Editor's Choice 2007: Digital Storage and Display

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This tiny, stylish USB drive looks a lot like a Zippo cigarette lighter, but we think it's a better lifestyle choice. Measuring only 2.6 inches long, the Mega TravelDrive is comparable in size to many USB thumb drives, which like memory cards use nonmoving flash memory for storage. But the Memorex substitutes a one-inch hard drive, which helps it accommodate up to 12GB of data -- several times more than most of the biggest flash-based competitors.

Hidden inside the TravelDrive's sleek gun-metal case is a retractable USB 2.0 connector that unfolds from the top of the drive. It can pivot up to 180 degrees for easy access to any USB port, no matter how hard to reach. And no AC cord is needed, since the unit draws the power it needs from the data cable. About $150.

LaCie d2 Quadra External Hard Drive

This high-quality 500GB digital storage device is one of the fastest single-drive external models available, and also among the most compatible with the latest data-transfer standards. "Quadra" denotes four separate cable connections: USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800, plus the newest and fastest, eSATA. Using its eSATA connection, the d2 exchanges data with your computer roughly ten percent faster than it does with FireWire 800, though to achieve that with most computers you'll need to buy a separate eSATA expansion card. (Greater speed can be achieved with multiple d2 Quadras configured in a RAID -- a redundant array of independent disks.)

Housed in a stylish, sturdy aluminum case and cooled by a super-quiet "smart" fan, the d2 Quadra can stand vertically or horizontally, be stacked with other drives, or even rack-mounted. The unit has a programmable "shortcut button" that can launch any application with a single touch, including its bundled automatic backup and data recovery software, EMC Retrospect. About $215.

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