ConnectReviews

Most USB flash drives these days are long and rectangular, usually designs that don't catch the eyes of computer users, maybe except for the Teddy Bear flash drive we reviewed last month. However, LaCie is trying to change that with their latest line of flash drives, one of them being the iamaKey. As the name implies, the LaCie iamaKey is shaped like a typical key you find on your keychain.

Coming in at both 4GB and 8GB capacities, the iamaKey isn't the largest flash drive available, but the first one I've found that won't get lost in the laundry. You won't have to worry about getting the gold contacts on the USB connector wet either, since the gold SIP connector is water- and scratch-resistant. After about two weeks of use on my keychain in my pocket, the iamaKey has yet to be damaged from normal wear-and-tear.

LaCie claims fast transfer rates up to 30 MB/s read and 10 MB/s write. In our simple file transfer tests, speeds were a little slower than other flash drives we had available, but not too bad. One slight problem we found about having the drive on a keychain was that the flash drive was pulled down by the weight of our keys, somewhat bending down on the drive. It could be a cause for concern if it was damaging the port itself, but both held up fine during the time we tested it.

Grab the 4GB version for just under $24 or the 8GB for just under $34 from Amazon.com today. A hefty cost for such small capacities, but worth it in my book.

Pros

• Somewhat fast file transfer speeds.
• Unique design.
• Connector is water- and scratch-resistant.

Cons

• Expensive.

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