GeekSugar

The Swiss Army Drive Packs 1 TB of Storage in a Pocket

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:49:27 PST

Introducing the Swiss Army knife that can make it through security and lock down every last digital photo, document, and video file. These days you need a little more in your pocket than a nail file and scissors, which is why Victorinox Swiss Army launched the Victorinox SSD storage devices.

Like many new products at CES, the SSD drive pictured above boasts major credentials, it's the world's smallest high-capacity storage drive available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and one terabyte capacities. It comes with two interchangeable casings, one perfect for the plane and another that includes all the usual Swiss Army knife tools like a blade or bottle opener.

Exact availability on the cutting-edge knife drive isn't known, and it's speculated that it may cost close to $3,000 - yikes!

Worried that a flash drive of that size would be heavy and bulky? You'd be wrong. Check out the size in real life after the break.

Never Lose Your Flash Drive Again: 5 Portable Options

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:08:16 PST

According to new research, over 17,000 USB flash drives were left behind at laundromats and dry cleaners last year. While I definitely promote the idea of backing up your important files on an external drive of some sort, leaving them lofting about in the hands of strangers (or destroyed in the washing machine) isn't exactly what I had in mind. Want to keep your important data with you, but are afraid your forgetful bug will strike at a most inopportune moment? Check out these flash drives that will stay with you wherever you go.

Memoring: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:45:12 PST

What's more romantic than a promise to love and cherish forever? How about a promise to never forget, or at least to never misplace those important files? With Memoring, you can do both. The simple neon plastic rings, which are actually USB flash drives, come in their own ring box and are available in festive colors like pink, yellow, or my favorite: glitter.

At about $36 for 2GB, these little plastic USB keys don't run cheap, even if they double as a fun accessory (or geeky engagement gag!). But I love the colors in all the photos on the site, and especially love the cute designs on the presentation boxes that they come packaged in. What do you think?

Daily Tech: The Vastness of the Solar System in Print

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:38:04 PST

Travel through the solar system in a 12-volume book set - Geek.com
A con artist's tale of working with the FBI against Google - Newser
Disturbingly realistic portraits of popular video game characters - Cracked
How nuclear physicists are changing art - Dvice
Africa and the Middle East gain free mobile access to this website - Tecca
The flash drive filled with invisible magic - Geekosystem

Save Mimobot Han Solo From His Carbonite Carrying Case!

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:32:16 PST

Move aside, Princess Leia! Now you can be the hero responsible for freeing Han Solo of his frozen carbonite entrapment. Mimoco is bringing back their pint-sized version of the famous Empire Strikes Back scene.

Round out your Mimobot flash drive collection with the Han Solo Mimobot hidden within a molded carbonite carrying case key chain. The drive, complete with Han's typical smug expression, is for sale in 4GB ($30), 8GB ($40), and 16GB ($50) capacities.

USB Bag Charm Keeps Important Docs Close at Hand

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:15:23 PDT

There's a few reasons I love this Studded USB Bag Charm ($45): One, you can stuff 2GB worth of documents, music, and photo files for easy transportation. Two, you wouldn't know it was a flash drive even if you studied it, which makes it great for toting sensitive documents on the go.

Sensitive documents you say? Here's an example: clip this on your leather messenger bag or keychain when you're traveling abroad, and keep a copy of your passport, itinerary, hotel information, credit cards, and emergency contacts on you at all times - just in case you lose your luggage (or worse, it gets stolen). The clip blends in well enough not to stand out, and you won't forget it in your hotel room if it's attached to your day bag. And let's face it - this is probably one of the most stylish, portable flash drives you've ever seen, so you should grab it either way.

Catch Up With Our 2012 CES Coverage So Far

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:50:44 PST

We've left Las Vegas, but that doesn't mean we're done with CES. Missed any news, releases, or photos? Catch up with all of our CES coverage so far, and stay tuned for lots more gadget goodness!

Cameras

Polaroid adds WiFi to its new SC1630 Smart Camera.
Speaking of WiFi, the Sony Bloggie Live can livestream your videos with a connection.
Like Instagram? You'll love the new Panasonic Lumix GX1 that has photo filters, tilt-shift tools, and scene selections built in for easy photo editing. Just like Instagram.
Samsung helps you get the perfect self-portrait with the WiFi-enabled DV300F.

Tablets and Ultrabooks

The Samsung Galaxy Note: is it a tablet or is it a phone?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is slim and sleek.
We're drooling over the Gorilla Glass-backed HP Envy 14 Spectre ultrabook.
Acer is banking on ultrabooks in 2012 and beyond. They rolled out two new Timeline ultrabooks along with the world's thinnest ultrabook, the S5.

Smartphones

We're looking forward to the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone.
The LG Spectrum is the perfect phone for streaming-video lovers.
Sprint is getting two new 4G LTE phones soon: the Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper.
AT&T adds a whopping eight new Android and Windows Phone smartphones to its 2012 lineup.
Huawei hopes to break into the US mobile market with the Ascend PS 1: the world's thinnest smartphone.

See the latest on TVs, headphones, trends, celebrities, and more after the break.

Multitasking Media Through the Wormhole

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:30:00 PST

Be it a work or personal computer, the task of transferring large media from one computer is usually much more complicated than the simplicity of the request. Two products from technology accessories company j5create promise to make file exchange as simple as a trip down a wormhole. A recipient of a CES 2012 Innovation Award, the Wormhole Station is a laptop docking station that shares the keyboard and mice functions across two computers simultaneously for drag-and-drop file transfers at superfast 5Gbps speed, which the company claims is about 160 songs per second. It includes outlets for USB 3.0 and memory card readers so that media from other devices is just as easily shareable among two desktops.

Should computer-to-computer file transferring be more of an occasional need - updating mom's iPhoto with pictures of the annual family vacation stored on your computer, for instance - opt for the Wormhole Switch. The single USB cable shares files of up to 480Mbps across laptops, desktop computers, Android devices, and iOS devices; no extra software needed.

The Wormhole Station is $130, and the Wormhole cables range in price between $25 for a PC-to-PC set, $30 for PC-to-Android, and $35 for Mac compatibility. Does Wormhole sound like an easier solution to the common flash drive or external hard drive or the how-do-I-share-content dilemma?

Go Green: Colorful Gadgets For Spring

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:32:29 PDT

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, so what a better way to celebrate the luck of the Irish than outfitting your gadgets in a green hue? If you don't have time to pick up a green-tinted gadget case or accessory before the holiday, then at least you'll be ready for the Spring season!

Geek Tip: Get an External Hard Drive Before Heading Back to School

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:37:44 PDT

You should know by now how important backing up data can be. This is especially true when you're heading off to school or moving to a new place. Not only can your external hard drive act as a backup for all your school work, term papers, exam notes, and the like, but it can be a lifesaver if something ever happens to your laptop.

Dorm parties and continual transportation to and from class can leave your machine vulnerable to theft and accidents. You can back up your important docs, music, and photos to something like this LaCie Rikiki Go ($90-$150) external drive, which can hold up to 500GB or 1TB of data, comes with an integrated USB cable, has a sturdy and rugged aluminum exterior. Plus, it's small enough to store safely in the tiniest of living quarters and not stick out like a sore thumb. But if you're short on space (or cash), there are a few other ways you can back up and store your important data. Find out how after the break.