Leyio: The World’s First Wireless 16GB Flash Drive And Why It May Not Succeed

Flash drives, thumb drives - whatever you wanna call them have become so ubiquitous they’re now stuffed inside of pens, gift bags and just about anywhere they’ll go. The only problem is that you need a computer to share their contents.

The Leyio is the industry’s first flash drive that utilizes UWB, better known as Ultra Wide Band to exchange its stored contents. Just stand within short range of another Leyio and you’ll be able to transfer files up to 10Mbps. Integrated into the base of the drive is a 2GB flash drive for pulling contents off computers or for sharing files with non Leyio devices. To insure the utmost in security the Leyio features a fingerprint scanner that also doubles as navigation touch pad and battery life on a single charge is a reported 1 month.

I love the idea and seriously applaud its maker, but my gut tells me that the Leyio will not succeed. Not because it costs $230, but because UWB has yet to be integrated into really any devices and with the launch of Bluetooth 3.0, which promises high speed transfers riding on the WiFi spectrum, it’s sure to supplant any possibility of UWB going, well, wide spread.

The 16GB Leyio is currently only available in the UK, you can find it on Amazon.

Specs:

* 16GB Personal Sharing Device
* 1.5″ OLED Screen to view your data
* Data Transfer between devices with UWB at 10Mb/Sec
* Mini USB for Charging and Loading Data
* USB 2.0 Port for transferring data to/from any USB Key
* Built in USB Shuttle (2GB)
* Finger Print reader for security.