USB flash drive roundup: ADATA S007, Cosair Survivor GTR and Mr T

A generation ago, people carried pocket knives for emergency situations. Nowadays, the need to slaughter a wild boar using only a two-inch blade is at its lowest ebb. The desire for a dependable pocket item, however, is at a constant high. In our digital world, that’s where the super-tough USB drive come in.

ADATA S007
ADATA have the most recent tough-guy USB entry. It’s called the S007, which we assume stands for Steroid’ed James Bond. It’s that tough. And while the real Bond rarely conformed to military demands, the S007 is 100% compliant with US MIL-SPEC. It features advanced rubber injection technology to prevent water damage and remain shock resistant. In fact, ADATA tested it to a depth of one metre for twenty minutes with no ill-effects.

And it’s equally tough against water’s arch rival – electricity. The rubber prevents the data from succumbing to static shocks. The capacity goes all the way up to 32GB, with read speeds of 30MB/s and a write speed of 8MB/s – 10% faster than conventional USB 2.0 solutions.

Corsair Survivor GTR
If you’re more Aquaman than secret agent, the Corsair Survivor is for you. It’s water resistant up to 200M, thanks to a EPDM waterproof seal and strong, CNC-milled, anodised aircraft-grade aluminum. It is also protected from vibration or impact damage through the use of a moulded shock dampening collar. They even throw in some dog tags, so you can feel like a real data-tough guy. And if your little guy does give in, you’re protected by a 10-year warranty. The Corsair Flash Survivor GTR goes up to 64GB, with 34MBs/read and 28MBs/write speeds making it a particularly speedy option.

LaCie XtremKey
Stereotypes usually paint the French as petty, wine-loving weaklings. We think: if they need a USB drive this tough, they’ve got to be pretty extreme. The all-terrain XtremKey from LaCie is almost like a normal USB stick, except that it is encased in an extremely strong zamac case. Zamac, if you were wondering, is a metal alloy composed of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper. Strong, if you were also wondering, means that it can withstand the pressure of a 10-ton truck. When the metal casing is 2mm thick is sealed shut, the USB can take heat up to 200°C (tested for three minutes), cold down to -50° (tested for 12 hours), water to 100 metres, the pressure of a truck and a drops of five metres (tested five times). It manages such resilience by shielding its memory modules inside the zamac case, then sealing them with wear-resistant screw threads and a rubber, waterproof O-ring. And with speeds up to 30MB/s (write) and 40MB/s (read), you don’t have to sacrifice performance for protection.

Mr. T USB
Predominantly made of plastic, the toughest thing about the Mr. T. key is his attitude. Plug him in and watch him ab-crunch his way to the Heavyweight title. He’s probably taken one or two too many blows to the head, however, as he has no memory. None. Ziltch. Try not to pity the fool, but he can’t store your files. His sole purpose is to look tough and make you feel bad about not working out.

Rather useless, then.