Sony Micro-Vault Click USB Flash Drives ["Ballpoint Pen" Click to Open Function, Prism Light Illumination, Virtual Expander Compression]

OK, I admit it. I can’t help myself when it comes to writing about new USB flash storage devices. They’re all so cute and full of potential. Yeah, I didn’t think I could pull it off either. But there’s one thing I can say about the newest flash drive offering from Sony; they’re pretty damn cool. They haven’t really done anything novel with the concept of the USB flash drive, but the design, which offers a unique spin on the whole “no-cap” thing, is most certainly worthy of mention. So let’s begin.

Sony has unveiled a brand new set of USB flash storage devices under its Micro-Vault product line that has added a novel design feature to the ubiquitous device. They’ve removed the cap. I think it’s partly because they know that about 99% of USB flash drive users will lose them within the first 30 seconds of use and partly because they had a much better idea. The new Click series of Micro-Vault flash drives has integrated a ballpoint pen-like clickable feature that causes the business end of the drive to pop out when it’s depressed. Click it once, it’s open. Click it again, it’s closed. There’s got to be some marketing gold in there somewhere.

Along with the clickability comes a near Prism light that illuminates while the drive is in use so that you don’t go ripping it out before it’s time. There are a couple of other items of note like support for Windows ReadyBoost – which lets you use part of the flash drive as your system cache – and Sony’s Virtual Expander compression software that automatically compresses and decompresses the files as you move them back and forth from the drive to your computer.

The Sony Click� Micro-Vault USB flash storage drives are available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 43GB capacities and each one has a unique color to help you tell them apart.