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NEC mimics VALUESTAR laptop with latest flash drive
We've seen flash drives disguised as vehicles, bowling balls, and even Legos, but NEC's latest rendition of the handy USB memory key actually favors one of its own. The diminutive drive is a near-picture perfect copy of the company's VALUESTAR Type C laptop, sports ReadyBoost certification, and matches the grown-up lappy in color and other minutia such as the "battery compartment, air inlet, and screw placement." The 1/10 scale model certainly looks to do its hero justice, but as usual with gimmicky things like this, there's sadly no word on price nor where proud VALUESTAR owners can pick this thing up.
Marsilli kicks out cellphone-controlled toy car / flash drive
We're not exactly sure what's up with Asia's infatuation with toy cars and shoving completely irrelevant (but entirely useful) features inside of them, but now Marsilli is offering up its own admittedly peculiar flash drive in the shape of a vehicle. Presumably in direct competition with Gold Kiwi's Bluetooth GPS receiver ride, this Mobile Remote Control Car is a diminutive four-wheeled ride with impressive aerodynamics, a 512MB flash drive built-in, USB connector in place of a central-mounted exhaust, and it even allows users to drive it around a cardboard course with "any cellphone." Of course, we're not entirely sure if all that controlling action is done over Bluetooth or some other propriety channel, but we have strong suspicions "every mobile" might not be equipped to handle this road burner. Nevertheless, you can probably pick one of these up in the near future at your favorite street corner vendor in Asia, but for now, click on through for a more closeups.
Gibson goes wild, unveils new consumer electronics lineup
While a company not typically associated with consumer electronics can make the leap at any point, it's usually a relatively modest entrance, but Gibson has apparently had a bit too much fun at NAMM, and has thrown its logo on just about every device it could think of in the process. You won't find much of anything new in Gibson's lineup of consumer electronics, but if you're a Gibson purist and live life one riff at a time, these goods are for you. The company announced its own line of USB 2.0 Gibson Signature Series Les Paul flash drives, which currently come in a 1GB flavor and mimics a 1959 Les Paul Standard, and the firm plans to roll out more collectible drives shaped like other classic instruments in the future. Additionally, a 500GB external HDD was released, boasting USB 2.0 and a glowing Gibson logo on the side, and it seems that the firm is looking to snag a bit of that high-end interconnect market by offering up "premium gold" versions of optical audio, USB, and HDMI cables. Also on tap was a 7.1 AV receiver with a built-in guitar input, XM capability, and HDMI 1.3 video switching, various forms of recordable media, a dual-layer DVD recorder, surge protectors, and a few home theater speakers to boot. Although pricing is still up in the air at this point, it looks like you'll have the opportunity to get your external storage, surround sound gear, and a few spare E-strings all at the same place here soon.[Via Macworld]
Corsair bumps BCD-equipped Flash Readout drives to 4GB / 8GB
Sure, your USB thumb drive might not be the most fanciful mainstay in your knapsack, but just in case you like a dash of style even on the most diminutive of items, Corsair's got that covered. Upping the capacity of its Flash Readout USB 2.0 drives, the company is now offering 4GB and 8GB flavors to augment the 1GB and 2GB variety already available, but everything else is remaining the same. You'll still find that swank Bi-stable Cholesteric Display (BCD), the ability to write 11-characters of your own text, and a graphical / textual representation of just how much room is left on your drive. We hope you didn't expect such niceties to run you cheap, however, as the CMFUSBREADOUT-4GB will set you back $89.99, with the CMFUSBREADOUT-8GB demanding a stiff $169.99.[Via TGDaily]
Gefen shows off HD PVRs that export to USB drives
While Gefen has helped many a folk use two computers on one monitor and extend their cabling for miles on end, the company is now giving us PVR freaks something else to spaz about. The two (plainly-named) Personal Video Recorders sport sleek, brushed aluminum enclosures that resemble a Mac mini in form, and both units are all but identical save for the high-end edition's ability to handle 1080p. These PVRs differ from most, however, as they can record content from television or any other attached source (i.e. a camcorder), and transfer the video in MPEG4 format directly to an attached USB flash drive. According to Gefen, users "simply save their programming on the USB device, remove it when needed, and plug it into any USB-equipped computer for instant access." Furthermore, the boxes tout a switching functionality that allows users to connect multiple sources and flip a toggle to determine which one gets captured. From what we can tell, there's no reason an external USB hard drive couldn't be used as well for mass capturing / transporting, and while we (unfortunately) don't know when these suckas are shipping nor how much coinage they'll demand, consider our interest piqued nonetheless.[Via EverythingUSB]
SanDisk rolls out Cruzer Contour USB flash drives
It looks like SanDisk is trying to class up its ever-expanding line of Cruzer USB flash drives, unveiling its shiny new Cruzer Contour at CES. Slide open that glossy black exterior and you'll find an handily hidden USB connector, doing away with the need for a pesky and losable cap. Otherwise, the drive's pretty standard as far as flash drives go these days, with a promised write speed of 18MB/sec and a read speed of 25MB/sec, as well as full adherence to the U3 standard for running apps directly off the drive (Skype, Avast, and a handful of other programs come pre-loaded). The drive's upscaledness also extends to its storage capacity, with the lightest in the batch coming in at relatively hefty 2GB, and the others in the group doubling things up to 4GB and 8GB -- all should be available sometime in March for $90, $150 and $240, respectively.[Via Photography Blog]
Lexar announces ReadyBoost-friendly thumb drives
We're not really sure how excited we can get over a new set of flash drives, but Lexar's doing its damnedest to shake things up here at CES by announcing a pair of 'em. The JumpDrive 360 (pictured) is a hinged drive that protects the USB jack, so you'll never have to worry about losing that cap again. The second of the pair, the JumpDrive Mercury, is a souped-up version of the one we saw around this time last year (including that capacity meter) except that it now comes out in 1GB and 2GB sizes. Keep in mind that all of these drives are ReadyBoost-certified, just like those others that we've seen of late. Be sure to check the pics of the Mercury on the flip side.
Norcent announces DCC-1025 / DCS-760 digicams, slew of storage accessories
Hot on the heels of Norcent unveiling its forthcoming lineup of HDTVs, the company has announced that we'll be seeing its photogenic side as well, as the DCS-760 ($199) and DCC-1025 digicams make their debut at CES along with a slew of storage-related accessories. The 10.1-megapixel DCC-1025 ($179; DC-1020 pictured) reportedly sports a "champagne colored, brushed metal finish," 2.5-inch "scratch-resistant" LCD monitor, 3x optical zoom (and 4x of the practically worthless digital variety), 14 pre-selected scene modes, red-eye reduction, 640 x 480 MPEG4 movie mode, NTSC / PAL compatibility, 32MB of internal memory, SD / MMC slot, and AV out to boot. The more compact DCS-760 features a seven-megapixel sensor, "high-end design," 15 scene modes, VGA movie mode, 2.5-inch LTPS monitor, and the same 3x optical zoom and SD / MMC slot as the larger sibling. Making sure your digicam is fully prepared for a long day of shooting, the firm is also unveiling its SD Duo, Micro SD Trio, and Micro SD Reader / Adapter; the SD Duo combines SD and USB support, while the Micro SD Trio adds microSD, and neither unit needs a card reader to interface with any USB-equipped PC. As if that weren't enough, it's also showing off a 1GB ($19.99) / 2GB ($29.99) USB Pen Drive that rocks a LED indicator light and a "twist to open" cap to curb that "missing lid" syndrome so often associated with flash drives. While the DCS-760 won't be available until the Spring, everything else is available right now, and will be out on display in just a few days at CES.Read - Norcent DCS-760Read - Norcent DCC-1025Read - Norcent SD Storage lineupRead - Norcent USB Pen Drive
Gold and silver USB drives celebrate the Year of the Pig
While most of you may think we're just rolling along in 2007, you're probably just paying too close attention to that Gregorian calendar, as there's still a ways to go before the Year of the Pig is rung in. In a collaborative effort between the Beijing Zhongshi Boda Company and Lenovo, a limited run (9,999 to be exact) of gold and silver USB flash drives are being released with celebratory engravings on the sides. Each drive is made from "30 grams of its respective metals," and reportedly sports a purity level of 99.9-percent. Looking to woo folks who just can't get enough of that Chinese culture in the side of their computer, the devices feature a pig pattern and "2007" to commemorate the upcoming new year, and moreover, the Chinese characters "Jin Zhu Tian Fu" are inscribed, which translates to "may the gold pig bring you good fortune." We've no idea if silver users won't be nearly as lucky for typographical reasons, nor how much capacity these things actually have, but the sets should start selling soon for a whopping 9,999 CNY ($1,281) over in China.[Via Spluch & Engadget China]
US Modular shoves a pen and flashlight into its Handy Drive
We've seen some fairly multifaceted flash drives in our day, but US Modular's Handy Drive gets bonus points for including two things that actually are, well, handy. Aside from looking like your run-of-the-mill jump drive with a keyring on it, this unit sports a built-in flashlight and ink pen for those times when carrying around a Bic / Maglite combo just isn't feasible. With capacities ranging from 128MB all the way up to 4GB, this could be the perfect gift for that "tool guy" who already owns the entire Craftsman collection, and prices start at just $19.99.[Via Macworld]
Sunyang DNT's Volvox webcam and flash drive: does not rhyme with Dolores
You know, if you really have to carry flash memory around, why not bundle it into something useful like a lego, swiss army knife, or plate of rancid sushi? Sure, Sunyang DNT's Volvox is just another webcam with built-in flash; 512MB of it in fact, with an integrated 0.3 megapixel camera capable of a 640x480 resolution at 30fps. Not bad if you're toting an older laptop lacking a cam in the bezel. Regardless, we've certainly seen worse attempts at convergence. The Volvox is yours for 55,000KRW ($59) with 1GB and 2GB models expected this January. The perfect gift for Aunt Mulva.
Don't throw that old USB flash drive away, donate it
Whether you call it a thumb drive, memory stick, flash drive, or disgo, by now you've probably got at least one unused USB flash drive lying around the house or office. Instead of chucking that schwag into the digital dump and making Iron Eyes Cody cry, why not donate your 16MB (or greater drive) to Inveneo in their quest to leverage ICT and close the digital divide in developing countries? The flash drives will be provided to students, aid workers, and small business entrepreneurs among others in need of a quick and easy means to store and share information. Come on, everybody's doing it, and besides, mom always said it's better to make tax deductible donations, than to receive. Click the read link below to contribute or read on for more details about Inveneo.[Via boingboing]
Corsair launches 16GB Flash Voyager drive
Looks like pirate-loving Corsair is the latest to join the 16GB club, bumping up its trademark Flash Voyager thumb drive to that magical number while still keeping the physical size of the drive in line with earlier models. While it gets a boost in storage (though we're sure it still won't be enough for some), this latest USB drive does take a slight hit in performance compared to some of the company's leaner options, garnering a 22MB/sec read time and 7MB/sec write time. Also, as with other Flash Voyager models, the drive comes equipped with Corsair's "True Crypt" security measures, and has an all-rubber casing and "water-resistant properties" -- all the better for pirates moonlighting as graphic designers, we suppose. This one's available now for $299, which includes a ten year warranty and a stylish lanyard.[Via The Inquirer]
World's heaviest USB flash drive
Here's one record that's not likely to be shattered anytime soon (or at least we hope not). While it's no secret that USB drives have been gradually getting smaller and smaller (that's what we all wanted, right?), this trend has apparently led to an increasing amount of lost flash drives from folks who can't keep up with minuscule property. In meretricious fashion, Chris Spurgeon actually went so far as to "embed his flash drive" into a regulation sixteen-pound Galaxie 300 bowling ball in order to keep it from vanishing while out on the town. While attaching this device to laptops and PCs within cramped confines probably isn't desirable, it should definitely keep that precious data out of the washing machine, but we doubt this bad boy lands a strike anytime soon with such an extrusion.[Via The Raw Feed]
PQI's "pen-like" retractable Cool Drive U350
Power Quotient International -- best known for squeezing exorbitantly large amounts of data onto incredibly small modules -- is at it again with its zany flash drive antics, and this time the company is unveiling a retractable version to keep that presumably delicate USB connector safe. The Cool Drive U350 will be available in 0.5/1/2/4GB sizes and play nice with both Windows XP and OS X-based systems, but differs from the stockpile of other alternatives by "automatically retracting the USB head into the main body" when the outer tab is pulled. Although the U350 is a tad lengthy at 7.75 centimeters, at least it's less likely to be "misplaced" when out and about, and the "pen-like" mechanism will give you one more thing to fidget with while on the subway if nothing else.[Via Far East Gizmos]
Design a USB flash drive for Solid Alliance and win... a USB flash drive!
The fine folks at Solid Alliance have never seemed to be lacking for inventive designs, but they're now turning to you for some help sprucing up this otherwise ordinary-looking USB flash drive, soliciting designs in four different categories: foolish, proverb, creative,and "kiyara." You have until November 10th to get your design in (a template's provided on the page linked below), with the winning design chosen shortly thereafter on November 21st. So what exactly do you get for all your hard-fought Photoshopping, apart from the adoration of flash drive users across Japan? Why a USB drive of your own with your design on it, of course, with all the design rights given to Solid Alliance for them to do with what they please. Ah, the price of fame.[Via Akihabara News]
Transcend's 16GB JetFlash USB flash drive
In addition to that 4GB SDHC card announced earlier, Transcend is also slipping us a big ol' USB flash drive today. Their 16GB JetFlash drive shares the stylings of their 8-gigger but doubles the capacity and increases read/write times to an impressive 25/20MB/s. Yeah, as usual, Transcend is not the first to reach 16GB, but at least they've arrived. Well almost anyway, 'cause without a ship date or knowing if this drive will sneak in for under a grand we just don't know how to feel right about now. Why you gotta treat us that way Transcend, why?[Via Impress]
Kingston DataTraveler USB drives get Secure and, um, super-secure
When it comes to security on USB flash drives, you're looking for two things: protection against the elements and destructive kids or pets, as well as strong encryption so all your incriminating files stay locked down. Well Kingston's got you covered on both fronts with the latest additions to its line of DataTraveler drives -- the DataTraveler Secure and DataTraveler Secure: Privacy Edition -- which both sport titanium-coated stainless steel cases that make them waterproof down to four-foot depths. The regular Secure model is targeted at small- and medium-size businesses, and features a "privacy zone" protected by 256-bit AES hardware encryption along with read / write speeds of 24MBps and 10MBps, respectively. With the Privacy Edition models -- meant for enterprise customers -- you're getting the same specs boosted by full drive AES encryption and a so-called "complex password protocol" that locks out the drive after ten malicious "attacks" or drunken mistypes on your part. You can pick up the DataTraveler Secure models immediately in sizes ranging from 512MB to 4GB ($33 to $244), while the same-size Privacy Edition units won't be available until January, giving Kingston time to decide how much they can jack up the prices for IT departments with bloated budgets.
Elecom's U.STYLE USB flash drives
Japanese manufacturer Elecom has busted out a couple of new USB flash drives to suit your style -- if your style happens to be white plastic, that is. Available in four different yes remarkably similar designs, the U.STYLE drives each come in 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB varieties, except for the "Block" model, which drops the low end 256MB option and ups the transfer rate to 25MB/sec.. No word on when these might available, unfortunately, and Elecom's only giving the standard "open price" line on how much they're gonna cost.[Via Akihabara News]
Jeep USB flash drive
So maybe this USB drive isn't the the cutest, the biggest, the smartest, or even the weirdest, but how can you deny the Jeep drive's rugged allure? Oh sure, perhaps it's just a fickle attempt to overcharge for a cheap accessory, but whatever the case, EDGE Tech Corp has unveiled these presumably trail rated jump drives to store your maps, hiking trails, emergency contacts, and nearest parts dealers just in case cruising off-road leaves you in a pinch. Aside from looking rough and tough, these USB 2.0 drives seem barely more durable than your run-of-the-mill versions, claiming "shock resistance" as the lone rugged attribute. Considering the absurdly high prices -- $29.95 for 256MB and $44.95 for 512MB -- we can't really understand why these would be appealing, but maybe "it's a Jeep thing," so we wouldn't understand. [Via USBDriveSoft]
