LaCie intros Rugged USB 3.0 drive, new USB flash drives
updated 01:25 am EST, Wed January 6, 2010
New Rugged HDD claimed to reach 110MB/s speeds
LaCie has announced the Rugged USB 3.0 external storage and two USB flash drives, the CooKey and WhizKey. The Rugged drive features the latest USB 3.0 interface, with data transfer rates claimed to reach up to 110MB/s. The company has yet to announced capacities for the updated version, although the current USB 2.0 model is available with 250GB, 320GB or 500GB hard drives.
Both the CooKey and WhizKey feature waterproof construction and metal housings, with data transfer rates of up to 30MB/s. Customers can purchase storage capacities up to 32GB, while the drives also support Wuala's online storage and include 4GB of free storage for two years.
Pricing and availability for the Rugged USB 3.0 drive are expected to be announced this week at CES. The WhizKey and CooKey are now available, with prices starting at $20 for the 4GB model and rising to $100 for the 32GB variant.
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The USB Key idea is great however there's a few problems. 1) The USB Key is going to be rubbing against the other metal keys on one's keychain. 2) Unless they expect people to remove the USB Key from the keychain, there's going to be considerable weight applied to the USB slot, possibly damaging it over time.