There aren’t many better ways for a product or company to stand out, in any segment of the industry, than by claiming one of those coveted “world’s first/best/smallest/fastest/etc” titles.

It so happens that Deonet just did something of the sort, specifically build the world’s smallest USB flash drive.

The company did not precisely strap a name to this thing but, then again, it didn’t say when it would ship either.

To elaborate, Deonet did not say how much money either of the three versions of the flash drives would cost.

Indeed, there are three of them, with capacities of 4 GB, 8 GB and 16 GB, respectively.

The compact size is achieved thanks to the Micro UDP-chip, measuring 19.5 x 14.5 x 2.9 mm (0.76 x 0.57 x 0.11 inches).

UDP stands for the USB Disk In Package assembly process and has the flash IC (integrated circuit), controller, substrate and passive components molded into a single, very small package.

“For years, DEONET noticed a high demand for user friendly and compact USB sticks. With the development of the Micro UDP-chip, we continue being innovative in the USB market”, according Rob van Berkom, CEO of DEONET.

“This new technique enables us to introduce very small USB solutions.” The main advantage is that the USB stick is small enough to keep it in a wallet or hang it on a bunch of keys. In addition, the smallest USB-stick from DEONET is so small it barely protrudes of the USB port of the PC and laptop. This makes it possible to leave the USB-stick in the laptop, even if it’s stored in a bag.

The new flash drive should plug in the USB port and be almost invisible.

Normally, it is just a matter of time before a “world’s first” or “world’s best” product gets its title taken away by another, but Deonet’s critter could end up keeping this one for quite a while.

After all, only the size reduction of the USB port itself can actually let USB sticks get any smaller than this.

• Friday, December 23rd, 2011 • Techno • RSS 2.0