SanDisk Corp. on Thursday unveiled its new Cruzer Profile, a USB 2.0 flash drive that includes embedded fingerprint identification technology. While the product isn’t available on SanDisk’s Web site yet, the company is displaying the Cruzer Profile at the CeBIT trade show being held this week in Hanover, Germany. SanDisk said that the drive is approximately the size of a pack of gum and will be available in 512MB and 1GB capacities for US$99.99 and $199.99, respectively, when it starts shipping in mid-April.
The Cruzer Profile features two tethered parts, the drive itself and the identification hardware, which stores fingerprint images and activates the drive when the user presents a matching print. SanDisk noted that fingerprints never pass through the host computer and that the drive includes a portable password manager for extra security. The drive, which is compatible with Mac OS X v10.1.2 or higher, comes loaded with three utilities that only run on Windows: CruzerLock 2, which encrypts files; CruzerSync, which synchronizes Outlook data; and Cruzer PocketCache, a file back program. It also comes with a lanyard.