Active Media (http://www.activemp.com), a manufacturer of SSDs and USB drives, has launched eSATA (external SATA) Flash drives that boast sequential read and write speeds up to 100 and 55 MB/second, respectively, about three times faster than the fastest USB 2.0 flash drives.

The company builds these drives with either 16GB or 32GB of MLC NAND flash. With no moving parts, “they offer the same outstanding reliability as SSDs,” says Jerry Thomas, vice president of sales at Active Media.

The drives come in a gloss black polymer case that measures only 3.1 x 1.1 x 0.4 inches. They are available now worldwide through Amazon for US$69.95 for the 16GB version and $109.95 for the 32GB model.