Build Quality: 4.8/5 stars
After reviewing Verbatim’s Tuff Clip, I was a bit skeptical of their definition of “Tuff”. I was in for a surprise to see how much of a punch this little flash drive packs. For starters, although quite thin, a lot of force would be needed to snap the Tuff N Tiny flash drive. It’s rohbust and shouldn’t break from daily use. It’s an inch long and about the width of a penny. (1.19 L x .5 W x .06 H inches) This flash drive will last through plenty of accidents. Since it’s so light weight, drops won’t do much damage to it. It’s even water proof and should continue to read and write after a dip. Plus, the simplicity is what stands out the most. It’s a flat rectangular piece of plastic with no excess bells or whistles, just a ring for easy key storage. On the back side, there’s four strips of metal flush into the surface for connectivity with a USB port. Even though the Pico may seem more stylish, it was slightly thicker and was often a tight fit into most USB ports. The one thing this flash drive lacks is an LED indicator to display when it’s busy. I should also mention that I often found myself trying to figure out which which way to insert the flash drive into a USB port since there’s no symbol. I unfortunatley ended up scratching the plastic side on serveral occasions.

Functionality & Features: 4.5/5 stars
The Tuff ‘N’ Tiny works like any other flash drive on the market. For real-life performance, the write speed were a little slower than I expected. Write speeds on average were around 10.5 MB/s and read speed were about 21.5 MB/s. It took about 1 minute and 15 seconds to transfer a 700MB video file to the flash drive and only 30 seconds to copy it back. The gap in read are write speeds are normal for flash drives. In comparison with other flash drives we’ve reviewed, the IronKey was faster in both read and write, but it also costs a couple times more. The benchmark speeds for this drive were faster than the speeds I previously mentioned. Our benchmarking tool, HD Tune, displayed a transfer rate of 25.1 MB/s and an access time of 0.8. The flash drive we reviewed was the 8GB model, but it’s also available in a 4GB and 2GB capacity. The drive is also fast enough for use with the Windows ReadyBoost feature to increase system performance. I didn’t notice any improvements on my PC when using ReadyBoost with this flash drive, however that’s probably because there’s not much more it probably can do if you already have 4GB of RAM. There’s also a security feature that lets you set a password for the flash drive, but it’s probably more of a gimmick. Devices such as the IronKey offer real hardware encryption to prevent unwanted eyes from viewing your files.

Conclusion:
The Tuff ‘N’ Tiny exceed almost all of my expectations. The size simply makes this device stand out. It’s quite convenient since it’s thin enough to even slight into your wallet if you wish not to attach it to a key chain. The write speed was a little slower than I most brand name flash drives, but considering the size, it’s far from having to be categorized as slow. The durability and size are the biggest features of the Tuff ‘N’ Tiny. Unlike most flash drives that will begin to wear down, show scratches, and eventually crack or break, the Verbatim Tuff N Tiny won’t. That being said, just be careful not to loose it. Fortunatley the bright purple Barney-like color helps it stand out when on your desk. Overall, I found myself highly satisfied with Verbatim’s Tuff ‘N’ Tiny and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a new flash drive. You can find it in three different storage capacities for a fair price: 2GB Orange $17, 4GB Green $20, and 8GB Purple $26.

Buy: Verbatim 8GB Tuff ‘N’ Tiny
Links: Verbatim Tuff ‘N’ Tiny

Build Quality: 2.5/5 stars
This flash drive looks and feels different from a conventional USB flash drive. Both sides of the Tuff Clip feature ridges along the body for a better grip. The USB connector recedes into the body for protection. While it may seem like a neat idea, it turned out to be quite annoying. If you weren’t holding both the back portion and front portion of the drive when inserting into a computer, the connector kept sliding back into the chassis. this issue could have easily been avoided with a simple click and lock feature when extended. Moving forwards, there’s a clip on top that fastens onto a backpack, belt loop, or ring. The spring-loaded clip automatically snaps closed once fastened onto something. Verbatim describes the Tuff Clip as a “clip n’ carry” with a “rugged design”. While I would agree with the first statement, the Tuff Clip is definitely not rugged. When I read about this model, I expected it to offer the strength of the clip to be comparable to an average carabiner. I was quite wrong. The clip looks like it’s flimsy enough to break off if it becomes snagged on something.

Functionality & Features: 4/5 stars
A blue LED indicator lights up on the face of the flash drive when in use. File transfers to and from the flash drive were about average for a flash drive in this price range. In comparision to other flash drives we’ve reviewed, the IronKey was faster in both read and write, but only the read speed on SanDisk Cruzer happened to be faster. The benchmark results showed that the average speed was around 25 MB/s with an access time a notch slower than comparable models. However, real life speeds were slower and jumped around at times. On average, it took just less than a minute to transfer a 700.1 MB movie file at a speed of 15 MB/s to the flash drive. The read speeds were faster than write speeds as expected, but was still slower than other flash drives. The read speeds clocked in at an average of 17 MB/s taking about 40 seconds to copy the file back to my computer. The flash drive we reviewed was the 8GB model, but it’s also available in a 4GB capacity. The drive is fast enough to be compatible with the Windows ReadyBoost feature for increasing system performance. I personally didn’t notice any changes on my PC with ReadyBoost, but it’s not going to help much if you have 4GB of RAM. There’s also a security feature that lets you set a password for the flash drive, but it’s probably more of a gimick. Devices such as the IronKey offer real hardware encryption to prevent unwanted eyes from viewing your files.

Conclusion:
I wasn’t too satisfied with the Tuff Clip. While it featured an innovative slider and clip on the top, it was simply too flimsy. The transfer speeds could definitely be improved, but they weren’t terrible either. While it’s targeted at those with an active outdoor lifestyle, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this. If you plan on taking this hiking, it’s probably going to fall off before you know it. I feel the build quality makes the drive more susceptible to damage than standard flash drives. Although the clip makes placing the flash drive on backpacks and rings and such convenient, I would highly suggest getting a more traditional model and just storing it inside a pouch or backpack pocket. This clip will snap off in no time. Even though the slider should cover and protect the USB connector, it fails to lock into place. There’s just too many issues with this drive for me to recommend it. If you really need a clip and can’t find an alternative solution, then consider this. However for the rest of you folks, I’d suggest sticking with a simpler and more affordable flash drive. It’s a creative idea, but has poor execution. It needs to go back to the drawing board.

Buy: Verbatim 8GB Tuff Clip
Links: Verbatim.com Tuff Clip

Backup Flash Drive: SanDisk Ultra Backup

The SanDisk Ultra Backup is a nifty little flash drive that lets you backup your documents with a click of a button. It’s a little more expensive than the average flash drive, but it offers the convince of creating a second copy of your files. Without the hassle of having to install any software, the backup tool runs right off the Flash Drive’s on-board memory, making copies of files that you select.

Buy: SanDisk Ultra Backup | Review: SanDisk Ultra Backup

Ultra-Portable Flash Drive: Super Talent Pico

The Super Talent Pico is still probably one of the World’s Smallest Flash Drives. It’s thin enough to slip into a wallet or hang on a key chain without having to worry about bulkiness. It’s waterproof too. The unit we reviewed last year was 8GB, but it’s also available in up to 32GB capacities today.

Buy: Super Talent Pico | Review: Super Talent Pico

Secure Flash Drive: IronKey S200

The IronKey is probably the most secure flash drive on the market. It has high grade hardware and software encryption to keep eyes off your data. If the IronKey gets lost or falls into the wrong hands, there’s nothing to worry about. Without an incorrect password nothing use accessible. In fact, the flash drive self-destructs with a few consecutive incorrect password attempts. It’s pricey and probably unnecessary for many, but it’s a damn good flash drive.

Buy: IronKey S200 | Review: IronKey S200

Standard Flash Drive: Sandisk Cruzer

The SanDisk Cruzer doesn’t have any of the bells or whistles the other flash drives do, but it’s reliable and affordable. It’s one of the most popular flash drives on the market and you’ve probably seen these all over the place. It’s available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities. It’s simply works.

Buy: SanDisk Cruzer | Review: SanDisk Cruzer

This Gift Guide is a part of our ongoing Skatter Tech Holiday Gift Guide.

Main Features:

• Military-Grade Encryption
• Stealth Browsing with Firefox
• Built-in Password Manager
• Rugged and Waterproof Device
• Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux
• 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB models

Security Features:
The IronKey is like most flash drives, just plug it in and copy data over. However unlike typical devices, any stored data is encrypted with IronKey’s Cryptochip technology. If you’re a computer security whiz, then you’ll be impressed to hear that it meets Level 3 of the Federal Process Information Standardization 140 (FIPS). The IronKey isn’t just limited to software encryption either, it also uses a 256-bit AES hardware encryption. That means that for the most part, unless you’re working for the NSA or are a hardcore hacker, any data on this device will be unreadable without the right password.

IronKey even takes extra precautions. All the software needed to run the IronKey is stored on-board the flash memory. No data is left over on a host computer’s hard drive or RAM. With an on-screen virtual keyboard, the device is immune to key-loggers. To prevent brute force dictionary attacks, if there are over 10 concurrent incorrect attempts to login, it self-destructs. It won’t explode into pieces, but the insides will become destroyed. It won’t be readable, writable, or usable ever again.

The unit is now also made from a single piece of metal, making it quite durable. The original model was slightly more flimsy with a rear plate. The unit has also passed military-grade waterproof testing. (Electromagnetic shielding too!) And just like the original model, if someone were to pry the unit open to extract the flash memory chip, it will detect their presence and self-destruct upon contact.

Software Tools:
In addition to the durable build quality and hardware security, there’s plenty of useful software on the device. There’s a built-in anonymous Firefox browser. It runs off the device with no installation required. No data remnants will be left over on the user’s computer. Plus, with a built-in password manager, you’ll never need to remember all your passwords. The device will store a secured copy of all your logins for important websites. Of course, it requires a master password to utilize any of the credentials.

The Firefox browser also has a specially built encrypted tunnel for browsing. When enabled, all data is sent through a triple-encrypted connection, routed through multiple servers, and eventually directed to the website you visited. (A high-performance dedicated Tor network.) With a masked DNS, it will be nearly impossible to track who you are or your location. So this means, if you are using an unsecure WiFi network or public HotSpot, there’s nothing to worry about.

How It Works:
It’s this simple. Just plug it in and if the software an auto-run dialog should popup in Windows 7. Just click on it and an IronKey window will appear, prompting the user for a password. If the correct key is entered, a second hidden partition on the drive becomes accessible. Just like any other flash drive copy any data over. The read and write speeds were also impressively faster than most flash drives I have used. (About 25Mb/s for both read and write speeds.) The IronKey portable app launcher will remain in the taskbar. It offers a simple interface to launch applications such as Firefox, the backup tool, and any other portable app you install. There’s also a control panel to change passwords, update the on-board IronKey software, and much more. When you’re done with a session, just press the Lock Drive item. It immediately secures and makes the partition vanish.

Conclusion:
The IronKey S200 is simply an awesome gadget. It’s the most secure flash drive I’ve come across. There’s nothing groundbreaking that sets it apart from the last iteration, but the simple changes and upgrades are appreciated. That being said, this is still a bit of an overkill for the average person. Unless you’re carrying sensitive corporate data, top-secret information, or are just plain paranoid, you probably don’t need this. The combination of the excellent hardware and software makes this a great device. The only downside is the price. While an average 1GB flash drive costs merely nothing in 2009, the IronKey S200 1GB model has a MSRP of $79. A 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacity models follow priced at $99, $149, $199, and $299, respectively. Even so, it’s a small trade-off if you have something to protect. If your IronKey gets stolen or lost, it’s pretty much guaranteed that your data is secure.

Buy: IronKey Model S200 on Amazon.com
Links: IronKey.com | Watch Demo

The SanDisk Cruzer model for 2009 retains the traditional form factor of a flash drive. The unit looks simpler and stylish compared to the previous generations. The unit seems durable and will survive plenty of handling. The USB connector recedes into the plastic casing when not in use. The white button used to slide the USB connector in and out lights up orange when connected and blinks when data transfer is in progress. Coping a 700MB video file (DiggNation HD Podcast) over to the flash drive took about 1 minute and 20 seconds. Read speeds on the other hand were much faster, I copied  the same file back to my computer in just 20 seconds. This variation between write and read speeds are expected and normal for average flash drives on the market, high end drives ones will offer much faster write speeds.

The Cruzer now comes by default with a pre-installed launcher to manage a set of programs on the flash drive. This a quick and easy way for the average student to access simple applications and manage there files on the flash drive. There’s a little built-in application store to grab both free and paid portable software. Most of the items listed seemed mostly useless, however some great tools including portable versions of Firefox, Avast!, and a few other tools were also listed for free. For those of you that despise having pre-loaded software on their flash drive, SanDisk has finally included a removal tool on the device. In the past, users would have to hunt down the removal tool by either searching the web or finding it on SanDisk’s website. That option is truly welcome and appreciated.

Overall this is an excellent and reliable flash drive for the average person. It doesn’t have anything too special, but instead it’s affordable and simple. Extremely cheap flash drives may often seem like a great deal at first, but they often result in data being corrupted. Whether you are a transporting office documents or multimedia, the SanDisk Cruzer is a quality product from a reliable brand name. The unit tested in this review, provided courtesy of SanDisk, was 8GB model; however a lower capacity 4GB model and higher capacity 16GB/32GB models are also available. The original MSRP by SanDisk is usually high, but they are almost available for a fraction of the price if you shop around. I’ve included links to Amazon’s pricing below which starts at just $12 for the 4GB model.

Links: SanDisk.com Cruzer
Buy: 4GB $12 | 8GB $22 | 16GB $33 | 32GB $67

The main reason for purchasing an ultra-portable drive is to be able to carry it on you at all times without having to worry about extra baggage. The Super Talent Pico allows doing just that. The flash drive is slim enough to fit into a wallet without any noticeable bulge. Others may prefer to attach it to a key chain with the included chain. The flash drive is quite robust and won’t bend even the slightest amount even with a good amount of force. As a bonus the drive is completely waterproof so you can be sure that your data won’t be lost if it ends up getting drenched. There are no movable parts or caps, the front of the Pico fits into the bottom portion of a USB port. Not only is this drive small, but it looks pretty stylish too.

As for performance, the drive attained an average of 22.0 MB/sec transfer rate with an access time of just .8 milliseconds. The Pico-C was on par with the performance of the SanDisk Cruzer Contour which reviewed recently and was much faster than the SanDisk Cruzer Micro. Despite the tiny size, this flash drive is probably now one of the fastest drives I have used.

Regarding drawbacks, there are a few I should mention. First the drive lacks an LED indicator meaning you should always eject the drive in your computer prior to removing it since there’s no way of knowing whether any data is being transferred. Second, the drive is often tight and hard to fit into certain USB ports and exerting force might be required, which is never a good thing. Third, I noticed that with certain powered USB hubs, the drive heats up to very high temperatures making it almost impossible to hold for a few seconds. Despite these issues, the Pico won’t cause any problems for most owners.

The horribly simple packaging might worry some regarding the quality of the product; however my experience proved not to disappoint. The drive is actually quite affordable; the 8GB model I reviewed is available online for as low as $29. Super Talent also manufactures 2GB and 4GB models which are available for just $10 and $15, respectively. The Super Talent Pico (C) will produce the “wow factor” just about any time you pull it out, has a large storage capacity, great performance, and is fairly cheap so you’ll get just about everything you can ask for in this tiny package.

Buy Now: Super Talent Pico 2GB $10 | 4GB $15 | 8GB $30
Links: SuperTalent.com – Pico Information

The Cruzer Contour is a bit heavier than most flash drives, but this is due to the aluminum encased back-side. The top front was made of glossy plastic, which unfortunately had a “cheap” feel to it. To open the drive, you’ll have to slide it backwards then forwards. To close it, you’ll have to slide the top forward then back. Overall the build quality was superb. It isn’t an IronKey, but it is more than enough for the average consumer. I also personally felt that this looks much better than most flash drives I’ve seen. The only other physical caveat I had was that the “cheap” plastic on top kept creaking when opening and closing the flash drive. I also appreciated the fact that SanDisk threw in a leather protective case with a key chain loop along with the flash drive. The whole package looks “executive” enough for me.

http://skattertech.com/media/2008/07/sandisk-cruzer-contour-demo.mp4

As I mentioned previously, the unit’s performance is an important factor. SanDisk officially stated that the drive has 25 MB/sec read speeds and 18 MB/sec write speeds. I used a benchmarking tool (HD Tune) and found that the transfer rate was actually 22.1 MB/sec, about 4 MB/sec faster than they had stated. The read and write speeds were sure enough much faster than generic SanDisk Cruzer Micro I had lying around, but was on par with the IronKey. SanDisk included a set of U3 applications on the drive, these included: Avast! Anti-Virus, Skype, HP Photosmart, some games, and a password manager. I wasn’t a fan of the idea of the launcher starting up each time I plug in the drive nor to have applications I don’t plan on using on my flash drive. As a result I downloaded and ran the U3 uninstaller, which I was able to easily find on SanDisk’s website. All traces of the launcher and applications were quickly erased leaving me with space for my data and media. Keeping the U3 apps would allow me to encrypt the drive, however the downside would be that I would only access my data on a Windows-based machine, no OS X support. Despite that, from some quick tests proved that the default security was quite robust. The partition on the flash drive with encrypted data was completely inaccessible without the correct password.

Overall all the entire idea of the SanDisk Cruzer Contour deserves a thumbs up. Although I happened to not be a fan of the pre-installed apps since I preferred to use my own tools and encrypt my data with TrueCrypt, most consumers will appreciate it. As for the unit’s lifespan, I won’t be able to say how long the flash drive will survive under standard wear and tear, however I would assume it will keep running much longer than cheap generic flash drives. Fortunately it comes with a lifetime warranty, however that won’t cover any data lost due to defects. As for the physical aspect, I found the opening and closing to be a bit tricky at first and is a bit difficult to operate with one hand, however it isn’t an issue after a couple of uses. The unit I reviewed had 4GB storage capacity, however SanDisk also has 8GB and 16GB models available. The drives are available for purchase for as low as $43 for 4GB, $55 for 8GB, and $112 for 16GB on Amazon, however MSRP is much higher for each of the models.

Buy Now: SanDisk Cruzer Contour on Amazon
Link: SanDisk Cruzer Contour Flash Drives
Related: IronKey Review

After reviewing the Belkin USB Plus 7-port Hub earlier this month, I thought it would only be appropriate if I also reviewed it’s smaller sibling the 4-port USB Plus Hub. The Belkin 4-port hub retains the same style and theme as the larger one. It accepts power from an AC Adapter so too much stress won’t be placed on your machine’s bus. And since it’s self powered, as a bonus, USB powered devices can be charged if connected to the hub even when your computer is off. A neat little rubber clamp on the right side acts as a holster to keep cables neatly organized and from running loose.

The Belkin 4-port USB Plus Hub worked without any issues with just about any USB gizmo. Two of the USB ports along with the input and power supply are found on the back. For easy access, the remaining two ports have been placed on top of the unit for flash drives. There are LED indicators embedded into the casing, which indicate which ports are connected and when the power supply status. The hub was able to retain a full data throughput that the USB can support, which is all that we can ask for. It will slow down if too many data intensive devices such as external Hard Drives are being used.

The hub is available in two color schemes: brown/white or white/blue. As seen in the pictures, I went with the brown/white configuration to match my other gizmos; however people who own Apple gizmos might want to go with the white/blue. I tested this unit with both Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard without any issues whatsoever. Overall the hub is well designed and works smoothly. It is now available online (amazon, newegg, etc.) and in most retail stores for around $29.99.

Links: Belkin.com USB Plus 4-Port Hub
Buy: Belkin 4-Port Hub (Brown) (amazon, no tax + ships free)

I purchased a Belkin 7-port USB Plus Hub about a month ago to go along with my Dell m1530 Laptop and it works perfectly. The USB 2.0 hub replicates USB ports for additional accessories. The hub is powered with an AC adapter as an additional energy source under the circumstances that you are using too many devices that require charging. As a bonus, since the hub has its own power supply, devices such as iPods, Zunes, ZENs, and other USB-powered gizmos can be recharged without having to leave your machine running. The only problem I ran into was the fact that it took up more desk space than an average hub due to the ports being arranged horizontally on the back. However Belkin makes up for it by adding a cable holder on the side to reduce clutter and by simply making a product that works flawlessly.

The overall design of the Belkin Hub is simple and it works as advertised. There are five USB ports on the back along with the power cord and cable that connects to your computer. For easy access, the remaining 2 ports are located on top for use with flash drives. The hub is entirely stackable, so if you demand more ports you can place another Belkin 7-port or 4-port USB Plus Hub on top. You won’t lose access to the ports onto when stacking two 7-port hubs since the ports are still accessible through the hole. The hub also has discrete LED indicators embedded inside the encasement to display which ports are in use. Although we didn’t test the hub with too many data transfer intensive devices such as external hard drives, but rather with small peripherals, Belkin claims a 480Mbps transfer rate.

The hub is available in two color schemes: brown/white or white/blue. As seen in the pictures, I went with the brown/white configuration to match my other gizmos; however people who own Apple gizmos might want to go with the white/blue. So far the USB Plus Hub has been functioning perfectly, no hiccups what so ever. The only times the hub has slowed down is when we hit the USB 2.0 protocol transfer rate limit. The hub is well built and is available for a very reasonable price of $29.99 with no tax and free shipping from Amazon and other stores. But be aware that some stores such as Circuit City are charging as high as $50-60 for the same item, so shop around before buying.

Buy: Belkin 7-port USB Plus Hub – $29.99 (no tax + ships free)
Links: Belkin.com (Hubs Section | Belkin 7-port Hub (White Version)

Last month we wrote a small piece about IronKey’s Hardware Encrypted Flash Drive, which can self-destruct. The folks over at IronKey were kind enough to provide us with sample unit for review. For those of you that don’t know what the IronKey is, it’s pretty much one of the safest flash drives available on the market. And yes, it does “self-destruct” its insides rendering it completely useless when someone tries to steal your data. Right off the bat, we’ve got to say that we’re quite impressed. Just to begin with, the IronKey required no additional software to run. (No issues with our Windows XP or Vista machines.)

Main IronKey Features:

• Military-Grade Encryption
• Self-Destruct Sequence
• Secured Online Back Up
• Stealth Browsing (Tor)
• Password Management
• Water/Tamper-proof
• 1GB, 2GB, & 4GB Sizes

What Is The IronKey?
Just like any flash drive, the IronKey lets you store data onto it for portable storage. But unlike your normal thumb drives, any data placed onto the memory is encrypted by IronKey’s Cryptochip technology. If this drive were stolen or lost, no one would be able to access your data since it’s encrypted. And this isn’t just any simple encryption, the data is first software encrypted with 256-bit AES then encrypted once again with 128-bit AES. As far as I am aware of, this technology has never been cracked to date. (correct me if I’m wrong.) If some one were to actually try to guess the password or tries to brute force their way through, the IronKey will self-destruct after 10 failed attempts. If the thief was a bit more “hard-core” and attempted to physically open the drive to directly read the contents, the IronKey will be able to detect the intruder’s presence and destroy itself as well.

What Else Can It Do?
In addition to protecting your data, the IronKey can manage all your passwords and will allow you to browse the web securely and anonymously. Instead of saving your passwords into your browser when logging into a website, the passwords are encrypted and saved onto the IronKey. Since it’s encrypted no one can get those passwords without the IronKey’s main password. Using the IronKey’s password manager tool is easy as plugging in the thumb drive, not additional software was required.

For secure browsing, the IronKey utilizes a VPN, which tunnels all traffic through a secure transport. This meaning, you can securely browse the web from even unsecured WiFi networks or public HotSpots and not have to worry about someone stealing your information. And for anonymity, the IronKey also sports a very impressive dedicated high-performance Tor network. This technology uses state-of-the -art cryptography to create a multi-layer encryption for your data which then travels through multiple networked Tor servers to prevent anyone from getting any information about your machine.

How It Works:
Just plug the IronKey into your Windows XP or Vista machine and a popup will prompt the user to name the drive and setup a password. (Unfortunately it doesn’t work on Mac OS X) When you purchase an IronKey and plug it in for the first time, the software on the flash drive prompts the user to setup a password. Once complete, the IronKey generates AES encryption keys, sets up up the secure file system, and configures the on-board Firefox browser. IronKey also offers their customers the option to create a secure backup of all your data online so users would be able to download their data if their flash drive was stolen. Anytime the IronKey is plugged into any computer (XP or Vista) after it has been setup, it will simply prompt the user for a password. The data and security tools will be inaccessible unless you login. Once logged in, you can save your data and settings and logout by clicking on the “Lock Drive” button found in the system tray. We didn’t test the actual self-destruct feature since it not only deletes your data, but also renders the IronKey useless. Hopefully that important part works as advertised.

Other Information:
At the moment only Firefox was specifically designed to run via the IronKey launcher, however future firmware upgrades to the IronKey will allow more compatibility with other portable applications. You can still run any portable app, however it may not be ensured that the program will leave any remnants of data on the machine it is used with. Just like a credit card, IronKey recommend that you either engrave or sign your name onto space they have provided on the back. You can also add contact information onto the software so that there’s a “Lost & Found” message if someone plugs it into their machine. Another tool I found useful was the built in password generator which will create and save the password it generates. Therefore if it ends up being impossibly hard to remember, you don’t have to know it since the IronKey will take care of everything for you. It weighs just 0.8 ounces, is waterproof, and operates anywhere from -40 to +85 degrees Celsius (-40 to 185 Fahrenheit). The IronKey is available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities priced at $79, 109, and $149 on IronKey.com respectively. It is available for cheaper through other resellers. This drive is a great tool for business people, those who want to carry sensitive data, want an easy way to manage passwords, and/or browse the web safely.

Links: IronKey.com | Watch Demo
Buy Now: 4GB – $135 | 2GB – $100 | 1GB – $72

What happens if you were to loose flash drive? Unless someone is kind enough to return it, your data is probably available for just about anyone to view. One great solution to safeguarding data on the go is the IronKey. The folks over at IronKey, which is the name of the product as well, have created a flash drive with “military-grade” encryption. This means that your data is just about as safe as it could possibly be if it were stolen or found by a hacker. (This encryption technology hasn’t been broken, yet.)

Unlike a standard flash drive which brings up a window with your files, the IronKey will prompt the user for a password when plugged in. No data will be accessible without the right password. The IronKey’s security software is located right on the flash memory and runs right off it, therefore requiring no additional programs to be installed. The flash drive’s encryption is both hardware and software based. The Cryptochip on board automatically encrypts any type of files copied onto the flash memory. If a hacker were to extract the data, it would be encrypted and unreadable anyways. The drive itself is quite rugged, it is encased in metal housing which is strong enough to withstand just about any drops, being run over by a car, from high pressure, and is even waterproof. If someone was trying to guess the password and failed ten times or managed to break open the casing, the Cryptochip automatically initiates a self-destruct sequence, destroying ALL data! (The password limit prevents brute force.)

The IronKey sports a built-in password manager which stores user names, passwords, credit card numbers, or any any other type of data. This is probably the safest way to carry around important digital data without being afraid of it falling into the wrong hands if stolen or lost. Once enabled, the software on board can also automatically log you into any website such as banking sites using the without having to enter any data, therefore preventing key loggers from catching passwords. We don’t know the exact speed and would assume copying data onto or off of the flash drive would be slow since it has to be encrypted or decrypted, but according to IronKey’s website they claim it remains one of the fastest flash drives on the market. (Apparently uses high quality dual channel memory.) The final feature worth mentioning, is that IronKey allows backing up the encrypted data to the companies web server right from the flash drive in an well encrypted manner. This means if you were to loose your drive, the data is still recoverable from their server. The IronKey is available in 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB capacities for $69, $96, and $134 respectively. (MRSP is actually $79, $109, and $149)

Buy Now: IronKey (via amazon)
Link: Meet The IronKey | Demo (video)

On July 11, 2006, Sony Electronics announced an extremely small thumb drive called the Micro Vault Tiny. The Micro Vault Tiny, which is only a half-inch wide and an inch long, will be offered in capacities of up to 4GB. The drives are “color-coded” by capacity: 256MB (orange), 512MB (violet), 1GB (blue), 2GB (green) and 4GB (purple). Sony has also pre-installed compression software called Virtual Expander, which “expands” the capacity of the drive by compressing and decompressing files. The Micro Vault Tiny is now shipping in sizes 256MB to 2GB; however the 4GB model will not be available until later this year.

No specific price for any model has been set yet, but suggested retail is between $29.99 and $199.99 depending on capacity. Although these drives look fashionable, are extremely small, and are a brand-name product, they are way too over priced for the practical consumer. For example a no-name bulky 2GB USB 2.0 thumb drive, which may actually be more durable, will probably cost less than half of what Sony is charging.

Links: Sony Press Release
Related: Sony E Series Walkman

Today (04/04/06), Sony officially announced a new E-Series Network Walkman lineup. This walkman, unlike the previous series, takes the form of a standard USB thumb drive, making it easy to transfer files back and forth without additional equipment. This product is very similar to Apple’s iPod Shuffle; except for a bonus it has an OLED display. The E-Series will be available in six bright colors: sliver, green, blue, pink, violet, and black. Sony stated that the new walkman would be available in three base models: 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB. (certain models include a FM tuner)

Sony also uses very powerful batteries allowing longer lasting battery life than any Apple iPod. With their quick charge technology, 3 minutes of charging offers 3 hours of playback. (total battery life ~28hrs) Sony has finally been able to get licensing from Microsoft so that they can play WMA (DRM-Free) files along with Mp3 and Atrac formats. Unfortunately purchased music can only be played on this walkman if they are downloaded from Sony’s Connect Music Store. ($0.99/song) Sony also bundles SonicStage, management software, which is very similar to iTunes.

We had tested an older E-Series walkman, the NW-E407, and it was in fact much more robust than the iPod Shuffle. The new Walkman will be available towards the end of April 2006, but no prices have been set. If the prices are reasonable we would recommend this over the iPod Shuffle because of the FM tuner, battery life, and display. Please check back for any updates.

Links: Sony E Series Walkman | Press Release
Related: SonicStage + Connect Music Store | Sony.com