The iXpand Flash Drive from Sandisk is a must-have accessory for any of the new iPhones or iPads that sport the small Thunderbolt connector. It has so many functions that it might be thought of as the Swiss Army Knife of iOS devices.
The deceptively simple iXpand has both Thunderbolt and USB plugs. This means you can connect it to your iOS device or your PC without resorting to cables. Since it has a built in rechargeable battery, it works its magic without putting a drain on your phone. The gadget is supported by an app, and that is where the real power of the iXpand is revealed.
First, this is one of the fastest and easiest ways to share and backup your photo collection. Once the app is configured, backing up your photo library is about as easy as plugging it in. You can even set up the iXpand so that it will automatically free up space on your iPhone, moving photos off to make room for more. I've found that regardless of what size phone I get, after a while I am always running out of room. Not having to micromanage my device, leaving it to the iXpand's app is a great idea. Once the pictures are on the iXpand you can just plug it into your computer to transfer the files. No wires, no internet connections. No risk of things being snatched from the cloud. Simple.
Another feature, in this day of hacked cloud accounts, is that the iXpand can encrypt your photos so that only the people you designate can see them. This isn't just about "that" kind of photo. I know many who are very selective about with whom they share photos of their kids. By the way, the encryption works with documents as well as photos. The encryption is cross-platform, meaning you can protect it on an iOS device and then move it to a Windows machine, and still be able to open it. Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by iOS 7+, Mac OS X v10.6+, Windows Vista®, Windows® 7 and Windows 8 (in some cases requiring a software download from Sandisk).
Speaking of kids, chances are you may have a lot of videos on your phone. Maybe the complete works of the Muppets, Dora, and Mickey? These take up a lot of room. Why not just put them on the iXpand and stream them from there. It is fast, works great, and has and added benefit. The iXpand can play video formats that iOS devices cannot, like AVI & WMV. Not having to worry about transcoding videos is a huge time-saver for me. Just drag the videos from the pc to the iXpand, plug it into iPad and stream the videos on the fly. Fantastic.
Best Buy stores will exclusively offer the 32GB iXpand Flash Drive at an MSRP of $79.99. The iXpand Flash Drive is available now atSanDisk.com, and is coming soon to select retailers globally. The 16GB and 64GB capacities will be available at $59.99 and $119.99, respectively. Sandisk is a sponsor of the JamesGames.com Satellite Media Tour.
