LaCie debuts most compact 2.5-in. hard drive ever

LaCie on Tuesday announced what it says is "the most compact 2.5-inch hard drive on the market," the Rikiki.

Measuring 110 cubic centimeters, the Rikiki offers a brushed aluminum enclosure that offers up to 640 gigabytes of capacity. It's 5.6 ounces and measures 4.3 inches in length by 2.9 inches in width and half an inch in height.

The drive is USB 2.0 in format and compatible with PC or Mac. The drive comes with USB Boost software for enhancing speeds up to 33 percent on Windows systems, the company says.

Rikiki also comes with a software suite for backup management.

Why "rikiki," by the way? The term apparently means "tiny" in French slang. (France is LaCie's home nation.)

The LaCie Rikiki will be available in 250GB, 500GB, and 640GB capacities for $74.99, $109.99 and $149.99, respectively.