Team Group has built the world's first external SSD with built-in Apple-based location tracking and it's padlock-shaped
I've got a routine for locating my devices when I leave the house. Phone, keys, battery pack, etc. Still, despite my best attempts at organisation, I still misplace the odd item—which is why I'm interested in the newly-announced Team Group T-Create Expert P34F, complete with built-in location tracking. The world's first external drive to feature it, in fact.
It's also recently won the Japan Good Design Award 2025, a prize I didn't know existed until today. Anyway, the T-Create Expert P34F is a pleasingly padlock-shaped device that comes in 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB flavours, and weighs only 70 grams thanks to its 73% zinc alloy chassis.
It's also got a keychain hole (all good portable devices should), a USB Type-C port, and the built-in ability to track it the same way you would an Apple AirTag.
That's because the Cupertino-based fruit enthusiasts have provided the tracking tech inside, meaning you can track its location with the Find My app. It doesn't look like Android phones are supported, so bang goes my dreams of owning one—but iPhone users should take note, as it looks like quite a handy way of lugging your files around.
It's also got a built-in speaker to make a (presumably annoying) sound to help you locate it when you inevitably drop it down the back of the couch. It really is pretty tiny, coming in at just under the size of a credit card, as this image shows:
Other than that, there's a 3-year warranty and... well, not much else to talk about, really. It's a weeny little external storage drive that does its darndest to prevent you from losing it, and there's something rather cute about that. It's a needy drive, or, if you'd prefer, a drive that determinedly endeavours to prevent you from misplacing it in one of your many, many electronics drawers.
Which might just be a me problem. I've got loads of external storage dotted all around my house, much of it tucked between other devices and beyond my immediate recall.
Who really needs those holiday snaps from 2013, anyway? You do? Well, I can't find it on sale just yet, but the store page suggests it'll be available at these US retailers at some point in the near future. There's some sort of irony that I can't find it for sale anywhere yet, isn't there? Has anyone tried pinging one?