The SP stands for "shockproof": Plextor Corp. says its new PX-SP family of external, portable hard disks come with a specially designed silicon jacket bumper that helps prevent the 80GB ($169) and 120GB ($260) drives from crashing if accidentally dropped. Each drive measures a trim 3.3 by 5.5 by 0.7 inches and weighs less than 8 ounces.

Shipping next month, the PX-SP drives rely on a USB 2.0 interface (cable included) for maximum data-transfer rates of 480 Mbps. They're backed by a two-year warranty with unlimited toll-free tech support.