LaCie XtremKey USB Drive is Near Indestructible

News
By Marcus Yam
published

Now I don't have to worry about trucks running over my USB key. Finally!

USB thumb drives are already a rather durable form of data storage, but LaCie is taking it to the next level. LaCie is now showing off the XtremKey, which could be the world's toughest storage yet.

The key to the XtremeKey's toughness is its 2mm metal pipe casing. Sealed with wear-resistant screw threads and a rubber O-ring, it is watertight up to 100 meters. The metal pipe also gives the entire package its physical rigidity, allowing trucks to drive over it without any problem. The LaCie XtremKey is also resistant to 5-meter drops, fierce heat and bitter cold (+200°C / -50°).

Curious to know what it's made of? XtremKey is constructed with zamac, a metal alloy composed of zinc, aluminum, magnesium. Speedwise, it's got writing speeds up to 30 MB/s and reading up to 40 MB/s.

The LaCie XtremKey comes in capacities from 8GB to 64GB and will be available in August.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
39 Comments Comment from the forums
  • triplebug
    Thanks, I willget one soon or later.
    Reply
  • Phoenixkatera
    Cool, kind of sounds like my old titanium cruser but even more tough! I didn't realize flash drives were at 64GB. Wonder what the prices for these are going to run.
    Reply
  • carickw
    Sounds like the OCZ ATV (Turbo). Great performance and great durability. If the ATV stops working for any reason, you send it back and get a new one, although I can't seem to find them any more. I saw a video for the ATV in which they froze it in a block of ice, smashed it free with a sledge hammer, boiled it in water, and ran it over in a truck with no problems.
    Reply
  • joytech22
    I can see this coming in handy.. 2012.. last surviving Human Technology.. :D
    Reply
  • Great, but what happens when you bump it with your foot while it's still in the USB port? Any test footage of that :D
    Reply
  • joytech22
    married_manGreat, but what happens when you bump it with your foot while it's still in the USB port? Any test footage of that
    Probably breaks the USB port in the computer :)
    Reply
  • kelemvor4
    Dang! That thang's a HEMI!
    Reply
  • asjflask
    Ahh watertight! Finally! I can do all my business work on my boat in the middle of the Pacific and not have to worry, so long as I dive in and get it before it falls 101 meters into the ocean. Man, who knew that air traffic control could be done near where the Battle of Midway took place!?
    Reply
  • halls
    That looks great, but for something with that much capacity, I'd want it to be USB 3.0 compatible too.
    Reply
  • Mark Heath
    Doesn't matter how tough it gets, it's still gone if you lose it.
    Reply