Infinitec's 'infinite' USB memory drive delayed until August, shown streaming to Xbox 360 (video)

If you've always wanted a D&D-style bag of holding, we're thinking Infinitec's IUM is as close as you're going to get, looking like a plain 'ol USB thumb drive but actually storing an infinite amount of, well, stuff. However, you're going to have to wait a little longer to reach into this magic satchel, with the unit's ship date being delayed until the end of August. The price is still the same, at $129, and the company was kind enough to create a video just for you that shows how it all works. It's embedded below, but if you're looking for the Cliff's Notes it shows pairing the thumb drive to a computer, installing some hosting software, and then streaming the Avatar trailer from a laptop to an Xbox 360 in HD with seemingly no lag nor dropped frames. Looks great, but will it work that well in the real world on a typical internet connection? We can't wait to find out.

Infinitec Infinite USB Memory Drive

Show full PR text

Infinitec Announces Final Shipping Date for World's First Infinite USB Memory Drive
Highly anticipated Infinite USB Memory Drive (IUM) will Ship August 31st and comes with New Sleek Design. Pre-orders start August 1st.

Dubai, 28 June 2010: Dubai-based Infinitec announced today that it will begin shipping the world's first Infinite USB Memory Drive (IUM) to its customers on August 31st 2010. This small delay in shipping the highly anticipated wireless device that mimics traditional USB flash drives is due to industry lead time issues in sourcing components and microchips.
Ahmad Zahran, Chief Executive Officer at Infinitec, pointed out, "We've had to slightly delay our product shipping date because of all the issues in the industry for component sourcing. We understand that our customers are eager to get their hand on the product and we've received many requests to ship earlier. Unfortunately this unexpected situation has simply been one that we couldn't avoid. However, to make up for it we'll open our site for pre-orders sooner and give our customers free shipping during that period."
The device will be initially sold through the company's website, which will open for pre-orders on August 1st 2010. This will allow eager consumers to place their orders prior to the August 31st date and receive free shipping to any destination around the world.
Infinitec is also working with several distributors and resellers to allow the IUM to become available in retail stores globally within the next year.
In addition, the company also announced that the IUM has been re-designed to become sleeker and more attractive. "We wanted the IUM to be instantly recognisable, something extra-ordinary and extremely attractive," said David McKern, Chief Marketing Officer at Infinitec. "We've also made sure it's small enough to fit in your pocket without inconveniencing you and that you can connect it into tight USB locations such as the Xbox 360's USB port design which is very small."
Pre-orders for the IUM will open on August 1st 2010 and can be make through the Infinitec website (www.infinitec.com). The product will sell at $129 and customers who pre-order before the August 1st shipping date will receive free shipping to any destination around the world.

About Infinitec (http://www.infinitec.com)
Infinitec is a modern developer and marketeer of innovative products and technologies. With an avant-garde vision of the future and a strong focus on simplifying our customers' lives, the company aims to simplify the way users interact in the Digital World.

[Dr Yusuf AlKindi Posted Jun 29th 2010 3:08PM]

Some things are not clear about this device.

If I send the device to my friends in India, will it access my laptop?

OR must the device and the laptop be near each other?????

[infinitec Posted Jun 29th 2010 3:26PM]

@Dr Yusuf AlKindi It is a point to point connection so the laptop and the IUM have to be in range of each other.

[AngZhen Posted Jun 29th 2010 5:25PM]

I think people have to buy 2 unit of IUM.
One for our selves to give or share or transfer our data to another person, and another is for other people who wants to transfer their data to us.

Or, we have to meet another people who have IUM on their own when we need their data to be transferred to our device.

Or, another trick is, we have to ask for their permittion to install our IUM host software, and we also have to pair our IUM for their wifi signals first before we can get their files to be transferred to our device.

It is not too easy enough.

[Lloytron Posted Jun 29th 2010 7:28PM]

@AngZhen You have to be within wireless distance of each other. Use a USB memory card to do that :D

[AngZhen Posted Jun 30th 2010 1:15AM]

@Lloytron
Yup, agreed !!
We have in within wireless distance.

And it use WIFI wireless signal, people, WIFI. Please check this link, for technical information about IUM : http://www.infinitec.com/ium_drive/tech_specs.php

[vexx786 Posted Jun 29th 2010 5:32PM]

So how would it work if I wanted to make it a memory Unit for my Xbox 360? Like putting game saves and profiles on it being that the xbox only allows up to 16GB

[tavisjohn Posted Jun 29th 2010 7:01PM]

Don't know how to share files on your home network? We have the solution for you! Just install our special software, and this magic flashdrive will give you access to all your files on all your computers...


Lame, I will save my $129 and just use the networking built into windows... Oh wait, I already am!

[Gandalf20000 Posted Jun 29th 2010 9:22PM]

I'm sorry, but that is absolutely useless. It isn't a flash drive like they say, it's a dedicated USB streaming device. You could just as easily set up your home network to allow for file sharing. Save you $130, too. And I think this was already said, but you can easily connect your Xbox to the network to achieve this, and you can probably do something like that with the PS3, and there is no reason to do so with the Wii when the only streamed data that you might be able to work with is pictures. You would need both systems within the range of the network, anyway, so this device is quite superfluous.

[Xepol Posted Jun 29th 2010 10:05PM]

I call BS. They switched the video signal on the tv when they were supposedly playing from the xbox.

[Densta0607 Posted Jun 29th 2010 11:29PM]

When I saw it I thought it was a flash drive with infinite storage. I was like "Bull ****!!!". After further reading I realized what it was.

[delicatessen lama Posted Jun 30th 2010 12:47AM]

Does this thing transcode video. So that you can play MKV or other formats normally not playable on the Xbox 360?