For those of you who can’t wait for the 10x speed increase from the recently finalized USB 3.0 specification to be implemented, here’s a novel device that may help to bridge the gap. Called the Kanguru e-Flash, it is essentially a flash drive that pairs the traditional USB connector with a high-speed eSATA plug for a 5x increase in transfer speed.

The e-Flash thumbdrive would be a good alternative for anyone with an eSATA equipped laptop, which are becoming increasingly common these days. Apparently the eSATA connection is powered, so you won’t need any additional power source to use it.

The drive currently comes in 16GB ($85) or 32GB ($120) varieties, with 64GB planned for as soon as January 2009. With transfer speeds of up to 300MB/s vs USB 2.0s 60MB/s as well as decent capacities, the drive should offer a good alternative to external hard drives for average users.

Sources:
Kanguru and Business Wire
Via: Engadget