Never Use Yourself as a Test Market
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I have a USB flash drive...in the form of an iPod Shuffle. I use it all the time, more than my regular iPod in fact. However, I rarely use it as a flash drive. It's easy for me to remember how much space I have left on it because my need for general data storage is so infrequent. The files I need to add are small and rarely needed. It provides me with a contingency plan in case something goes awry with the files on my laptop. I imagine I would get very frustrated with the complete lack of feedback I get from my Shuffle if I was using this feature all the time.
That's what makes this drive so ingenious. With the added display there is no need for trial and error. There is no need to check the amount of available space first. You will know how much space is available before you even plug it in. Of course, that's assuming that the meter is accurate and the device is holding enough power to drive it when you need it.
They even claim that the display is "unbreakable" which would be important for a flash drive that is always being shoved in a pocket or bouncing around in a bag full of computer gear.
This seems like the kind of design that would stand out at CES this year. It shows a concern for the users' needs that could help distinguish it from a lot of the fluff that will be shown off at the convention.
~Product news via Gizmodo
