Transcend says USB stick capable of 2 TB storage

"Imagine that going into your tablet!" The presenter at the Display Taiwan 2011 Technology Show recently was demonstrating a finger-length, thin USB flash drive of 16 gigabytes. She told visitors, however, that what was really interesting about this little number is that the drive could store up to two terabytes. Two terabytes? The idea has sparked much curiosity as to how this was achieved and how much such a device could cost. Manufacturers of the flash drive, Taiwan-based Transcend, developed the USB 3.0 flash drive in collaboration with Taiwan's government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the R&D superstars who help Taiwan's technology companies grow.

ITRI has an impressive record of helping companies innovate and of helping to create a high-tech environment for Taiwan, starting on its incubation missions in 1973, when the government decided to reduce dependence on labor-intensive industries and instead grow technology-intensive enterprise.

At the time of this writing, though, it was evident that technology observers could only imagine, as they were unable to satisfy their curiosity as to specs and technology approach. The Display Taiwan event, which focuses on flat-panel displays, was the key signal of the product, but there were no signs of price tag, specs or technical explanations.

Called the "Thin Card," the USB 3.0 device will not be available now because Transcend awaits the setting of the USB 3.0 standard. Transcend and partner ITRI will not be pushing the device forward until they get the 3.0 green light This is also, according to reports, the reason why there has been no promotional information other than the video. (USB 3.0 is the third generation of USB technology that acts as a connector between a host computer and peripheral device.)

What is certain is that the video peek at a flash drive with a capability claim of 2 TB storage has raised awareness of Transcend as an aggressive player in memory products. With a company motto of “Good memories start here” the company has had a succession of product launches, selling flash memory cards, USB flash drives, MP3 players, digital photo frames, portable hard drives, among other items. At the time of its founding in 1988, the company offered two products only, a laser printer driver and a software protection system. The company introduced storage devices in 2003 and by 2009 it was recognized as a top Taiwanese global business.

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