Posts Tagged usb drive
Verbatim Tuff-N-Tiny USB Drive
This teensy travel accessory from Verbatim is the heftiest lifesaver I can carry with me. After having a few laptop challenges (everything from a stolen laptop to one that would not turn on at all), I quickly realized the need to protect my data by either emailing it to myself or storing it on a USB drive. The problem I kept having is that the thumb nail drives kept falling in between other things in my bag and became hard to reach. The benefit of this tiny drive is that I can place it on my keychain making it much easier to find in a hurry.
It is created from a durable material that makes it resistant to water and dust while also protecting it from external damage. It still has a lifetime warranty for unforeseen circumstances and is compatible with all USB drives.
As the smallest USB drive that I have ever seen, it is not clunky to have on my keychain and does not stick out from the side of my computer very far. Larger USB drives are easy to knock out of the socket if you are constantly moving your computer on a cramped airplane traytable or hotel room desk so this smaller version gives added comfort.
On the underside of the drive, it appears that the USB contacts are open to the elements that could lead to damage, but the protective plastic coating keeps it secure. A bonus lanyard allows it to hang freely from your cell phone or other handy device that you might carry all the time. For me, it serves as an excellent reminder that I need to constantly back up my data onto the drive so it is an extra bonus. It also makes it easier to keep track of since this device is very small.
There is a password protection feature on the stick for those using Windows operating systems. This small business tool packs a big punch storing 16GB of material in its tiny brain. It can be purchased from Verbatim directly or on Amazon for under $30.
Posted by Ramsey in Business Gear, Travel Light on September 12th, 2011
Affordable USB Flash Drive: Toshiba Transmemory
A USB flash drive should be in the pocket of every traveler for those times when you want to copy or share pictures or other files. And these drives are becoming more and more affordable.
I recently picked up an 8gb Toshiba Transmemory flash drive so I could give some friends about 1,000 high-resolution pictures. The pics wouldn’t fit on a single-layer conventional DVD, plus a USB drive would make it a lot easier for them to copy and share the files.
There are several flavors of this drive offered at different retailers, at prices ranging from around $20 to $30. The Toshiba Transmemory drive is simple—no fancy programs that launch when you plug it in, just fast, convenient, raw memory. The write speed is up to 3.9 MBytes/second with a read speed of up to 17 MBytes/second, with USB 2.0 compatibility.
If I could change anything about this drive, it would be the design of the protective cover. It could come off fairly easily if the drive is attached to a keychain and shaken around in your pocket.
These drives come in sizes up to a whopping 64gb. The 8gb is at a sweet spot in pricing right now. But look for the larger drives to drop in price in the future as even higher-capacity models are introduced. The 8gb model currently sells for just under $30 at Amazon.
Unlike hard drives, USB flash drives don’t have any moving parts that can break so they are very reliable. And if you haven’t checked prices lately, you may be in for a pleasant surprise.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on June 29th, 2010
Top Tech’s Slim Data Drive Fits in Your Wallet
For years, I’ve carried a flash drive attached to my keychain on every trip. But Top Tech Products’ Slim Data USB Card convinced me there’s a better way to carry data.
My poor flash drive. The first one I had, I lost the protective cap and had to scour the web to find a new one.
Then, I bought a higher-capacity drive as a replacement. But after six months or so, the plastic piece that attaches to the keychain broke. So I went back to the older drive and soon some protective rubbery trim outside the plastic case was starting to crumble off in my pocket.
Toptech came to my rescue, sending me one of their flash drives that’s almost the exact size as a credit card—just slightly thicker in the center—and easily slips in my wallet. It’s the slimmest flash drive available. And the 4 GB capacity is plenty large for most uses on the road.
Using the Slim Data USB card was easy. The top flips open to expose the small memory card. Then, I just plugged it in to one of my Windows computers and it was recognized almost instantly. The card supports Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
A flash drive is one of my must-carry items while traveling. I don’t use it on every trip. But it’s there when I need it for backing up or copying pictures, storing word processing or music files and a dozen other uses.
The Slim Data 4GB USB Card sells for $24.99 from Top Tech and is also available through Amazon. Mine is orange, which is bright and easy to see. Other color choices include blue, red, smoke and clear.
My old flash drive
The drive includes a limited lifetime warranty. It won the 2009 Novelty Accessory Award from CTIA-The Wireless Association.
Now I’ll have to pick one credit card to leave behind or just carry a slightly thicker wallet. But I think the Slim Data card will ultimately hold up better than the drives I’ve tried that attach to a keyring.
Tucked away in my wallet, I believe it will also be less likely to get lost than a drive that hangs from a keychain. My ID, credit cards and other valuables go in my wallet—so it makes sense to keep important files there, too.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on March 8th, 2010
