The most beautiful and intriguing fact about technology is that it’s ever-changing, it simply never remains stagnant. New tech gadgets are always on the rise and trending, and at the moment SSDs seem to have captured everyone’s attention! SSDs have shoved flash drives, thumb drives, and even cloud-storage into near extinction, an SSD provides everything they did, except it’s impressively faster, more compact and convenient, and promises larger capacities. However, a typical SSD design doesn’t raise many eyebrows anymore, hence they’re getting more innovative, unique, and efficient by the day! From credit card-sized SSDs that fit perfectly into your pocket to touch-enabled ones that guarantee maximum privacy, innovative SSDs are at an all-time high, and the perks are endless!
Compatible with most USB-C devices, the HybridDrive offsets your need for multiple hubs, dongles, and drives. With a multiport on one end, and an SSD on another, and a USB-C interface connecting the two, the HybridDrive bridges the gap between your portable devices (laptop/tablet/phone) and your desktop – in the sense that it gives you extra ports and expandable storage… something most desktops have in common. The multiport setup comprises a 4K 60Hz HDMI port, two USB-A ports with 10Gbps data transfer, a MicroSD card reader, an SD card reader, and a USB-C which supports 100W of power output along with high-speed video and data transferring. On the other end of the HybridDrive is an SSD that comes in 4 sizes, starting from 128Gb and going all the up to a whopping 2Tb.
Designed to be as compact as a pen-drive, with the capacity of a cloud-storage service, and without those nagging subscription costs, the ECLLPSE is a ridiculously small, universally compatible SSD with a robust outer construction that can go wherever you go. The SSD sits within rugged, IP67 water and dust resistant enclosure that’s roughly the size of your thumb, boasting storage as high as 2 terabytes fitting right within the palm of your hand. A USB-C interface allows the ECLLPSE to work with a wide variety of devices (there’s even a USB-A dongle for broader compatibility), ranging from mobiles to computers and even specialized gear like gaming consoles, cameras, and high-end recording equipment. Support for WTG (Windows to Go) even allows you to install operating systems on your ECLLPSE, letting you carry your own computer right in your pocket.
The skyBOX is the second most powerful piece of tech you can fit into your pocket, after your smartphone. Designed to be the same dimension as a stack of credit cards, the skybox gives you the power of having your own Wi-Fi enabled cloud server in your pocket. It’s made to be universally compatible, working with any device that supports Wi-Fi connectivity, and comes with up to 4 terabytes of permanent storage. That’s enough to back up 50 smartphones, store millions of photos from your DSLR, or remotely host your own media server with over 5000 movies to choose from. Moreover, the skyBOX is wireless and portable, so you can carry it around in your pocket, accessing data no matter where you are.
The Braun MP01 concept addresses the issue of the diminishing number of connection ports that are found on new laptops; the dongle brings all of these missing ports into one compact device, and with a design style like this one, it’s not something you’ll complain about. The device features an asymmetrical design where an angular edge gently flows into a soft curve. Unnecessary detailing isn’t present on the device, instead, it carries a clean aesthetic with minimal interruptions in the casing. The large glass cover not only looks the part but also hints at MP01’s secondary feature… an external SSD. Could this be the perfect computer accessory?
Meet the VAVA SSD Touch, a pocket-sized storage device that’s high on capacity, high on security, and on portability. Measuring less than 4 inches, VAVA SSD Touch comes with a sleek looking metal case made from 100% recyclable aluminum, and a solid-state drive on the inside ranging anywhere from 512GB to 2TB in capacity. Its slick metallic casing is punctuated by a blue square located on the front that gives the VAVA SSD Touch a layer of biometric security. Acting sort of as a password, the fingerprint sensor prevents people from accessing your data without your authorization. The SSD only unlocks after it authenticates your fingerprint, and you can program as many as 10 fingerprints into the VAVA SSD Touch, allowing your family, colleagues, or coworkers to have access to shared data… or better still, use a password to ensure more impregnable security.
The Ciao Piggy Bank comes with a slot on the back that isn’t for banknotes and coins, but rather for SD cards. Place the card inside and the piggy bank, a wireless SSD, copies, and stores all your data from the SD card without needing you to connect it to your computer, copy files, create a folder, and paste them. Just as simple as swiping a card, the Ciao backs up your SD card for you, allowing you to clear the data from it and reuse it. The pig-shaped wireless SSD lets you access your data either wirelessly, or via a rather cute, pigtail shaped USB cable that connects it to your system. With a single button interface and just a series of LED indicators that show you transfer progress, battery, and overall storage, the Ciao lets you back data up just as easily as dropping a quarter into a ceramic piggy bank.
Sourcing his inspiration from sci-fi movies like Star Wars, Alex Casabò conceptualized in 3D, his own interpretation of what he calls, a “really fast sci-fi SSD,” bringing a traditional SSD and taking it to new heights, perhaps even new galaxies, with a distinct, rugged exterior and lightning-fast drive. Casabò’s SSD concept looks lived-in like it’s headed straight for Crait. SSDs, which rely on flash memory to keep things moving and storage processed, are known for their low read-access time and fast throughputs. Conversely, other storage devices like hard disks store a computer’s memory on mechanical hard drives and generally move a lot slower. Opting for a more futuristic, cyberpunk aesthetic for his digital SSD conceptualization makes sense since faster speeds indicate technological advancements and go hand in hand with a future world that might look eerily familiar to sci-fi films we grew up watching. His SSD concepts come in three forms, 16 TB, 32 TB, or 64 TB, and come in orange, green, or blue.
The TurboHub combines the features of a multiport USB hub, and an external SSD storage device, but it quite literally is a product that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Designed to be a device that’s incredibly small and is roughly as sleek as your laptop, the TurboHub’s compact design makes it easy to carry all this functionality around. Plug it in, and your laptop gets that boost of storage and ports almost instantly. The hub comes with a USB-C port for charging your laptop, a thunderbolt port, along a USB3.0 port for thumb-drives or dongles for wireless mice. There’s even an HDMI port to connect external monitors for designers and multitaskers, with support for 4K displays, an Ethernet port for secure, wired internet connections both at home and at the office (ideal for work, streaming, and gaming) and a card reader for photographers and videographers.
In seconds, Y gives you the ability to insert or remove up to six SSD drives, customizing the size of your external drive. Y offers the fastest data transfer speeds possible via USB-C or Bluetooth. It also features a fast save option for SD cards for when you are in a hurry and your card is already full. It will quickly save these files in a folder from which you may choose the location. Capable of being mounted on a wall or placed at the center of a communal desk, Y is also extremely convenient in the workplace, allowing colleagues to simultaneously access, edit, and save important data or designs. Save locally, in the cloud, or both!
The GNARBOX would store all your captured data on its disk in its original format, letting you access files from a smartphone or tablet app, sorting, editing, and creating content within the GNARBOX… from your handheld device. It would cut down the time taken in the creative process by days or even months because you’d previously need to capture data on-site and then travel back to your studio to sort through and edit files on your desktop back in your studio. The GNARBOX 2.0 is a refinement of that groundbreaking outlook. A 1TB SSD that’s literally the size of your phone, the GNARBOX 2.0 stores and secures all your content from phones to drones, to action cameras and heavy-duty photography and videography equipment. Built now with a handy screen and four control buttons, the GNARBOX 2.0 lets you back up all your data faster than ever before (with 75mb/s speeds over SD card and 450mb/s over USB-C) and even lets you view back your content on a large screen via the mini-HDMI port.
