Here’s a doo-dad that James Bond might appreciate and use: the LaCie iamaKey. Available in 4 or 8GB sizes, this tiny flash memory drive is neatly camouflaged as a key. To further the illusion, the iamaKey comes complete with a weighty slipring and fob.
You probably won’t accidentally slide the iamaKey into your house’s deadbolt, but it will hang neatly among its namesakes, waiting to servic your portable data needs.
The iamaKey is composed of shiny silver metal, and it measures 2.25″ long. It’s USB connector uses “Gold SIP technology,” which makes itboth water and scratch-resistant; there are also protective edges on the connectors that will keep you from inserting it improperly. The iamaKey ships with a removeable plastic cover on the USB tip; at least you won’t have to worry when it gets lost.
According to LaCie, the iamaKey has transfer rates up to 30MB/s in read mode and up to 10MB/s in write mode. My testing wasn’t quite so scientific; it went like this:
Transferring a 78.7MB (335 items) file from the MacBook Air to the key took 2:33.68 minutes.
Transferring a 78.7MB (335 items) file from the key to my MacBook Air took 0:06.34 seconds.
All told, it took a bit longer to download to the key than I might have liked, but uploading from the key was amazingly zippy.
The iamaKey is areally slick solution that will come in handy for those who need to remember their USB drive. You probably won’t forget your keys or leave without them; if your data is on the iamaKey – attached to your other keys, then you probably won’t leave it behind, either!
The LaCie iamaKey Ultra-Mobile Storage Solution Key Chain is available directly from the manufacturer in 4GB and 8GB sizes.
MSRP: $26.99 (4GB) and $36.99 (8GB)
What I Like: Looks very similar to a regular key and fits on a keyring without addind extra bulk
What Needs Improvement: A bit pricey when you can get a 16GB flashdrive for the same price as the iamaKey’s 8, but this might prove to be a more convenient form factor