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The Goods: Flash and Substance

A new crop of portable drives offers more than just storage

By Mark Spoonauer | 
 

Any flash drive can store information, but some have other cool features as well. Whether you are looking for a drive that's practically waterproof or one that makes it easy to back up all your data and documents, chances are there's something on the market that fills the bill.

Good for... Easy Backup

SanDisk's Ultra Backup USB flash drive, available in April, will allow you to back up photos, videos, music, and documents with the press of a button. The drive includes two layers of security (password protection and encryption). Available with up to 64GB of storage.
Cost: $39.99 for 8GB

Good for... Portability

Kingston's DataTraveler Mini Slim is so thin you could practically floss with it. At less than 0.3 inches thick, it can easily be carried in your wallet, and it weighs less than a tenth of an ounce. It comes with free tech support, a five-year warranty, and up to 16GB of storage.
Cost: $32 for 8GB

Good for... Security

Use the IronKey to store your most sensitive data and documents. You will pay much more per GB than you would for other drives, but you get military-grade encryption. Plus, the data are wiped off the drive after 10 failed password attempts. Available with up to 8GB of storage.
Cost: $299 for 8GB

Good for... Durability

Because they have no moving parts, flash drives are durable by nature. But the Corsair Flash Survivor can withstand almost any abuse. Made of aircraft-grade aluminum, it is drop-proof and water resistant to 200 meters (656 feet). Available with up to 32GB of storage.
Cost: $44.99 for 8GB

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