Kingston Technologies gave us a quick preview of their prototype DT Micro Duo flash storage device at PepCom 2014 tonight; for the unfamiliar, PepCom is a sort-of press pre-show for CES, often giving us a bit of extra time with vendors before our official meetings later in the week.
The impending DT Micro Duo – which presently has largely ‘ballpark’ specs whilst undergoing further prototyping – aims to offer users more of a common interface between their computer and mobile use. With a micro-USB header on one end and standard USB2.0 header on the other, the new flash storage device aims to make data transfer between desktops/laptops and mobile devices easier to manage. Functionality is as expected: Plug it into the host device and transfer data, then plug it into something else and move it. Nothing new here. What’s new is the dual-connector hardware – no adapters needed – so that “something else” could be a phone, tablet, or another computer.
Kingston DT Micro Duo Micro-USB-to-USB for OTG Devices
Here’s what we know for tentative specifications:
- Name: DT Micro Duo
- Capacity: 8-64GB (multiple SKUs of varying sizes).
- Interface: USB2.0 + Micro-USB.
- Compatibility: “All OTG” (on-the-go) devices, including Android-powered mobile computers.
We’re yet unsure if the DT Micro Duo will physically, simultaneously bridge two devices (acting as an interface), but will follow-up once that’s answered. Based on how Flash devices tend to work, my bet is on ‘no,’ but we do know for certain that it can be plugged into a PC, filled, and then dumped onto a phone (or streamed from).
Finalized form factor may change or be reinforced a bit, but MSRP and SKU availability are both unknown right now. A finalized release date for the DT Micro Duo is not yet scheduled.
We’ll find out more about this device on Thursday, which means you’ll likely have the information online by Friday morning, if interested.
- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.