Hands-On With SanDisk’s New Ultra USB Flash Drive

Hands-On With SanDisk’s New Ultra USB Flash Drive

By Abraham

If there’s one market that has to be terribly difficult for manufacturers to distinguish themselves in, I’d imagine it would be USB flash drives. But a stroll around the floor at CES this year led me to conclude that there are 3 ways you can distinguish your product. 1) Design, whether slick, durable or straight-up novelty. 2) Capacity and performance, including read and write speeds. 3) Bundled extras. And SanDisk, one of the few bona-fide brand-names when it comes to USB flash drives, has covered a couple of those criteria with their new Ultra USB Flash Drives. Originally introduced at CES, the 8GB, 16GB and 32GB drives are finally available, and we had a chance to take one for a spin. More after the jump.

Most consumers will claim that price is the most important thing they look for when shopping for a USB flash drive, if for some reason they’re unable to procure one as a free promotional item. But I think the other criteria I mentioned before also play a big part, even if they don’t realize it. So while SanDisk’s latest Ultra USB Flash Drives might not have the largest capacity, or the most unique design. I think they still offer enough to be worthy of consideration over the cheap, gray-market alternatives carried at many stores these days. Particularly if you feel more comfortable buying technology bearing a brand name.

While not necessarily a feature exclusive to SanDisk, for some reason I always associate a sliding USB connector with the brand. And since I’m always an advocate of protecting the USB connector on flash drives, without relying on a removable cap that’s easy to lose, it’s one of the best ways to do so. And I’m afraid I can’t say the drive features the most unique design as far as flash drives go. But it’s certainly sleek, simple and easy to carry on a keyring.

Sliding the red ‘button’ on top of the drive extends or retracts its USB connector, and the mechanism locks in place at either end so it’s not going to accidentally extend or retract when you don’t need it to. (Sliding it out or in actually requires you to press down on the red ‘button’ first, otherwise it isn’t going anywhere.) And on the end there’s an eyelet integrated into the drive’s body for attaching it to a keychain, which ensures it isn’t going to snap off from too much pressure when crammed in your pocket with a set of keys.

As for speed. SanDisk claims their Ultra USB Flash Drive is capable of read speeds up to 15 MB/s and write speeds up to 10 MB/s. Testing on a MacBook, using the Disk Activity meter in OS X’s ‘Activity Monitor’ we actually found the read speeds to be around 20 MB/s for certain files, but on average they hovered around 15-16 MB/sec when copying files from the drive to our computer. But when copying files to the drive, the write speeds never really jumped higher than 8 MB/s from our testing, though of course performance will vary from system to system. In other words, it’s not the fastest flash drive on the market, but we still feel it’s still more than adequate for most user’s needs.

And finally, though it’s not pictured, the red sliding ‘button’ on the drive actually glows from within when connected to your computer, flashing while files are being copied to and from it, and slowly pulsing in and out when it’s idle. Lots of drives forego an activity light these days to keep the price down, and you can certainly live without it. But I think it’s a handy feature since it serves as a quick way to confirm the drive is connected and working properly. It’s also a visual reminder not to absent-mindedly yank the drive out when you forget you’re in the middle of a large and long file copy.

But what might entice some people towards SanDisk’s new drives is the included SanDisk SecureAccess software which lets you create a secure ‘vault’ on the drive for storing sensitive or private files. After all, the bigger the drive you regularly use, the more files you’re going to lose to prying eyes should it disappear. Included on the drive is the Windows version of their SecureAccess software, but Mac users will have to hit up the SanDisk website to download the OS X compatible version. Thankfully there’s a link to it right on the drive’s product page.

Once installed, and once the drive’s connected to your PC, the software lets you setup a secure, password-protected area of the drive that can only be accessed by whoever knows the password. Unfortunately you’ll also need a copy of the SecureAccess software since it’s the only thing that can access protected files on the drive. It’s provided for free by SanDisk on their site, but it means you’ll have to download and install it on any computer where you might want access to the protected stuff on your drive.

Once installed, and once you’ve successfully given the password, you have access to your encrypted files through the SecureAccess software’s pretty basic GUI. You can add files using the ‘Add Files’ button in the upper right corner. Or simply drag and drop them into this window where they’ll be automatically added to the secure vault.

When logged in to the SecureAccess software you’ll also see a safe-like icon on your desktop which you can use as a shortcut for encrypting files by simply dragging them on to it. It’s basically just another way to do things, that doesn’t require you to always have the SecureAccess software open.

Overall though, I have to say the SecureAccess software and functionality is pretty basic. Files can be easily retrieved though the software when you’re logged in. But that’s the only way. You can’t find or retrieve them by using a file explorer window unfortunately. I also found that while you could add a folder full of files to the vault, which preserved the folder and its inner structure, you can’t create new folders using the SecureAccess software, or move files around inside the vault. Nor can you sort the encrypted files by name, size or date. So if you end up throwing quite a few files in there, it could get really messy and hard to navigate after a while. But, thanks to 128-bit AES encryption, I’m fairly confident that you’re unorganized mess is most definitely secure.

At the moment the 8GB and 16GB versions of the SanDisk Ultra USB Flash Drive are available from the company’s online store for $47.99 and $82.99 respectively. While oddly enough the 32GB version is only currently available from online stores like Amazon who are only asking $59.55 for it. So you’ll probably want to shop around online first in order to find the best price on the drives.

[ SanDisk Ultra USB Flash Drive ]

Google's Chromebook

Gallery: Google’s Chromebook: A brief tour

Here’s a stream of consciousness review. Engadget also served up a first take (looks like the FedEx truck came at the same time)

Hardware:

• The actual hardware is non-descript and feels like it’s rubberized. The casing feels like something cut from Batman’s rubberized outfit.
• The keyboard is simplified, but that could be jarring to some folks. For instance, the first thing I looked for was a print screen key. If you blog, print screen is your best friend. I couldn’t quite find this function, but downloaded a free screenshot app for Chrome. It kind of worked.
• Printing. Hooking up a printer requires Google Cloud Print, which is in beta. The instructions were to go to a Windows PC go to www.google.com/cloudprint, fire up the Chrome browser there and hook up Cloud Print under options. The problem is that Cloud Print wasn’t an option. A few searches indicated that the Cloud Print option is in Chrome 9. The issue: I have the latest Chrome and it’s version 8 and change. Figuring this Cloud Print thing out ate up a good 20 minutes of my first hour. In fact I still don’t have it figured out. Update: Google Cloud Print works well when set up. Update: Biggest item is that you need a developer build of the Chrome browser for the PC attached to the printer.

Software

• Chrome OS is basically a browser. If you know how to use Chrome, there’s nothing shocking with this Chromebook.
• The app screen obviously promotes Google items such as Gmail. Getting started is much easier if you have a Google account. There is a guest mode I haven’t played with much.
• Wi-Fi connectivity was a piece of cake. In addition, the Verizon connection works nicely, but you have to give a credit card number just for the free 100 MB a month service.
• The Chromebook fires up very quickly. You almost giggle when you close the Chromebook and open it again.
• If you live in Google Docs—I use it at work—the Chrome OS is easy. If you’re used to saving docs on a local drive and going through folders you’re in for a rude awakening.
• Why is that a rude awakening? We’re conditioned to be able to poke around on an OS via file folders, start menus and application lists. With the Chrome OS you live in the browser window. There may be an ability to save on a local drive, but not entirely sure.

Bottom line: For a long-time PC and Mac user, the Chromebook is almost too simple. I want to poke around and see the innards of this PC. I almost feel caged by the browser window. What’s under the hood on this thing?

On the surface, that feeling is pretty illogical. I live in a browser at least 80 percent to 90 percent of the time so what’s the big deal? It’s that 10 percent where I want to roam through settings—even though I don’t know what half of them are for.

One thing is clear. This Chromebook is truly a network computer. For some folks that may be a tad jarring. I’m going to give this pup a few days, hand it off to some family members and return with further ideas. The big question in my mind is whether this Chromebook will change that initial feeling of unease after a few days.

Chromebook Coming to 12 More Countries This Week

By now you've probably heard that Google is hosting a Chrome event on Dec. 7 in San Francisco. The press invite promised "exciting news about Chrome." Does that mean the Chromebook is finally upon us?

Maybe and maybe not.

The rumor mill has been churning for months.

Most recently, Digitimes, a Taiwanese Website, reported that smartbooks featuring Chrome operating system would debut this month. Back in August, a newly released beta of Chome 6 hinted at a tablet possibility. Menus were optimized for touch and reports said we might see a Chrome tablet in November.

Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, blasted both rumors. He told reporters at the Web 2.0 summit that Chrome is designed for devices with a physical keyboard and won't be available for a few months.

Tuesday's event might be the halfway point between Schmidt's comment and a public release of the device.

Engadget seems to think all signs point to a launch of the Chrome netbook on Tuesday, but is saying only around 65,000 units will be available "to Google's closest 'friends and family'." Engadget also got its mitts on a supposed image of the Chrome netbook keyboard on Friday. The tech blog does note that the keyboard looks pretty darn similar to the configuration of an earlier Acer Chrome netbook.

Whether this is an photo of an actual Google-branded device is up in the air, but it is interesting to note a few Web-related features. The caps lock key is switched out for a search button, the shift key has a caps indicator light and a few navigating function keys are positioned above the number row.

One thing is for sure, the clock is working against Google on this one.

Google first announced Chrome OS in 2009. The operating system was designed to be fast, web-focused, have a quick-start up time and run on devices with solid-state drives. Oh yeah, and Google even plans a Web store for Chrome apps. Back then, Google said that its partners, including ASUS, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba, would have netbooks released in time for the holidays this year.

Netbooks were all the rage in 2009, but that isn't really the case in 2010. The iPad and other tablets have shown up on the scene and are destroying netbook sales. Google would be smart to hedge its bets, and make its beta OS a little more future-proof.

When Google announced Chrome in a blog post, it said:

"Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems."

Do we really need Chrome OS for netbooks/desktops and Android for our portable devices? Why does it matter how people plan to use their device? Sounds like a recipe to further the fragmentation problem facing Big G's fan base.

Speed and ease of use are always king. If Google has a few tricks up its sleeve for Web browsing on Chrome, why not roll them into one future OS -- say that ‘Gingerbread' deal I've been hearing so much about.

Give us what Apple and Microsoft haven't: one operating system that can work with or without a keyboard and on a wide variety of devices. Then you'll be set for life.

Solar Charger Review

There are times when you have to make important calls and your phone runs out of battery. The solar charger is the solution for chargin your mobile phone anywhere.

The universal solar charger comes with a built-in rechargeable which charges itself from the sunlight. This universal solar charger has the ability to store Solar Energy and one can utilize it when required. You can charge phones, mp3 players, cameras and almost every similar gadget with this particular solar charger.

Features -

- Can fully charge most of the gadgets in less than 5 hours of direct sunlight.

- Connects to almost every mobile phone, camera and similar gadgets.

- It comes with Car and Home power connectors.

- Comes with lots of connectors which make it compatible to many devices.

- You can charge your phone anywhere with the energy stored.

- USB sockets included for charging any USB device.

I used the solar charger for charging my iPod and mobile phone, the charger is effective and does proves useful when you actually need it.

You can buy this universal solar charger from Light In The Box (Direct Link).

First Glimpse at Windows 8

With purely speculative release in 2012, the first screenshots of Windows 8 Milestone 1 have been leaked. For now there’s not much to change to the standard Windows desktop look-and-feel. As Microsoft continues it’s two-pronged market battle against both Apple’s iPhone/iPad and Google’s Android and Chrome OS, it’s expected that Windows 8 will have more features dedicated to touch screens and tablet PCs. Will that be enough?

Manage All Your SMS with DeskDroid

If you’ve ever been stuck trying to access your text messages from your computer, or want to send text messages from your desktop (via your Android mobile phone) — now you can! This cool new app is available for download and let’s you manage the messages on your phone through your browser, and even receive messages to your phone on your browser. Pretty nifty, and convenient.

Here’s a link to download — check it out and take control of that pile of messages on your phone!

Apple Says Galaxy Phone is Infringement

Do rounded corners and an array of icons mean infringement? If so, Apple could force Samsung to make some changes to their design and user interface of the Galaxy phone and Galaxy tablet products.

What do you think? Has Samsung just ripped-off Apple’s design of the iPhone?

Samsung had immediately responded saying:

Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property.

This may be a prolonged battle, which also affects Google Android. We’ll keep you updated, here at New Gadget! Tell us what you think.

Read More http://mobilized.allthingsd.com/20110418/apple-files-patent-suit-against-samsung-over-galaxy-line-of-phones-and-tablets/

iPhone 5 Expected to Support GSM and CDMA

There are certainly many rumors circulating about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5. With the recent partnership with Verizon, building in both GSM and CDMA support to the phones make a lot of sense.

The iPhone 5 is also expected to have an 8 megapixel camera and the same A5 processor as the iPad 2. But at this early point in the game, pretty much everything is a rumor.

But with every generation of iPhone products, there has been a special appeal that makes the new version a must-have. You can count on Steve Jobs to deliver a fifth generation blockbuster. What will that feature be?

Are you excited about the iPhone 5?

The release date is estimated to be around this Fall 2011.