While at CES last week, I stopped by a booth where I was introduced to a device called The Tornado, made by a company called DataDriveThru. The people running the booth assured me that this device would be the easiest way I had ever seen to transfer files between two PCs that aren't already networked. I was intrigued. They pulled out the device you see to the left and proceeded to connect two laptops. They went through their demo, and it did indeed seem fairly simple. I thought to myself, well, that's their job, isn't it? To make it look simple? I asked for a press kit with some more info on the product and was thinking surely it couldn't be that easy, when they not only offered me a press kit, but a review unit to test out. I accepted their offer, and they handed me a review unit in a box. The first thing I thought was how small the package was, roughly 4" X 5" X 1" and so light you almost don't even notice you're holding it. I took the unit and decided that perhaps I would have someone else test it out. At one point, I was managing millions of dollars worth of Cisco equipment, so I'm not exactly the target audience for this type of device. But I do have relatives...
It just so happened that I had one that needed to transfer some files from a laptop with a nearly full hard drive over to a desktop machine. So I gave the unit to said relative, told them to plug one end into each machine, and copy whatever files they needed. I watched, and literally in under a minute, files were being moved from one machine to the other. And no offense to my relative, but this isn't the type of person who would be able to set up a network, share out folders or drives, and be able to map them on the other end, so this device was perfect in this situation.
How does it work? As you can see in the picture, there are two USB cables, one for each computer involved in the transfer process. What you may not be able to tell readily from the photo is that the cables are flat. Here's an excerpt from one of their press releases regarding the cables:
Data Drive Thru, Inc. today announced that it has received final testing results and approval to release the first and only USB 2.0 certified cable that is small enough to be used in a USB retractable cable based products. The new cable is a break-through in miniaturizing USB cables for use with a retractable cable mechanism. The new cable technology reduces electromagnetic wave leakage found in other flat cable based products that can be harmful to the user, the environment and your computer and computer devices.
They call it “Magic Cable™”, and as someone who has USB cables all over my desk, it's about time someone invented flat retractable USB cables. Once you plug the cables in (providing you have not disabled autorun), on each PC, a familiar Windows Explorer-like interface appears giving you access to all drives on both machines.
The window is split conveniently between the "Other Computer" on the top and "This Computer" on the bottom. Once the window is open, simply drag files back and forth between the two panes. I can't think of anything simpler for transferring files between machines, especially if you're transferring large amounts of data that would require burning multiple cds or moving a USB key back and forth several times. This device would be perfect for people with more than one PC who don't know much about networking, dial-a-geek types who do house calls, and practically everyone else. If I had to transfer files between two computers that weren't already networked, this would definitely be my first choice of networking device. But don't just take my word for it, this device won Best Gadget during Yahoo Tech's Last Gadget Standing event at CES 2007.
And in case you were looking for some technical details:
Retail Price: $59.95
Minimum Requirements
• Windows 98SE*, ME, 2000, XP, Vista Processor: 166 Mhz or above
• Memory: 128 MB or higher
• Minimum hard drive space required 3MB
• USB 2.0 or 1.1 compatible
(Windows 98SE will require a driver installation for the device to work)
Specifications
• Standard USB A-type plug
• Extended cable length: 4 feet
• LED indicator flashes while transferring
• USB BUS powered
• 1 year warranty
Lastly, just to prove how easy this device is to use, they set up a contest. Two IT professionals versus an eight-year old girl and a chimp. First team to set up a network and transfer a file between two computers gets the prize. Who won? Well, you'll just have to see for yourself.