Gizmodo: Flash Drive

Rad Blaster Mini Boombox is the Freshest MP3 Player and Flash Drive Around

Sean Fallon — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:56:00 EST

The Rad Blaster does what a lot of MP3 players do—like play music, record sounds and store files. But this one does it shaped like a boombox. Like a BOOMBOX people.

Rad Blaster also includes a 1.1-inch OLED screen and 2GB of built-in memory. It's certainly bigger than a shuffle, but it doesn't sound like a bad deal for $60. I mean, can you breakdance to a shuffle? I think not. [Rad Blasters]

Man, We’ve Come a Long Way From Floppies

Chris Jacob — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

This infographic makes me so glad that we came up with storage methods other than floppy disks. Imagine replacing your 2TB hard drive with 1,422,222 floppies. No thank you. Update:

Reader Drew just noticed that the artist updated the graphic. I've replaced the image. Looks like the guide inconsistencies you all noticed have been fixed, at least for the most part.

Update 2: Curtiss just wrote to tell me that version 4.0 is up, and that he's taken your feedback into account. The new image is above. [Curtiss Spontelli via fellow Gizmodian Kyle. Thanks dude!]

Star Wars USB Drives Hands On Gallery

Jason Chen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST

Tyme Machines' Star Wars sculpted USB drives might not have your favorite characters available yet, in its first series, but they do have Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda and a Storm Trooper, and they're quite good.

The drives are available in 4, 8 and 16GB capacities for $30, $40 and $60, respectively. The head comes off and you plug the body into any USB port. The downside is that the bodies are decently sized, so if you have two USB ports adjacent to each other, you won't be able to use the other one.

Click through the gallery to see our impressions. [Tyme Machines]

Here's a lone Storm Trooper before he suffers a fate unimaginable for all but Storm Troopers. Decapitation.

With his head gone, his body is free to be plugged into any USB port.

Here's the view from behind.

Boba Fett and Vader are still in mint condition.

The set includes Yoda, but we only have the evil characters.

All three with their heads off.

Vader, engaged.

What would it look like if they switched helmets? This.

The World's Smallest 16GB Flash Drive and Oh Hey, Sarah Palin

matt buchanan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:53:54 EST

Somehow the presence of a winking Sarah Palin does not make me any more inclined to believe in the veracity of Wink's claim to be the tiniest 16GB flash drive "on the planet." But maybe it is, have a look:

[ActiveMP via jkOnTheRun]

The First USB 3.0 Flash Drive Is a Wide Load

matt buchanan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:03:17 EST

Super Talent's first USB 3.0 flash drive, is huge—about the same size as Corsair's Voyager, in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes. It'll push those gigs of Zatoichi rips at 4.8Gbps, or about 10x faster than USB 2.0.

Of course, you need a computer running one of these motherboards or cards, since Intel's dragging ass on a standard it helped developed. And you might as well pick up one of these hard drives too, while you're at it. [Register]

4GB Star Trek Flash Drive Comes Loaded With The New Film

Sean Fallon — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EDT

Star Trek, merchandising and obsessive fans go hand in hand, so it is not surprising that the new film is being released on an individually numbered 4GB Starfleet insignia USB drive.

Needless to say, the drive is also loaded up with DRM—but you are allowed to run it on 5 registered devices and burn it to DVD, so it's not unreasonable. And since it has been deemed as a "collectible", fans will surely line up to fork over their $29. [Play via OhGizmo]

Rap Group Hands Out Uzi-Shaped Flash Drive Album

Rosa Golijan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:40:00 EDT

If you're a fan of novelty USB drives, submachine guns, and rap, I've got a treat for you: The Get Busy Committee stuck their upcoming album Uzi Does It on uzi-shaped flash drives to create an unholy threesome. [Wired]

Flash Drives Invade Combs, Brushes Speculated to Follow

Mark Wilson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EDT

Your analog hair is so 2000-and-late. Update your look with this 2GB comb flash drive for $36, or hold out for the indescribably more awesome switchblade comb edition (that is in no way planned or real). [AudioCubes via RedFerret]

USB Chocolate Popsicle Flash Drive

Brian Lam — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:20:37 EDT

Brando, how kind of you to deliver us a chocolate popsicle shaped USB drive to stave off the summer heat. For sure, children are going to choke on this. [Brando via Giz.jp]

Elephant Flash Drive's Junk Is Bigger Than His Trunk

Andi Wang — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT

If you think that trunk is impressive, wait until you see this Elephant's giant dongle. The 4GB USB flash drive whips out from the beast's underbelly when you're ready for it to mount your computer. [XTremeGeek via GeekyGadgets via CraziestGadgets]

Kingston Launches "World's First" 128GB USB Flash Drive... For The Price Of A Laptop

Simon Crisp — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:40:42 EDT

Remember those heady days when USB drives used to cost hundreds of dollars? Well, thanks to Kingston's latest 128GB monster, they can again.

The DataTraveler 200 comes in three sizes 32GB, 64GB and the world's first 128GB USB flash drive, which sells for a whopping $546. However it doesn't look like they are expecting too many people to snap up the largest option, it is build-to-order only.

All of the capless drives have built-in password protection and are enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost. The smaller versions are priced at $120 and $213 respectively. [Kingston via PocketLint]

Darth Vader Unmasked Mimobot Flash Drive: If You're Lucky, You'll Get the Not-Whiny Anakin

matt buchanan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:20:00 EDT

Mimoco's getting more clever with their latest Star Wars mimobot flash drives—Darth Vader and Clone Rex have removeable masks, and one out of six Vaders will have the Uncle Fester face underneath, not the NOOOOO one. [Mimoco]

Resident Evil 5 USB Chainsaw Only Kills Nano Zombies, But Stores 2GB of Confidential Umbrella Files

matt buchanan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:40:00 EDT

Only the teeniest of zombies will fear this little USB chainsaw that normally comes packed in limited edition copies of Resident Evil 5. $23.99 is pricey for 2GB storage, but...bloody chainsaw. [eBay via OhGizmo]

The Green Man USB Drive Can Do Impossible Yoga Poses

Sean Fallon — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:20:00 EST

Practicing yoga can involve achieving higher levels of posing and meditation. Only Green Man can achieve true Nirvana by sitting cross legged with his decapitated head lying in his hands. Suck on that Sting!

The Green Man USB drive is completely poseable and his removable head can hold 2GB of data. Available for $31. [Geek Stuff 4U via Craziest Gadgets]

Cake Decorator Takes Flash Drive Photograph a Bit Too Literally

Mark Wilson — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST

Note to anyone buying a custom cake: Always print the picture you'd like recreated in frosting. Never just hand over a USB drive expecting things to work themselves out. [Cake Wrecks via The Raw Feed]

Leyio Personal 16GB File Sharing Device Is Wireless with a Fingerprint Scanner

Andi Wang — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:40:13 EST

The 16GB Leyio File Sharing Device comes equipped with a fingerprint scanner, and can also wirelessly transfer data to your computer and other nearby Leyios. Wait, there's more.

This flash drive also has a digital screen and a USB port built in so that you can plug in other flash drives to transfer more data. However, because the Leyio uses an ultrawide-band radio that is different from bluetooth or Wi-Fi, you must plug in a custom dongle in order to sync your Leyio with your computer. This also means that this flash drive can only wirelessly connect with other similar Leyio devices. [Leyio via TechDigest via OhGizmo]

The Eraser Flash Drive Eventually Erases Itself

Mark Wilson — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:45:00 EST

While our goal is generally to protect our data, the Eraser Flash Drive concept is just self-destructive enough to placate our inner wild man.

The flash drive isn't just coated in a eraser material. The entire thing actually is an eraser, save for the flash drive circuitry. Eventually, you'll wear the drive down to that metal on bare paper level that punished you as a child. Except this time, they'll be some voltage awaiting your notification. [studioroom906 via DVICE]

CurrenKey Coin-Shaped Flash Drive: It's Almost a Good Idea

Sean Fallon — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST

Kudos to LaCie for making their flash drives more portable—although, the coin-shape may prove problematic. It won't be long before your sensitive data ends up in the hands of some Starbucks employee.

It is definitely thicker than a traditional coin, but the metal exterior of the USB 2.0 drive enhances the illusion, making it easy to lose in a pocket full of change. Still, at $20 for the 4GB version and $30 for the 8GB version, at least you are getting a decent amount of storage for the price. [LaCie via Crunchgear]

The Pentagon Bans USB Flash Drives: Will There Be a Floppy Disk Comeback?

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST

AP reports that the Department of Defense has, at least for the time being, banned USB flash drives and is collecting all Pentagon-owned drives from the entire department. The Pentagon hasn't issued an official statement, but a spokesman did say that they are dealing with a "global virus" that affects such external storage. Apparently, Department of Defense lackeys are being told that they may not get their drives back, and no information has been given regarding the length of the ban. A list of items now banned from the Pentagon after the jump.

- Beer-filled USB flash drives
- Fetus USB flash drives
- Sawed-off USB flash drives
- Carabiner USB flash drives
- USB flash drives shaped like obsolete equipment
- Food-shaped USB flash drives
- Arty meta-storage USB flash drives [AP]

Fetus Flash Drive Offends Everyone

matt buchanan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:20:00 EST

You know, all of the jokes that come to mind about this fetus USB flash drive—complete with a detailed how-to process to make your own—I really can't make them. But I'm pretty sure that it manages to be offensive to both pro-baby killers and anti-women's-righters all by its lonesome, miniscule self without my help, even though it's just a little humanoid blob of fabric with a piece of metal hot-glued to its ass. [Instructables]

HP USB Flash Drive Can Pretend To Be Floppy

Kit Eaton — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:24:44 EDT

No... not that kind of floppy...a disk-type one. Why is this useful? Apparently some BIOS updates still need you to jam in a floppy disk, despite the fact that many a PC nowadays ships without a drive for you to jam the disk into. So HP's floppy-emulating USB flash drive gizmo is more a sysadmin's friend, rather than your average user's fare, but you can at least switch it over to behaving like a normal flash drive. Available now in 256MB and 1GB sizes for $49 and $79. [Crunchgear]

Butterfly Knife USB Drive Slashes Your Computer With Storage

Sean Fallon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:20:00 EDT

It may not help you much in a fight, but at least you won't lacerate your own hand while flipping this butterfly knife (or bali-song) USB drive. It has room for 2GB of data and the nerd-friendly design is far superior to the stupid food shaped flash drives we see so often these days. Although, the beer-filled flash drive may give it a run for its money. [Benchmade]

Beer-Filled USB Drive Raises Disturbing Questions

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Gadgets like this Beer-Filled USB Flash Drive really make me question the basics. More than my first-year university philosophy class did, anyway. Existential angst, the downfall of western civilization, and "customizable floaties" after the jump.

Is capitalism really that great, if it leads to beer-filled USB flash drives with "optional customizable floating objects" inside? Should we Americans really be that pleased with our free speech, if it means I get emails from people who make flash drives with BEER in them? And am I really secure with myself as a gadget dork, getting all excited over the latest and greatest shiny toys, if that same email brags about the floating objects being in 3D? How could they be anything but 3D, when they're actual, physical objects? I can't pretend like the world is the same after this. The sun doesn't shine as bright. The air doesn't taste as sweet. Congratulations, Beer-Filled USB Drive Manufacturer. You've broken me. [CNK]

Headless Teddy Bear USB Drive Combines Kiddy Nightmares, Storage in One

Kit Eaton — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:12:00 EDT

Ages ago we showed you a DIY version, but now the removable-head Teddy Bear USB drive is a real product, ready to trigger-off those childhood nightmares all over again. The little guy is around 3 x 3.75 inches, is USB 2.0, stores 1GB inside its teddy guts, and costs $17. Not much else to say. [Geekalerts]

Aexea KeyXpress Data Key Flashdrive Could Hide on Your Key Ring

Kit Eaton — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:02:00 EDT

Brando's Aexea KeyXpress flash drives are designed to really make key-ring data portability true: they're shaped like keys, and are about as thin as your average door or car key (about 0.12-inches thin.) They're in three colors, have 4GB of flash storage aboard, come with a similarly tiny lanyard and that's about all you need to know. Oh: they cost $27. [Brando]

Solid Alliance Silver Cross USB Drive is Holy Data Bank, for Goth Jewelry Geeks

Kit Eaton — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:39:00 EDT

Solid Alliance's newest USB thumbdrive will either appeal to geeky clergy-types, or vampire-goth-geek types, since it's an ornate metallic silver-colored drive that comes in a cross-shaped caddy. And it's specifically designed to hang on a necklace. Bizarre: both markets for this product can't be all that big, can they? Still, this gizmo might even contain real silver, since the 2GB drive costs $180. If that's too rich for your blood, there's a brass-colored one, also 2GB, for $145. [Akihabaranews]

High Dexx USB Flash Drives Combine USB Flash Drives With Highlighters

Jason Chen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EDT

If you asked us what two things on our desk that we'd want to combine into one thing, we'd probably pick these two things, the USB drive and the highlighter. When has it not occurred to you to put these obviously similar things in one package? We mean really, a USB drive fits in your hand and a USB highlighter fits in your hand. What more connection do you need? Thanks, High Dexx USB Flash Drive. You know exactly what we're thinking. [Gadgtes2Order via Oh Gizmo]

Dealzmodo: 16GB Corsair Flash Drive for $34 After Rebate

Jason Chen — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Today's Newegg deal involves a $30 mail-in-rebate, but it's a pretty damn good price for a 16GB flash drive. Enter in the $5 promo code EMCAHDBAJ found on their savings page and you'll get $5 off, which coupled with the $30 rebate nets you a drive at $34. What can you do with a 16GB flash drive? What can't you do? [Newegg - Thanks Adam!]

Buffalo's 32GB and 64GB SSDs For Eee PC Get Launch Date, Price

Kit Eaton — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:13:00 EDT

Asus's EeePC 901 has already proved itself very hackable but Buffalo's newest product won't require much modding: 32GB or 64GB replacement SSD's. Not much more to say, apart from the obvious: more storage, more impact resilient, longer battery life. The best bit? The 32GB SHD-EP9M32G is a mere $156, and the 64GB SHD-EP9M64G an equally neat $316. Available in Japan at first, mid-September.

[PC Watch]

Macally PowerLink is Flash drive, Sync Cable, Emergency Juice for iPod, iPhone

Kit Eaton — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:20:00 EDT

You know how it is: you're camping in the wild, and your iPhone suddenly runs out of juice, just as you get bored stiff with the music selection you've got aboard it. Previously you'd've had to carry a bunch of stuff around to sort this out, but Macally's PowerLink has come to the rescue. With USB plug on one end and 30-pin iPod connector on the other, it acts as a sync cable, but also has a battery inside to give you a squirt of extra power if you're in a pinch. It also packs a 2GB flash drive, but you'll need to get mp3's off that via iTunes, sadly. No info on how long the battery lasts, but as a 3-in-1 gizmo it's pretty useful. Out "soon" for $49.99. [OhGizmo]

Climb Every Mountain, Ford Every Data-Stream with USB Flash Drive Carabiner

Kit Eaton — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:58:00 EDT

This gizmo from Brando is a carabiner with a USB flash drive embedded in it. M'kay. Handy for... um... snapping onto your notebook case, and securing it to your climbing harness as you tackle the north face of the Eiger? Actually no, because despite supporting Windows, OS X and Linux, it won't support you: I'm sure I should be able to see a "do not use for climbing" sign on it somewhere. It's got 4GB of storage, comes in six colors and is $32. [Brando]

Mimobot Designer Flash Drives Grow to 8GB

matt buchanan — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:30:00 EDT

If lack of storage was the major reason you were holding off on dropping the coin for a mimobot designer flash drive (which I have a soft spot for even though the price/value ratio is slightly outside of this reality), get ready to open up your tri-fold wallet, they've just started offering 8GB drives. They're $140, about double what you'd pay for a Cruzer Contour, which has its own design premium. But they are really cute. [Mimoco]

Bonanza Banana Flash Drive Has a Bunch of Memory (8GB, Actually)

AddyDugdale — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:05:00 EDT

When I saw this Bonanza banana, I thought of this. Eddie Murphy stuck one up a tailpipe, now you can stick a banana up your USB port—well, you can stick it wherever you like, it's Friday and we're all adults here. The fruity flash drive has an 8GB capacity, looks lovely, tastes rubbery, and is made by a firm called Hantat. [AVING via Pocket-lint]

PQI's Intelligent Stick Flash Drives are Tiny, Waterproof, Dust-Proof

Kit Eaton — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:55:20 EST

PQI's new Intelligent Stick USB flash drives may be a boon for those clumsy people, like myself, who often spill coffee on their electronics or get them soaking wet in pockets that let the rain in. I can't think of a time when I've got a gadget too dusty to use, but these tiny flash drives can even cope with that. Manufactured with a special COB process, they're available in 2GB and 4GB in a number of colors, and are due to be unveiled at CeBIT this week.
[7Gadgets]

J-Lo Gresso USB Drive Will Abuse Your Wallet, Dignity

Haroon Malik — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:50:00 EST

Gresso, the makers of all things ridiculous and overpriced, have hit home with their worst idea ever. They intend to pre load their ridiculous and overpriced flash drives with new albums by artists no one is any longer interested in. The first (and possibly last) offering will be Jennifer Lopez's new album, Brave, which will retail for $70 on Gresso's Adam and Eve flash drive. Don't worry, your $70 will buy a customized Adam & Eve flash drive with J-Lo scrawled across it and some obligatory Swarovski crystals. Phew! There were we thinking this was just a ridiculous waste of money. [Luxist]

Whazatt Chicken Foot Drive, WhazTF?

smcglaum — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:49:33 EDT

I was just sitting here thinking that what I really need is a flash drive that looks like a chicken foot and damned if one doesn't show up. Whazatt has a suitably weird flash drive sporting 1GB of flash storage inside and taking the form of a chicken foot that could have come right off the set of Prison Break.

Voodoo types looking for a geeky offering to the computer gods can use this $44.95 flash drive with both Mac and Windows computers. The chicken foot is ABS plastic while the flash portion is in a die-cast housing. I find the packaging to be better than the actual product, the picture of a chicken bleeding from his bloody nub is worth an award or something. [Whazatt]

USB Dog Tag Chew Toy IDs Dogs, Children

Jason Chen — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:22:30 EDT

This USB drive holds 512MB of doggie data like pictures and its favorite diet, which is perfect for attaching to an actual dog so whenever it gets lost, people can use it to figure out exactly where to return the dog to. Of course, a slip of paper with your address and phone number would be the same, but since when did crazy ass Solid Alliance worry about practicality? The best part is that it's chewy and rubbery, so if it ever gets eaten it'll come out the other side relatively intact—unlike other USB drives. [Rakuten via Tokyo Mango]

Handcrafted Thalbach Design Thumb Drives (Anniversary Material)

Mark Wilson — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:36:03 EDT

If there's one piece of tech that's suffered from quick commodification, it's the USB flash drive—which is all the more reason that original products stick out in the market. We've seen wooden flash drives before, but these flash drives from Thalbach Design are heirloom material. Veneered in polished and oiled maple, ash and even a 150 year old burled wood (pictured above), a 4GB stick will run you $135, but you are a big important CEO who burns the midnight oil squeezed fresh from "used up" Benjamins anyway, so what is a little extra cash for some classy gear? [product via technabob]

Bitmicro's E-Disk Altima 461GB Flash Drive Almost as Durable as God

ybaranovsky — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:30:00 EDT

Bitmicro Networks has announced the release of the new E-Disk Altima E2A3GL heavy duty SSD flash drive that holds a huge 461GB and is as sturdy as a Russian housewife. The 2.5-inch hard drive has a standard Serial ATA (SATA) interface and is designed to operate in both fairly cold and fairly hot temperatures (-40 to +85 degrees Celsius).

Built specifically for industrial and military applications, the drive will have 10 years of data integrity and will be able to sustain strong shocks and vibrations. Available in March 2008, there's no information on how much the E-Disk Altima will cost just yet but considering their target market, it's going to be about as much as a tank. [Linux Devices via Crave]

Flash Padlock: For the Paranoid Delusional On the Go

blongo3 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:30:13 EDT

The Flash Padlock, available in 1 or 2gb models, is made for people who think that their data is far too important to be kept on any ol' unsecured thumb drive. When you remove your thumb drive from the USB port it automatically goes into lock-down mode. However all you have to do is enter in your handy dandy PIN number and poof you've unrestricted access to all of your files. Now just don't go and do something stupid like make the PIN your birthday or 1-2-3-4, OK? [Product Page via Shiny Shiny]