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Where to store it when the going gets tough

Die-Hard Drives: 5 Best Rugged Hard Drives

In today’s digital era of technology, “Knowledge is Power” has taken on a much broader meaning as data becomes our most valued asset. How we as users go about portably accessing and backing up these personal files — music, photos, financial documents, and third-party software — has proven to be just as critical. Whether it’s the aspiring music producer shopping beats around to labels or the established accountant keeping tabs of clients’ paper trails, everyone can use a sturdy and high-functioning portable hard drive, especially those who remain adventurous and (naturally or otherwise) accident prone.

We’re talking an external device that can withstand the daily wear and tear. Something that can handle being tossed in the messenger bag; something that can survive a natural disaster. Need we remind you of Hurricane Sandy, or of last Friday’s party at your place? Didn’t think so. Luckily for you, there’s a handful of damage-proof HHDs available sure to safeguard all your stored data — and we’ve found the best.

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Sharp storage

LaCie Blade Runner Hard Drive by Philippe Starck

Ridley and Harrison fans: prepare to be disappointed. Famed designer Philippe Starck has teamed up with LaCie (again) to create a striking new 4TB USB 3.0 Blade Runner hard drive ($299) with an unusual form inspired by the 1982 dystopian sci-fi classic. But that’s where the connection to replicant huntin’ ends. The heavy-duty aluminum design…

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Ferdinand's Other Sunday Drive

LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drives

In the saturated world of hard drives, it’s good to know that LaCie still pursues a goal of creating bewitchingly designed hard drives, even with something as pervasive and everyday as an external hard drive. But, they might have finally reached an apogee with their latest collaboration with Porsche Design. The drives’ telltale design element…

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Mighty lithe

LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt

Let the onslaught of Thunderbolt enabled devices begin. And like clockwork, LaCie is at the head of the pack. The design-drive company’s venerable Little Big Disk (we actually have a couple of these around at GP HQ) will be receiving the Thunderbolt treatment this summer endowing it with workstation-class 10Gbps I/O. Huge audio and video…

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Gift Guide 2010: The Technophile

As men, we’ll always be suckers for shiny things. There’s no point in fighting it. Particularly when they can help do things like battle our inbox(s), catch up on missed episodes of the shows we’re too busy to watch, or single-handedly sway the tide of battles using just our thumbs. This gift list is a…

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Flash Gordon

LaCie FastKey USB 3.0

The LaCie FastKey isn’t some plain ol’ flash drive you picked up as a conference tchotchke. The USB 3.0 enabled hot stick is capable of 260MB per second data transfer to its aluminum enclosed solid state drive that’s protected by full AES 256-bit password-based encryption. How fast is it in the real world, you ask?…

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Data Brutality Prevention

LaCie XtremKey

Not all USB drives are created equally. Most are relegated to being generic tsotchkes handed out at conventions, but on the other hand you have the LaCie XtremKey ($50+) which offers industrial-grade data protection. With a pipe-shaped casing constructed of Zamac (an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper) that’s brawny enough to laugh at…