LaCie’s fin-studded Blade Runner hard drive is functional art for your desktop

By Anna Washenko January 7, 2013

Image used with permission by copyright holder

After their first collaboration yielded the “Toaster” hard drive, LaCie and Philippe Starck have paired up again for the new Blade Runner hard drive.

The quirky new external drive takes on an organic, glob-like shape intersected with row after row of fins. It’s not just for looks. The protective blades, which are made of aluminum, also act as the radiator to keep the hard drive cool by creating space for air to circulate around the hardware. In another twist, the LED power button takes the shape of Starck’s plus-sign logo.

As for the functional part of the equation, the Blade Runner features a high-speed USB 3.0 interface with cross-platform compatibility, and comes in 4TB capacity (every model also comes with 10GB of complementary Wuala Secure Cloud Storage). This is one drive you won’t want to travel with: It measures a bulky 5.6 inches by 7.6 inches by 2.9 inches, and weighs in at 4.4 pounds.

Each of the Blade Runner units are custom built, and only 9,999 of the hard drives were produced, making it a limited-edition item. It currently retails for $299 at the LaCie Online Store and select specialty stores, and comes with a two-year limited warranty.

Philippe Starck has lent his name to many beautiful and high-tech products. From the dream yacht commissioned by Steve Jobs to the clever Modular Tower kitchen system, he has become a sought-after partner for many tech companies. His philosophy is to give a purpose to the style, symbols, and functions of any piece he designs.

Editors' Recommendations

Built on a fast SSD, LaCie’s computer-free backup drive just got much better

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Anna is a professional writer living in Chicago. She covers everything from social media to digital entertainment, from tech…

Computing

How to convert WMA to MP3 on Mac, Windows, and Web

The JBL Tune 760NC wireless headphones on someone's head.

Remember when Windows Media Player ruled the earth? Before the world was inundated with versatile playback tools like VLC and countless other platforms, most users flocked to the built-in OS media players provided by Windows and Apple (the latter being the minds behind QuickTime). In fact, you’ve probably come across a handful of WMA files in your life of using computers.

Computing

The 6 best laptops for realtors in 2024

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED front view showing display and keyboard.

If you're a realtor, trying to find a good laptop can be just as challenging as finding the perfect home for your clients. Not only do you need something that looks professional and can withstand the daily demands of the modern work environment, but it also needs to be portable and durable. After all, there's a good chance you'll be lugging it around with you to your showings, so a clunky laptop simply won't cut it.

That means you'll need a laptop that's portable, reliable, responsive, and boasts a professional design that'll impress your clients. That's quite the checklist – but thankfully, there are plenty of great laptops for realtors that fit all these criteria.

Computing

The most common Skype problems and how to fix them

best mac apps for small business skype

Skype is an excellent option for video chats with your friends and family or conducting a videoconference call with your colleagues. However, Skype is not without its bugs, hiccups, and issues that can make getting face-to-face with someone seem like an ordeal. To make things easier on everyone, we've compiled a selection of the most common Skype problems and how to fix them.
Video not working
If you can't get your camera to work or experience issues seeing other's connections, you might as well be using an actual telephone instead of Skype. Thankfully, these issues can usually be resolved with a bit of tinkering on your end, or they may just be service disruptions on Skype's end.

One of the more common problems that crop up is visual issues due to Skype not having access to your PC or phone's camera. For desktop users, open the Skype application and select the Three horizontal dots near the notification bell icon to access the Skype menu. Select Settings > Audio and video. If your picture fails to appear in the Skype camera preview window, you'll know there's a connection issue.