Flash as Fashion

Nearly two years ago I lunched at an Intel-hosted fashion show. Intel and fashion show? Yes, indeed. Beautiful women clutching designer laptop bags and flash memory jewelry paraded across the stage while the virtues of high-fashion/high tech were recited.  Never having been much of a fashionista myself, I scanned the audience for their reaction. Young editors from Brides, RedBook, Real Simple and the likes were paying rapt attention. Fast forward and we're now accessorizing our iPods like they were Barbie dolls.

My tastes have always run to the Plain Jane side of computing, but personalized gadgets only getting to be more fun. Some of the most creative statements today are seen in flash drives. A flash drive is a printed circuit board with flash memory encased in a sturdy shell to protect it. Unlike a hard drive, a flash drive has no moving parts so you can manhandle it without paying a penalty. These drives, often the size of a thumb are compact, rugged, highly transportable, and store lots of music, photos, files or anything else you want to cart around with you.

Wacky Flash

Some  of my favorites?

Yellow tail or maki?  Eat it or save it? Sushi lovers can gnaw on these drives (above), handmade in Tokyo.

The friendship bracelet of flash memory award goes to Imation.  Slap this one on your kid's wrist and they might even come home with it after school.  

Recent college acceptance in the family?  Or just proud to be an alumni?  Tell the world about your alma mater each time you load up a file.  

The youngest flash-hounds might want something they can cuddle. Hippos, alligators, and dogs available in 128 MB configurations.  

Great gifts. Great fun. What's your way of putting  "meee-dia" on your flash drive?