Stripped-down hard disk photo storage from Sony

Sony has a surprisingly workmanlike photo storage gadget, the HDD Photo Storage HDPS-M1, coming out on June 18. For Y31,290 you get a grey box with a basic 4-LED meter to show how full the 40GB hard disk is, with slots for Type 2 Compact Flash cards/Microdrives and Memory Sticks. It also has a USB 2.0 port and can function as an external drive for PCs and, unusually for Sony, Macs. There's no display for viewing photos--this is strictly survival-kit stuff. Dimensions are 135 x 92 x 30 mm, weight is 300g. Runs for 60 minutes from a 4-hour charge. The simplicity may appeal to professionals, but it does seem awfully spartan.

[Via PC Watch (Japanese)]