LaCie Sphere Handcrafted Hard Drive Boasts Design By Christofle

Among its other offerings revealed today at CES, LaCie has introduced the hand-crafted Sphere external hard drive, a shiny ball that is at both times retro and modern. The enclosure is circular with a flat base, and there's a stamped logo on the side, the only disruption in the otherwise smooth and polished surface.The LaCie Sphere is silver-plated steel, having been manually plating because of the roundness of the unit. The stamping, plating, and polished is done in Yainville, France, in Christofle's silversmith workshop. As with the USB key LaCie also introduced today, the Sphere aims to be both a decorative piece in addition to being a functional hard drive, making for a classy element on the desk.As far as specifications go, there's a USB 3.0 cable that serves as both a data cable and as a power cable. There's a blue LED on the front that shows the drive's status, and within sits a 1TB hard drive. LaCie includes its software suite on the drive, which includes the Backup Assistant and private-public software. There's also an Eco Mode for keeping energy usage low.Said LaCie's CEO and board chairman Philippe Spruch: "With the Sphère, LaCie and Christofle have once again thought outside the box. In an industry where square thinking is the rule, this product reflects LaCie's innovative edge." The LaCie Sphere will be available some time this quarter in a 1TB capacity with a 2-year limited warranty for $490 USD.