TEK of the Month: Mimobot Art-Inspired USB Storage

Who the hell wants boring storage devices? With all the USB storage devices running rampant through the world nowadays, they’re generally strange or they’re just plain damn unenthusiastic. Sometimes you’ll find your sleek and professional model which you’ll either uncap or they’re on sliders - and it makes you feel very Mission Impossible. However, let’s be honest with ourselves; we’re not all MI operatives and none of us act like them.

I wanted a USB storage device for backups and for transporting things like pictures, music, text files and the like - over to other computers without having to burn discs. I hated that with a passion and yet I wasn’t ready to commit to something hideous like the usual USB stick drive.

Through much searching on the Intranet, I came about “Mimobots”. Very small (2 and 3/8 inches tall.) stature but absolutely adorable to look at, the Mimobots are art inspired USB drives. With limited numbers, artists will design their blank Mimobots and then Mimoco will make and sell a limited supply. They’re not just functional drives, folks - they are ART. Some of the works are very modern, very pop-artish while some are extremely funny and come from series of graffiti artists or just people who design characters and art altogether. You can easily enter a contest to design a series of Mimobots yourself, by buying one of their vinyl bots (Sans USB function.) and coloring and designing your own with your own inks and paints. Very cool idea, isn’t it? Bringing the world back into the sanctity of creative output, not just hiring on more and more already marketed artists.

In the end, the Mimobot does what it’s supposed to: it stores your files. Yes, it could be any other storage utility - but none would be nearly this cool (I mean, come on - they made a Star Wars series. Chewie is sitting on my desk as we speak.) and as functional. Mimoco even made a very cool utility that if you have a character Mimobot (Like Chewie.), when you plug him in he makes a pleasant Wookie-grumble. It’s awesome. They made the experience even sweeter with specialized hoodies that you put on your Mimobot that add a lanyard catch to your Mimobot. Sure, it’s difficult as all hell to get them in their little hooded sweatjackets, but once you do and latch him to your bag - he ain’t going ANYWHERE. The experience and ease of use with Mimobots is a close second to the cool factor here, you might not need one but you should sure as hell buy one anyways.

Mimobots are available in 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, produced in limited editions of 250 to 3,500 units, are hi-speed USB 2.0, compatible with both Windows and Mac, and include Windows Vista’s ReadyBoost technology.