We tend to think of USB Flash drives, like quick and dirty mass storage devices to quickly navigate around our data, but Kingston has more ideas. Last year the memory vendor quietly began including portable software for a couple of its DataTraveler line of Flash drives (DT101G2 and DT102 models specifically) and, this spring, the company will take its portable software to the next level. Dubbed urDrive, Kingston software allows users to install and run programs from USB drive, so that they can use, for example, on their own Web browser on any PC without leaving a trace.
Next generation urDrive explains at select Kingston Flash drives this spring. urDrive v2.0 is not only a Web browser, Photo Viewer, password manager and built-in mp3 player, but the software will be completely redesigned and expanded with a flashy new user interface, app store for both games and utilities, and purchase music at Universal Music, which has more than 70 million songs.
Kingston encourages its software urDrive "active storage" because it gives users a secure way to bring their applications and data from public computers such as Internet cafes or work with terminals that do not allow employees to install their own software or store your own media at the local level. Because the built-in browser has anti-key logging software and all cookies and passwords are stored on disk, users can be confident that their settings, history and media files will remain private and leave with them when they remove the Flash drive.
The concept of portable application are not new, as PortableApps.com site has a Flash version of all that Chrome OpenOffice for many years. However, Kingston urDrive is unique because it puts all its native Apps (browser, password, photo gallery) into one compelling UI and provides more and better choices in their urDrive app store. With a bit of buzz urDrive can really bring the concept of active storage into the mainstream.
We look forward to testing urDrive v2.0 when it ships on drives later this spring. At the same time check this interesting demo Kingston's portable application software in action.