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Tech Accessories

Cypod flash drive takes four types of data for a spin

USB flash drives are important tools for computer users, enabling them to save photos, text and video data, and conveniently take that information anywhere without having to schlep a PC around. But not all memory sticks are created equal. Many of them are small and can be easily lost, while others can be unreliable and many can only fit a small amount of data.

Cypod is a cylindrical flash drive that promises reliability and the ability to hold a huge amount of data. It also adds something missing from typical USB flash drives: the ability to, like a traditional hard drive, partition four separate types of data. Each partitioned area can be selected by rotating the device to access the four separate USB sticks that have been incorporated into its design.

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Imaging Networking

U+ flash drive forms a triple threat for storage, charging and selfies

USB flash drives are extremely handy. But there are many of them on the market and the makers of several more of them have recently sought funding via crowdsourcing, including the Reversible USB Adapter.

patent-claimedWhat separates U+ is that the hybrid device serves not only as a wireless USB flash drive, but also a multimedia hub, external charger and a selfie shutter. For the latter functionality, it integrates with Android and iOS smartphone and tablet cameras to create a selfie shutter that activates at the click of a button on the U+. The campaign touts that it’s built with a Qualcomm CPU and Samsung RAM, and supports 1080p video.

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Cell Phone Accessories Connected Objects

Relive the days of pagers with Smart Keychain

smartkeychainThe great thing about all-in-one devices is the way that they reduce both clutter and the bulky, pants-sagging weight caused by having a gadget for each function. Smart Keychain is one such device that combines a key-finder, a flash drive, and an email reader into a keyring display with a USB port. At the same time, the low-tech look and feel of the product and the bulky addition it makes to any keyring detracts from features mostly offered by the phone that isn’t being ousted from the pocket. There are some really good tools here, but this feels like an unnecessary reinvention of the beeper. Smart Keychain is available for $59.

 

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Tech Accessories

Wi-Stick: Another wireless-enabled flash drive to add to the pile

wi-stickPortable hard drives are great, but in today’s world if files aren’t on the cloud, they may as well not be accessible. Wi-Stick is a portable flash drive that functions wirelessly, allowing up to eight devices at any time to connect to it and access any stored files. Wi-Stick offers compatibility with most major operating systems (iOS, Mac OS X, Windows, Android) and has a battery that lasts for as long as five hours before it needs to be recharged. Other similar devices are on the market, but Wi-Stick’s compatibility is how it seeks to set itself apart from the competition. Wi-Stick starts at 8GB for €70 and is estimated to deliver in August 2014.

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Tech Accessories

EkZee targets the USB drive-by with malware removal

The Premise. Security risks are omnipresent in today’s world, and they’re only becoming more and more real as the years go on. Since so many of us use the Internet to handle our banking and put countless amounts of sensitive information on our computers, it’s never been more important to think about ways in which to maximize security.

The Product. EkZee may just be the solution to those who fear their USB drives may contain viruses. With a hobbyist enclosure and the footprint of a smartphone, it’s also extremely easy to use. Simply plug a USB drive into EkZee, hit the button and the rest takes care of itself. The device will scan your drive for any malicious software that may have somehow made its way onto it and get rid of it for you. According to the developer, simple antivirus software is often not enough to clean USB drives — this is where EkZee steps in.

The Pitch. There’s no slick marketing pitch for the EkZee. The video features low-fi audio and awkward cuts. However, it communicates the product’s value on a campaign page that goes into more technical detail about how the product works, why it’s effective, and what the oh-so-sexy printed circuit board looks like. The developers set out some aspirations for EkZee with their stretch goals beyond the £51,000 they seek. At £75,000, they’ll consider adding an LCD and more selective file deletion support and at £100,000 support for more file systems such as NTFS used by Windows.

The Perks. EkZee is expected to ship in July 2014 to backers. The base reward tier is £40 although a £31 early bird offer is available.

The Potential. The simplicity of using EkZee combined with the relatively low price makes this a product that could potentially have a big splash in the IT community. It’s not strictly for business use, however, and would be a wise purchase for many nontechnical users who need to screen a wide range of unknown USB drives.