NEW YORK, May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PortableApps.com, the world leader in portable software, and CustomUSB, a leading memory products manufacturer, have teamed up to produce the PortableApps.com Carbide, the world's most secure, safe, compatible, and functional hardware-encrypted USB flash drive.  Carbide combines military grade hardware encryption, a universal PIN code unlock, 'everything'-proof construction, personalization, a full suite of portable software, 5 years of award-winning commercial USB antivirus protection, and an industry-leading 5-year warranty into a flash drive like no other.

Securing data on the go is a top concern for individuals, businesses and governments.  To that end, the Carbide uses AES 256-bit hardware encryption using an SHA-256 hashing cryptographic algorithm.  The drive is FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified as well as IP57 and MIL-STD-810F, so it's not only secured from hackers, but it also resists water, dust, shock and physical tampering.  If a third party enters the wrong PIN multiple times, the data will be rendered inaccessible.  Additionally, the drive is filled with epoxy, so an attempt to disassemble it to get at the data results in the physical destruction of the memory chips.

Unlike most encrypted drives that only work with Windows and Mac, the physical PIN code entry on the side of the drive allows for universal compatibility.  The drive can be unlocked and used with nearly any device with a USB port including Windows, Mac and Linux computers; Android devices with USB on the go support; televisions; photo printing kiosks and more.  And, since the encrypted drive is unlocked before being plugged into the computer, you're protected from both physical and software keyloggers that could be waiting to learn your drive's password.

In addition to the physical and security defenses of the Carbide drive, the drive is also protected from viruses by ClevX DriveSecurity™ powered by ESET.  The award-winning ESET NOD32® antivirus engine scans any change to the drive's content for viruses, spyware, trojans, worms, rootkits, adware and other Internet threats.  And Carbide includes a full 5-year license for DriveSecurity, years longer than other high-end flash drives, with a retail value of over $40 all by itself.

On the productivity side, the Carbide comes with a full suite of portable software that works on any Windows computer as well as Mac and Linux machines with the Wine compatibility layer.  The suite of software includes the Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition web browser, the Microsoft-Office compatible LibreOffice suite, the Photoshop-compatible GIMP photo and image editor, the Adobe Illustrator-compatible Inkscape vector image editor, the Scribus desktop publishing suite, Pidgin instant messenger, KeePass secure password manager, Sumatra PDF reader, CoolPlayer+ media player and more.  The software is all managed and automatically kept up to date through the award-winning PortableApps.com Platform.  Over 300 additional free apps are available in the included app store.

"The PortableApps.com Carbide is quite simply the most secure and useful USB flash drive ever sold and CustomUSB has helped us put everything together.  It's exactly what we were looking for in a portable software and hardware solution and we're thrilled to be able to make it available to security-minded people all over the world," said PortableApps.com founder John T. Haller.

"The software is top-notch. The platform is very intuitive and easy to use," said Vadim Molo of CustomUSB. "It's been a real pleasure working with John and the PortableApps.com team."

The PortableApps.com Carbide is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB sizes starting at under $90.  Custom laser etching of a name or URL is included at no additional charge.  The drive is backed by an industry-leading 5 year warranty and includes a 30-day no-hassle return policy.  Carbide is packaged in a high-quality gift and storage tin.  The drive is available for immediate purchase directly from: http://worldsbestflashdrive.com/

Custom corporate builds with custom casing, branded software and volume pricing are also available by contacting PortableApps.com.

About PortableApps.com

PortableApps.com is the world's most popular portable software solution allowing users take their favorite software with them. A fully open source and free platform, it works on any portable storage device (USB flash drive, iPod, memory card, portable hard drive, etc) or cloud drive and lets users carry their favorite desktop software with them and use it on any computer. With millions of users worldwide, hundreds of apps, and over 300 million downloads, PortableApps.com is the most complete solution for life on the go. PortableApps.com is a venture of Rare Ideas, LLC. http://portableapps.com/

About CustomUSB

CustomUSB is a service oriented custom memory products manufacturer. In 2012 alone we produced more than two million USB drives for customers ranging from non-profit organizations to Fortune 500 companies. We also do project management and manufacturing for customers who are looking to create USB product replicas and USB based retail products. In December of 2011, we have launched a web store allowing customers to buy cool, high-capacity flash drives for personal use. We are also an exclusive custom USB flash drive supplier for SanDisk and PortableApps.com. http://customusb.com/

Additional Trademarks and Licensing

Mozilla® and Firefox® are registered trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation and are used under license. Adobe, Photoshop and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe.  PortableApps.com is not affiliated with Adobe.  Microsoft Office is a registered trademark of Microsoft.  PortableApps.com is not affiliated with Microsoft.  DataLock Secured USB drive and DriveSecurity powered by ESET portable antivirus application incorporates technologies licensed from ClevX, LLC.  DriveSecurity and DataLock are trademarks of ClevX, LLC.  ESET and NOD32 are registered trademarks of ESET Noth America.

Press Contact

John T. Haller
Phone: 646-289-5002 extension 2
E-mail: press_relations(at)portableapps(dot)com

SOURCE Rare Ideas, LLC