Never worry about USB port connectivity again with this dual connector thumb drive

(Image credit: Kingston)

The transition from USB Type-A to USB Type-C has not exactly been an expeditious one, mostly because the market is already flooded with devices built around the former. That's why even the newest cutting edge motherboards typically offer more USB-A ports than USB-C ones. Kingston's new DataTraveler Duo USB flash drive can plug into either one of them.

It’s a cleverly designed flash drive with a USB-C connector on one side and a USB-A connector on the other, either of which (or both) can be hidden in the slider-style casing.

"The addition of the DT Duo adds much needed functionality to the growing number of USB Type-C devices on the market," said Carissa Blegen, flash product manager, Kingston. "The dual interface and unique double slider casing make the drive sturdy and stylish, with no cap to lose."

Kingston is offering the DataTraveler Duo in 32GB and 64GB capacities. It is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 drive, which means it adheres to the original USB 3.0 specification, with a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 5Gbps. Navigating the USB standard is a little confusing these days, with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) relabeling past standards. Here's a breakdown:

USB 1.1 ---> still USB 1.1 (Full Speed)
USB 2.0 ---> still USB 2.0 (High Speed)
USB 3.0 ---> USB 3.1 Gen 1 ---> USB 3.2 Gen 1 (SuperSpeed)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 ---> USB 3.2 Gen 2 (SuperSpeed 10Gbps)
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (SuperSpeed 20Gbps)

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Thanks for the specifications soup, USB-IF. In any event, Kingston has not provided any specific speed claims, saying only that the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard is up to 10x faster than USB 2.0. As a possible point of reference, the company's DataTraveler 80 drive is rated to read data 200MB/s. That is also a USB 3.2 Gen 1 drive.

USB flash drives with dual interfaces are not super common, but this is not the first of its kind, either. SanDisk (owned by Western Digital) also offers a flash drive with both USB-C and USB-A connectors, in capacities ranging from 16GB to 256GB.

Kingston's DataTravel Duo is available now, priced on Amazon at $10 for the 64GB model and $7 for the 32GB model.

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Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).