Take a close look at this Dual USB Flash Drive from SanDisk. The company name doesn't matter so much as the shape and function of the thing: we're about to see every USB stick transform into such a dual-plug peripheral very soon indeed. USB-C, the thin connector on the right, is the hot new port standard that's taking the tech world by storm this year. The big chunky guy on the other side is the ubiquitous but rapidly depreciating USB Type-A connector that we all know (and occasionally loathe when trying to plug it in the wrong way).

I spoke with SanDisk's Jared Peck at Computex today and he told me about the challenge faced by the peripherals industry as we all transition from A to C in our usage of USB. SanDisk is one of the many companies that's embracing USB-C as the future, but it doesn't believe the time is yet right to build and sell accessories with only a USB-C connector on them. After all, the point of external storage devices like flash drives is to maximize compatibility: you're far more likely to want and use a drive that can plug into your phone, desktop PC, and that shiny new MacBook.

There have already been similar dual-connector USB drives featuring the well established Micro USB, but they were solutions for a narrower set of users. This type of USB Type-A plus USB Type-C drive doesn't just bring phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops together — it's also a bridge between the past and the future. And that's what is making it abundant in the present. SanDisk announced the 32GB Dual USB Flash Drive at MWC in February and already has it on sale at Amazon for $39.99.

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