SanDisk has announced an 8 gigabyte model of its Cruzer Micro USB flash drive, double the largest capacity previously available in the Cruzer Micro line.

Two inches long, a half-inch thick and weighing less than half an ounce, the 8GB Cruzer Micro nonetheless can hold a fair old pile of stuff - 1600 ultra-high-resolution digital pictures, 2000 digital songs or up to 5 hours of high-quality home video.

"Just a few years ago, USB flash drives had such limited capacities that they were only useful for moving a few files from one computer to another", said Ittai Golde, senior director of product marketing for the USB Division of SanDisk.

"Now, you don’t have to decide what files to put on a Cruzer Micro. You can load the drive with virtually everything you might need when you’re away from your primary computer."

As well as that capacity, the Cruzer Micro offers a sliding USB connector means there’s no cap to lose, and U3 Smart Technology for running applications directly from the drive.

The Cruzer Micro 8GB is expected to be available worldwide in mid-September with a suggested price in the United States of $129.99.