SanDisk Unveils 8GB Thumb Drive

The newest Cruzer Micro lets users pocket music, pictures and video without sweating file sizes.

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and bigger USB thumb drives every six months. Well, don’t hold us to the third in 100 years, but it certainly looks like a sure bet for the time being. SanDisk announced the next iteration of their Cruzer Micro line on Tuesday, which boasts 8GB of flash storage – double the capacity of the last Cruzer Micro.

Packing all that extra storage into the new thumb drive isn’t entirely a miracle of miniaturization; the drive will also be a little fatter than its predecessor. The 4GB Cruzer Micro was about a third of an inch thick, while the 8GB version will be half an inch thick. The length will stay the same at two inches.

Besides the leap in storage capacity and subtle shift in size, the overall appearance and features of the new Cruzer Micro remain the same. A sliding USB connector tucks into the case to protect it from damage when it isn’t being used, an amber LED lights up when the drive is active to show it shouldn’t be removed, and U3 technology allows users to run applications directly from the drive. They will come preloaded with Skype for VoIP, CruzerSync for synchronizing files with a PC, and SignupShield for managing passwords.

SanDisk’s Cruzer Micro 8GB will sell for $129.99 when it hits store shelves in mid September. The company’s smaller Cruzer Micro drives will continue to be available at the same prices.