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Data Storage Hardware Idle

Victorinox Makes 1TB Swiss Army Knife 143

Posted by samzenpus from the MacGyver-approved dept.
judgecorp writes "The Swiss Army knife has been available with storage for some time — now there is a 1 terabyte version. It comes with two bodies, so the storage can be swapped out into a flight-safe version with no knife or scissors. The company left the price off its release, but sources suggest it is $3000."
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Victorinox Makes 1TB Swiss Army Knife More

Victorinox Makes 1TB Swiss Army Knife

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  • Why? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by slimjim8094 ( 941042 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:41PM (#38668576)

    I like cool toys as much as the next nerd, but I can't come up with anyone who needs this kind of storage but can't carry around a small external HDD. Do they exist, or is this a "because we can" thing?

    • Re:Why? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:44PM (#38668608)

      Easier to conceal, especially for international travel where an external disc drive is more likely to be searched/cloned/confiscated.

      • Re:Why? (Score:5, Funny)

        by Sebastopol ( 189276 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @06:10PM (#38668810) Homepage

        Yes, because they certainly do NOT confiscate knives on planes. ;-)

        • Re:Why? (Score:4, Insightful)

          by magarity ( 164372 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @07:15PM (#38669240)

          Yes, because they certainly do NOT confiscate knives on planes. ;-)

          I'm thinking that even with the 'flight friendly' version since it has the Swiss Army logo on it, the TSA goons will simply suspect it has a blade and take it away anyway.

          • I'm thinking that even with the 'flight friendly' version since it has the Swiss Army logo on it, the TSA goons will simply suspect it has a blade and take it away anyway.

            Well, then that means they'll probably confiscate my brother's backpack, or all this luggage [victorinox.com], simply because they have the Victorinox logo on it!

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Yes, because they certainly do NOT confiscate knives on planes. ;-)

          I still use my 512MB version all the time. Never fly on planes though, can't afford Europe right now and wouldn't be caught dead flying into the US(from Canada).
          Every young man should have a pocket knife though, just got a 1GB knockoff for my 9 year old.

      • Re:Why? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @06:11PM (#38668816)

        The problem with easy-to-conceal storage devices is if someone happens to find them anyway. Then, based on the fact that you were trying to conceal it, you get detained (or worse), your data confiscated, and your very own permanent Homeland Security file. The more effort you make to conceal it, the more suspicion you receive if it fails. You'd almost be better off carrying an unencrypted external USB hard drive labeled in Sharpie "porn and other private stuff".

        • Re:Why? (Score:5, Funny)

          by Radtastic ( 671622 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @08:04PM (#38669560)
          If you want to make sure the TSA leaves your digital goodies alone, label it 'Viruses for AV Testing". Bonus: Carry a disclaimer form releasing you of damages if they do plug it in.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by mjwx ( 966435 )

            If you want to make sure the TSA leaves your digital goodies alone, label it 'Viruses for AV Testing". Bonus: Carry a disclaimer form releasing you of damages if they do plug it in.

            You mean a shrink wrap license?

            If the US court system worked, it would be enough to cover your arse for any damage they TSA did by ignoring the license. That would be _if_ the US courts worked the way they're meant to.

            I'm not an American and have nothing to do with the idiodic organisation known as the TSA, but surely if you want the TSA to leave your data alone you would just send it through the internet rather then carrying it on your person. Seems pretty stupid to have sensitive data on you when yo

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by ediron2 ( 246908 )
            <blockquote>If you want to make sure the TSA leaves your digital goodies alone, label it 'Viruses for AV Testing". Bonus: Carry a disclaimer form releasing you of damages if they do plug it in.</blockquote>

            Better yet, label one stick 'P0Rn' and stuff it full of malware, rootkits, or even some lame old nasty stuff made new and shiny with shakataganai. Minimal bonus points if it phones home to some hitcounter or webbug, so you can discretely see if it gets taken. Triple bonus points for buried s

      • Re:Why? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by MichaelSmith ( 789609 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @07:19PM (#38669274) Homepage Journal

        There should be a container for micro sd cards which you can swallow. Its not 1TB but it could carry an OS which you use to download the rest of the data.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by Maow ( 620678 )

          There should be a container for micro sd cards which you can swallow. Its not 1TB but it could carry an OS which you use to download the rest of the data.

          Regardless of container, stomach acids would induce bit rot, turning data into... shit.

          /zing!

          • I don't recommend this idea at all, but stomach acid is only dilute hydrochloric. There are sealed USB sticks with gold plated copper contacts that would have no problems with it at all.
        • These hollow coins [thinkgeek.com] might provide some level of protection. I've never seen one up close, but they claim to be milled from real currency. Not much good if you're not American, though.

    • Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by TheGratefulNet ( 143330 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:45PM (#38668618)

      I was just thinking, most of my music fits on 1tb (mp3 and a lot of my .flac).

      I currently serve music over nfs from a noisy back-room always-on server.

      if this is cheaper (soon it will be) then I'll fit all mu music on a noiseless flash drive. I can then play that on some local noiseless (fanless, etc) playback system.

      THAT is the draw for me, of large flash drives. thumbdrives are readable by even $30 dvd players (philips) and so your whole music collection can be on a stick that mounts on a consumer level appliance.

      that's neat, isn't it?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by syousef ( 465911 )

        I was just thinking, most of my music fits on 1tb (mp3 and a lot of my .flac).

        I currently serve music over nfs from a noisy back-room always-on server.

        if this is cheaper (soon it will be) then I'll fit all mu music on a noiseless flash drive. I can then play that on some local noiseless (fanless, etc) playback system.

        THAT is the draw for me, of large flash drives. thumbdrives are readable by even $30 dvd players (philips) and so your whole music collection can be on a stick that mounts on a consumer level appliance.

        that's neat, isn't it?

        You'll be waiting a while for your $3000 1TB swiss army knife to meet the price of your $30 player. Why not just bite the bullet and buy a 1TB drive for $50? With moving parts it will probably develop errors within 5 years but that compromise should get you some way towards your dream while the prices fall.

        For me photo storage is important. I have about 2TB of photos (some multiple copies - RAW, converted, and edited) that span almost a decade and a half. I have multiple copies, with a couple off site as I

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by fnj ( 64210 )

          In what strange land does a 1 TB drive cost $50 these days?

          • I'm in Australia (with the AUD 102% of the USD at the moment) and I can buy a 1TB disk here for $70, or a 2TB disk for $100

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by fnj ( 64210 )

              Jeeze, can you buy ME some? We're about 70% above those numbers in the land of the free and the home of the shafted.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by c0lo ( 1497653 )

        I currently serve music over nfs from a noisy back-room always-on server.

        With this, you can give the customers cutlery for their serve of music.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by sootman ( 158191 )

        Yes, we all know why large flash drives are neat. Now explain the appeal of having a dozen stainless-steel tools sticking out of the USB port of your media player. :-)

      • Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by bemymonkey ( 1244086 ) on Thursday January 12, 2012 @02:17AM (#38671378)

        If you're just looking for silent replacements for hard drives, just get a few SSDs. 1TB should barely come to $1500 (thinking two Intel 320 series 600GB drives), and it'll be MUCH MUCH MUCH faster than a dinky oversized thumb drive.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by karnal ( 22275 )

          But when the size of a "dinky oversized thumb drive" fits your space constraints better than 2 2.5" SSDs stacked on top of one another (not to mention a native USB interface? Not sure if the SSDs have that, I know some do) then you'll pay for the convenience.

          This is definitely not for everyone. Even I have trouble seeing the market for this. But someone will buy it. Guaranteed. Would it be enough to make a profit? Maybe that's why it's $3000.

          • He's talking about replacing his "back room file server" with something noiseless... SSDs would allow that.

            You won't be plugging them into a dumb player of any kind (HiFi, car stereo, AV receiver), but hey, I doubt that most "dumb" players with USB ports will read a 1TB Flash drive :p

    • Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by c0d3g33k ( 102699 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:50PM (#38668652)

      Everyone need this kind of storage. A small external HDD is readily identifiable as such, so will be subject to arbitrary search and confiscation at the whim of the border guards. Better to store your data within ordinary items such as a hairbrush, keyfob or the flight-safe Swiss Army Knife. Preferably encrypted and redundantly distributed among as many innocuous items as you can stand to carry. When you have reached your destination, use your most secure device to update and change your security codes so the folks who confiscated your external HDD can't easily get to your personal information.

      • Re:Why? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Firehed ( 942385 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @06:29PM (#38668956) Homepage

        I've travelled with multiple terabytes of "these are obviously hard drives" storage and never had a problem with search or confiscation. They did swab things down and run it through their bomb detector (unsurprising). If I have data that needs protection, it's encrypted - often twice (I run full-disk encryption on my system, and then encrypt any extra-sensitive data on top of that in case my system fails to lock for some reason).

        If I had the need of disguising the fact that I was bringing data at all, I'd probably put a microSD card behind/in an earring or something else that would have no trouble going through a metal detector (any concealed compartments would likely show up on xray, if they were really looking). Or just wrap the thing in plastic and swallow it.

        • I've travelled with multiple terabytes of "these are obviously hard drives" storage and never had a problem with search or confiscation.

          Was this international travel? Because it's international travel that is associated with confiscation of computers, hard drives, and other electronics. And if you don't unencrypt it, don't expect to get it back if they try to look at it.

          • I too travel all the time with External Harddrives. I've never had a problem. They just to through the xray machine with everything else. If border guards had to check every computer or harddrive for data they wouldn't be able to do their jobs very well. Of course, I'm not on any watch lists nor do I look like a terrorist, so that might help.
          • This is why I would encrypt the data and put it onto Dropbox or similar. Or mail it to my destination.

            I don't fly to America, though, so this idiocy is unlikely to affect me.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by b0bby ( 201198 )

            I've never had a problem either - out of the millions of people who fly each year, only a vanishingly small number have anything confiscated. If something is important you should have it encrypted, because you're more likely to have it stolen than confiscated. I have no love for customs officials, but seriously, the level of paranoia on here is too much. Yes, I'm new here.

            • I wasn't trying to say that everyone who travels internationally has trouble with ICE. The person never specified if the travel was foreign, or domestic, however. That's a key difference, because no one has their data searched on domestic travel. I don't agree with searching the data on Foreign travel, either. But I'm not all wrapped up in tin foil either. Most people will never be bothered by customs, but I've never seen customs swab for explosive materials either. They leave that to the security peo

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by mjwx ( 966435 )

        Everyone need this kind of storage. A small external HDD is readily identifiable as such, so will be subject to arbitrary search and confiscation at the whim of the border guards. Better to store your data within ordinary items such as a hairbrush, keyfob or the flight-safe Swiss Army Knife. Preferably encrypted and redundantly distributed among as many innocuous items as you can stand to carry. When you have reached your destination, use your most secure device to update and change your security codes so the folks who confiscated your external HDD can't easily get to your personal information.

        Well the first thing I thought of is set up a RAID 5 or 6 of micro SD cards ensuring that no complete file is no any single SD card. Micro SD cards are small enough that they can be hidden inside a lot of innocuous items including inside the body itself.

        Then I thought, why bother, If the data is that sensitive or incriminating, I'll just store it on a server and access it over the internet. Even Dropbox holds a few GB for free, if it's sensitive data why not pay them or hire a server and some storage and

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by mlush ( 620447 )

          Well the first thing I thought of is set up a RAID 5 or 6 of micro SD cards ensuring that no complete file is no any single SD card. Micro SD cards are small enough that they can be hidden inside a lot of innocuous items including inside the body itself.

          Then I thought, why bother, If the data is that sensitive or incriminating, I'll just store it on a server and access it over the internet. Even Dropbox holds a few GB for free, if it's sensitive data why not pay them or hire a server and some storage and DIY.

          Smuggling data is not like smuggling drugs, why endanger your person going through customs when you can bypass the entire thing.

          I was just about to agree with you and quote http://xkcd.com/538/ [xkcd.com]....

          But then I though 'Frist World Problems'. If you smuggling sensitive data chances are that that its into or out of somewhere repressive where the internet is slow, locked down or even non existent ... Satellite internet is an option but a bit on the slow side and worse but you have smuggle the modem into the country.

          I think you were right the first time, RAID6 on microSD (though I'd also encrypt the files:-)

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by mjwx ( 966435 )

            I was just about to agree with you and quote http://xkcd.com/538/ [xkcd.com]....

            But then I though 'Frist World Problems'. If you smuggling sensitive data chances are that that its into or out of somewhere repressive where the internet is slow, locked down or even non existent ... Satellite internet is an option but a bit on the slow side and worse but you have smuggle the modem into the country.

            I think you were right the first time, RAID6 on microSD (though I'd also encrypt the files:-)

            I dont think you've been through a really thorough customs operation. The TSA are a bunch of amateurs on power trip, this does not make them competent.

            If a government is oppressive about internet access, it is then reasonable to assume that said oppression will be just as great, if not greater at border entries. This still makes it easier to smuggle data through the internet. This way you dont have to put yourself in immediate danger of discovery nor do you have to face the person who is attempting to st

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by karnal ( 22275 )

          So with RAID-5 I won't need all of your cards, just N-1.

    • "640K ought to be enough for anybody" - Bill G.

    • Ok, the main reason "Why?" is that it was a present from my wife, and it's 128MB from back when that was a typical size for a USB memory stick. It was geeky and cute. You could fit a small Linux distro on it if you wanted, though I mainly just used it to move files around (and open boxes), and if you need to fly on an airplane, the memory stick part pops out so you can carry it without the knife body. And even today, I very seldom use data files bigger than 128MB (except for music, ISOs, and mailboxes),

  • I would much rather have a Debian Swiss Army knife... mine is somewhere between Switzerland and the US right now...

    http://wiki.debian.org/Merchandise/SwissKnives [debian.org]

  • If They Confiscate Your Cupcake? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Jeremiah Cornelius ( 137 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:42PM (#38668592) Homepage Journal

    The TSA will surely snag your "flight safe" Victorinox!

    They took a 3-inch plastic toy doll's rifle from a child - because it was a "replica firearm".

    Someday, they will face the gates of Hell. Today? They are your middle-school hall-monitors, with an authorization from the American STASI.

    • Re:If They Confiscate Your Cupcake? (Score:4)

      by amicusNYCL ( 1538833 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:44PM (#38668614)

      It's pretty hard to justify confiscating a drive. If this is anything like the little 128MB version I've got, the "flight safe" version is where you physically detach the drive from the knife housing, and then you're only carrying the actual drive.

      • Re:If They Confiscate Your Cupcake? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by dgatwood ( 11270 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:57PM (#38668718) Homepage Journal

        You haven't been paying attention. The TSA has no need to justify anything, citizen. They repeatedly commit dubiously legal searches and seizures, illegal detentions, random groping, and unlicensed irradiation of the flying public under the threat of invalidating your expensive plane ticket purchase (extortion) if you do not comply. They can't justify most of what they do. That never stopped them from doing anything before. Why start caring now?

        • I was just trying to make the point that you're not flying with some sort of "flight-safe" knife, you're probably able to detach the actual drive.

          • Re:If They Confiscate Your Cupcake? (Score:5, Insightful)

            by The Grim Reefer ( 1162755 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @06:45PM (#38669034)

            I was just trying to make the point that you're not flying with some sort of "flight-safe" knife, you're probably able to detach the actual drive.

            You're still flying with some part of a "weapon"/knife. That's grounds enough for the TSA, I'm sure.[/sarcasm]

            I fly often and used to try to be understanding of the TSA. But in the last year, or so, they've become increasingly obnoxious. I've seen other passengers harassed because they choose a pat-down over being irradiated. Passengers treated like criminals because they had a tube of tooth paste in their luggage. I had a VGA card ruined because a idiot agent pulled it out of the antistatic bag and swiped it all over with a cloth while arguing with me the entire time. Then afterward told me I could have just checked it, which was exactly what I asked to do while she argued with me.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by vik ( 17857 )

      I've had medical shears taken from me by Australian customs (who are even worse arseholes than the TSA) despite the fact that they are (a) not sharp, and (b) classified as exempt medical equipment.

      Basically, if they don't like the look of it, it doesn't go on the plane. You have no "rights" in this respect.

      • Customs are the arseholes that search you _after_ a 14 hour international flight. Air screening in Australia is not done by federal agents but conducted by the airport operators according to federal government regulations and policies.

  • Just what the world needs (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bohnanza ( 523456 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:48PM (#38668640)
    A Swiss Army knife with no knife.

  • . . . a whole data center! . . . with some junk he finds lying around . . .

    . . . and creates a world wide social network . . . and all the members help him save the world and escape . . .

    Victorinox: "Yes, that was what we envisioned that could be done with our new knife . . ."

  • Itb in a knife (Score:5, Funny)

    by Master Moose ( 1243274 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2012 @05:56PM (#38668710) Homepage

    That's cutting edge!

  • Windows Only? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    In previous models the encryption is software based and for Windows only.
  • Just what I've always wanted in a durable metal tool: a delicate electronic attachment highly likely to break or become obsolete well before the rest of the thing. Can we think of a way to make it rely on some obscure teeny batteries, with a chintzy plastic door that falls off if you look at it funny? That's the only thing I like even better...

    Just get a damned K-bar and intimidate the bits at your destination into the correct pattern.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      They do come with installed watch batteries, which I'll explain later.

      I have the 2GB version of the Swiss Army Knife and I love it. It's not the standard size Swiss Army Knife, but the smaller pocket knife version, and it's just as durable. The reason I love it is because it single-handedly replaces 4 items that I would normally carry on me. Before, I used to carry a pocket knife, a flash light, a pen and a USB drive. The Swiss Army USB Knife contain all those. So now I can reduce the number of items I carr

  • Well, I can get a terrabyte drive for under $100 and a Swiss Army knife with all the other stuff for under $200 easy, so, why should I pay $3000? To show off?

    • Really, you can procure 1TB tiny form-factor SSDs for under $100? You should be making a fortune right now!

      1TB huge spinning disc is nowhere near the same thing as what's being shown.

  • The problem with Swiss army knife+usb is that you can have the Swiss army knife for a lot longer than the life of the USB stick. Fifteen years ago I bought a 1.2GB 3.5" hard drive for $150. It was a good deal. Today, 16GB comes on a micro SD sells for a measly $20. But my Swiss army knife from is still just as precious and useful as it was when I got it.

  • Victorinox has had a line of these for several years. I own one of the early ones from when 512MB was as big as you could buy. It's been on my keychain all these years and still works great.

    I've found the tool I use most often is the knife, usually for opening packaging. When the pen stopped working, they sent me a new one, no questions asked. And I'm not sure what other people store on these things, but I hardly ever use more than 100MB.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by plopez ( 54068 )

      *And I'm not sure what other people store on these things, but I hardly ever use more than 100MB.
      *

      I've been working with a large number of maps recently. I'm up to 16 GB now and seriously considering going to 32 GB.

  • unless it comes with Perl

  • Safe? (Score:3)

    by xenobyte ( 446878 ) on Thursday January 12, 2012 @02:54AM (#38671488)

    ...so the storage can be swapped out into a flight-safe version with no knife or scissors...

    The security theater related to flying never ceases to amaze me... You can get steak knives onboard (first class) but cannot bring a small folding knife...
    But of course, those people travelling on first class are decent people so they're safe... Oh wait, the 9/11 hijackers travelled on first class to be near the cockpit. Bummer...

  • I didn't know that!
    This country was neutral to all wars I can remember. I am surprised to hear it has army.

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