I never thought it'd be possible, but Mazda of all companies has embraced the inner geek inside me to make me want to run out and test drive one of their cars. Thankfully this is only a concept car for now, and my Honda is still running strong.
Designed for "net-savvy youngsters", the new concept hatchback, Mazda Sassou, ditches the traditional cylinder lock key system in favor of USB flash drives. In addition to starting the engine, the flash drives can be used to transfer driving directions for long trips along with the latest songs for the day to the Sassou's internal hard drive.
Just be sure to vent the windows though, it looks like the extra large sunroof would literally cook any electronics you have in the car during your lunch break.
Update on Oct 2th 2005: CNET has just posted a video showcasing all the other unique features of the Mazda concept car. Filed under USB Flash Drives
About Everything USB
USB technology is the de facto connectivity standard for PC peripherals & consumer electronics; it has evolved from USB 1.1 to USB 2.0, Wireless USB and USB 3.0. Everything USB takes an in-depth look at these products and other offbeat USB gadgets, and brings you information and reviews needed for you to make a purchase decision. Welcome and enjoy your stay. 
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Filed under Hardware
Thumbdrive Reviews
- Ironkey 1GB Secure Flash Drive (2007)
- OCZ ATV Turbo 4GB Flash Drive (2007)
- Corsair Flash Padlock 2GB Flash Drive (2007)
- SanDisk Cruzer Contour 4GB Flash Drive (2007)
- Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB Flash Drive (2007)
- Corsair Flash Voyager GT 4GB Flash Drive (2007)
- Kingston DataTraveler Secure 4GB Flash Drive (2006)
- SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 2GB Flash Drive (2006)
- Lexar JumpDrive Mercury 1GB Flash Drive (2006)
- Lexar JumpDrive Secure II 1GB Flash Drive (2005)
More USB Flash Drives
- Corsair Flash Voyager Mini - Small in Size, Big in Storage
- Dunhill Bulldog (The Sophisticated - And Expensive - USB Drive)
- USB-based ExpressCard SSD - Instant Storage for Your Lappy
- Case Study for Nexcopy USB Flash Drive Duplicator (ADS)
- Keep Your Flash Drive in Your Pocket (New WUSB Idea)
- Ironkey 'Secure Flash Drive' Now Available in 8GB
- Virtual Console 60-port Flash Drive Duplicator Breaks New Record
- Sandisk Cruzer Enterprise = RSA SecurID + 256-bit HW AES
- Imation Atom Flash Drive. Perhaps Subatomic to Follow?
- IronKey Personal 1GB Secure Flash Drive Review
- Corsair Flash Padlock Not So Secure... (The Dutch Said it)
- Nexcopy Flash Drive Duplicator Does More Than Just Duplicate
- Swarovski Engagement Rings for USB Geeks (Insane!)
- Credit Card Flash Drive? Not Quite. See for Yourself
- Buffalo Halts Sales of Flash Drives in USA (Blames SanDisk)
- Rent Movies… On Your Flash Drive
- Microsoft StartKey, Replacement for U3?
- Mickey Mouse 2GB Flash Drive is a Speed Demon
- Buffalo Scraps Plans for External USB SDD Outside Japan
- Mimoco's New Star Wars-themed Thumbdrives (in Limited Quantity)
- Digital Albums Starting to Pop Up on Flash Drives
- Intel, Micron's Next-Gen NAND for USB 3.0
- eBoostr - Vista's ReadyBoost Makes it to XP, Sorta
- Delkin ImageRouter USB CF Rack for Nat-Geo Pros
- Buffalo Turbo Charges Flash Drives for Last Time Before USB 3.0
- Domino Drive Design with a Focus on the Artistic
- Keeping the Earth in Mind With the USB EarthDrive
- Kingston Expands HyperX Line in Unexpected Ways
- Lexar's Enterprise-grade Thumbdrive (256-bit HW AES, PKI, Smart Card...)
- Sandisk Cruzer Titanium Plus (HW Encryption in, U3 out)