Fuzzing is a testing method that uses automated software to feed invalid, unexpected, or random data into a computer program. The testing system then monitors the program for crashes, failed assertions, and potential memory leaks.

A research team associated with Purdue University developed a tool called USBFuzz, which pushes massive amounts of random data through a system’s USB bus. The project was created by Hui Peng and Mathias Payer of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Please don’t lose any sleep over the bugs that were discovered.

Peng and Payer identified one bug in FreeBSD, three in macOS (two resulting in unexpected reboots and one causing a system freeze), and four in Windows 8 and Windows 10, which resulted in Blue Screens of Death. The majority of issues were found in Linux systems, totaling eighteen bugs.

Windows users do not need to be concerned, as all identified Windows issues have been resolved. Of the eighteen Linux bugs, sixteen have already been corrected. Several of these were considered major security vulnerabilities.

What stands out about USBFuzz is its underlying goal of improving USB platform security through continuous testing and refinement. The project is also being released as open-source software, allowing developers to use it to strengthen their own USB products. The research team plans to release USBFuzz on GitHub later in 2020.

The last two decades have ushered in an enormous expansion of electronic devices. Prices have dropped, users upgrade more frequently, and society reaps the benefits of rapid technological advancement. However, this explosive growth has also led to a surge in end-of-life (EOL) electronics and electronic waste (e-waste). When electronic devices are discarded in traditional landfills, toxic materials can leach into the soil and surrounding environment.

With the availability of inexpensive devices, society has gained tremendous benefits. This same growth in the electronics industry, however, has created a rapidly escalating problem of EOL electronics, commonly referred to as e-waste. In landfills or primitive recycling operations, toxic materials can be released from old electronic devices into the environment.

E-waste continues to grow, and with that surge comes the need for effective electronics recycling programs. As of 2018, e-waste became the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, with an estimated volume of 48.5 million tonnes and a material value of approximately 62.5 billion US dollars.

The amount of e-waste generated specifically from USB flash drives is not isolated in these statistics. Even so, it is not necessary to automatically include flash drives in the e-waste equation. There are practical options for reusing or recycling USB flash drives.

Option One:

Run antivirus software from a USB flash drive.

If your computer is infected with malware, running antivirus software from within Windows may not be enough to remove it. In cases involving rootkits, malicious software can hide itself from traditional antivirus tools. One proven way to remove deeply embedded malware is to boot the computer outside the Windows environment and perform the cleaning process from there.

This is where bootable antivirus solutions come into play. They operate independently of the infected operating system, preventing malware from running and interfering with cleanup. The HowToGeek website provides a clear overview of this process. If this is a tool you may need, consider repurposing an old USB flash drive instead of discarding it.

Option Two:

Run Linux from a USB flash drive.

As of 2020, Windows users still represented approximately 88% of desktop computer users worldwide. macOS users accounted for about 10%, with Linux users making up the remaining 2%. If you have never used Linux, it can be a surprisingly capable and flexible operating system. Instead of recycling a USB flash drive, you can install Linux on it and explore the platform at no cost.

The process is straightforward, and nearly any non-technical user can download and install a Linux distribution onto a flash drive. Slax is a well-known Linux distribution with simple installation instructions, making it a strong choice for first-time users.

Running Linux from a USB drive allows you to test the operating system without purchasing new hardware or making changes to your existing Windows installation.

This skill can also be useful during a computer failure. For example, if a system becomes infected with malware and immediate file access is required, booting into Linux from a USB drive can provide direct access to the hard drive without waiting for lengthy antivirus scans.

Option Three:

Recycle USB drives for a good cause.

“One person’s garbage is another person’s treasure.”

You can donate unused USB flash drives to organizations that repurpose them for educational and humanitarian use. Building on the Linux approach above, a non-profit organization called SugarLabs.org installs a Linux-based operating system onto donated flash drives. This specialized version of Linux is designed to help children learn how computers work. The organization distributes these drives to communities around the world.

SugarLabs is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and was founded by Walter Bender, a Harvard graduate and researcher from the MIT Media Lab. As part of the donation process, each USB drive is sanitized to ensure all personal data and malware are removed.

RecycleUSB.com manages the cleaning and preparation of donated USB flash drives before they are sent to SugarLabs. The RecycleUSB website outlines the donation process, contact information, and the data-sanitization steps used. The partnership between RecycleUSB and SugarLabs began in December 2009, when flash drives first became large enough to support portable operating systems.

If none of the above reuse options are suitable and you still plan to discard USB flash drives, check with your local community or municipality regarding approved e-waste programs. In most cities and counties, electronics should not be disposed of in standard trash. Instead, use certified recyclers participating in recognized programs such as R2/RIOS or e-Stewards to ensure responsible recycling.

Some extremely smart researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), along with colleagues at the University of Maryland, developed a step-by-step process for producing atomic-scale devices. Atomic-scale devices are at the heart of quantum computing. Put very simply, the word “quantum” comes from Latin and means “amount.” In physics, it represents the smallest possible unit of energy or matter.

The researchers demonstrated that they could precisely control the flow of electrons across an incredibly small physical gap—an electrical barrier known as a transistor. The real challenge is controlling energy (electrons) at extremely small scales, down to the size of a single atom. What the team developed is a repeatable recipe for creating atoms whose behavior can be controlled by electrons.

In very simple terms, here is the process:

First, the team used a known technique in which a silicon chip is coated with a layer of hydrogen atoms. These hydrogen atoms naturally bind to the silicon surface.

Next, they used an extremely fine-tipped scanning microscope to selectively remove hydrogen atoms from specific areas of the silicon.

What remained was a hydrogen barrier with only precise openings where the hydrogen had been removed, as shown in the image above.

The researchers then introduced phosphine gas to the silicon surface. The gas bonded to the exposed silicon areas, passing through only where hydrogen atoms had been removed.

As a final step, the silicon was heated, triggering a chemical reaction. This reaction formed a foundation of highly stable, single-atom devices that behave like a quantum bit—or qubit.

This process can be overwhelming to understand at first, so the video below helps explain it visually. The truly exciting part is that the researchers defined a repeatable process to create a programmable quantum unit. In everyday terms, this opens the door to computers that could be hundreds of times more powerful than today’s machines, all in devices no larger than something like an Apple Watch.

DIY recipes are beloved for many reasons: saving money, saving time, and the rewarding task of simply doing it yourself. Today’s post is clearly off topic from the normal USB hacks and news we typically write about. Today we’re talking about making a Starbucks-style coffee at home — not standard black coffee, but the more delicious varieties like a vanilla latte.

At the time of this post, the Coronavirus is in full swing and many Starbucks shops are closed, operating with limited hours, or have drive-thru lines that are simply too long. Here’s your in-home solution.

The first thing to understand is just how sweet Starbucks really makes their drinks. It’s well known the calorie and carbohydrate counts for a vanilla latte are fairly high. This DIY recipe helps you control those intake amounts, giving you better control over how much sugar your body gets from these sweet, delicious, energy-giving drinks.

We should really give Starbucks credit for figuring out the exact balance of sugar and caffeine needed to jump-start your heart rate in a legally addictive way.

Starting with a vanilla latte, the real magic of this drink is the full, frothy milk. There’s no requirement for the fancy frother you see behind the Starbucks counter. A simple $40 (approximately) milk frother from Amazon will do the trick. The Miroco is a fantastic product and a true life-changer for making coffee-based drinks. Probably the best “appliance” purchase we’ve made since the introduction of the DVR in 1999 (feel free to challenge us on this claim {wink}).

The first step is to brew your coffee. Use any brand you like. If you want the closest taste to Starbucks, use their coffee, but honestly, with enough sugar and syrup added, the coffee brand doesn’t matter all that much.

Once the coffee is brewed, fire up the milk frother.