Japanese peripherals specialist Elecom has introduced what it claims is the world's smallest external hard drive. Its MF-DU204G packs in 4GB of storage capacity yet is sufficiently small to warrant its own, integrated USB connector.

The secret? The use of a bus-powered 0.85in HDD, Elecom said. The drive is packed into a unit that measures 6.8 x 3 x 1.3cm and weighs just 44g. The company bundles a USB extender cable should the drive prove too large and obscure other USB ports. Elecom also bundles USB Disk Pro, a security utility that password-protects the drive.

The drive ships in both metallic blue and silver versions, Elecom said, for around ¥26,800 (£131/$227). ®