SanDisk Offers Up Tiny Flash Drive
Do you love flash drives, but are constantly feeling exhausted from lugging them around? If so, this is your lucky day, because SanDisk would like to sell you the "smallest USB flash drive in North America". We assume this means there are smaller drives elsewhere - probably in Japan. The drive is called the SanDisk Cruzer Blade, and weights in at about 2.5g, or the same as a penny. Physically, it's the size of a paperclip.
SanDisk hopes you'll see fit to attach this bit of tech to your keychain, or a cell phone lanyard ring. To be hauled around in such a way it would have to be sturdy, and we are unconvinced. The drives will come in capacities from2GB up to 16GB, and will sell for $14.99-$77.99. This product definitely falls into the "hey, that's cool" category, but we're also worried it will fall into the "I didn't realize it was in my pocket, and I washed it" category. Are you planning to pick one up?

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ProtoJMB
July 28, 2010 at 10:59am
I'm not even going to think about getting a new flash drive till they start making them USB 3.0. 3.0 is the future and these companies need to get with the program!
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Caboose
July 28, 2010 at 11:10am
You'll be waiting for a while me thinks. USB 3.0 may be the future, but 99% of the world's computers ues USB 2.0, and considering any vehicle with a built in USB port, and any aftermarket stereo with a built in USB port, will be USB 2.0, you'll be waiting a very very VERY long time.
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TechLarry
July 28, 2010 at 6:09am
This thing would have been PERFECT for the USB ports on car head units, and particularly the USB port on Ford Sync equipped vehicles.
I have a tiny 16GB plugged in now. It's almost invisible. If it wasn't for the stupid red nonsense, this would have been invisible.
I think it's about twice the cost it should be too.
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Caboose
July 28, 2010 at 6:43am
That is EXACTLY what I'm going to do with the Pico USB Drive from ThinkGeek in my new Fusion. I really like the built in USB port eh.
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reutnes
July 27, 2010 at 10:41pm
I don't get what the deal is. I've got an 8GB Patriot xporter on my keychain and it's really not all that huge and annoying like sandisk is making them out to be. It's also a little faster than any other flash drive I've used. Plus it looks cool.
I used to use the crappy sandisk U3 drives, but I had to replace them every few months. I've had the xporter for almost a year now.
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dread_ire
July 27, 2010 at 9:26pm
I have a 4Gb one that I bought in China a couple of months ago. Its pretty slow wites, but works fine as a Windows 7 install source.
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medavid16
July 27, 2010 at 6:12pm
Just wanted to say i HATE SanDISK. I bought 2 sandisk products in 2002, 1 failed on me. On another deal, I found another Sandisk USB key, around 2005, failed on me in a few months as well, and just recently, I bought my relative another Sandisk because it was a deal, failed on me as well. Every so often I hope that a good deal will offset a poor reputation and hope the product will actually work, but Sandisk has failed me multiple times with a fail rate greater than 50%. Not worth it.
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Havok
July 27, 2010 at 2:20pm
Smallest USB Stick around? I can't find any pages or links that actually tell me the physical size of the darn thing, other than "tiny". I've got a Verbatim Tuff n' Tiny 4GB USB on my key-chain. Verbatim's own measurements put it at 1.19 x 0.5 x 0.06 inch. A really good visual example of that size is actually in this picture. Look at the matte area of the USB above. Now remove the ugly oval shape around it. That's how large it is. My Verbatim is indestructible as far as I'm concerned, and it was only 14 dollars.
So I can hardly agree with Sandisk about this being the smallest in North America until a physical size is posted.
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Gameaholic1337
July 27, 2010 at 3:27pm
I use this Eagletec USB Nano drive in my Car Stereo's USB port. Its small enough to fit in the case when I take off the face plate. Its so small it looks like a blutooth dongle.
http://usb.brando.com/eagletec-usb-nano-flash-drive_p00892c041d15.html
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Caboose
July 27, 2010 at 2:19pm
I don't know if it's the smallest. ThinkGeek has the Pico USB Flash Drive () http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/thumb-drives-storage/a6d9/ ) and I think it's smaller than that drive...















