Today, LaCie announced the Culbuto, a quirky USB key brought to life by French designer Constance Guisset. When not connected to a computer, the LaCie Culbuto whimsically bobs side to side as it is poked - much like a roly-poly toy. In fact, the name Culbuto is French for a toy with a weighted base that keeps the object vertical even after it is knocked down.

"The search for movement and balance is essential in my work," said Constance Guisset, product designer. "Repeated and infinite oscillation fascinates me. For my first project with LaCie, I proposed a slightly roly-poly key that eventually became LaCie Xtremkey. When LaCie asked me to develop this idea, Culbuto was the result. It's an irresistibly fun USB key."The LaCie Culbuto is a storage device disguised as a decorative object. It has a spherical solid metal base topped with a silicone rubber stem that ends with a USB 3.0 connector. On its top, a cap that closes off the LaCie Culbuto features a slit to hold a photo or business card. Design-conscious consumers will appreciate both the speed benefits of USB 3.0 and the key's additional purpose as a whimsical picture holder when not in use.

Molded from a cast, the LaCie Culbuto's "soft touch" rubber gives a pleasant feeling to the fingers. When set on a surface, the USB key will spark conversation as it dances along the tabletop. Watch the video to see the key in action: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTH-TaNbidc

SOFTWARE SUITE INCLUDED
LaCie's Private-Public software protects confidential data stored on the LaCie Culbuto. Even in the case of loss, theft or unauthorized access, files are secure with password protection. In addition, the key comes equipped with LaCie Backup Assistant for automatic backup.

AVAILABILITY
The LaCie Culbuto is available in 16 GB and 32 GB capacities through the LaCie Online Store and LaCie Resellers starting at $49.99.