SanDisk on Wednesday introduced a USB flash drive with automatic online backup, so files can be recovered from any Internet-connected computer if the drive is lost, forgotten, or stolen.

The Cruzer Titanium Plus is SanDisk's first USB drive with backup capabilities. The 4-Gbyte device will be featured at the International Consumer Electronics Show Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas.

The Cruzer Plus comes with a six-month subscription to the BeInSync backup service at no additional charge. After opening a personal, password-protected account, any files copied to the drive from a computer are automatically backed up online. If the computer is offline, then the files will be backed up the next time the drive is plugged into an Internet-connected machine.

The idea behind Cruzer Plus is to protect users against accidentally deleting files, such as documents, photos, music, video, spreadsheets, or work presentations, SanDisk said. Backed-up files can be recovered by signing into the backup account.

"We believe Cruzer Titanium Plus will encourage people to use flash drives for storing important data, not just transferring files from one computer to another," Hezy Rotman, VP and general manager of SanDisk's USB division, said in a statement.

Other features include a crush-resistant metal case, optional password protection for accessing files on the drive, and two years of BoomerangIt's lost-and-found service. The Cruzer Plus comes with a BoomerangIt sticker to put on the drive. If the device is lost and later found, then under the plan, the owner typically pays shipping costs and provides a small reward.

The online backup service is provided through BeInSync, which stores data on Amazon.com servers through the online retailer's Web services offerings. BeInSync encrypts files during transmission.

The Cruzer Titanium Plus is scheduled for release in the United States in March. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $60. The online backup service requires Windows 2000, service pack 4; Windows XP; or Windows Vista. After the first six months, the service costs $30 a year.

In October, SanDisk filed two federal court lawsuits against 25 companies, accusing them of violating its patents for USB drives, MP3 players, and other flash storage products. The cases are pending.