New Moon, blah blah. Haven’t seen it, don’t intend to, not even for the LULZ. Did want to point out that yesterday we got a press release for this here Twilight USB flash drive. Why yes, it is in the shape of and decorated with the Cullen family crest. Twilight-lovers aren’t going to settle for a flash drive that just says New Moon on it or anything, they like to go all out. This (completely not work safe and not having anything at all to do with tech) product proves that fans of this series demand above-and-beyond in every aspect of their lives.

I am on pins and needles for the Twilight convertible tablet netbook and sprouts hair and grows to twice its size when you turn the screen around and close it over the keyboard.

Anyone who doesn’t get that reference: you’re a lucky sod and I envy you deeply.

So today CrunchGear has a very cute USB drive in the shape of a penguin that is bootable and has a booktable version of Ubuntu Linux on it. awww. While this device is certainly very adoreable and the shape is apropos to what’s on the drive, I have to wonder: are there just too many of these things, now?

Like the Transformers ones I pointed out the other week. Or these ones shaped like bombs (yes — but cartoon, round-ball bombs, not IEDs). Or any number of cute, toy-like USB drives which, can I point out, usually have lower capacity and a higher price. Like I said, they are the keychain toys of the new millennium.

There has to be a point at which the lack of storage space makes cute USB drives too useless ot bother with. The penguin one has added functionality and supports a good cause. Most cute drives don’t even offer those benefits. (Plus, I think I paid $20 for the last 16GB drive I bought and it was very simple to turn it into a bootable drive and install Linux distros from it.)

I can’t tell if I’m just being cranky and middle-aged or if this really is as silly as I see it. You decide!

USB drives are the keychains of the 21st century. As in: any cute plastic mold or toy they can make small and shove some flash memory in will be snatched up by lovers of cute plastic stuff. Including myself. I was a keychain addict as a kid, too.

These appeal to my inner child: Transformers USB drive, hub and optical mouse.

Found here. Aren’t they awesome? I’m especially partial to the one that transforms into Ravage.

In terms of USB drives, 2GB is too little for me to bother with, no matter how cute the idea is. I could be persuaded into buying the hub, though.

Got an email about these really cute and really geeky USB drives called Mimobots.  The plastic casing of the drive is shaped and painted in a variety of styles, and my favorites are (of course) the Star Wars-themed ones.  I particularly like the Luke one because when the cap is on he has a helmet, when the cap is off he is sans helment — cute! There are other designs, too. They’ll appeal to anime and Hello Kitty fans, I think, and anyone who wants their USB drives to stand out.

Unfortunately there’s a hefty price tag attached — $45 for 4GB capacity, $65 for 8GB. No info available on just which company makes the actual drives.