SMALL WONDER

Nifty.

That, in a word, is what the Samsung YP-U1 is. It’s small (a little over two inches long), comes in dark blue (at least the unit I tested), fits in your jeans’ pocket and is sturdy enough so it does not come apart when you run around or accidentally sit on it. It’s a 256 MB USB drive. And it can play music and is a recorder all-in-one.

Aaah, the convenience of the gadget.

I took the YP-U1 with me on a test run in an interview I had to do – got the interview, in great sound and good time, too, with some space to spare for the background notes that I wanted to download from the files of the person I interviewed. I plugged the YP-U1 into the computer, dragged it and loaded it on.

I was set to write the story.

Since the device is just a wee bit bigger than most flash drives, it was simple enough to stuff in my pocket, beside my trusty ballpen. All I carried with me was my notebook, and just before I left the house I made sure that I had a fully charged battery which allowed me to record for up to four full hours. Thank heavens though that the interview did not take that long.

Loading the CD program that comes with the Samsung YP-U1 onto my PC was easy. I added a few songs to the gadget to keep me company as I waited for the interview time. But I did not want to overload the drive with too much music as I preferred to see how it would work as a recorder. I listened to the three MP3 songs on the YP and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the sound. The music kept me smiling. But being the panic-driven person that I am, I did not want to overuse the device for fear of not having enough battery life for the interview. Oh well.

There are choices we make when we have devices that can do a whole lot of things. And just like the lives we lead, the choices we make are those that will make or break us.

The Samsung YP-U1 is literally a small best friend. Although there are several smaller flash drives available, this one has got a little extra, which makes it an indispensable friend on the go. Using it is easy. A slight pull back on the lever at the side of the YP-U1, and it’s on. Pull the lever beside it and the voice recording begins. To access the USB connection neatly tucked inside the device, just pull the blue cover located at the back of the device down and then pull out the connection. Plug it into the USB port. Connection made.

Easy.

That’s what all these new gadgets should be about anyway, making connections and downloading data – whether voice, files, photos or songs – a cinch.