14 DAY TRIAL // Most flash drives released nowadays usually don't have much in the way of actual performance to make them stand out. This is because they already make the best of the USB 2.0 interface and have a maximum capacity large enough that even this trait is no longer a defining factor in a purchase. As such, end-users may have thought that there won't be any real, further evolution in this segment. Japanese designer Mac Funamizu, however, seems to think that, at least in ways of outer aspect, there is still room for innovation.
Funamizu doesn't exactly pay mind to the actual storage and speed capabilities of the flash drive and, instead, focuses on a design that is as practical as it is pleasing on the eyes. Specifically, the drive has a transparent glass casing, quite plain at first, but which begins to light up in different colors, over time, as new files are copied onto the drive.
The overall concept is that, depending on the kind of files that get copied (images, audio, video), the case starts to light up gradually, culminating with an entrancing mixture of pink, blue and green. Pink stands for images, whereas green shows how much of the storage space is taken up by movies or other video files. Finally, blue determines how many other kinds of documents are onto the drive.
This concept definitely points out that, depending on imagination and willingness, man can refine and innovate in even those areas which seem to have hit the limit. Unfortunately, this “glass drive” is only a concept and may need quite a bit of research before it becomes a viable product, if ever. This is because there are obvious issues of power consumption and the need for the lighting system to be able to differentiate between the different files stored. If it ever does turn into a marketable technology, however, it will most likely rejuvenate a market that has otherwise stagnated, at least to some extent, in terms of design.