SanDisk goes micro-size with the Cruzer Blade USB Flash Drive

Flash memory specialist SanDisk has just unveiled its smallest USB Flash drive to date, the Cruzer Blade. About the size of a paper clip and weighing in at just 2.5 grams, the drives come in storage capacities starting from 2GB right up to a 4,000 MP3-capacity 16GB.

The SanDisk Cruzer Blade's sturdy little frame measures just 1.63 x 0.69 x 0.29 inches and weighs about the same as a penny. The company's Kent Perry explained that "at half the size of some other USB drives, our compact Cruzer Blade provides consumers with highly portable storage at a great value. The drive lets users transfer their digital data quickly between computers, and delivers a storage boost to devices such as netbooks that often need additional memory but are difficult to upgrade easily."

Although SanDisk's smallest USB flash drive, the Cruzer Blade is not of course the smallest available. Sony has been offering its 1.26 x 0.57 x 0.1 inch Sony MicroVault Tiny in 1GB to 8GB capacities for some time and Kingmax also has a range of teeny drives, the company's smallest being the 1.24 x 0.47 x 0.07 inch, 8GB or 16GB Super Stick Mini.

The Cruzer Blade is available now in the U.S. and Canada, with the 2GB version costing US$14.99, 4GB coming in at US$21.99, the 8GB drive priced at US$38.99 and the 16GB variety topping the price tree at US$77.99.