Our Singapore

We've talked about inventions and scientists from all over the world but not Singapore so here i am to tell you some inventions made by Singaporeans.-The X-Mini capsule speakers-Thumb Drive

THE X-MINI CAPSULE SPEAKERS

Audio speakers used to be big boxy things that weren't really portable. Laptop users had to pick between good sound quality and size, and there just wasn't really anything compact that could deliver great bass and volume. And unless you're using an oversized desktop replacement type laptop, built-in speakers just don't cut it at all. Then along came a little Singapore setup called XMI Pte Ltd who were determined to change all that. They created a pocket-sized ball speaker with a patented "pop-up" vacuum design that acted like a mini sub-woofer, and produces a level of bass and volume that is mind (and ear) blowing considering its itsy-bitsy size.Numerous awards later, including winning the prestigious Red Dot Design Awards (Germany) and the Infocomm Singapore Award, the X-mini Capsule Speaker is now in its second generation and is being shamelessly ripped off by OEM manufacturers all over -- it's a sure sign that something's really good is when the OEM pirates start rolling out their third-party versions. We're hardly without one in our laptop bags these days and they're great for presentations or just setting up an impromptu disco hall, but more importantly, we don't need to carry an extra bag just for the speakers.

THUMB DRIVE

It's called the Thumb Drive, aka. flash drive, aka. USB memory stick, aka. memory key, aka. that little thing on your keychain that stores like a gazillion digital files. The USB flash drive (as it's more commonly known now) is so ubiquitous, it almost single-handedly did away with the floppy drives and disks of yore -- think about it, when's the last time you saw a floppy drive on a laptop or desktop?But the road to universal acceptance wasn't easy. Trek Technology partnered with 'Big Blue' IBM to sell the first USB flash drives commercially at the end of 2000 -- the original Thumb Drive had a storage capacity of 8 MB, more than five times the capacity of the then-common floppy disks, which is laughable now, but at that time was mind-boggling in its scale. Countless manufacturers saw its potential and started rolling out their own versions. It was only with a series of patent lawsuits that the bigger ones backed off and started paying royalties. But even today, there are still cheap knock-offs around -- chances are good that the cheap no-brand flash drive you bought doesn't follow Trek's patent rights. But still, can you imagine modern life today without the USB flash drive?

~JERICA :P