Ever look at your basic flash drive and think "Why can't this be more streamlined?" If so, then the 16GB Kingston DataTraveler Mini 3.0 ($22.99) is for you. This compact drive trims the fat, leaving little more than the USB connector and giving you a drive that you can slip on a key ring or tuck into a pocket without even noticing it's there.

Our review focuses on the 16GB model we had available for testing, but the DataTraveler Mini 3.0 is also available in larger capacities. The DataTraveler Mini 3.0 can be purchased in 32GB ($41.50 list), 64GB ($79.99 list), and 128GB ($139.00 list) capacities, all with the same compact design and dimensions.

Design and Features
The Mini 3.0 earns its name with a USB 3.0 connection and a chassis that is extremely svelte. The tiny drive measures just 0.23 by 1.67 by 0.5 inches (HWD)—about the size of a piece of gum. It also weighs next to nothing, at just 0.16-ounce, but that's about as little as our PC Labs scale will register. It's similar in many respects to the LaCie Porsche Design USB Key (32GB), but with a more colorful design. Our review model is a bright magenta color, but the drive is also available in cyan blue, emerald green, bright red, or gray.

The compact, capless design wraps the drive and USB connector in a thin sheet of metal, with a plastic end providing just enough shape for traction when you grab it to pull it out of a plug. That metal housing provides a more traditional USB plug end, as opposed to drives like the Verbatim Store N' Go Clip-it USB Drive, which pares down the connector to nothing but a USB-compatible plastic wafer. It also has a built-in key loop, so you can put it on a key ring or lanyard without much difficulty. You will want to connect it to something, be it keys or a lanyard or anything else, because the small drive is definitely small enough to lose easily.