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The Mix Tape USB Drive remembers your roots
Sure, the compact disc may have just celebrated 25 years in the biz, but nothing says quasi-old school like a double-sided cassette tape. Granted, it's a bit harder to effectively distribute mix tapes on a format rarely appreciated this day in age, so the Mix Tape USB Drive steps in to deliver your favorite compilations in a modern form without ditching that crucial retro flair. Pricing details have yet to be released, but it's slated to hit the streets next month for those interested.[Thanks, Damien]
MICRODIA's Fruity USB flash drives: now in four great scents
While not nearly as lavish as Debreu's Scent Drive, MICRODIA is delivering its own set of scented flash drives for those who just can't keep their USB storage away from those nostrils. Reportedly, the USB 2.0 Fruity Flash Keys will arrive in four different flavors, so those who tend to prefer strawberry, grape, green apple, or (Engadget's personal favorite) orange should be thrilled by the selection. Each drive will supposedly be available in sizes ranging from a mere 128MB to 4GB, and while pricing and availability details aren't yet available, we'll keep our nose to the ground for any future information.[Via Gearlog]
Toshiba expands TransMemory lineup, readies 32GB Limited Edition
These days, it's growing mighty tough to differentiate flash drives, and while you'll be hard pressed to discover what's so "limited" about the 32GB Limited Edition device that Toshiba has up its sleeve, it's wearing the aforementioned label regardless. The capacious USB flash drive sports the same USB 2.0 connectivity, ReadyBoost compatibility, and password lockout system and its less endowed siblings, but does demand a bit more respect than the 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB flavors. All four devices will call the U2K Series homes, and while the standard models should hit shelves by October, it'll be closer to year-end before the 32GB iteration struts its stuff.
SanDisk offers up 4GB Ducati USB flash drive
If you're the type who prefers your vehicles to come with only two wheels, and you also don't mind paying entirely too much for a USB flash drive so long as its branded right, SanDisk's latest could be right up your alley. Amongst a number of Ducati-badged flash memory (shown after the jump), SanDisk has also unveiled the Extreme Ducati Edition USB Flash Drive, which doesn't do much to avoid looking like your average Liquid Paper Dryline Grip. Aside from the awkward resemblance, this glossy red device sports the same color effects as those found on the Ducati Corse team motorcycles, includes 4GB of internal storage, and touts write speeds of up to 20 megabytes-per-second. 'Course, that staggering $124.99 you'll lay down for this piece also includes a "custom lanyard" and SanDisk's RescuePRO Deluxe software, but we imagine the pricetag won't matter much for true aficionados.[Via PCLaunches]
Memorex's M-Flyer Pilot USB drive gets its wings
Granted, we're not exactly grasping the full connection between aircrafts and Memorex's TravelDrive M-Flyer Pilot, but the sleek, "aerodynamic" design and cutesy wing logo probably make this the USB flash drive of choice for the average commercial pilot. Regardless, this minuscule device touts a retractable, capless design, ReadyBoost compatibility, and comes with Portable Vault USB security software from Migo Software. Available in 2GB and 4GB sizes, the latest M-Flyer should be available in the US and Canada next month for $49.99 and $79.99, respectively.
Art Lebedev's Finger Folder flash drive
We know, either you're waiting impatiently for December to roll around or figuring out odd jobs to raise upwards of $1,500, but here's a gem from Art that'll take your mind off (momentarily, at least) that other creation. The Finger Folder flash drive describes itself fairly well without any help from us, as the brilliantly simplistic USB drive resides in a manila folder that you're free to label at will. Sure, you could get all fancy and buy a drive with a programmable BCD, but there's just something magical about doing things the old way.[Thanks, Mike I.]
White Stripes album sold on limited edition USB drives
For fans of Jack and Meg, it's probably a long-standing dream of yours to purchase the Icky Thump album on limited edition thumb drives complete with cartoon renditions of the rockers, but even if it that understandably bizarre scenario never actually crossed your mind, you can still make it a reality. Apparently, the White Stripes are offering up their latest album on two fairly rare USB drives, each sporting 512MB of internal space, an artistic rendition of one of the band mates, and thirteen rockin' tracks in Apple Lossless format. Only 3,333 of each will be created, and while just one will run you a whopping $57.50, you may as well grab the duo for a discounted $99. Of course, we're still not entirely certain if these things are actually licensed by the band, but it's safe to assume that a seven nation army of fans will have these bought up before the legal teams can even get their case together.[Via BoingBoing]
Marubeni Infotec knocks on wooden input peripherals
While we doubt a vast majority of you have gone and purchased a wooden PC just yet, a natural tower isn't necessary to enjoy the stained goods that Marubeni Infotec was showing off at Computex. While details concerning pricing, availability, and construction were all but nil, AVing's crew did manage to get its camera up close and personal with some of the wares. On display was a USB keyboard (complete with Scrabble-influenced keys), a number of colorful USB 2.0 flash drives, a multicard reader, and a four-port (we agree, the fourth port is hiding) USB hub. Click on through for shots so close, you can smell the sap.
Zip Zip offers up USB flash drives within Lego blocks
We're not particularly sure if Lego is actually getting a cut on these newfangled USB flash drives, but an Australian firm is offering up said storage options within Lego blocks nonetheless. The Zip Zip Memory Bricks will be available in black, white, red, blue, green, and yellow here shortly, and all house 1GB of storage and sport USB 2.0 connectivity. Additionally, a nifty lanyard allows you to attach your new 31- x 15- x 10-millimeter drive to your key ring, and while the A$59 ($48) pricetag may seem a tad high for just 1,024MB, you know the diehards can't resist picking this up to go alongside their Lego LaCie HDD.
Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB escapes torture test unscathed
We've seen some mighty rugged flash drives put to the test in our day, but Corsair's Flash Survivor GT 8GB managed to withstand a well-planned and carefully executed attack on its life like none that have come before it. This soldier of a USB drive not only performed great when tested against more fragile alternatives, it somehow escaped sans injury after being submerged in a pool, cooked in boiling water for ten solid minutes, and being creamed with a hammer numerous times. The torturers expected the CNC-milled anodized aircraft-grade aluminum housing to hold up fairly well under duress, but even they were utterly amazed at how invincible this thing really seemed. The $130 drive earned a much deserved 10 out of 10 rating from the flabbergasted review crew, and while we're not quite sure if it could withstand a nuclear attack like one of its competitors, it can apparently live through just about anything that you yourself could.[Thanks, Rodger]
PQI intros Traveling Disk H Series USB drives
For those of you out there who are already proud owners of Power Quotient International's Cool Drive U350, the new lineup from the same company probably looks eerily familiar. While the firm claims that "extra efforts went into differentiating the H series from its siblings by using techniques such as sand blasting, hairline treatment, and mirror finishes," we're not quite buying it. Regardless of looks, the new flash drives tout ReadyBoost compatibility (although it's apparently not likely to yield much benefit), are available in sizes ranging from half a gigabyte to 4GB, and come pre-loaded with a Webaroo offline browser that "downloads and saves internet packets of websites" for viewing whilst not connected. Unfortunately, there's no signs of a price nor an availability date, but aside from the still-nifty retractable nature that the U310H, U350H and U339H all rock, there's not much here to hold out for.[Via PC Launches]
1GB Nike shoe USB flash drive disregards trademark
While we've seen the swoosh used on questionably licensed apparel before, we're fairly certain that a one-off Japanese e-tailer isn't selling a svelte Nike USB flash drive before the company itself with due permissions in place. Nevertheless, users can (well, for the time being, at least) pick the 1GB training shoe USB drive for their Mac or PC, and while it doubles as a keychain or hangs on tight to your Kensington lock port, the real utility is stored beneath the toe. Admittedly, it doesn't look half bad (click through for more proof), but we'd recommend plopping down your ¥2,480 ($20) real quick like before the legal teams return on Monday.[Via EverythingUSB]
Canadian museum to feature motion sensitive displays, personal digital keys
A Canadian Human Rights Museum due to open within the next four years is to include a range of technology not usually suited to museums, including a motion sensitive display wall and a digital "human rights key" which documents the visitor's trip. The details on the technology are a little sparse, although the CanWest News Service likened the motion sensitive display wall to controlling a Wii. As there doesn't appear to be any control device involved, we'd say the implementation will be closer to that of the Precrime program, but as the building won't be ready for another four years -- by which time there'll probably be a whole new console technology for museums to emulate -- we'll just have to wait and see. The "human rights key" is equally vague, and could be as simple as a USB key that downloads information from the exhibits. Not that we've got anything against human rights, but for the sake of the kids visiting the museum, we'd hope that the key is a little more stacked out than just a USB key. Then again, if Engadget ever drafted a piece of human rights legislation, several sections would be put towards appeasing the robot population, so what do we know?[Via The Raw Feed]
SubRosaSoft's MacLockPick extracts personal info from OS X
While actually picking locks is no large task these days, cracking into one's highly encrypted information in OS X could prove problematic if the culprit had something to hide. SubRosaSoft's USB key purportedly allows "law enforcement professionals to perform live forensics on Mac OS X systems," and once the software on the included drive is ran, it automatically extracts data from the Apple Keychain and system settings to "provide the examiner fast access to the suspect's critical information with as little interaction or trace as possible." The program then compiles the details into a database and stores it back on the drive's internal memory, which can supposedly be read back on Windows, Linux, or OS X machines at base. Before the devious ones in the crowd get too excited, though, we should probably warn you that interested consumers will be forced to "provide proof that they are a licensed law enforcement professional," and even then, it will run you anywhere between $399.95 to $499.95 depending on your exact profession. But hey, we're sure you know a private investigator or police officer who can hook you up, right?[Via DragonSteelMods]
WiebeTech's Mouse Jiggler USB stick prevents sleep
We've certainly seen crafty methods of keeping humans from dozing off when alertness matters most, but WiebeTech's latest actually does a number on your exhausted computer by refusing to let those power savings settings kick in. The admittedly clever Mouse Jiggler rocks a diminutive USB design, and once plugged into your Mac or PC, it takes over your motionless cursor and shakes it all across the screen, effectively denying the machine its heartfelt wish to fall asleep when idle. Of course, this may not do the average user a whole lot of good, but for those locked-down corporate workstations that frustrate IT heads on end by dozing off just before a download / installation is complete, here's your hero. Notably, the Mouse Jiggler comes in "Fast" and "Slow" flavors to suit your cursor-dementing needs, and each can be snapped up right now for $29.95.[Via MetaFilter]
Philips and Swarovski offer up crystal-clad USB drives
It's not like we haven't seen ritzy USB drives before, but we can't say we expected the relatively conservative Philips to join forces with a top name in the glitz industry and kick out a couple of very superfluous devices. Partnering with Swarovski, the duo is loosing the Active Crystals collection of 1GB USB drives (and sparklin' headphones, too) onto the fashion-conscience set, and aside from sporting a variety of crystal-clad exteriors, they're pretty vanilla everywhere else. Of course, we can't imagine these straying too far from the velvet bag you'll surely tote it around in, and using this out in the mad, mad world probably isn't advisable, but you can still make the lady friend in your life joyous by handing her one of these yet-not-priced luxuries come August.[Via ShinyShiny]
User installs Windows Vista from USB flash drive
Let's get one thing straight on this right from the start: this methodology makes little sense if you've got exactly one machine to install Vista on, as you'll probably spend more time making your USB flash drive bootable than it'd actually take to get your single machine up and running. So, to those of you who are staring down that daunting line of machines that you're fully responsible for, and can't imagine pulling yet another 18-hour day just to get Vista on every single one, here's a way to cut out early without being reprimanded. Joining the list of other high-profile applications that are better booted from a flash drive than CD / DVD or external hard drive, Windows Vista has now been figured out, and the process looks to be relatively painless; just snag a 4GB (or so) high-speed flash drive, format it, and copy Vista's DVD-ROM content over. Of course, you want to be real sure you get all the command lines right, so if you're seriously pondering doing this yourself, do yourself a favor and hit the read link for the expert's take, and watch each successive installation go from 20-minutes or more to "around 5 to 10" -- and leave it in your machine when you're finished for a bit of that ReadyBoost advantage, cool?[Via EverythingUSB]
Pretec's bulletproof iDisk meets its match: .500 Magnum
We love when lofty claims actually get put to the test, and while we know that an iPod can't hold its own in a blender and an unshielded PSP is no match for a katana, neither of those actually touted any form of defense to begin with. Not so with Pretec's iDisk flash drive, which actually goes so far as to claim that it's "bulletproof," spurning a few shooters at a gun club to grab a few pistols, a camcorder, and give it a go. Initially, the battle-tested drive brushed off a 9mm round, .357 shot, and even a .44 slug without too much damage to the enclosure, but the little fellow didn't fare so well against the mighty .500 Magnum, which practically obliterated it in one fell swoop. Of course, a data thief desperate for your information isn't likely to destroy the very bytes he or she is after, but if you're frightened that Pretec's offering isn't quite macho enough for your needs, we're sure the "nuclear proof" Iron Drive could fit the bill -- until it meets the GP-219 or an eight-Megajoule railgun, of course. Click on through for the (admittedly lengthy) destruction process.
USB Sound Flash Drive packs integrated speaker
If picking up a Les Paul-inspired, iNAND embedded, and aromatherapeutic flash drive still hasn't quelled your cravings for more of that USB key love, here's yet another spin on plug 'n play storage. While the average consumer might not view an integrated, USB-powered speaker flanking the end of a thumb drive an actual "necessity," the eNECESSITIES USB Sound Flash Drive might very well be a priority in an advertisers bag of tricks. Designed to make promotional managers and marketing gurus drool, this device is ideal for loading up "10 to 20 second" WAV, AIFF, or MP3 sound clips which play back when connected to a computer, essentially leaving users no choice but to hear your plug every time they insert the drive. Sadly, you aren't likely to pick one of these up on your own, as the 250 piece minimum order quantity eliminates just about everyone except those running a business, but if you dear readers want to get a group buy started in the comments, be our guest.
Debreu's Scent Drive brings aroma to the flash drive
As if the world this week needed any more odor-quelling USB flash drives to make their debut, Debreu is offering up a stylish, more sophisticated rendition to blast those smile eliciting fragrances out of your USB port. The aptly-named Scent Drive packs a shiny metal alloy enclosure, between 128MB and 1GB of storage capacity, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a vented top which emits the wondrous smells of "fragrance oils" that can be reloaded once your sour apple scent has run dry. Unfortunately, we're a bit miffed when it comes to where to actually purchase this thing, but fret not, as there's plenty of other stench covers available for your office if BO is that great of a problem.[Via Everything USB]
