[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC2YUZPxFOE]

LaCie introduced the RuggedKey this week. It is an IP-54 water and dust resistant USB 3.0 key that provides speeds up to 150 MB/s and a bumper that offers protection from “heat, cold, and 100-meter drops.” The RuggedKey is now available in Apple stores or from the company directly starting at $40 for 16 GB, but LaCie also announced today that it updated its entire USB 3.0 portfolio with optimizations specifically for Apple’s latest lineup of MacBooks. LaCie said it re-engineered its USB 3.0 products for Lion and Mountain Lion by taking advantage of USB-attached SCSI Protocol support in Ivy Bridge Macs:

On top of Apple stores, the redesigned lineup of LaCie USB 3.0 products is available through LaCie stores. The company’s full press release is below:

LaCie Launches 2nd Generation

USB 3.0 Storage for New Mac Notebooks

PARIS, FRANCE – LaCie announced today that it has updated its entire USB 3.0 portfolio to include 2nd generation USB 3.0 products. The next generation USB 3.0 products are available now in Apple retail.

For the last three years, LaCie has delivered premium USB 3.0 solutions to millions of Mac and PC customers. Building on this industry experience and momentum, LaCie has re-engineered its USB 3.0 range to take full advantage of computers that include Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor with native USB 3.0 interfaces. LaCie’s new USB 3.0 storage solutions will also benefit from performance enhancements within OS X Lion and Mountain Lion. Thanks to UAS (USB Attached SCSI Protocol), people with the latest Macbook Air, Macbook Pro and Macbook Pro with Retina Display will experience maximum USB 3.0 performance.

“At LaCie we’re dedicated to USB 3.0. As a result, we’ve been able to deliver the widest range of USB 3.0 storage peripherals on the market,” said Erwan Girard, Professional Business Unit Manager, LaCie. “We’ve leveraged the exhaustive expertise of demanding content creators to develop best in class products for Mac users. LaCie’s 2nd generation USB 3.0 products will exceed expectation and deliver the fastest, most seamless user experience available.”

Everything from cables and USB keys, to professional RAID storage solutions have been re-engineered for advanced performances. LaCie’s recently announced RuggedKey achieves top speeds up to 150MB/s in 32GB of flash memory – making it one of the fastest USB keys on the market. LaCie’s popular Rugged Triple, and Porsche Design P’9223 and P’9233 have also been optimized for Mac and are available in Apple retail.

LaCie’s 2nd generation USB 3.0 solutions will be available worldwide through Apple resellers, LaCie resellers and the LaCie Online Store.

  • Benchmarks for SSDs and USB 3.0 performance in new MacBooks
  • Lexar 64GB JumpDrive S73 USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $38 + free shipping
  • Refurb LaCie Rikiki 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for $70 + free shipping
  • Western Digital 3TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for $134 + free shipping
  • Patriot 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $18 after rebate + free shipping