14 DAY TRIAL // Here is a portable storage device that would give you cause to think you're actually looking at a sapphire instead of a flash drive, if you only see the picture of it closed and ignore the writing that says what capacity it has.
The product is called DashDrive Durable UD311 and is one of ADATA's smallest such storage sticks yet, although that doesn't say much anymore.
It's all because of the Chip-On-Board (COB) technology, and the fact that COB is no longer a rare thing on this market.
Sure, it's not ubiquitous either, but the time when such a small drive shocked people is long passed.
Anyway, ADATA apparently tried to make the newcomer look like a jewel. The thing definitely looks the part if beheld from the right angle.
The faceted end cap is etched like a diamond, or rather a sapphire since the color is a deep blue.
The color is quite fitting, seeing as how the USB 3.0 interface itself is colored that way (USB 2.0 ports are black).
Speaking of USB 3.0, the SuperSpeed standard enabled high transfers of up to 85 MB/s. At least when reading. The writing speed will be quite a bit smaller, and dependent on the capacity. ADATA provides DashDrive Durable UD311 of 16 GB and 32 GB.
The “Rugged” in the name cannot be overlooked either. It is there because the new storage unit is resistant to water (when capped of course) and impact damage.
Add to that the strap hole and you have portability too, completing the picture (you can hang the DashDrive Durable UD311 from a keychain, carry strap, keyring, etc.). The weight of just 3 grams (0.1 ounce) definitely helps there.
It almost makes it seem incredible that, once upon a time, 5 MB HDDs were as huge and heavy as refrigerators.
ADATA should start selling the 16 GB and 32 GB DashDrive Durable UD311 soon, for unknown prices. ADATA's proprietary UFDtoGO software (maintains and updates personal data) can be downloaded for free.