MEGATech Showcase: It’s a Flash Drive Frenzy! Beth Snyder October 21, 2014 Features For a while there, I was beginning to think we had exhausted the variety of oddly-shaped flash drives available, and it was really kind of bumming me out. I love these things! But then they started cropping up again, and my faith in the creativity of the world was restored. One can never have too many flash drives, and if each one is unique it’s a LOT easier to keep track of which data is where. I’ve got (I think) five different ones in my bag right now, for various purposes. First up we have a flash drive that’s a serious multi-tasker. In addition to storing 16GB of data, this cute little Steampunk-ish robot also offers a clock and a compass. It measures 4.5 x 2 x 1.2 cm, so while it might not be the most practical thing to throw in your pocket it will also be hard to lose in the depths of your bag. Best part? It only costs about $10.00 US. Source: 7 Gadgets I think maybe I’ve featured these before, but every time I see them they catch my eye so I’m doing it again. Leef has made these beautifully simple flash drives called “Ice”, and they’re available with either black or copper accents. They’re waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, and while they’re USB 3.0 compliant, they’re also backward-compatible to USB 2.0. Each one measures just 0.6″ x 1.4″ x 0.3″, and pricing ranges from $14.99 US to $69.99 US with data capacity ranging from 16GB to 64GB. Source: Coolest Gadgets One thing about flash drives is the inevitable loss of their caps. This nifty little offering from ForTech solves that problem quite nicely with this flash drive that has an attached leather strap that snaps around the drive to protect it. It’s got a ring so you can attach it to your keys or zipper pull, and apparently comes in blue only. Offering 32GB of data at USB 3.0 speeds, this one runs about $50.00 US MSRP, but can be had for far less if you bargain shop. Source: 7 Gadgets I’m not even a gamer and I want these! They’re hand-carved out of bamboo, and can even be personalized. They only offer 4GB of data, but their coolness factor helps make up for that to a certain extent. You get to choose between NES, SNES, and Game Boy controllers, and they come with a key chain attachment. As shown each one costs $24.99 US, and there is an extra charge for personalized engraving. Source: Technabob Speaking of wooden flash drives, here’s one that’s actually practical. This wooden clothes pin contains a 16GB flash drive (available in other capacities as well ranging from 4GB to 32GB), and can be clipped anywhere you can think of. I can see that being incredibly handy for me at work, since we trade flash drives constantly and sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is which (well, not mine… mine are all goofy). Just clip it to your shirt so you know it’s yours! Price on the 16GB is about $8.00 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Anybody want a giant burger? If you want one of these, you’ll have to head to Japan and follow their fast food chain Lotteria on Twitter. Choose between their 5-patty cheeseburger or shrimp burger, each standing 18.5cm tall and offering 4GB of data storage. It turns out these aren’t available to the general public, but are two single-editions to be given away to two lucky Twitter followers in celebration of the 7th anniversary of their “zeppin” (superior) line of burgers. Source: That’s Nerdalicious These make me giggle. Remember those pajamas that have the button flap over the butt? That’s all I can think of when I look at these. This cute little guy offers 8GB of data storage, and is made of soft silicone rubber. They work with anything from USB 1.1 through USB 3.0, and are supposed to be good for up to 10 years of data retention. Each one costs about $10.00 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Speaking of things that make me giggle… I am anti-basketball and this one is funny for me. If you want to access your data, you have to pull off James Harden’s beard! This flash drive was 3D printed, and was sent out in a limited quantity by Footlocker for a marketing campaign. I think it was a failure, however, as I have no earthly idea what they were trying to promote. Source: Oh Gizmo Somehow, the segue from a basketball player to bars of gold just seemed to make sense to me. These are available from 8GB through 64GB of data storage, and each one comes with a necklace so you can wear your bling while making sure you don’t lose your flash drive. The 32GB version costs about $24.00 US, and prices go up and down from there as you’d expect. Source: 7 Gadgets Apparently, I’m going to have to read or watch Game of Thrones… nobody can stop talking about it, and while the reason for this flash drive escapes me, I really want one because it looks neat. Those of you who do know are probably shaking your heads at me, and I’m OK with that. Anyway, this is a dragon egg flash drive from Game of Thrones, and it’s waterproof. The attached O-ring can be pulled out for attachment to whatever you need, and it offers 8GB of storage. Cost is $29.99 US. Source: Geek Alerts Whether you’re an Apple fan or not, there is one thing you cannot deny: using a USB flash drive for the most part just isn’t going to happen with your iPad. This one, however, has not only a USB connector but a Lightning connector as well, allowing you to transfer files between Apple and non-Apple devices. Just slide the switch to which type you need and you’re good to go. It measures 2 x 0.4 x 1.1 inches and costs a whopping $130.00 US. And my Apple fanboy friends tell me I’m wrong when I say only rich folks own one. Source: 7 Gadgets Allow me to introduce Bleep. Bleep is a smart charging cable that also acts as a flash drive, which is infinitely handy. When you plug you phone in to charge it, Bleep automatically starts backing up your files. It has 16-64GB of storage and it communicates with your phone through a password-protected dedicated app. Bleep is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo, where a pledge of at least $40.00 US will get you one. Source: Ladies Gadgets I’m a big fan of earrings, but I’m just not sure about these. They’re pretty huge, for one, and while I understand statement earrings are pretty popular right now, I find having my earrings constantly getting hung up on my collar to be a pain. At any rate, each one of these earrings houses a 4GB flash drive and the pair will cost you about $40.00 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Maybe not the earrings, but a ring? Could that work? It, too, is a little big for my taste, but this would be an easy way to ensure you never forget your flash drive. When you’re done using it, just slip it on your finger and go on with your life. It’s not overly attractive, but it’s not exactly ugly, either. The Memory Ring comes in gold, silver, gold-plated brass, or stainless steel, and can be engraved or embossed with custom designs. Well… it would have, but they came up woefully short of their Kickstarter goal. Maybe they’ll come back with a revamped idea. Source: Co.Design I’m closing this one out with a flash drive I am insanely jealous I cannot have. If you do anything with theatrical lighting, you’ll recognize the ETC Source Four ellipsoidal fixture. This one houses a 16GB flash drive, and was given to those who attended ETC light board training. I use those fixtures and the entire ETC lighting system literally every single day at work, but I was unable to attend the training sessions. A friend of mine did. I am going to steal his flash drive and hide it away where I can take it out in the wee hours of the morning and gloat over it with a flashlight. I’m also planning to attend the next training session offered if it kills me. Share This With The World!
