www.pencomputing.com July 2002 PEN COMPUTING MAGAZINE 11

COOL NEW PRODUCTSE D I T E D B Y D A V I D M A C N E I L L • • • D A V E @ P E N C O M P U T I N G . C O M

FIREWIRE KEYCHAIN OFFERS LOW-MASS STORAGEMac users (and cutting edge Windows folks with FireWire-capable computers like the SonyVAIO notebooks) will go gaga over WiebeTech’s FireWire Keychain. Its essentially a stoutaluminum box into which you install any capacious CompactFlash card or IBM Micro-Drive. Once bolted shut, you have a rugged, self-powered, high-capacity, and ex-tremely fast storage device that mounts as an external hard drive on your desktop.I put my 1GB MicroDrive in it and use it to move vast quantities of photos, soft-ware installers, and other essential files from machine to machine. US$100.www.wiebetech.com

LEXAR'S CLEARADVANTAGE

As the only maker of Memory Sticksbesides Sony, Lexar has to distinguish itself by innovating. They’ve already created thefastest Memory Sticks on the market by incorporating their proprietary controller logic.Now they’ve created a translucent purple version with a safety LED that flashes whenthe card is moving data — an excellent safety idea in a nice-looking package. Buy the128MB capacity since lesser sizes are a waste of money. US$85. www.digitalfilm.com

SONY MICRO VAULTSony isn’t the only company offering USB“keychain” memory fobs, but they makethe prettiest of the pack by a long shot. Thecolor-coded, just slightly overpriced Me-dia Vaults comes in capacities from 16MBto 128MB and work without drivers inmost Windows and Mac systems. MediaVaults are extremely handy for moving files betweenMacs and Windows machines, taking sensitive docu-ments home, or for minimalist traveling. US$50–$150 . www.mediabysony.com

SANDISK SD CARDSSuddenly, my desk is covered withcameras and computers requir-ing diminutive SD flash memorycards. Fine, we have yet anotherstandard on our hands, but SDbeats the heck out of SmartMedia.Until recently the capacities werepathetically low. With a SanDisk128MB or 256MB card in yourcamera or handheld, you’rerockin’. Buy two; they’re small.www.sandisk.com

VELCROHATERS REJOICE

From their humblebeginnings as mereslipcases, hand-held computer cas-es have finally achievedthe sophistication of traditional fineleather goods. Three excellent caseshave crossed my desk in recent monthsthat raise the bar higher than anythingI’ve seen previously: the Xigma Con-temporary U-Clip Napa Leather Casefor Sony CLIÉ T-615, the Krusell DeluxeBlack Expandable Leather Case foriPAQ, and the Krusell Horizontic Pre-mium Phone Case.

The Xigma is one of the finest piecesof leatherwork I’ve ever seen. The full-grain black Napa leather exterior has asoft blue suede interior and cradles myshiny new CLIÉ using a leather-wrapped metal clip. The case secureswith a magnetic tab in the back. Sim-ple, perfect, beautiful, and available formost Palms and Pocket PCs with yourchoice of blue or red interiors.

Krusell makes what my wife claims isthe best case for the serious iPAQ user.After months of hard daily use, her casestill looks new. The fit and finish are firstrate all around, with control cut-outspositioned and finished with the utmostprecision. The expandable back allowsthe use of expansion jackets. Also fromKrusell is the finest mobile phone caseI’ve found for my little Nokia 8260.Wearing your phone horizontally makesso much sense that you’ll never want tocarry yours any other way.www.xigma.com.tw | www.seidio.com www.krusell.de | www.data-nation.com

POCKETOPKEYBOARDOne of last year’s mostexciting new productswas the Palm FoldingKeyboard, AKA theTargus Stowaway. While well made and very useful, it’sbig and bulky to carry. Pocketop has come up with abrilliant new approach with their new Pocket Keyboard.It’s much smaller, it’s wireless, and it works with vir-tually any Palm or Pocket PC. While the home row hasclose to normal size keys, the upper and lower rows aresmaller and slanted to provide a backstop for your fly-ing fingers. It looks weird but works quite well. The de-vice ships with an array of stands, IR reflectors, and at-tachments to make it compatible and easy to carry, andit’s self-powered so you won’t drain your handhelds’battery. US$119. www.pocketop.net

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