 'pair' and 'infinite' mode
Wireless
Wireless Supported: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Data Rates: 802.11b up to 11Mbps
802.11g up to 54 Mbps
802.11n up to 300 Mbps
Frequency Range: 2.4-2.5 GHz
Security
WEP (64 & 128 bit)
WPA & WPA2 (TKIP and AES)
Host Laptop Minimum Requirements
Processor: 1 GHz
RAM Memory: 1 GB
Available Hard Disk Space: 50 MB
WiFi Capabilities: IEEE 802.11 b, g or n
USB Port: USB 1.1 or 2.0
Operating System: Windows XP, Vista or 7
Dimensions
Length: 79.4mm (3.125 inches)
Width: 22mm (0.866 inches)
Length: 14.2mm (0.559 inches)
Weight: 22grams (0.776ounces)
___________________________________________
Availability:
Commercial Availability Date: 1st July 2010
Where to buy?
The IUM Drive will be initially available through selected dealers, online stores and retail outlets across the USA, Canada and Europe. However, it will soon after become available worldwide as we grow our network of partners across the globe.
A complete list of retail locations will be published closer to the commercial availability date.
Price: Under $129 depending on the location.
129$ seems pretty expensive... u can get some big usb drive for that price? Or an even bigger external HDD...
@Kaboof
I think the point is that you don't need those memory devices anymore. For example, you could get an old Dell for a couple bucks, plug in this IUM and have, basically, a home server (I have no idea if that's how it actually works...).
The wireless printing/streaming features are enticing, though. Too bad my TV doesn't have a USB port...or a DVD drive...or a game console.
@Kaboof
It does seem expensive, but none of the devices you mentioned are wireless.
@CycKnight yeah... but either u spend 129$ for ur printer, 129$ for your game console and 129$ for your stereo... or u have just 1 stick and are replacing it all the time anyways.
@Kaboof so you don't need to duplicate your data and can use the USB functions on devices that may not be able to read off your network.
It definitely has a use, and isn't expensive.
@Kaboof
expensive !
@gurkha What's your comment about? I checked 5 times my spelling of epensive but think I wrote it right... so?
Infinitec sounds like one of those nefarious companies in MacGyver or Walker Texas Ranger.
Aside from that, allow me to show my ignorance. Why should this cost $130?
What? This isn't an entire lineup of notebook computers for $129?
/picture is so misleading
@BigD145 yeah its really misleading, I had no clue what this stick in a notebook should be for... didn't think about the pairing thing.
@BigD145
Looks like a gay laptop orgy.
Sounds like a great idea, but I will wait for the el cheapo version off a slow boat from China. Or possibly until these show up on woot.com for $50, because I think that's where they're headed.
I think I'll wait until Engadget do their full review ;-)
I understand what it does, but how valuable is it really? How many devices are out there that can read data from a USB stick that can't stream from a network connection on their own? I know there are some, and if you already own one, then I could see a use for this. But if you are shopping for a new device, just get one that can already stream. I expect this thing will be buggy at best. How will a non-streaming device attempting to access a file from the IUM recover from a bandwidth drop if there an interruption in the wifi signal? I suspect it will generate a read error, and just stop loading the file at that point.
I'm confused....I watched the video, wtf is this thing supposed to do?
For now I'll stick to using the built-in homegroups in Windows 7 for streaming...
Maybe I'm missing the point here, but I can already share ad-hoc to/from any computer on my network, and to my TV through the xbox 360.
So... can I plug this into my TV's USB port which currently only supports Audio and Pictures via USB and stream movies, because that is how the press release depicts this device. I highly doubt that will work though.
@odball
check out the wireless media stick, it has already been done, and it does work ...
@johny12 From everything I've read about the HSTI Wireless Media Stick it only supports playback of content that the device into which you plug it is able to receive (eg. you can't play movies on a digital photo frame, or on a TV that only supports USB for music and pictures). I might be wrong but it certainly looks that way.
@odball
yes that is correct - same with the infinitec device though. I have a wdtv mini that this will work with. They have tested on the wdtv device, it says on the forum. no more copying files to my usb drive and unplugging it and moving it to my tv stand. cant' wait!
I can think of some uses for this.
For example, running Wii emulators requires files on SD (or USB?). If you're in screwing around with them you will frequently be carrying the USB stick back and forth from the Wii to the PC to tweak things - here you could just update the PC files and try again without digging behind the Wii to get the stick, remove, re-add to Windows, change files, dismount, unplug, plug back into the back of the Wii, etc.
If you were using very large files for homebrew of some sort, this would be cheaper than a very, very large HDD and more convenient.
Why doesn't this support mac ?
Am I the only one who thinks $130 is actually cheap for such an innovative device? Considering you'd pay that much for a wireless bridge, this gadget seems like the perfect solution for media devices that support USB drives but not WiFi.
How clever to use the USB to trick devices into thinking the streamed content is coming from an external USB drive!
Ok, why did they have to ruin it by requiring a laptop/desktop???
Why couldn't it just have been a network client, so it could directly accessed NAS drives or any other shared drive? You could use teh laptop/desktop for the initial setup either by plugging it in via usb, or having the device have it's own micro webserver to serv-up the admin pages then simply set the IP of the Source device and what folder it would access and your done, no more laptop/desktop needed.
Why do so many products these days seem only half-complete?
@vission
this has been done, exactly as you say .. the wirelessmediastick by a company called hsti.. they had a decent booth at the ces show, and they are shipping now, and cheaper too.. funny endgaget hasn't mentioned them in a couple months
@johny12
Your absolutely right! Great find, this is definitely more interesting than the IUM!
http://www.hsti.com/
@vission I wouldn't hold your breath on HSTi... I ordered one of the first unit (in Jan) and still waiting for delivery.