By David Ponce
We’re big fans of PQI, even though we’ve never even fondled one of their products. The U510, a 16GB credit card-sized flash drive comes to mind and reminds us of just how deprived we are of everything small and electronic, here in the west. Add the U350 to our LustList. It’s allegedly the world’s first flash drive with a ballpoint pen-like retractable USB connector. Simply press at one end, and the connector comes out. Press again, and it retracts inside, just like a pen. Forget about losing your cap, or damaging your connector. It’s a simple, elegant solution to a minor but fairly annoying problem, and frankly we’re surprised its taken this long for anyone to think of it.
The drive comes in sizes from 512MB to 4GB. Availability and price are unknown.
[PQI Website] VIA [Fareastgizmos]
Update: We’re guessing their World’s First business refers to the clicking action, as opposed to SanDisk’s sliding mechanism. Yeah, they’re splitting hairs, but isn’t that what maerketing is all about?
Sorry, Not the first drive to be retractable. Funny story actully, in doing tech support for a much older lady, she said her USB stick wouldnt/wasnt working.
Goto her house, low and behold, the reason it wasnt working is because the USB tip kept retracting into the body of the stick whenever she tried to push it into the USB slot. It was quite good for a laugh.
Agreed — it’s not the first. I have a SanDisk Cruzer that I bought like 5 years ago that has a retractable USB connector. Gotta love marketing b.s.
Yes, the SanDisk Cruzer (Titanium) USB-Stick is retractable.
The Titanium was first introduced about 2-3 years ago.
“It?s allegedly the world?s first flash drive with a ballpoint pen-like retractable USB connector.”
The title is miss-leading, but it is indeed the world’s first CLICK STYLE PEN-LIKE retractable stick.