LaCie’s 4big Quadra ($1139)
This white metal cube could pass for HAL’s blue-blooded cousin, courtesy of the large glowing orb in its center. With a price tag approaching $1200, it better open those pod bay doors when you ask it to.
Apple Time Capsule ($249)
No self-respecting publication could omit Apple from its style guide, whether the haters want to believe that or not. The company prides itself on its market-leading design, and the simple, sleek beauty of the Time Capsule emanates elegance in spades.
ADATA NH03 ($99.99)
If those ventilators in the middle light up bright green, Microsoft should sue. Looking suspiciously like a miniature Xbox 360, the NH03 follows the angular, wedge-shaped style guidelines popular on 1980s supercars and Daniel Liebeskind buildings (well, maybe just a little).
Speed Metal External IDE/SATA Copper Hard Drive Enclosure ($14.99)
The Gilded Age may be gone but not forgotten, at least as far as copper sheeting is concerned-while the idea of oxidizing the copper to produce a Statue of Liberty-esque patina may sound appealing (it is an enclosure after all), you might want to waterproof it first. Just in case.
Digital Foci Photo Safe II ($170)
It may resemble your grandfather’s remote garage door opener, but the Photo Safe’s copy status indicator, which displays percentage completed, copy confirmation, and number of files copied, gives it some digital Timex-style coolness.
Samsung G2 ($84.00)
Stylish in an MC Esher-meets-Chanel kind of way, sophistication also rests beneath the surface, as evidenced by Samsung’s SafetyKey and SecuryZone software.
Zebrawood Wood Portable Hard Drive Enclosure ($154)
Disguise your hard drive as a block of exotic wood hand-crafted by a two-man shop based in Seattle. Once shaped and wet-sanded, the wood is then hand oiled and polished with a protective finishing wax. Walnut, Honduran Mahogany, Jatoba and Maple-striped models are also available.
Apricorn Aegis Padlock Pro ($129.99)
Does the punch-button keypad suggest James Bond or terrorist? Raise it over your head while boarding your plane and let airport security decide! No no, don’t do that; just consider its powerful encryption and PIN code access.
Vantec NexStar 3 Enclosure ($31.99)
A mirror finished aluminum casing (this one is “Brilliant Red”) NexStar 3 decals and glowing corporate logo recall the comic book stylings of The Fifth Element, though more subtle colors are also available. Blade Runner Black, anyone?
ADATA Sport Series SH93 ($82.00)
Waterproof and shock resistant, incorporating rubber-plastic mix and special cushion materials, the SH93 sustains a one-meter waterproof test for 30 minutes. The perfect compliment to your Hummer H2.
LaCie Rugged All-Terrain ($125.00)
Storage drive or space-age sofa bed. The ying to the Zebrawood drive’s yang, the bright orange shock-resistant rubber bumper and aluminum alloy shell was designed by Neil Poulton, who obviously also saw The Fifth Element.
Iomega Skin ($69.00)
Iomega brings the bling to storage drives with three unique designs (Red Hot, Radical, and Knock Out). The company helpfully adds the style is perfect for action sports enthusiasts “who like an edgy look to their apparel and computer accessories”.
Honorable Mention: Vantec NexStar NST-D200SU ($69.99)
Please tell me someone else sees the hilarity in the design of this hard drive dock unmistakably disguised as depressed robot toaster. Who says storage can’t have a sense of humor?