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Last Updated: Apr 8th, 2008 - 05:36:19 |
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New Gadgets Put Mass Storage on Your Wrist or in Your Pen
By Kim Komando
Aug 23, 2004, 10:32
You need your wrist watch to keep the correct time. But perhaps you need to carry valuable data with you, too. New gadgets let you do both in style and without breaking the bank.
Manufacturers are taking ordinary things like watches, pens, and key rings and turning them hi-tech by including flash drives. These are tiny hard drives that can store gigabytes of data. Also included is a USB port, something standard in Macs and PCs for years.
Using it, you can connect the watch to your computer's USB port. Then, your computer detects it as an extra drive allowing you instant access to the files contained on it.
USB flash drive watches won't make you feel like Dick Tracy (they're not walkie-talkies), but they do have a James Bond feel to them. In fact, the sleekness of the watch's design has security personnel on high alert. You could quickly hook up to a computer, transfer files and walk away without anyone the wiser.
Early USB watches were bulky and unattractive. But the latest offerings won't embarrass you.
For example, the DiskGO! 128 MB steel dress watch (http://www.edgememory.com) can be found on the Web for about $75. There's a 256 MB version for about $40 more. The Meritline Rist Memory Watch (http://www.meritline.com) has a number of different colored models for about the same prices. I recently gave my 19-year-old nephew one and the response was, "You rock."
Some watches have a USB cable built-in, normally around the watchband. This way, you just plug the watch into the computer's USB port. While this is more convenient, the watches tend to be bulkier than watches that require a separate USB cable. One end plugs into the side of the watch and the other end attaches to your computer's USB port.
If you don't want to mess with jewelry, check out the pens. DiskGO!, Meritline, PNY (http://www.pny.com) and Super Talent (http://www.supertalentflash.com) offer refillable ink pens. Just remove the top of the pen to expose a USB plug, and insert it into your computer's USB port.
Prices range from $30 for a 128 MB unit to as high as $1,000 for a 4 GB unit. But there is a downside. Pens are easily lost or stolen. Your personal data could easily find its way onto someone's else's computer.
If you want something that won't leave your side (or your desk), look into a flash drive that doubles as a key ring. It's not as surreptitious as a watch or pen, but it's less likely to be stolen.
The SwissMemory (http://www.swissarmy.com; $69) is a key ring with a Swiss Army knife. Included in the tool set is a nail file with screwdriver, scissors, mini-light, retractable ballpoint pen and, of course, a 64 MB memory stick.
Encryption can improve your security. If you should lose the key ring, your data would be at risk. If your primary concern is security, the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium (http://www.sandisk.com; $149.99) holds 512 MB of data. It encrypts your files and requires a password to access them. It comes with an optional pocket clip, key ring and lanyard.
While it's true these items have a gimmicky feel, they really are useful. They also work with both Mac and Windows systems. This makes it easy to share files across operating systems. Today, not every computer has a floppy disk or CD burner, but almost all have a USB port.
Copyright © 2004-2005 WestStar TalkRadio Network. Reprinted with permission.
No further republication or redistribution is permitted without the written consent of WestStar TalkRadio Network. Visit Kim Komando at: www.komando.com
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