LAS VEGAS – External storage maker LaCie will show a new pair of drives this week whose design philosophies are about as polar opposite as possible.
The first is the Fuel 1TB wireless portable drive. The Fuel’s industrial design is based on the World War II Jerry can, a 5-gallon can that both the Allies and Germans used to transport gasoline.
The second is the Sphere, a globeshaped drive the size of a tennis ball that is plated with silver by the world-renowned French silversmith Christofle.
The Fuel, $199 and shipping this month, can run eight hours on its rechargeable battery and is optimized for Apple products although it can work with any computer. The Fuel communicates with a tablet or computer via its own Wi-Fi hot spot, or it can connect using USB 3.0.
It can stream up to three HD videos simultaneously and share with five devices at once.
The 1TB Sphere is part of LaCie’s extreme design series. Pricing was not set as of press time, but it will ship this month, the company said.
The Sphere, which is intended as a statement piece in an office setting, is literally dipped in silver at Christofle’s facility in France. The unit uses a 2.5-inch platter and is powered via its USB 3.0 connection to the computer. Its storage capacity was not released.
