Why USB Sticks Are Dangerous & How To Protect Yourself
USB drives are so pervasive in today’s world of technology, but when they first debuted, they revolutionized data exchange. The first USB flash drives had an 8MB capacity, which isn't much by today’s standards, but a far cry better than the alternatives - the 1.44MB floppy or the CD that required permanent burning. Nowadays we have USB drives that are larger than traditional hard drives.
Saying Goodbye: 5 Alternatives To The Optical Disc
With computers growing smaller and lifestyles going mobile, less devices offer sufficient space for internal optical drives. Presently, the market is kept afloat by Blu-ray consumer home video sales, but in terms of data storage, optical discs are slowly becoming obsolete. Moreover, while most movie buyers still prefer to own a physical copy of their purchase, this market, much like the music market, will soon be taken over by streaming services.
Are Your USB Ports Too Close Together? Here's How to Fix It!
If you’re like me, you probably make good use of USB on your PC, from connecting keyboards and printers to smartphones, USB flash memory, Bluetooth, 3G or Wi-Fi dongles, headsets, game controllers and more. USB is a versatile and easy-to-use connection format, but there is one thing that bugs many people (including me) about it.
How To Install Windows 8 From A USB Stick
If you’re looking to install Windows 8 and your computer doesn't have a DVD drive, you’re not alone. Whether you have a Windows 8 DVD or a Windows 8 ISO file you've downloaded from Microsoft, you can use a free Microsoft tool to copy the Windows 8 installation files to a USB drive and install Windows 8 from the USB drive.
Is A USB 3.0 Thumb Drive Worth The Premium?
USB 3.0 has been around for awhile, but its introduction to the world has been slow. It’s only now common among new desktop and laptops, most of which ship with at least two USB 3.0 ports. Flash drive manufacturers have responded by producing a wide range of USB 3.0 drives sold under exciting names like SuperSonic XT and Voyager. You might be staring at your old USB 2.0 drive and wondering if an upgrade is worthwhile. What’s the advantage?
The German Privacy Foundation Crypto Stick - How & Why It Is More Secure
New technologies are constantly being created in order to increase security, and many of those technologies eventually go away because of loopholes and other issues that are eventually discovered. No form of security is exempt from this, including any kind of security that involves transfer of communications. Or at least that's what the status quo currently is.
4 Portable Application Sites & Suites You May Not Know About
At MakeUseOf, we have provided you with countless articles on perfecting your USB flash drive with portable applications. If you've yet to see our Best Portable Apps page, you need to give it a look. Portable software can really change the way you work and enjoy your personal Internet experience. I don't go anywhere without 16GB of portable goodness on me. It's as essential as my keys or wallet.
How To Create A Windows USB Installation Disk With WinUSB [Linux]
We've shown you before how to install Windows 7 from a USB drive, but the process assumes you have access to a Windows computer to begin with. That's not always the case, particularly if you're the kind of person who regularly tries out different operating systems. Also, there are more than a few IT professionals who work on Windows computers but primarily use Linux themselves. WinUSB is perfect for them.
Live USB Install Puts Linux On Your Thumb Drive With Ease
Boot one of over a hundred Linux distros from a USB disk. With Live USB, software you can run on both Windows and Linux computers, it only takes a couple of clicks to make your USB disk a bootable Linux disk. The live CD just might be the most useful tool in any geek's arsenal - we've pointed out 50 uses for live CDs in the past and plan on showing you many more.
Start A "Dead Drop" In Your City & Share Files With People In The Street
Who’d have thought in 2011 - the year of the fibre optic broadband connection - we’d be cementing USB sticks into the wall to share files? Not me, but that’s exactly what the term "dead drop" entails. Devised by blogger Aram Bartholl, this offline and anonymous file sharing method has taken off around the globe.
How To Transfer Your Xbox 360 Profile & Other Data To A USB Flash Drive
Did you know that you can use any USB drive that has a capacity between 1GB and 16GB as a memory unit for your Xbox 360? Once formatted and prepared you can transfer profiles, game saves and other files from your hard drive onto your new memory unit. All you'll need is a flash drive and your console.
Boot Multiple Live CDs From One USB Disk With YUMI [Windows]
Put multiple bootable tools onto one USB drive, then pick which one you want to boot when your computer starts up. Whether you want to try out various Linux environments at once or put together the ultimate Windows repair kit, YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) can help you build a bootable disk with a menu. It even supports Windows Vista and 7 installation disks.
5 Tips On How To Use A Jump Drive Without Corrupting Your Data
A jump drive, also known as a flash drive, thumb drive, memory stick, or simply USB drive, is a tiny but powerful storage device. Flash drives are cheap, small, come with sufficient storage for big files, and they are not as easily damaged as external hard drives. However, they are not entirely foolproof and there are a few basic rules you should follow so you don't end up damaging the device or the data on it.
3 Cool Ways To Use SD Memory Cards
SD memory cards are one of the most common forms of mobile storage, but they also tend to be very specific in their purpose. On their own, these cards tend to be less useful than USB thumb drives and portable hard drives. That doesn’t have to be the case though. There are quite a few cool ways to re-purpose old SD cards and drag some extra life out of them.
Get Over 100 Portable Freeware Utilities With NirLauncher [Windows]
NirLauncher is a library that comes packed with over 100 portable freeware utilities for Windows. It is the perfect toolbox to carry around on your USB stick for emergencies, for example if you need to recover lost passwords or monitor your network. The tools are pre-sorted into 12 different categories and you are free to add additional software packages if you like.
How To Set Up Multiple Portable XAMPP Web Servers On A Single USB Drive
For some time now, I've been trying to develop a very fast and easy way to create a virtual web server (basically a local web server), on my portable hard drive. Not just one though. I wanted to have the ability to set up multiple web servers that I could just configure as my localhost web server with the click of a button.
The Top 5 Portable Apps For Linux
Most of us know about portable apps for Windows, and how useful they can be sometimes. It's great to simply have your favorite programs and add-ons with you, especially in the case of browsers. However, portable apps for Linux have been nonexistent, at least until now. Lately a decent collection of Linux portable apps have showed up, and are now worth mentioning.
ioSafe Bulletproof 250 GB Rugged Portable
If all you have ever wished for is a 250 GB portable hard drive enclosed in a bulletproof, crushproof, waterproof, and shockproof aluminium enclosure; you're in luck! We just happen to have one lying around -- it's the recently released ioSafe Rugged Portable hard drive. Retailing for $150, this virtually indestructible portable USB 3.0 hard drive was the talk of CES '11 in January. We're giving one away to a very lucky MakeUseOf reader to enjoy. We also have 10 licenses for Genie Timeline Professional (worth $60 each) as additional runner up prizes.