Tech News
SanDisk launches designer USB flash drives
By Steve Ragan
Jun 26, 2007, 15:08 GMT

SanDisk recently launched the Cruzer Contour, a sleek designer USB flash drive that offers upscale design and blazing speed. Much like a fine wristwatch, SanDisk says, the Cruzer Contour is a luxury personal accessory as well as a piece of functional technology. What makes the Cruzer Contour unique, is its unique sliding USB connector. Using a thumb to slide the top of Cruzer Contour back and forth brings out or hides the connector. There is no visible switch and no cap to lose, unlike other current models including SanDisk’s own Cruzer models.

The slider requires nothing more than two flicks of the thumb. Moving the top back and then forward brings out the connector, while moving the top forward and then back pulls in the connector. When Cruzer Contour is connected to a computer, blue LEDs illuminate the word “Cruzer” on the drive’s top.

“Cruzer Contour is a showpiece of innovative design, bringing a new look to the category of USB flash drives,” said Roy Ramati, vice president of marketing for the USB business unit at SanDisk. “And the beauty here is more than skin deep, with Cruzer Contour’s expansive storage capacity, fast data transfer, strong security and generous bundle of pre-loaded software.”

The software mentioned includes PC phone service Skype, SanDisk’s own CruzerSync for synchronizing files between a PC and the drive, SgnupShield Passwords from Protecteer, and a trial version of anti-virus software. Just for fun, there are two titles from Big Fish Games: Sudoku and Mahjong Towers Eternity. Cruzer Contour offers U3 technology for running the applications directly from the drive, without them needing to be installed on the computer.

Security is another offering for the designer device; it provides password protection through U3, backed by AES hardware encryption. The level of encryption offered by AES is much stronger than the software-based security available on some USB flash drives. “With password protection turned on, Cruzer Contour owners have less to worry about if the drive is lost or stolen,” the company said.

Cruzer Contour delivers a write speed of 18 MB/sec, which is double the speed of SanDisk’s previous Cruzer models. The read speed for Cruzer Contour is two-thirds faster at 25 MB/sec. Vista users will like the new designer drive because it supports the ReadyBoost feature in Microsoft Windows Vista. If you were not aware of the feature, ReadyBoost is one of the standout features of Vista, tapping into unused storage space on USB flash drives to improve system performance. That performance boost helps when several applications are running simultaneously. Not all drives are able to support ReadyBoost, but the newer ones on the market are optimized for such usage.

Cruzer Contour became available in the United States this month, it is expected to launch in Asia in early July and in Europe in August. The 4GB model has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $99.99 in the U.S., and the 8GB model has a U.S. MSRP of $189.99.