Lexar JumpDrive Mercury flash stick gets an update

Lexar upgraded its JumpDrive Mercury USB flash drive with features that include enhanced performance, as well as the advanced PowerToGo mobile computing software platform. The speed-rated JumpDrive Mercury also features a convenient built-in capacity meter that lets the user know how much memory is available even when power is removed. Available in 1GB and 2GB versions, JumpDrive Mercury is Lexar’s first product to feature the innovative capacity meter.

In addition, like all Lexar JumpDrive products, JumpDrive Mercury will provide full compatibility with Microsoft Windows Vista, and like all the company’s speed-rated JumpDrive products, it will also be enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost™, which can improve overall system performance by using portable flash memory devices as additional system memory.

Pre-loaded with the PowerToGo software platform, JumpDrive Mercury represents a major breakthrough in mobile computing. PowerToGo software enables users to “carry” many components of their familiar PC environment by installing and running many standard Windows applications directly from their drive. Existing JumpDrive Mercury customers can get a free version of PowerToGo software by simply visiting www.lexar.com/powertogo and downloading a full version of the software at no additional cost.

JumpDrive Mercury’s built-in capacity meter solves a common problem faced by many USB flash drive users, namely, how to gauge the available memory space left on their drive. The easy-to-read meter lets users quickly see how much storage is left on their drive - without even plugging it into a computer. The ultra-thin, shatter-proof display enables users to accurately gauge the available space on the drive, all without a power source. What makes this solution unique is that it requires no software drivers, no administrative privileges and is virtually platform agnostic.

In addition to the capacity meter and the PowerToGo software platform, JumpDrive Mercury also comes preloaded with Lexar Secure II security software which lets users protect data quickly and easily. A secure area using both password protection and 256-bit AES encryption can easily be created. The user then simply drags files to the secure area and the Secure II software automatically encrypts the files. When the user drags the files out again, they are automatically decrypted.