A Swiss Army knife without a blade is like a Swiss navy - pointless. But in an attempt to win back loyal customers in a world where nail-clippers are considered a deadly weapon, Victorinox - the official maker of Swiss Army knives - has introduced the Swissmemory.
With small knives, scissors, nail-files, screwdrivers and knitting needles banned from many major airlines, the boffins at Victorinox were faced with declining sales and a dilemma: how to ensure the brand's famous white cross on a red shield remained in the pockets of its country-hopping customers? The answer was to move with the times and so the Swissmemory was borne; a handy pocket tool equipped with a detachable USB Memory stick (right).
While a standard version (far right) with blade, scissors, nail-file, screwdriver and memory stick is also available for road warriors, frequent flyers can make do with a pen and data-flow-indicating LED light. It comes in red translucent and ribbed silver with a memory capacity ranging from 64MB to 1GB.
While the Swissmemory may not be much use if you find yourself lost in the forest facing an angry bear, it could come in handy when angry baggage handlers leave you marooned in the departure lounge.
Victorinox, UG-12, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong.