won't it decay in your pocket?

so eh... what happens if the key is lost for a few days or so (i lose crap all the time), and the key gets all moist and is like partly decomposed and/or moldy...? i hope that there is a way to preserve this "corn USB drive key"

That's just corney

That's just corney

CORNY.

Good idea, but i wonder how long it would last?

nice though it may seem attractive to mice, how much capacity does it allow storage and how much is the cost? can it be lower than the usual price of a new product introduced in the market?

Okay....you people obviously don't know a thing about items being bio-degradable. It takes YEARS for a bio-degradable item to break down. AWESOME INVENTION!!

Thats kinda stupid =/

That is so cool. Finally some good stuff I can afford and will help the environment at the same time. Makes you feel great about your purchase. Do they come in Terabytes?

wow another item to think green, some people think that a little key drive is going to make people think greeness. thats a load of bull. i bet it took billions to develop it and now it going to cost just a fraction of the price to keep person or bussiness info on it( oh what it can be safely broken down) retarded. get a clue people.

That's sooo cute!!

So am I gonna find this in my poop now?

Bio-Degradable does not mean it will decompose. It has to reach extreme temperatures to break it down, so it would last just like a regular USB would as long as you aren't stupid enough to eat it and lose both your USB and life.

Is the whole thing make of corn or just the cover?

This is corny, ya?

Yet another way to waste corn, as if a lasting USB drive is wrong-head. F*** green "thinking"!

this si a great invention the other people are right it will not decompose unless set in high temperatures so its a great invention but the only problem is we could be eating that corn instead of using it for storage we dont want the depression again

When was the last time you saw the streets littered with USB key drives? Are these things really piling up in our landfills? People aren't eager to toss USB key drives, they protect them like a mother hen protecting her eggs. Make a water bottle or soda bottle out of this stuff and then you'll be onto something useful.

It is funny too, i want one:)

I'LL RATHER ATE IT.

Its like a pineapple hope next day a pineapple usb will be invented...

How many Gigs and how lone is the shelf life? They need to include more details before posting a story.

this is one of the most important inventions of our age. it's use young people (i'm 16) that'll be inheriting the earth and all of it's probs. if we can come out with more inventions like this, get them mass-produced then we may be a step closer to solving our overflowing landfill issue. GJ ASIANSS =D

this is a great idea...leave it to the Chinese to "care" so much about the environment while not "caring" so much about human rights violations...makes perfect sense to me.

ow, i think it's cool but kinda weird! i hope poeple would be engaged in recycling and be more concerned with nature, through this innovation,,,,

I thing my turtle or rabbit might eat that D:

how much info would this thing hold?
and how does corn retain information? xD

well thats what i want a memory chip that i can put stuff on that i want saved that will decompose WOW some people have too much time on their hands

think*

typo on my 1st comment >__

We sell a ton of eco friendly custom promotional drives at iPromo.com, most are green enough to be recycled. Some are made almost completely of wood.

@3mnkys
".eave it to the Chinese to "care" so much about the environment while not "caring" so much about human rights violations...makes perfect sense to me."

Hong Kong is democratic. Mainland China is not.
Learn some basic facts before spouting stupid shit.

Aw... I think it's cute. & I love that technology is turning "green" to safe the environment & such. Although I'm sure it took a lot of money (& corn) to make this product, I like it :)

pretty cool.. If a USB drive why not a WHOLE LAPTOP next! Apple AND corn...

wow! i really like this brilliant invention! kudos!
it's a good start when all technologically-related materials would all be biodegradable in the future...
i can foresee how this world will become then... ;)
nice one! keep up the good job!
just hope it works perfectly well, the same as the usual USB flash drives.

Everyone needs to understand that humans made this out of natural ingredients from the earth! Whenever contraptions like this are made, We should understand that scientists are always one step ahead YOU and me!

Everyone needs to understand that humans made this out of natural ingredients from the earth! Whenever contraptions like this are made, We should understand that scientists are always one step ahead YOU and me!

Thousands of tossed out USB Drives & other computer-related devices are filling up our landfills & emitting harmful toxins into the environment. Just because you don't see them out on the sides of the roads doesn't mean they don't affect the planet. Good job on the invention & hopefully more computer-related devices can "go green" too. Maybe ONE day we will see the end to our landfill problem!

Of course it won't biodegrade in someone's pocket, it won't get moldy if it's left somewhere moist (it's almost the same as plastic but better) and it may seem like a very small thing, but think about all the USB drives out there and how much they're being made nowadays. Sooner or later, they're gonna be thrown out and it would be much better to have them safely biodegrade then sit around in our junk yards. And this is just the beginning. It would be great if all products were biodegradable. This would immensely benefit our environment. Although I must say, it would be nice if something else, that's not a food product, was used to make biodegradable appliances and what not.

I agree with drdormin, I don't think people really throw out their usb, I still have mine from three years ago and I still have loads of free space. It's nice and all that everyone is getting into the whole green thing but, there are so many other things that need to go green. I admit...it's cute

Its like a pineapple hope next day a pineapple usb wil be invented...

Wow. How completely useless.

i dont think its of much use to a lot of people.. the invention is quite clever but it doesnt really make so much sense. id rather u invent something else more earth-friendly than usb.

Anyone who buys int, or believes this "going green/reduce your carbon footprint" crap is seriously deluded.

It's a Ponzi scheme, designed to part you from your money as efficiently as possibly, while making you believe you're "saving the planet".

YOU'RE NOT, FOLKS. IT'S ALL A SCAM.

I agree with Kristen, this is a great product. Don't let ignorance of a product by others deceive you; it being biodegradable does not mean its going to decompose within a matter of days. If you have ever used a foam cup, plastic utensil, plastic bag, pen or even furniture, chances are it was biodegradable. This is a stable plastic made of polylactide, not mashed freeze dried corn, so it is safe to say that it will last long enough for a file stored in it to get corrupted. As for it attracting mice, I doubt it.

^ @ Posted by: drdormin
August 7, 2008 2:03 AM
When was the last time you saw the streets littered with USB key drives? Are these things really piling up in our landfills? People aren't eager to toss USB key drives, they protect them like a mother hen protecting her eggs. Make a water bottle or soda bottle out of this stuff and then you'll be onto something useful.

I completely agree. What a waste of corn. How often do people throw out flash drives anyway? Bottles more like it.

Oh yea and to all the idiots who posted about it "decaying in your pocket" - seriously, go back to stone age. You don't even deserve to be using a computer.

hahaha corn

wow! this is really amazing! brilliant idea! kudos!
it's a good start when all technologically-related gadgets would all be biodegradable... i can foresee what this world will be turning to... a green one, i'm sure!
just hope it works perfectly much like it's non-biodegradable ancestors... ;)

Yeah, the shell is biodegradable, but what about the ELECTRONICS? Unless they're made of some kind of corn-based semiconductor that doesn't use heavy metals, then this thing is only slightly less noxious than a standard thumb drive.

Plus, like drdormin said, our landfills aren't exactly choked with USB drive.

Now, if this tech can be expanded to other plastic items, and in quantity, and if it can biodegrade quickly and reliably under non-laboratory conditions then yes, you've got something.

KEEP MAKING THINGS OUT OF CORN AND WE'LL ALL SOON BE STARVING. HOW MUCH POLLUTION IS INVOLVED IN MAKING SUCH THING? THIS IS MADNESS!

wow......
i droped my USB drive in the toilet once..
i flushed it :D!
yay! next time i drop it it decays!!!!!!!!!!
thats awsome!!!!!!!!!! exept for the fact it had my homework on it...=/
o well..it all ends up in the same place.

It's rather disturbing how many uses we find for corn. I wonder if the ghosts of North America have haunted our civilization into bringing corn to bear on the heads of the global market? A fitting revenge.

I think you sick it in your corn hole ? lol

crizelle


bring it here in the philippines!!!!

~is that edible...?? =p

i think this invention is a good one except...how long will it last if you leave it in one spot for a very long period of time?

crizelle


bring it here in the philippines!!!!

~is that edible...?? =p

crizelle


bring it here in the philippines!!!!

~is that edible...?? =p

crizelle


bring it here in the philippines!!!!

~is that edible...?? =p

crizelle


bring it here in the philippines!!!!

~is that edible...?? =p

crizelle


bring it here in the philippines!!!!

~is that edible...?? =p

now we really know pipo are doing great thinking. this is an intelligent idea. how many gigs and how reliable. anyway whatever the comments and questions,this is an invention of the century. hats off.

I think the idea is great and very useful. But please, it's corn again. We are way too much abusing the use of corn. Nowadays, people are having food crisis and to think that corn is one of the source of food for humans, it's a waste. I mean, let's think of other natural source that can be use. Starches are made from corn. In the medical field, corn also shows potential therapeutic uses. Of course, the recently approved biofuel also uses corn, and etc. Can we think of other alternatives aside from "it"? Well, this USB is fine but can we trust it? e.g. the security, etc. More info please.

What is dont get it the fact that these people pick one of the most used resources in the world... other then oil to make this crap...

Why?.. Why corn? Isnt there some other weed in the world less valuable then corn? Like maybe nettles or dandilions.. or even weeds from your garden where you are trying to grow corn to eat.. not make silly shi! out of it! People...if you are going GREEN as you all want to be... go GREEN... because Corn...its YELLOW!

I think the idea is great and very useful. But please, it's corn again. We are way too much abusing the use of corn. Nowadays, people are having food crisis and to think that corn is one of the source of food for humans, it's a waste. I mean, let's think of other natural source that can be use. Starches are made from corn. In the medical field, corn also shows potential therapeutic uses. Of course, the recently approved biofuel also uses corn, and etc. Can we think of other alternatives aside from "it"? Well, this USB is fine but can we trust it? e.g. the security, etc. More info please.

Made of corn? Like unflushable, undigestable sweetcorn?

At the end of the world all that will be seen is cockroaches and sweetcorn. With landfills containing nothing but old usb sticks made of the stuff.

Now it makes perfect sense why the rest of the world is facing food problem.

still scifi to me.

It compared the material with plastic. Its probably not 100% made of corn, just the parts that would usually be plastic. Still cool and green though.

Does it have an expiration date?

Only the casing is biodegradable, I bet. I don't think we've come up with an organic substitute for conductive metals yet.

i dont think its about a usb made of corn,its about the breakthrough to new possbilitys of making technologicly advanced objects with possibly a cheaper material and more friendly to the enviroment

wtf

bring it here in the philippines...!!!

good!!!
nice!!!
Creative!!!
BUT....
Is it reliable???
Is it durable???
Is it affordable???

Interesting idea...but isn't the point of a memory key to keep it forever??? Like if it gets wet, and you're not aware of it...what happens in a week. Also, If I'm nervous or bored, I chew on things, espically if their plastic. I don't want to taste corn and/or start to decompose my memory key! Way to be green, but...

It should speed up development by making the product degrade by the next major improvement.

I totally agree with many of these posts, who cares? When was the last time that USB drives were becoming an overwhelming hazard to our ecosystem? Now, if they came up with a biodegradable car or even biodegradable grocery bags or biodegradable plastic PERIOD, then I could see the benifit. But this things probably costs more than a 'regular' USB drive. Oh, and a USB drive is obviously made insdide of computer and electronic parts and pieces...so the idiot who asked if the insides were made out of corn also, please consider thinking before you post dumbness like that for the world to read.

now we really know pipo are doing great thinking. this is an intelligent idea. how many gigs and how reliable. anyway whatever the comments and questions,this is an invention of the century. hats off.

It compared the material with plastic. Its probably not 100% made of corn, just the parts that would usually be plastic. Still cool and green though.

whats the point?

i mean really?

I thought the whole purpose of storage was to keep data SAFE. Remember all your pictures and memories that someone once convinced you to place on a floppy drive because "... it would last decades longer that paper."? Then, the same people convinced you to put it on a CD because storage life is 20 times longer than a floppy. Now, someone will have to convince us that it is better to store our "stuff" for less time... that perhaps all those critical documents we want to pass down from generation to generation should only be passed down to generation. But then again... who passes down a thumb drive anyway?

Yeah that is a fanaminal waste of money because our landfills are so over run with thumbdrives that people just throw away. Whats the point if the inside doesn't decompose there will still be a hunk of junk when the case is gone. I wonder what was really going through the creators mind! The money spent in Research and Developement was probably some rediculous sum that could have been used for a far better purpose. It is good to think outside the box but that is why it is called thinking that is until something good actually comes around.

I'm not surprised someone with such a bias opinion showed up klashinko. Tell me how much do you know about the way China works by heart and what significance does that show? I doubt you boycott things made in China. Maybe you should go to China and complain to their government. All I am saying is that China isn't the worst country to live in. Go to http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/china/people.htm and you will see that it isn't all bad. Besides, you can't have everything.

@3mnkys
"leave it to the Chinese to "care" so much about the environment while not "caring" so much about human rights violations...makes perfect sense to me."

klashinko: "Hong Kong is democratic. Mainland China is not. Learn some basic facts before spouting stupid shit."

klashinko, took the words right outta my mouth!freakin ignorance...

It compared the material with plastic. Its probably not 100% made of corn, just the parts that would usually be plastic. Still cool and green though.

Why don't they make something that is biodegradable that makes more sense???
Like a bio water bottle, soda cans and whatever else fills up landfills! I don't think USB keys are a major cause of space at dumps.
At least they are trying?

can you use it as a condom too?!

All you people complaining about such an insignificant step in technology and how no one throws away a flash key take a step back and think. Sure its small, sure it seems there are so many better things to be improved. This is just a step and a good one. Make a product that is cheap to buy and can be mass produced and distributed affordably, and give it an easily recognizable look. It is the best way to reach as many minds as possible to introduce an idea. WE CAN REPLACE PLASTIC. You may be holding on to those old flash drives but how many PC's have you gone through in the past ten years. Or oil, milk, water, peanut butter containers. Ease up on these inventors will you. They are making our world better and you seem to want to discourage them. As for Hong Kong's human rights... these are two totally unrelated subjects and only racists would condemn and entire country for the actions of its leaders. Wake up and grow.

im getting hungry looking at it

I guess this is worthwhile for in the off chance you need to throw a memory drive away, you know it is bio-degradable. It's the right idea but on the wrong type of item. Once we start making more commonly thrown away products bio-degradable, then we will be in business.

@3mnkys
"leave it to the Chinese to "care" so much about the environment while not "caring" so much about human rights violations...makes perfect sense to me."

klashinko: "Hong Kong is democratic. Mainland China is not. Learn some basic facts before spouting stupid shit."

klashinko, took the words right outta my mouth!freakin ignorance...

Jeeze, so many skeptics and pessimists, and so many questions, but no solutions, no ways to contribute to society. I doubt they haven't thought of these other factors, it's a step. When one of you come up with something brilliant and better than this, than you can complain.

This isn't about the USB! They chose to create a USB drive because it's wasily identifiable as an item of daily use. The product is about the new plastic. Imagine if all the plastic you encounter daily was easily bio-degradable! This is truly a great invention, not the flash disk but the plastic that weas used to create it.

haha

Since when does China care about the environment? They are the biggest polluters in the world...

This isn't about the USB! They chose to create a USB drive because it's wasily identifiable as an item of daily use. The product is about the new plastic. Imagine if all the plastic you encounter daily was easily bio-degradable! This is truly a great invention, not the flash disk but the plastic that weas used to create it.

Actually, the USA is a bigger polluter than China, the USA is the biggest infact and I would think that China caring would be a good thing. I guess they aren't entitled to change like everyone else, I thought people wanted China to change positively. This just shows how prejudice some people are.

If so called people want to go green than they can because we were green before technology. at lest closer than now Be A raw food'ist build cob house's and don't pollute that simple.but people just keep making thing's that DO

fff

Yes plastic is resourceful but we don't have to use it did every one forget how to say no is there really any body actually being green if so talk to me>

okay

huh cool not but at least someones thinking

cool stuff! hope they keep making this kinda things.

Not advisable to the user with "sweaty hands" like me. I know this bio-degradable material is easy to decomposed from all liquid elements like human sweating.

How many thousands will have to die before we STOP MAKING EDIBLE USBs? Solution? Make one out of pure, unrefined oil -- only make it 800 pounds heavy. This will remind everyone of the importance of drilling in the Alaskan Wilderness. Every wild animal shot or otherwise eradicated will save 10,000 US babies! Oh, and be sure to paint the NEW-S-B device green. Go Green!

don't worry, the key wont degrade it self in your pocket, and even if you drop it somewhere in your car or your bag. it takes a few months do degrade if not in an industrial compost. and you can keep it a long time on the top of your desk.
Autem create usb key and all the stuff you can imanigate in plastic mades out of renewable ressources.
we are french, but just send us an e mail and present your projects !!
www.autem.fr