MEGATech Showcase: Stuff a Flash Drive in Your Stocking

It’s that time of year again, when Santa has to come up with ideas for what to stuff in good little boys’ and girls’ stockings. Flash drives are always a decent choice…they’re small, relatively inexpensive for the most part, and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. This collection might not be as uniquely shaped as some of them I’ve showcased in the past, but any one of them would make a neat holiday surprise.

First is a combination bottle opener and flash drive shaped like a bare foot. Why? Because they can, of course! It has a key chain attachment which could also be hooked on the strap to your bag or a belt loop, and offers 8GB of storage. You can pick one up for $33.00 US.

Source: 7 Gadgets

Meet USB OTG 3.0, the flash drive made to share data between Android smartphones & tablets and computers without needing an adapter. Apparently, there are smartphones in existence to which you cannot add a memory card, so storage becomes a concern…I had no idea. This drive gives you 85MB/s read and 20MB/s write performance on USB 3.0 (although you won’t see those speeds when it’s plugged into your phone), and offers anywhere from 16GB to 64GB of data storage. No word yet on pricing or availability, though.

Source: Everything USB

I’m not the only one who constantly loses the caps to my flash drives, am I? This newest USB 3.0 offering from Leef features their signature magnetic cap to help prevent loss, as well as 32GB of data storage. This one requires Windows XP (SP3) or better, or Mac OS X, measures just 0.6 x 0.2 x 1.4 inches, and weighs a mere 0.3 ounces. Yours for $26.99 US.

Source: 7 Gadgets

These cute little mittens couldn’t be more appropriate for winter gift-giving, could they? Available in pink or blue, they feature a key chain with a cap keeper, and are available in 8GB, 16GB or 32GB capacities at USB 2.0 speed. They promise to deliver read/write speeds of up to 20MB/s and 10MB/s respectively. Each one measures just 38.6mm(L) x 25.8mm(W) x 10.9mm(H). Pricing not yet announced.

Source: TechFresh

Lately, there has been a trend toward wearable flash drives, as both a fashion statement and a means of not losing the pesky things in the vortex that is the bottom of your bag. This one appears to be tie-dyed, and is named “Rainforest”, which I can actually kind of see. It’s made of stretchy silicon, and measures 7.5 inches to fit almost any wrist. It is not, however, waterproof, so make sure you take care when washing your hands. 8GB of storage costs just $18.95 US, which leads me to believe it’s USB 2.0.

Source: 7 Gadgets

Oh, basketball…so many people love you, and I do not understand. Maybe if it was played at a different time than hockey. Or there were more fights. Anyway, the NBA has licensed a new line of flash drives to ADATA so you can show support for your favourite player and team. Well, assuming your favourites are among the following: Chris Paul from Los Angeles Clippers; Jeremy Lin from Houston Rockets; Kobe Bryant from Los Angeles Lakers; LeBron James from Miami Heat; Derrick Rose from Chicago Bulls; and Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City Thunder. Those are the only ones available at this time. See how it shows them under a shower? They’re waterproof. They’re also USB 3.0 and resistant to impact. Each one measures 50 x 30 x 15mm (2.0 x 1.2 x 0.6in) and weighs 25g (0.9oz), and has 16GB of storage. I haven’t got a clue how much they cost, or when they’ll be available.

Source: Everything USB

I am fascinated by these baby tiny flash drives. They’re the same size as the receiver for my wireless mouse, and their caps are bigger than they are. This one measures about the same size as a dime (0.8 x 0.3 x 0.6 inches), and offers SanDisk SecureAccess software to protect your data. Each one holds 16GB of data at USB 2.0 speeds, and they come in a pack of two for $25.35 US.

Source: 7 Gadgets

Earlier I was talking about wearable flash drives…this takes that to a whole new level. What you’re looking at here is a series of wearable drives (a ring, wristband, and “functional fingernail”) that allow you to transfer data from one device to another without ever having to plug in a drive. Instead, simply touching one device will temporarily store its data to whichever drive you are wearing, and then touching another device will download the data to it. This is still in development from business technology group VTT, and I honestly can’t decide if I think it’s very cool or very creepy.

Source: Gajitz

Speaking of effortless data transfer, how about a wireless flash drive? This drive from SanDisk lets you simultaneously connect to and access data on up to eight devices simultaneously…a definite plus in a group situation be it working or school or elsewhere. It requires no internet connection, and works with all wi-fi enabled devices. Neat, huh? It’s compatible with iOS 5.0 or later, Android 2.3 or later and Kindle devices, and is accessed with a free app or internet browser. You get 32GB of storage for $59.99 US.

Source: 7 Gadgets

One of the easiest ways to carry functional if not top-notch tools with minimal fuss is to carry a multi-tool. This one is actually a DIY project, and instead of knives and tweezers gives you an 8GB USB stick, paper clips, liquid spray bottles and napkin holders and other tools. Clas Ohlson designed this, and they refuse to sell a finished product. Instead, they will let you download blueprints to make your own from their Facebook page, apparently for free.

Source: Damn Geeky

Hey, look! It’s another flash drive bracelet! But it’s much more than just a flash drive; it has a full operating system on it, making it more like a small computer on your arm. This one comes to us from StormFly, and it’s got 32GB of storage (which they describe as “10GB for your data, 10GB for sharing, 12GB for the system”) at USB 3.0 speeds. The bracelet is screaming bright orange or apparently other colours not listed, and comes in a variety of sizes to fit pretty much any wrist. You can make one yours for about $97.00 US.

Source: 7 Gadgets

If you’ve got an entire family using the same computer, and everyone doesn’t have their own particular flash drive, at some point you’re going to get them confused. Which means little Billy is going to end up with Mom’s Power Point presentation for the big meeting, while she’s going to be stuck in front of a boardroom full of people with a treatise on the T-Rex. One way to avoid that is to make sure each family member knows for sure which flash drive is theirs. As you can see, this set of four has a mother, father, sister and brother. If that’s what your family includes, you’re all set! They even come with a USB hub shaped like the family car or house. Each flash drive holds 4GB of data, and costs about $30.00 US (as does each hub).

Source: Craziest Gadgets

Finally, we have weapon-shaped flash drives. Not necessarily appropriate in all situations, and even though they’re obviously not real I don’t think I’d like to try to take one on a plane, but fun for the gun-lover in your life. They come in a variety of weapons, from hand grenades to Uzis, and each one gives you 4GB of data storage. Each one costs just $7.49 US.

Source: 7 Gadgets