SanDisk has come up with a clever take on a common PC accessory that kills two birds with one stone. Its new wireless mobile flash drive is designed to make it easier to transfer files between devices while simultaneously extending your mobile device's local storage.
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick packs between 16GB and 128GB of storage with pricing ranging from $39.99 to $99.99 depending on the model you select. The device looks like your average USB flash drive (perhaps a little on the chunky side) and can connect to devices using the USB connector or wirelessly via 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi.
The gadget is battery-powered and can simultaneously connect to three devices at once. It can be used to transport or store whatever type of media you wish. If it's video or music files you desire, the stick can stream them without having to transfer them over to the source device using the SanDisk Connect app for Android, iOS, Mac and PC. A full charge is said to render 4.5 hours of usage in single stream mode.
We've seen similar such devices in the past like Kingston's Wi-Fi Drive but the added flexibility of having a built-in USB connector will no doubt come in handy.
SanDisk's solution certainly fills a need when you consider micro SD card slots on smartphones are on the way out (Apple mobile devices have never had them). The industry is pushing the idea of cloud storage as a viable alternative although not everyone is anxious to send their media to the cloud. The Connect Wireless Stick lets you store your data locally but then again, it's yet another gadget you need to keep charged and remember to bring with you or else it's pretty much useless.
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is available for purchase as of writing.