LaCie's loose change USB drive

The explosion in capacity of the now commonplace portable USB drive has coincided with a huge array of different form factors entering the market. This new example from Lacie takes the shape of a coin designed to slip into your pocket or purse so that your data travels conveniently and inconspicuously with you - just don't put it in a parking meter.

Available in two sizes - an 8GB silver model and a 4GB bronze unit - the LaCie CurrenKey drives are made with a durable, shock-proof, die-cast metal and open by a simple rotating mechanism on the coin’s edge.

Both models have USB 2.0 data transfer rates (up to 480 Mbit/sec), are compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems and are backward compatible to USB 1.1.

Prices start at USD$19.99 for the 4GB model.