| OCZ ATV Turbo 8GB | Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB | SanDisk Cruzer Contour 8GB |
 | - 8GB
- Read at 33 - 35MB/s
- Write at 26 - 30MB/s
- 3.25" x 0.75" x 0.38"
- Waterproof rubber
- Lifetime warranty
- Shipping since Jun 2007
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 | - 8GB
- Read at 34MB/s
- Write at 28MB/s
- 3.25" x 0.75"
- Anodized aluminum
- 256-bit AES SW encryption
- Ten year warranty
- Shipping since May 2007
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 | - 8GB
- Read at 25MB/s
- Write at 18MB/s
- No data encryption
- U3 USB apps platform
- Retractable connector
- Lifetime warranty
- Shipping since May 2007
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| We have all accidentally left a flash drive in our pocket and washed it, dropped it outside and left it to Mother Natures wrath, or something similar. Thankfully many manufacturers are starting to come up with ways to protect these frail devices and help them withstand our mishaps. While OCZ is not the first one to introduce a product that increases the durability and ruggedness of a flash drive, it is their first attempt at a flash drive with some extra resilience. | Corsair is billing the Flash Survivor as the most rugged USB 2.0 flash drive. The drive is encased in an aluminum shell that makes the flash drive inside water-resistant and shock-proof. It will be available in two variations, the Flash Survivor GT with 8GB of storage for $129.99 and the Flash Survivor 4GB at $59.99. Both drives are rated water resistant to 200 meters. The sustained read/write performance for the GT is up to 34MB/sec read and 28MB/sec write. | Combining fashion with utility, Sandisk's sexy new Cruzer Contour flash drive feels just as good in your hand as it does to stupify netizens wondering how to expose and retract the sliding USB connector. That's why there's a nice little how-to diagram after the jump (it works like a mechanical pen). Vista ReadyBoost certified with read and write speeds of 25MBps/18MBps, the U3-equipped drive will come in capacities of 4GB and 8GB. |
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Space Filler
4GB is the maximum size of cache file Vista's ReadyBoost can manage. With compression enabled by default, the amount of data held inside a 4GB cache could contain upwards of 8GB of data. |
| Kingston Data Traveler Secure 8GB | PQI Cool Drive U350 8GB | Imation Clip Flash Drive 8GB |
 | - 8GB
- Read at 24MB/s
- Write at 14MB/s
- 3.06" x 0.9" x 0.47"
- Thin titanium with plastic
- 256-bit AES HW encryption
- Five year warranty
- Shipping since Jan 2007
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 | - 8GB
- Read at 25MB/s
- Write at 17MB/s
- 3.05" x 0.63" x 0.45"
- Aluminum
- No data encryption
- Retractable USB connector
- One year warranty
- Shipping since Sep 2006
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 | - 8GB
- Unspecified read speed
- Unspecified write speed
- 2.95" x 1.14" x 0.4"
- Plastic with rubberized shell
- No data encryption
- Five year warranty
- Shipping since May 2006
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| For roaming professionals who cannot afford to compromise sensitive data, there is quite a few options out there, most dealing with software encryption. However, such methods can be slow, and do little to protect the fragile drive itself. Enter Kingston DataTraveler Secure, a robust new flash drive featuring 256-bit AES encryption that works on-the-fly, a self destructing feature, and a casing that can handle life everyday abuses. The product link points to the 4GB review. |
Summary not yet available | The Imation 8GB drive is simply a rubber casing that houses one of the smallest flash drives. The actual mechanism is only as big as a thumb joint, which is about an inch long, plus the USB connector. The actual USB port slips into a slot and the drive seats into the rubber, so there is no danger of it falling out. To remove it, you sort of peel the rubber back and slide the drive out using the indented end with a thumb grip. |
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