Jadetec specialises in miniature PCs and gadgets for them, like this memory drive. Memory drives have proved increasingly popular for storing medium-sized files and transferring them from machine to machine. This new ClipDrive is one such memory drive, but with a difference - it reads your fingerprints.

Any recent PC - running Windows 98 or newer and having a USB or USB 2.0 port - can normally accept a memory drive, after which Windows adds it to the list of available storage devices. You can then simply drag and drop files between PC and card. This convenience can be the undoing of a conventional memory drive, though, as if the unit gets lost or stolen, anybody can access the data using exactly the same technique.

Not on this drive, though. At the end of the device is a small pad which can be set to read your finger or thumb print. It will then only allow access to the secure data on the drive if it first recognises you. By default, 16MB of this 128MB device is 'public', while the remaining 112MB is protected by the fingerprint reader. You can change the size of the two partitions whenever you like.

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To access the public space, use the ClipDrive Bio like any other memory card, sliding back the integral cover and plugging it into a USB port. For the secure area, though, you need to install the fingerprint reader software. This application is quite fussy about the operating system on your PC, requiring Service Pack 1 for Windows XP and SP3 for Windows 2000. These are extensive upgrades, though free from Microsoft.

You can 'enrol' any of the fingers or thumbs on either hand and under test we found the reader and software to be accurate, getting no false positives or negatives at all. It's worth mentioning, though, that it's pretty essential to have a USB socket at the front or side of your desktop or notebook. Otherwise, it's fiddly to try to use the fingerprint reader in a rear socket and still see the screen.

The other proviso is that you pay quite a lot for the security. A 128MB drive without the fingerprint reader costs around a third of the price of this one. You've got to be sure you need the extra security to go for the ClipDrive Bio.

If you're particularly concerned about the security of the data you carry with you, this secure memory drive works well and is reasonably easy to use. Check the version of your operating system, though, and prepare to dig a bit deeper in your pocket for this high speed, portable storage device.