MEGATech Showcase: Flash Drives Are Back! Beth Snyder August 23, 2014 Features Is it just me, or has it been a hundred years since we had a flash drive showcase? It’s like all of a sudden the only flash drives out there were boring, plain, didn’t do anything cool, and in general just didn’t seem worthy of being featured. But I’ve finally collected a bunch of them to look at, and some of them are pretty darn neat. Take, for instance, the official LEGO flash drive! We’ve all seen the DIY hack for making your own, but this one is an actual LEGO product. This one comes to us from PNY, and in addition to being a LEGO brick it also boasts USB 3.0 speeds. It’s made to LEGO specs, so you can actually build with it if you want. It even comes with a bonus 2 x 4 LEGO brick to get you started. It’ll be available in 8GB and 16GB sizes, has a key chain attachment and a capless sliding design, and will come in red, yellow, or blue. Right now they’re only listing the 16GB version for $12.99 US, so I’m guessing the 8GB will run around $8.00 US. Source: Geek.com I actually know people who use a money clip, so this is something I can actually understand: a money clip that has a USB flash drive embedded in it. It comes in either polished or brushed silver, and will hold 8GB of data. It’s certainly not cheap at $80.00 US, but it is made of stainless steel… and usually those folks who use a money clip tend to have enough money to make it worthwhile. Source: The Awesomer This one just caught my eye, and I’m not sure if it’s the Chinese coin design or that it looks like a key, or that it doesn’t have a cap (the whole thing just slides into your USB port when you want to access or transfer data). It’s made out of metal, and measures a mere 1.9 x 0.2 x 0.5 inches. It offers 64GB of data storage and USB 3.0 speeds, and costs just $38.99 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Have you ever had to include information on a flash drive into a report or something else you keep in a binder? I have, and it’s really a pain. File It, however, offers a solution to the problem that I really like. It’s a flash drive that stores on the rings in a binder. When you need to access your data, just open the rings and take it out… just like you would with paper. The drawback is it only offers 4GB of storage and costs almost $55.00 US, so maybe I’ll just keep making regular flash drives work. Source: Craziest Gadgets Probably you’ve all seen this one already, but I think it’s neat. Odds are good someone is going to remember you if you offer them a business card that folds into a flash drive, no? These are swivelCards, and they make it easy to offer more information than typically is included on a business card, with the added bonus that you can change it without having the reprint all your cards. Obviously I’m not the only one who thinks these are neat; with almost three weeks to go in their Kickstarter campaign, they’ve already received more than eight times their funding goal. A pledge of $59.00 US or more will get you a sample set of 15 swivelCards, while a pledge of just $29.00 US gets you a set of 10 swivelCard mini cards. Source: Gizmodo Does the key to your heart come with 16GB of data? This Voberry Necklace flash drive might just do the trick for you, then. It’s USB 2.0, and as I said offers 16GB of data storage. Its capless design means no worries about misplacing one, and it’s designed to be worn as a fashion accessory as well as being a functional flash drive. Unfortunately, this one is out of stock at the moment with no word when there will be more. Source: 7 Gadgets Here we have a multi-purpose gadget that pretty much anyone could find a use for. It’s a smart keychain, hooking up with your phone via Bluetooth to retrieve your emails and calendar reminders, but it’s also a flash drive in 8GB, 16GB or 32GB options. In addition, it also acts as a key locator, beeping when you push a button on your phone so you don’t have to spend time tearing your house apart. Here’s the sad thing: Their Indiegogo campaign just ended, and they got nowhere near their funding goal. Perhaps we’ll see this one again after some time with changes. Source: Damn Geeky Emtec is one of those companies that has a bunch of cool flash drives (I own several of them). If you’re familiar with Quico, then you’ll love this one! He’s made out of high quality rubber, and offers 8GB of data storage at USB 2.0 speeds. He’s only available in the US and Latin America, so you’ll have to make arrangements with a friend if you live outside of those areas. In order to access the flash drive, you have to pop off his little head (which while disturbing still makes me giggle). Pick one up for $12.95 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Are you, or do you know, a musician? Then this guitar-shaped flash drive is for you! It’s made of wood, and since it measures just 3.2? X 1.3? X 0.4?, you can easily carry it on your key chain. When you want to access your files (or save that sick riff you just wrote), just pop the neck off and stick it in your USB port. No worries about losing the cap, as that part stays attached to your keys. This one is USB 2.0, and comes in a range of capacities from 2GB through 32GB, with prices ranging from $14.00 US to $33.00 US. Source: The Gadgeteer Sometimes you just have to be silly. So if you’ve got data to save that happens to be as important as the last acorn on earth but still want to have fun, this flash drive in the shape of Sid is the perfect choice. He’s USB 2.0 and offers 8GB of data storage. Add him to your collection for just $14.95 US. Source: 7 Gadgets I can’t decide if I want one of these, or if my practical side is going to keep insisting I would break it, my computer, and everything around my computer trying to throw it into the USB port. Probably the latter… I’ve met me. At any rate, this is a really nifty shuriken flash drive and you should buy one. It’s USB 2.0 and offers 8GB of data storage for $15.50 US. Source: Oh Gizmo See? Emtec again. This time they’re offering up a cute little Animalitos Baby Seal, which is USB 2.0 and has an 8GB capacity. As with almost all the Emtec drives, you’ll need to take his head off to use the drive, but it comes with a key chain and a cap holder to ensure you won’t lose it. Take this adorable little guy home for just $9.95 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Let Captain America’s shield serve as not only a cool necklace, but a place to hide your data as well! It offers USB 3.0 speeds, and offers not just your standard USB plug but also a miniUSB so you can use it with your smartphone or tablet (well, unless you’re an iOS person…they don’t have that). The shield measures 38mm in diameter and is just 11mm thick, and comes with a lanyard so you can easily wear it around your neck. Looks like pricing is via eBay, but they’re ranging from $59.99 US for 8GB of storage to $83.99 US for 32GB. Source: Everything USB Like Family Guy? Then you’ll definitely like this 8-pack of Family Guy characters! They’re made of flexible silicon, and each one offers 16GB of data storage at USB 2.0 speeds. Included in the set is Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and Brian, of course, as well as Giant Chicken and Evil Monkey. The entire set of eight costs $97.00 US. Source: 7 Gadgets Our final entry comes to us from infoThink… meet their Transformers Age of Extinction flash drives. The drives are shaped like either the heads or arms of Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee, and sadly will not transform into anything except what they already are. They offer USB 2.0 speeds, and are made of dustproof and waterproof metal alloy. They come in a range from 8GB to 64GB capacity, with prices starting at $40.00 US. Source: Everything USB Share This With The World!
