Flash drives are now in common use as a means of holding personal data that needs to be moved quickly and easily from one location to another. However the physical size of these devices and the need to keep them safe from falling into the possession of others does raise the problem of how best to carry these devices. Of course you could simply stick them in a pocket along with whatever other items, such as coins and keys, that are already in residence. But if your pockets are like mine, there is probably enough clutter in there without adding to it. Imation believes there are alternative ways of transports these devices that will not only keep them safe and secure but also add a touch of street cred to your appearance.

See also: Flash memory

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The company has released flash disks available in wristband and clip-on format. The Imation Wristband unit consists of a 256MB flash drive encased in a rubber moulded shell. Measuring 23cm in length, the band has a USB connector at one end and an empty slot at the other. The USB connector fits into the slot so creating an enclosed band around the wrist. While this arrangement does make a secure connection, I found that it felt rather uncomfortable especially when worn for any length of time. It was a relief to remove it.

Attaching and detaching the wristband is relatively easy once you get use to a single handed operation. Data transfer was acceptable with 212MB of data, consisting of 40 files held in three folders, took under a minute for both reading and writing. The rubber casing felt slightly warmer after any disk activity. The Imation Flash Wristband has been priced at £25.00.

Unlike the Wristband, the Imation Clip Flash Drive consists of two separate elements. The actual silver coloured flash drive is one of, if not, the smallest I have seen. It measures a mere 45 x 18 x 7mm. The drive fits snugly into a rubber moulded casing that is attached to an ultra-tough carabineer clip when not in use or being transported. You can clip this device to a belt or shoulder bag.

Versions of the drive will be available in capacities ranging from 256MB (used for this review) up to 2GB. When linked to a computer, a flickering blue light will indicate when activity is taking place. Using exactly the same test on the same system as that used for the Wristband, this drive proved to be faster in both reading and writing. The improvement achieved was 36% and 16% respectively.

Speed of operation is not the only advantage this flash drive has over the Wristband model. The price for the 256MB version is £19.99 - a saving of £5.00. The 2GB version will be available for £99.99. Both products will work on Windows 98SE (driver supplied) and later, Mac OS 9.x and later, and Linux 2.4 and later. Given the choice there can only be one winner and that is the Imation Clip Flash Drive.

http://www.imation.com/products/flash_devices/usb_flash_clip.html

http://www.imation.com/products/flash_devices/usb_flash_wristband.html