Dog Tags Score: 78% Developer: Cyber Snipa Device Type: Memory/Storage Compatible With:

Function: It's a computerized jungle out there. If your gaming adventures have you using several computers and next gen consoles, you're likely to find yourself needing to move data around, and the most universal way of doing that has got to be the USB flash drive. CyberSnipa's Dog Tags pack a USB drive as well as a small multitool and a powerful LED pocket flashlight into a stylish piece of "neckware."

Performance: The Dog Tags I received for review had 1 GB of storage space, which made it handy for moving large files around or storing lots of smaller files. If that's not enough for your needs, you can get Dog Tags with up to 4GBs of RAM. I found, however, that 1GB actually gave me a pretty good amount of storage for moving around files between the PS3, Xbox 360 and my computers. The size you need would, of course, depend on exactly what you plan to do with it. If you are trying to shuffle files around, you won't necessarily need a large size. If, however, you're hoping to use the Dog Tags more as a personal portable "hard drive," you'll probably be able to put the large sizes to good use. Additionally, the Dog Tags ship with Carry It Easy software on the memory stick and include a free 30 day trial. This software offers several useful features, such as allowing your Microsoft Outlook Express email to be made portable, allow you to synchronize your favorites between multiple machines (for Internet Explorer and Firefox), allows No-Trace browsing with IE and Firefox, and synchronizing your "My Documents" folder with your Dog Tags. Additionally, Carry It Easy provides optional data compression and password protection, as well as a customizable USB Drive Information section to let anyone who finds your Dog Tags see how to return them to you without needing to be able to access the password protected contents. In addition to the Carry It Easy software that ships on the Dog Tags, there is an included mini-CD that includes User Account Management software. The Dog Tags, themselves, come on an adjustable beaded chain necklace and each of the two dog tags have a short ring of the same that they use to hang off of the necklace. The Dog Tags appear to be made of polished aluminum and a rubberized plastic. They look authentic enough to garner second glances and cool enough to be geek chic. Included with the Dog Tags is a 3 foot USB extension cord, which comes in handy if your only available USB port is in the back of your PC. One cool aspect of the Dog Tags is that there is a unique number on them, which you can register with CyberSnipa via their website. This unique number could be used for various things; I'm even kicking around the idea of having GameVortex memberships and allowing gamers to associate their Dog Tags ID with their account. CyberSnipa is using the numbers to identify the owners and is making special offers available to gamers who register their Dog Tags.

Features: Available in 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB Sizes LED Pocket Light Small Phillips (+) Screwdriver Flathead (-) Screwdriver Bottle Opener Pliers Nail File

Drawbacks & Problems:: One thing I noticed on a couple of occasions was that when I would move around while wearing the Dog Tags, they would make very slight sound as the tags moved around on the necklace. This was simply something that I hadn't considered - not really aggravating, just unexpected. Otherwise, there was no issue with comfort. They were simply around my neck for whenever I happened to need them. One trade-off to keep in mind is the choice to encrypt (password protect) or not encrypt your files. The trade-off in this case is one between security and speed. Encrypting your files will help to protect them from others who might get access to your Dog Tags, but every time you update the data on the Dog Tags, it has to be decrypted and re-encrypted. When you are dealing with a lot of data, this can take several minutes to complete. Also, once you start an operation, there is no way to tell the software to cancel the current operation. You simply have to wait for it to complete. The difference between transferring a lot of files to your Dog Tags without encryption and with encryption is greatly noticeable. The other consideration here is that you either do use encryption or you don't. There is no way to have certain folders be encrypted and others not be, so your decision affects all of your files on the Dog Tags, not just some of them. One additional problem I had with the Dog Tags was that, after a few days of heavy use, I found that the USB slash drive would occasionally fall out of its dog tag. The way that the USB part "snaps in" to the dog tag is not a very snug way; it's merely a snug fit. With use, however, this slot becomes less snug. I was, however, able to remove the USB flash drive and then squeeze the dog tag in the area of the opening of the slot to make the flash drive stay in the dog tag more snugly. The actual functionality of the tools built into the Dog Tags is debatable; the pliers and the Phillips screwdriver are very small. The pliers are absolutely tiny, but could be used for grabbing really small hex nuts, perhaps. The Phillips screw driver is not likely to fit screws in your computer, but might be right for performing maintenance (or otherwise hacking) a gaming keyboard or mouse or other similar accessory. Sadly, although the Phillips screwdriver looks to be a nearly perfect fit to replace the batteries for the LED light, the panel for these batteries is attached to the same Dog Tag that the screwdriver is part of, so it can't be used for that, either. On the bright side, the LED light should last for quite some time, as LEDs are very energy efficient. I find mine works well as a weapon for blinding co-workers, by the way. This could be an excellent tactic to use on opponents right before playing a game against them. You know what they say, "All's fair in LAN and war."

-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins