LaCie today unveiled its new compact SAFE Mobile Hard Drive with biometric technology — fingerprint authentication grants access to the drive. The software is embedded, so no installation is needed on the host computer. “With our new SAFE Mobile hard drive, people can now transport important data without concerns,” says Marie Renouard, LaCie Product Manager. “SAFE drives are absolutely secure and only accessible by registered and authorized fingerprints. Biometry is based on unique human identity traits that are far more secure, convenient and user-friendly than passwords or smart-card protection.” The Hi-Speed USB 2.0 drives run at 5400rpm with 8MB cache and come in capacities of 40GB and 80GB, priced at US$149.99 and $199.99, respectively. They are expected to ship in mid-July.