Gearheads Will Love These USB Drives

 October 2016         Ian Chiu

These USB drives from Hong Kong-based Zero Basic are made for Mini Cooper fans of which there are many.  The attention to details of these miniatures Mini Cooper was second to none.  Front and rear license plates that read “MINI COOPER” along with working headlight and taillights are visible from a distance.  Getting even closer, you can see the door handles, windshield wipers and the front grill.

The undercarriage is also detail-rich, showing outlines of the drive train and spare tire well.  Probably the most unexpected detail is found on the rubber tires.  The tiny tires actually have tread on them.  The only details notably missing are the side and rearview mirrors.

They are a little too large and may cramp your style trying to plug them into some locations.  The flash memory is also a bit on the slow side but not much slower than most people are used to anyway.  They do seem to be built very well and should hold up to being played with and used for a long time.  Even if the rear cover were to fall off, it would take very little away from this very cute flash drive.

All in all, just like the car itself, these drives are fun. Mini lovers may never store files on these but seeing the headlights flash when plugged in is enough to make almost anyone smile.  Even without the ability to store data, these are reasonably priced as desk decorations.

As any child of the 80’s will tell you, that decade was one weird and wonderful 10 years; filled with everything from Reaganomics and Goonies to ultra cool, but now defunct cars. The ultimate car to any 1980’s kid has to be the Delorean Motors Corporation DMC-12.

To be precise, not just ANY DMC-12, but the Delorean from the Back to The Future movies! While it is very little you can do about Regan’s legacy, or trying to forget that you wanted to be a “Goonie”, there is something you can do about owning a piece of your past.

Namely, Flash Rods’s Delorean Time Machine not only is a 1:18 scale replica of that awesome time machine but also is a working 500GB hard drive. Sadly, the company (the now-defunct) no longer makes them; isn’t USB 3.0 enabled; and doesn’t actually go 88 MPH, but it is sure to be the centerpiece of any hardcore Geek’s collection. After all, it may not be the fast storage device out there but it certainly is the coolest.

Bar none, the makers of the best-looking automobile flash drives, Flash Rods had a Mercedes SLS Hard Drive. It has a completely hidden 500GB hard drive stored within an unbelievably detailed scale replica of a 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG sports car.

The attention to detail is certainly evident in every aspect, from paint down to the upholstered interior. The gull-wing doors, trunk, and hood all open and close to reveal even more minutiae. You can even make out disc brakes behind the mag wheels. While transferring data, most of the Flash Rods light their tail lights.

The Mercedes SLS AMG houses a 2.5″ hard disk drive completely hidden from view with the exception of the USB 2.0 port at the rear. Other than that, without a frame of reference, you’d be hard-pressed to be able to tell it was a 1:18 scale replica. It is available in Black, Red and Silver for $250. The price is a bit higher than a generic portable drive but not bad compared to other custom enclosures.

Many gearheads have come to appreciate the level of detail that goes into Porsche sports cars. It is nothing short of amazing. If you are a fan, you don’t want to miss this USB flash drive modeled after the latest generation of a regular-sized Porsche key fob.

The key fob-shaped thumb drive has a retractable USB connector in addition to an activity light that flashes in red during data transfer. The USB release button for the connector is on the backside of the drive. The Porsche key fob stick – available only in 8GB – is quite a collectible item if you are into collecting novelty flash drives.

Everyone has different preferences for flash drives. Some just couldn’t have enough speed and opt for the fastest while others always go for themed flash drives that are popular among fans of Star Wars, Avengers, Lady Gaga and etc. Bimmer fans, on the other hand, will find this thumbdrive disguised as a M-style vehicle key fob replica appealing.

This particular drive from none other than BMW contains 8GB flash memory, and its M’s signature carbon fiber design and BMW logo doming will make a lasting impression. To retract or extend the USB connector, you simply press the trunk release button. So, there’s no cap to lose. All other buttons however are there just for decorative purpose only. Also bundled with the drive is a long lanyard and an extra USB extension cable.

We wonder why BMW still hasn’t given out these in auto shows because everyone carrying one in his keychain can at least pretend he has an M3 or M5. But if you want to get one for yourself, it’s only $38.

As the old saying goes “what was old, is new again” and it seems that everyone is jumping on the 80’s memorabilia bandwagon. While the movie Tron may not have gotten two sequels like the “Back to the Future” got, it was an even bigger pivotal movie in many a child of the 80s life.

While the evil AI “Master Controller” never did evolve into reality and we are all still waiting for Light Cycles bikes to show up on the scene, we can actually own something almost as cool. Following Razer’s Tron gaming peripherals, Toy R Us has a larger-than-life flash drive (available in 4GB in black and 8GB in white) modeled on the Disney movie’s TRON Light Cycle. It may not shoot walls of light out its tailpipe (and crush that road hog you just passed) but it can store the DVD version the movie TRON on itself.

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Nexcopy manufactures a variety of PC-based and standalone USB duplicator solutions.

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