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When it comes to travel, I try to carry as few things as possible. This is why its hard not to like Soyo Groups Aerielink Wireless Flash Combo (AWUA1211). Released last month, the $119 Aerielink combines a Wi-Fi 802.11b wireless USB adapter with flash memory storage.
Weighing 30 grams, the Aerielink fits in the palm of your hand and comes with 64MB, 128MB or 256MB of flash memory. The combo adapter is compatible with Windows 95 and later and supports Apples Mac OS 8.6 and beyond.
The unit I tested came equipped with 128MB of flash memory. After installing it on an IBM ThinkPad T41 laptop, I could easily connect the adapter to the Labs 802.11b test network using the Windows XP wireless utility. In addition, I was able to simultaneously store files on the flash disk. The Aerielink unit has a maximum read transfer rate of 900KB per second and a write speed of 500KB per second.
The Aerielink supports 64- and 128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy encryption and data rates ranging from 1M bps to 11M bps per channel. To increase signal strength, users can connect the adapter using the included Universal Serial Bus cable and clip it to the top of a laptop screen or elsewhere.
More information can be found at www.soyousa.com.
Soyos Aerielink combines Wi-Fi with flash.