PQI releases world's smallest USB 3.0 flash drive

Emil

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PQI has released what it calls the world's lightest, thinnest, shortest, and smallest USB 3.0 flash drive: the Intelligent Drive U819V. The 3 centimeter product is capable of very high performance, high speed transmission, and is very easy to misplace!

The company says it encountered a few issues when developing the product. When it applied COB encasement technology to the USB 3.0 interface, it had to overcome a transmission overheating problem. At the same time, PQI had to solve a data reading problem caused by high-frequency noise.

The exact dimensions of the drive are 31.5mm x 14.8mm x 7.3mm. It weighs 3.6g, although the company admits that this is an average and the number could actually range from 3.5g to 3.7g.

PQI's Intelligent Drive U819V features the usual LED display at the tip, which flickers when data is being read. The drive is available in capacities ranging from 4GB to 32GB. Unfortunately, pricing has not been revealed, though the company is guaranteeing a lifetime warranty. 

USB 3.0 offers a transmission speed of up to 5Gbps, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0 (480Mbps). It significantly reduces the time required for data transmission, reduces power consumption, and is downward compatible with USB 2.0. This means all USB 3.0 drives will work in USB 2.0 ports.

To be honest, I would consider grabbing one of these drives, especially to upgrade my current 16GB flash drive to a 32GB version. That being said, I would have to keep it on my keychain at all times or I would definitely lose it within a week.

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Considering my largest flash drive is 2GB, I'm probably overdue for an upgrade. This thing looks cool, but I too would be worried about losing it.
 
Glad it has a lifetime warranty because lots of these super tiny USB flash devices have or develop errors very quickly.
 
Wonder what the sustained write speed is. Would be nice to replace my 16 gig with a 32 and see something in the 60+ meg a sec range.
 
madboyv1 said:
Considering my largest flash drive is 2GB, I'm probably overdue for an upgrade. This thing looks cool, but I too would be worried about losing it.

Easy solution. Cut off the tip of your thumb, and attach the drive to the remainder via monofilament wire. Safe, secure, and you'll never have to worry about Udo Kier getting too close.
 
Eh... I need my thumb. My pinky finger however... hmmmmmmm...

On that note, if I ever had to have a finger amputated, I'd probably want a prosthetic that doubled as a screwdriver or flash drive. =p
 
Specs?

USB 3 means a useless gimmick if the drive can't use the extra bandwidth in the first place (duh).

Read\Write specs please, otherwise a waste of a news article.
 
Not at all... It's a news article, not a review. You've been given the news about it, now go forth and find the specs. yourself.
 
Guest said:
Not at all... It's a news article, not a review. You've been given the news about it, now go forth and find the specs. yourself.

Barely. By your standards, EVERYTHING is news.
 
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