Kind of awesome: external HDD with a keypad for security

Devin Coldewey

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He has written for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts he’d like you to read: The Dangers of Externalizing Knowledge | Generation i | Surveillant Society | Choose Two | Frame Wars | The User’s Manifesto | Our Great Sin His personal website is coldewey.cc. → Learn More

Friday, November 14th, 2008


Ahhh, this is very 24. I can see Jack Bauer pulling nuclear secrets off it after choking a terrorist to death with the USB cable. I don’t think that’s the image Lenovo is going for, though. In fact, its appearance is plain practically to the point of invisibility, looking more like a credit card reader than anything else. The passcode system allows for an administrator and up to 10 other IDs, although I don’t think there is a system for encrypting each user’s data individually. It’ll come in two flavors in “mid November”: 160GB for $180, and 320GB for $219. I don’t have to tell you which is the better deal.

The interface has no display, which says to me that configuration and administration of the device is done by some paired software; I would rather it wasn’t but it’s probably only really necessary for the initial setup. What would you put on your secure, keypad-protected hard drive? Actually, on second thought, don’t tell me.

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