Flash storage keeps getting cheaper and cheaper. You can often find bargains on 32GB USB flash drives for $60 or less, and 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB sticks are far cheaper. But not all flash drives are created (or priced) equal. Some are faster than others, and some have other gimmicks, like password-protected file encryption.

Kingston recently launched a new DataTraveler Locker+ USB flash drive line that features 256-bit AES hardware encryption. Basically you can’t access the data on the sticks without a password. And you enter the wrong password 10 times, the card will automatically reformat the drive. That’s great if you accidentally lose the flash drive and don’t want your data leaking out to the world. But it also means you’d better be darn sure you remember the password.

The Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ USB flash drives range from 4GB to 32GB in size and run between $36 and about $154. They’re compatible with Windows, OS X, and Linux.

via Electronista

Want to install Windows 7 on your Windows XP netbook, but don’t feel like buying the Windows 7 installation disc and a USB DVD drive to do it? Microsoft is now offering netbook users a way to download the operating system directly to a PC and use a USB Flash drive to install it.

Here’s how it works. First, you visit the Windows 7 for Netbooks page and purchase and download the version of Windows 7 you’re interested in. You can choose Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, or Windows 7 Ultimate. Windows 7 Starter isn’t an option.

Once you’ve downloaded disc image, you can use the new Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (WUDT) to copy the installation files to a 4GB or larger USB flash drive and then use that USB stick to install the operating system.

via CNET and ZDNet

Chinese computer maker Delux Technology has introduced a line of 10 and 11.6 inch mini-laptops. For the most part, these computers are standard netbook fare with 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drives and Windows XP or Windows 7. But Sascha from Netbook News.de did find a few interesting features on some models.

First, most of the laptops feature glossy displays but matte, non-glare displays. Second, all of the notebooks seem to have fairly larger keyboards and touchpads, although some have single mouse buttons while others have two distinct buttons.

But probably the most interesting point comes about 4 minutes and 15 seconds into Sascha’s video when he explains why you don’t see any USB ports or other jacks on the side of one of the 11.6 inch laptops. It’s because there’s a removable cover for those ports. When you remove the cover, you’ll see that it actually has a USB flash drive and a laser pointer built right in.

You can check out Sascha’s hands-on video after the break.

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What better way to celebrate the labor day weekend than with some free accessories for your netbook? Yeah, I know, that doesn’t make any sense to me either. But the fine folks at HP and BuzzCorps sent me a few goodies recently, so I figured I’d pass along the free to you.

Here are the prizes:

HP V125w 16gb USB Flash Drive

This little flash drive is valued at about $50 and hold 16G of data. You don’t have to use it with a netbook, but it sure would look nice quadrupling the amount of available storage space on your Asus Eee PC 701.

HP Wireless Laser Mini Mouse, black

This wireless mouse runs on a single AA battery and comes with a wireless USB dongle that fits in the base of the mouse when you’re not using it. The mini mouse is valued at $35.

How to enter:

Just leave a comment below. That’s pretty much it, but make sure that when you leave a comment you enter a valid email address or login with your Facebook or Twitter credentials. I’ll be taking entries through 11:00 PM  Eastern on Monday, September 7th.

Two winners will be randomly selected, one for each prize. Winners do not get to pick which prize they will receive. Employees and contractors of Liliputing need not apply (because they’re disqualified), as are close personal friends and family members of Brad Linder.

The contest is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, but I’m footing the bill for shipping, so don’t expect it to arrive next day if you live a few continents away, OK?

One of the most popular articles I’ve ever written for Liliputing is  set of instructions for installing Windows XP on a netbook without a CD-ROM drive. The instructions were written specifically for the HP 2133 Mini-Note, a computer I don’t actually have any more. But for the most part, the complex set of instructions will help you prep a USB flash drive, copy the Windows XP installation files from a CD (using another computer) to the USB stick, and then install Windows on a netbook.

But it turns out there’s an easier way. A much easier way. My colleague Lee Mathews at Download Squad turned me onto WinToFlash today. Basically, all you need to do is insert your Windows CD into a computer with a disc drive, plug in a 2GB or larger USB flash drive, and run WinToFlash. It’ll do the rest of the work, and when you’re done, you just need to plug the USB flash drive into a netbook and boot from the flash drive. The trick for doing that varies from netbook to netbook. On most Asus models you hit the Esc button during boot.

WinToFlash works with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 as well as Windows Server 2003 and 2008.

I found the download link at WinToFlash was a bit… broken. But you can download the program from Softpedia.

Of course, my original article will also come in handy if you want to know how to partition a netbook so that you can easily install multiple operating systems. And there’s information about installing the specific drivers you’ll need for the HP 2133 Mini-Note as well.

I’m always wary when a company claims to have produced the world’s smallest version of anything. That said, the new Super Talent Pico USB drive is pretty darn tiny for a flash drive that holds up to 32GB of data.  It measures just 1.5 inches by .5 inches and weighs less than 6 grams, or about 0.21 ounces.

The Pico drives have transfer rates of up to 30MB/s and come in a few different configurations, with some models featuring a swivel-style design, while others have a slide-out USB connector. The water-resistant flash drives will run abotu $85 for a standard 32GB model, and $99 for a slightly fancier version with built in AES-256 hardware encryption.

via SlashGear

The Split Stick is a USB flash drive divided. Basically, the stick has two retractable USB flash drives, one on each side. Each can hold up to 2GB of data. So if you want to store all of your work data on one side and your personal files on another, you can do that. Or you can share a stick with your significant other, encrypt one drive and have a public/private side, or think of some other crazy reason why you’d rather have two separate flash disks instead of just creating two different folders on a 4GB flash drive.

The Split Stick is available for pre-order for $19.99. It’ll come in a variety of colors, and users will be able to request a custom laser etching on each side of the device to help you remember which end is which.

via Gizmodo

I’m torn. On the one hand, I’m impressed as heck that Kingson’s new DataTraveler 300 USB flash drive can store a whopping 256GB of data. On the other hand, it costs $900 which makes it pretty much useless… for now.

Of course, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about flash media over the last few years it’s that prices come down rather quickly. I still remember paying nearly $50 for my first 32MB CompactFlash card.

Kingston’s new card features read speeds up to 20MB per second and transfer rates of up to 20MB per second. It measures 2.78″ x 0.88″ x 0.65″. And Kingston has been kind enough to let us know that the flash drive can hold the equivalent of 10 Blu-Ray discs, 54 DVDs or 365 CDs. The 256GB Kingston DataTraveler 300 will be available first in Europe. No word on if/when it will launch in the US. Hopefully it’ll be a tad cheaper by the time it does.

via Gizmodo

Microsoft designed Windows Vista under the assumption that the computer industry was only moving in one direction: Faster, more powerful machines. The company was wrong, and a lot of people found that Vista simply didn’t run well on their older or slower hardware. Or on netbooks which tend to have slower processors than their more expensive brethren.

So Microsoft went back to the drawing board, and you know what? The pre-release versions of Windows 7 I’ve tried really do work quite well on netbooks. Just as well as Windows XP, an operating system designed to run on hardware that was state of the art 10 years ago. It’s likely that a number of computer makers will begin loading up netbooks with Windows 7 Starter Edition or Windows 7 Home Premium this fall. Netbooks can handle Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate Editions, but the other two will be significantly cheaper.

But what about users who want to upgrade the operating system on their ancient netbooks purchased in 2008 or early 2009? The problem with Windows is that you typically need an optical disc drive to install it and most netbooks ship without CD or DVD drives.

CNET reports that Microsoft is considering several options to make it easier for netbook users to install Windows 7. The company could sell the operating system on a USB thumb drive that would let users upgrade or install Windows 7 without a disc. Microsoft could also partner with retail stores to let users bring in their netbooks for an upgrade. Or users could be allowed to download Windows and install it using their own thumb drives.

Or you could just pick up a cheap USB DVD drive. But it seems silly to purchase a piece of hardware that you may only use once.

Looking for a USB thumb drive to add a bit of storage to your netbook, but don’t want that sticks out two or three inches from your netbook and sort of looks like it’s asking to fall out or break off when you accidentally bump it? Buffalo’s latest USB flash drive holds is just 5mm thick.

Seriously, I’ve seen SD card that protrude further from netbooks than this 16GB flash drive.

It looks like the Buffalo 16G thumb key will be available in late June (so any day now) for ¥12,980 or about $135. It’s not exactly the cheapest 16GB flash drive around, but it’s very likely the smallest.

via Gizmodo

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