USB Swiss Army Knife

finno writes "The Register has a heads-up on a new Swiss Army knife by Victorinox. As the article says, 'Given that you can buy a Victorinox Swiss Army Knive with just about every gadget known to man, from horse-hoof awl to Hubble Space Telescope lens polisher, it's no real surprise that the company - in association with flash memory outfit Swissbit - is now offering cutting tools plus USB flash memory stick.' In my home state of New South Wales, it is illegal to be carrying a knife without a reasonable excuse such as 'the lawful pursuit of the person's occupation'. I got me a reasonable excuse now!"

Nice, but...

Nice, except flash memory is just a start.

What I would really need is a combination pendrive, wi-fi, and bluetooth adaptor, and MP3/OGG player.

Currently I carry a seperate USB flash drive, and MA401 pen-style wi-fi transceiver. The lack of built in memory on the MA401 means I need to plug in the pendrive every time I need to load the drivers.

Re:Nice, but...

No, no, no.... What I need is a combination cell phone, pda, music player, swiss army knife, flash drive, bluetooth, wifi, digi camera, flash light, and salad shooter device. Only then would I truly be a tool.

Re:Nice, but...

Nice, except flash memory is just a start.
What I would really need is a combination pendrive, wi-fi, and bluetooth adaptor, and MP3/OGG player.

What you are looking for already exists, it's called Emacs.

Re:Nice, but...

Emacs would never fit onto a flash memory stick...

Halfway there...

Here is the pen drive/MP3 player. [pcwebshopper.com] I am quite happy with mine (512 MB version). It was cheaper than the Creative Muvo and had a greater capacity.

As for the pocket knife, that would be great but you can't carry it on an airplane anymore. I bet that sales of Victorinox have gone down since 9/11. I don't even know where mine is anymore, I used to carry it with me everyday.

Wheres the floppy version?

I need a 3 1/2 or a 5 1/4 disk to move my files around.

Maybe in the next version they can add this and DAT disk support.

Great...

Now I can be stopped at the airport for security violations AND supposed music piracy!

Detachable RO setter?

I have to use my pocket knife to operate the RO switch on my USB stick. Will this new knife have a detable device for setting it's own RO switch?

Leatherman

I want a Leatherman version with at least 512MB and it's bootable. I would pay decent money for that. Swiss Army Knives are toys, Leatherman's are tools. Never trust a tech without one.

Re:Leatherman

All of us in college used it for this purpose...i worked tech support (think rigging lights and speakers, not ethernet) in college for the university union, and we all carried leathermans or schrades (my personal favorite). At the parties after shows, people would yank out their multitools for all sorts of useful stuff...roach clips, shotgunning beers, etc.

--trb

Blue Knife of Death

Are you referring to the Windows 2000-enabled version of the Leatherman, affectionately known as the "Blue Knife of Death"?

Re:Leatherman

Bah! You teenagers and your "tools", back in my day, we didn't need a logic analyzer! We would just lick the terminals to see if there was a charge! If you got a tingle in your tongue, that was a "1".

Re:Leatherman

Victorinox already make their own multi-tool [victorinox.com]. Basically, they looked at a Leatherman then made it better [swiss-knife.com].

Trust me, try one of these, you'll never go back to Leatherman.

Re:Leatherman

Leatherman? Bah. They try to fit too much into it, and all the tools end up being too flimsy.

I, on the other hand, have been using the same Gerber Multi-plier for about 12 years (yes, I was 12 when I got it). It has blunt nose pliers instead of needle-nose, and all the tools are heavy-duty. For example, the Philips head isn't just a flat sliver, it's the real deal. The pliers actually work well for tighening bolts and nuts, you know, real bolts and nuts like on cars and bikes. And the real feature is the one-handed snap opening. You just fish it out of your pocket, flick your wrist and *snap* you've got pliers. Every Leatherman I've seen requires you to sit down with it and unfold some complicated metal origami, using two hands and paying very close attention because more often than not, the knives will fold out and you'll cut yourself.

Mine is bead-blasted stainless, and has never rusted...I don't know about the more recent versions. I wouldn't buy a cheap version. If I ever replace it, I might have to go with this: Gerber Multi-Plier 600 DET [seriousoutdoorgear.com]. I mean, it doesn't have blunt pliers, but how cool is it to have a non-reflective black oxide pocket battlefield tool with such items as "C-4 explosives punch" and "blasting cap crimper"?

Re:Leatherman

I bought a Leatherman Wave [leatherman.com] a few years ago and still carry it with me daily. I don't know about their other models, but this one opens exactly as you describe, and has rounded edges so you can actually apply pressure without it digging into your hand. Basically, none of the complaints you mentioned are true for it.

Re:Leatherman

I have to agree with you, I have had a leatherman wave for a while. My roommate showed me his gerber and I almost died of jealousy. Seriously, the Leatherman is a nifty toy, but the Gerber is a piece of engineering mastery. It's the little things that count.

Re:Leatherman

Never trust a tech who says that trendy multitools like the Leatherman are indespensible. Real techs carry real tools. They also don't trust other techs who have their URLs pointing to register.com spamsites.

Easy way around law for Techs

I take it you work in technology? Then there is an easy way to prove you need a pocket knife for you job. I am constantly using my pocket knife to open boxes with parts, shrink wrapped software, and new computers. I also use my pocket knife to cut zip tie bundles and the like.

Not being allowed to carry a pocket knife? In AU? Don't you need one to keep off all the crocs? ;)

A flashdrive that security will take away.

For some reason, that just doesn't seem practical in the long run, if you ever have to go through a security checkpoint, such as airports, courthouses, whatever. 'Well, I tried smuggling the data in, but they took it away.' 'They found it?' 'No, they didn't like the knife'.

But I want to know why the SwissFlame isn't allowed for sale in the US.

http://www.victorinox.com/newsite/en/news/news_swi ss_flame.htm [victorinox.com]

Re:rights in europe?

Ah, dude, NSW is kind-of not in Europe. It's on the other side of the other pond - across the Pacific, not across the Atlantic.

Though here in sunny Glasvegas [glasgow.gov.uk], Scotland, carrying knives is a pretty big no-no. Carrying alcohol in public is vorboten, too.

Access Denied...

..Is what I get when I try to load Victorinox at school. What are they afraid of, me attacking other students with Swiss Army Hubble Telescope polishers?

Hubble telescope

from horse-hoof awl to Hubble Space Telescope lens polisher

They located these two attachments too close, if you ask me. Why, when I was cleaning the Hubble Telescope last week, I got the two mixed up. I hope no-one notices that huge gouge on the lens. The horse sure has shiney hooves, though.

Remember the Foreman USB Grill?

This reminds me of the USB Foreman Grill April Fool's Joke [slashdot.org]. However, this seems equally useful/useless depending on how you look at it. So, I guess my real question is, how do we know this is for real?

'the lawful pursuit of the person's occupation'

Well, this silly rule doesn't apply in my jurisdiction, but in my network rounds I always carry my trusty CyberTool [thinkgeek.com]. Bought mind at an airport in Belguim. Haven't met a machine this knife couldn't take.

Boy Scouts always taught me to carry a pocket knife, either in your car or pocket, you never know how useful it will be.

Re:It's a start...

Sure, but is it wireless, encrypted, somehow involve XML, and support social networking?

Haven't you heard of PKML? Pen Knife Markup Language. It's a mechanism for allowing you to describe the layout of your penknife.

<knife vendor="Leatherman" model="Hitech 2000">
<slice>
<blade length="5cm" serrated="false">
</slice>
<slice>
<screwdriver type="posidrive" size="4mm"/>
<screwdriver type="philips" size=4.5mm"/>
</slice>
<slice>
<flashmemory type="usb" size="64MB" pr0n="true"/>
</slice>
<topend>
<tweezers lost="true"/>
</topend>
<bottomend>
<flashlight batterystatus="0%"/>
</bottomend>
</knife>

(I can't seem to indent the above. Bummer.)

The knives use Bluetooth to announce each other to the other pocket-knife fans in the vicinity. This is useful because frequently you find that you don't have quite the right tool for the job --- but with wireless networking you can find a fellow knife-wielder who happens to have to right one. (It's also useful to try and find someone who hasn't lost their tweezers.)

It's a great way to pick up... uh, guys, too.

And it's encrypted, of course, because otherwise They will find out you have a pen-knife and confiscate it (US versions only).

Hate to say it...

Now that's what I call cutting edge technology!

Offtopic

You know the author said in New South Wales it was illegal to carry a knife unless you need it for your job. God knows how many stores are held up annually by someone with a pocket knife. I mean really what would someone do? "Give me all your money, or I'll pick your teeth." Lighten up Parliment, I doubt that people with pocket knives will overthrow the throne.

Re:Offtopic

Hey, man, knives don't pick teeth, PEOPLE pick teeth.

The Mysterious New Banner Ad

Wow. I like that ad for that new product "Internal Server Error". Good use of whitespace in the design. ;P

I know it's a Swiss Army *knife*, but...

...the blade mades it impossble to take on a plane. As someone that's about to travel with only 128MB of flash RAM (no laptop, no iPod), I'd think it would be handier if it looked to the Cybertool for a whole bunch of blunt(ish) stuff like the screwdrivers, pen or pliers.

Security Threat of USB Flash Drives

I'd bet that devices like these give security officers, IP hoarders, and trade secret people the willies. The idea that someone (employee, vendor, or confident hacker) could walk into any office, stick their keychain USB drive into a PC and transfer files to/from an internal network is not too pleasant to contemplate. Seems like a great way to introduce trojans or snarf sensitive files. I wonder if some companies disable USB Mass Storage on their PCs to prevent this type of unauthorized access?

What kind of idiot legislature...

Passes that kind of a law banning any kind of blade in any public place? It's the kind of law that can almost only be there to provide an excuse to throw more charges at someone - "He jaywalked, and he had scissors! Because this is his second offense, we'll be seeking the maximum of 12 months in prison."

"knife" includes:

(a) a knife blade, or
(b) a razor blade, or
(c) any other blade,

Re:What kind of idiot legislature...

You think that's bad? In the UK, you can't even buy safety razor blades {eg. Gillette sensor type, which can't make a cut more than 1mm. deep without serious modding, the process of which is likely to cut you} if you're under 16, but you can be expelled from school for not shaving!

Clearly the law was meant to stop kids buying cut-throat razor blades, but it's still a bit idiotic. And if they want knives, they will just steal them.

The only thing preventing me buying it...

... is the lack of a kitchen sink.

(Sorry, bad /. joke based on moving from Windows to Linux)

Incorrect configuration

It looks great, but for a PC technician, I hope they make one with a philips blade rather than scissors.

Knife Repository

My Swiss Army Knife is with me constantly because it's so useful. Had it for years. I've lost the toothpick and the spring in the scissors, but it's still indispensible.

So, with the recent crackdown in the USA on small scale implements of terrorism such as nail clippers, I try to remember to put my knife in the glove compartment before a flight.

I forgot once. And I sure didn't want to give away my knife. The TSA inspectors must have 10 million pocket knives by now. What to do before getting in line for the security scan?

I found an fake potted plant in an isolated corner of the airport and hid the knife under some bark chips.

When I came back 3-4 days later I just picked it up on the way out.

Check out your local Goodwill store

You want to buy your knife back? It might end up in the local goodwill store.

Take a look at These pics [cockeyed.com] of items apparently confiscated in Sacramento.

not so illegal in New South Wales

Apparently you've got enough exceptions to keep yourself out of trouble:

(ii) the preparation or consumption of food or drink
(iii) participation in a lawful entertainment, recreation or sport

Hopefully wood carving and popping bottle caps aren't illegal yet.

From the picture

Did anybody notice the _other_ tools on this knife. There's the standard blade, good for cutting zip ties, opening boxes, and peeling off stubborn labels in a pinch. Scissors, which are generally useful, and a nail file, which I thought only showed up on the really big knives and the ones aimed at women. Where is the phillips head screwdriver, or even the flathead screwdriver? Actually, some knives have a nice snap on toolset that works quite well. IMHO, if you're going to stick a USB stick on a knife, it should have the following additional tools:

1. Blade -- Every knife needs one. A combination large and small blade is nice but not necessary on this knife
2. Scissors -- From cutting down labels to just about anything else, the Scissors are mandatory
3. Phillips head screwdriver -- Or replace this with the socket set
4. Flathead screwdriver -- Or replace this with the socket set
5. Inanimate carbon-steel rod -- In place of the useless tweezers, for ejecting stubborn CDs or rebooting PDAs
6. Micro-flashlight -- Built into the case, a small white LED bulb at one end is activated by pressing on a certain spot on the handle. The battery is stored in the case. I don't think any knife has this yet, but I know I've wanted it for ages. The light switch should be a toggle, so you don't have to keep holding it down while you're working.

That's all I'm looking for in a knife. I'd pay $100 for one like that, especially if they called it the Geekman.

knife control

In my home state of New South Wales, it is illegal to be carrying a knife without a reasonable excuse such as 'the lawful pursuit of the person's occupation'

I fail to understand how a society can function without pocketknives. I'll be sure to use paper shipping tape on the next thing I send to Australia.

Illegal knives

The law is similar in the UK. As in New South Wales, an exception is if a knife is a tool used for one's occupation. This is quite useful, since if I'm stopped by the police, I can explain that I'm a mugger and therefore the knife is a tool of the trade.

Get Real Tools

I've become increasingly convinced that most "multi purpose" tools simply don't work very well. When I work on computers, I don't use a swiss army knife: instead, I carry a "screw stick" (one of those screwdrivers with four difference phillips and flat heads), a pair of needle-nose pliers, a regular pocket knife (a small gerber model that has one, sharp 2" blad) and a knoppix CD to diagnostics and the like. With those tools, I can fix anything. I might add a USB stick for quick backups and such if the price on big ones comes down some more.

I used to carry a swiss army knife, but found it difficult to get leverage and even more difficult to get to small, recessed screws and the like.

pretty cool, but

how does it match up to the USB Toothbrush [impress.co.jp]???

"horse-hoof awl"?

It's a "hoof pick".
Ignore it when it's needed, and you'll find out that tech is cheap compared to large-animal vets bills.

Top 10 Missing Swiss Knife Features

10. DRM-enabled so you don't cut anything you are not licensed to
9. Large surface area on side with room for the Trump logo
8. "Martha Steward" edition. It slices, it dices, it puree's, and it has a file for jail bars.
7. "Matt Helm" special: knife inflates into full-sized bedroom complete with bed.
6. Built-in $29.99 cell phone backup battery
5. Special iPod opening tool for those rare occasions when you need to do battery work.
4. Linking feature to enable a Beowulf cluster of swiss army knives
3. "French Army Knife" version; opens wine with ease and aids in an easy retreat.
2. "Rush Limbaugh" attachments: knives only on the right side, contains secret compartment that holds up to 80 pills (one morning's supply).
1. FCC compliant - prevents carving of profane grafitti with its blades; and contains needle and thread to repair wardrobe malfunctions

Sheesh...

Can't carry a knife? I always leave a rather large knife in my truck/vehicle, and most of the time I have a folding pocket knife on my belt. I've used it several times outside of work, even as a makeshift screwdriver.

Well... I guess that's not as important as the 9mm hole punch I keep on the other side of my belt whenever possible. :)

The philosophers are right.

Information is a weapon...

The point about legal carrying of sharp edges raises another interesting point. I mean, have you ever tried stabbing anything with most penknives? You'd have more joy sticking a biro through someone's chest. (Yes, I realise there are some very high-quality penknives out there too.) Yet there's no attempt by many law-enforcement agencies to differentiate between a useful basic tool and a dedicated weapon. Rather similar to the data/MP3/filesharing situation.

Re:The philosophers are right.

The hijackers on September 11th supposedly used box cutters, cheap little disposable knives. If you tried to stab anybody the blade would snap, but you can cut somebody's throat pretty effectively. But you can do more damage with a SAK than a box cutter, and apparently they were pretty effective with the box cutters.

So I wouldn't discount what you can do with a SAK on a plane. Things have changed and an attack of this kind again is extremely unlikely. But an attack of a different kind is not just likely but inevitable, and the law enforcement authorities are trying to cut off as many possible avenues of attack as they can. Often stupidly and ineffectively (you can't do any damange with toenail clippers that you can't do with your teeth), but they have good reason to be paranoid of tiny potential weapons.

Re:The philosophers are right.

It's not law enforcement's job to differentiate between my 2" pen knife and my Benchmade [benchmade.com] -- it's the politicians' job. If the law says knife blade, the cops look for knife blades. If the law said "bad ass blades over six inches," that's what the cops would go for.

Though realistically, you're also inaccurate because the laws do treat different knives differently. It's legal for me to walk around with a 3.5" knife, but not if it's 4.5. It's legal if it's single-edged, but not if it's double-edged. And don't even get me started about my balisongs.

Wow

Now if extortion for the pictures I have on my flash stick doesn't work I can just stab the guy. Thanks Victorinox.

Outlaws

In my home state of New South Wales, it is illegal to be carrying a knife without a reasonable excuse such as 'the lawful pursuit of the person's occupation'.

If knives are outlawed, only outlaws will have knives.

Have to admit, I hadn't heard about this law before. I carry a Gerber multitool-whatever-they-call-it. It has a knife blade, but more importantly it has a #2 Phillips screwdriver tip, perfect for opening just about every PC case made. I already have my excuse.

Re:Doing A Hundred Jobs - All Badly

Wenger does offer one with a laser pointer built in. For a comparison of the two companies, see http://outside.away.com/magazine/200007/200007disp 3.html [away.com].

Link to more info.

Click here [victorinox.com] for more info on the USB Swiss Army Knife.

This is nothing....

Kalashnikov is now offering an AK-47 complete with 120GB firewire hard disk. Never be caught off guard again! Not only is this weapon the choice of counter-government revolutionaries around the world, but now it stores over 15,000 MP3's.

Re:WOW.

Argh. I meant New South Wales of course. I realize we're talking about Australia here :-)