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Toshiba has added a touch of style to its portable hard drives, whilst also breaking a record. It has entered the external HDD market with a 1.8-inch device and also launched what it claims is the industry's highest capacity 2.5-inch external HDD at 320GB.

The personal storage devices were unveiled this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The 1.8-inch External HDD uses USB 2.0 technology and comes in 60GB, 80GB and 120GB capacities. Because the 1.8-inch HDD is designed for mobility, Toshiba plans to include encryption and backup software with its 1.8-inch line to protect data should the HDD ever be lost or stolen. The product also will include a USB cable and will be bus-powered for plug-and-play operation.

"Data backup is integral in a digital world - it isn't just for technology geeks; it's for anyone who wants added insurance that first birthday photos, summer vacation videos, their latest tax returns, and other important digital data are protected against computer failure or other emergencies," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing of storage device division at Toshiba.

At the event, Toshiba’s second launch was a new 2.5-in. USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive with a capacity of 320GB.

The drive expands Toshiba’s existing range of portable 2.5in storage units, upping the range’s largest capacity from 250GB to 320GB. Each unit has a USB 2.0 data transfer connection and is bundled with NTI Shadow software for performing data backups. The new device can store up to 91,000 digital photos, 84,000 MP3 files, 142 hours of non-DVD videos or 37 hours of high-definition video content, said Toshiba.

Stylish designs have also been added to the outer surface of each capacity drive, giving users the option of storing their precious files on either a Carbon Grey, Hot Rod Red or Gecko Green unit.

The new 2.5-in model offers a 20 percent smaller footprint than the previous line.

Toshiba’s new 1.8-inch external HDDs will be available this spring, while the 2.5-inch 320GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive is available now.

The 320GB 2.5-inch external HDD is USD 199.99, while there is no price at yet for the 1.8-inch devices.