Working in a low light room with proper monitor lighting can reduce stress, reduce headaches and make employees a bit more productive. The Quntis Computer Monitor Light Bar is a sweet workspace lighting addition and good solution for tech peeps who demand a good work light solution. Engineered to eliminate screen glare, the Quntis monitor lamp directs light precisely onto the desktop and keyboard area, ensuring a flicker-free experience that reduces eye strain. Great for long hour workers like coders or accountants. With its built-in auto-dimming sensor, the light automatically adjusts brightness levels based on ambient lighting conditions, maintaining optimal visibility throughout the day and night without user intervention.

Designed for seamless integration and contemporary look to fit in properly with any work environment. The space-saving light bar, because it fits on top of the monitor, easily clips onto monitors 22 inches and wider and freeing up valuable desk space. Powered via USB, the Quntis connects to any workstation setup and we can’t think of a reason why someone would be limited to using this. Connections can be made through a computer, docking station, or external power source. IT managers can appreciate the stepless dimming and adjustable color temperature range (3000K–6500K) , allowing users to fine-tune their workspace lighting from warm to cool tones, enhancing focus and productivity across various tasks.

Built with precision and durability in mind, the Quntis Monitor Light Bar features a high CRI95 LED rating , ensuring true-to-life color accuracy—critical for designers, developers, and content creators. With touch-sensitive controls the Quntis provides intuitive operation, while the power-off memory function retains previous settings, minimizing disruptions and maximizing user convenience. Tested through 10,000+ safety assessments and certified for anti-blue light and optical radiation safety , this monitor lamp is a long-term investment in workplace well-being.

For someone looking to improve office ergonomics, enhance employee efficiency, and reduce screen-related fatigue, the Quntis Monitor Light Bar is a great upgrade. Would also make for the perfect employee gift for a job well done. Its combination of smart functionality, premium build quality, and seamless adaptability makes it the perfect addition to any modern corporate workspace.

According to some online sales reports, the Quntis light bar is one of the most popular selling USB items for the past three months. Sources include Amazon and Google shopping.

About Quntis: A brand under SHENZHEN QIANHAI LIHERUISI KONGGU YOUXIANGONGSI, was established in 2016, focusing on the development and innovation of electronic accessories. The company’s product line includes earphones, audio speakers, and electric charging cables. Over the years, Quntis has expanded its offerings to include eye-care computer lamps and outdoor LED string lights, continually upgrading its products to provide better lighting solutions for consumers.

Trouble in paradise? Apple released a security update to fix an issue which may expose a security risk. The security risk stems from the USB protocol.

Apple isn’t sharing details about who is being targeted, no surprise there.

The vulnerability, known as CVE-2025-24200, could allow someone with physical access to an iPhone to turn off USB Restricted Mode, even if the device is locked.

USB Restricted Mode is the highest probability of having your device exposed to the security risk. The “restricted mode” is a security feature that stops unauthorized people from accessing an iPhone’s data through the lightning port. When this feature is on, the port only allows charging if the phone has been locked for more than an hour. This makes it harder for hackers to break into a locked phone without the correct login information.

The update is available for iPhone XS and newer models, as well as several iPad models, including iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (third generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (first generation and later), iPad Air (third generation and later), iPad (seventh generation and later), and iPad mini (fifth generation and later).

If you have one of these devices, please update your software as soon as possible. You can check for updates in your device settings.

These types of security flaws are often used by spyware companies, like Pegasus, to spy on specific people. The average user isn’t at risk right now since the details of the attack haven’t been shared publicly. However, if they do get published, criminals could copy the method, making updates even more important.

A cyberattack on a mobile device happens when hackers try to gain access to a smartphone or tablet to steal information, take control, or cause harm. These attacks can occur in different ways, including malicious apps, phishing scams, security flaws, or even physical access to the device.

Malware is one of the most common threats, where harmful software is installed to steal data, track activity, or take over the device. Phishing attacks trick users into providing personal information or login credentials through fake emails, messages, or websites.

Is there a tariff on USB flash drives coming from China – Yes!

UPDATE as of April 9, 2025

The trump administration has no imposed a 120% tariff on USB flash drives. This move was after China did a retaliatory tariff on US goods going into China at 84%. This is a “who will blink first” type situation. Unfortunately, no one is the winner.

UPDATE as of April 7, 2025

As of April 7th during trumps second term, the administration placed an additional 34% tariff on USB flash drives. Although the president does not have unilateral control over tariffs, it is possible Congress will bring a resolution to the floor and reverse or reduce these tariffs. Currently there are efforts for Congress to overturn or amend the tariffs placed on Canada, although no firm bill or law has been passed.

Three tariffs have been assigned to the USB flash drive category when importing product from China since 2020.

The first tariff was assigned during Trump’s first term in office at a rate of 7.5% percent which started February 2020.

The second tariff was assigned during Trump’s second term in office at a rate of 10% percent which started January 2025.

Because of this new tariff announced on “liberation day” (whatever that means) the total amount of tariffs charged to import flash drives from China into the United States is 51.5% on the cost of the product.

Is this bad? Mostly YES and a little no.

A big yes because any tariff assigned to a product during important is affectively a “tax” on the product. This is true for whether the item is being important from China or any other country.

A little “no” because the United States has a trade deficient in relationship to China. By instituting a tariff on imported goods, in theory, is supposed to encourage US suppliers to manufacture product in the United States.

Many economists argue about tariffs. Mostly that tariffs are harmful to the US economy because they increase costs for consumers and businesses while disrupting global trade. Many U.S. manufacturers rely on imported raw materials and components (such as semiconductors, steel, and electronic parts) to produce finished goods. Higher input costs make American businesses less competitive, potentially leading to job losses and slower economic growth.

Tariffs can also provoke retaliatory measures from trading partners, harming US exporters by making their goods more expensive and less competitive in foreign markets. While tariffs are often intended to encourage domestic manufacturing, they may not be effective in reshoring production. Many industries have deeply integrated global supply chains, making it difficult and expensive to shift production back to the US.

For example, there are no major players, such as Kingston, Western Digital, Nexcopy or Micron who manufacture USB flash drive memory inside the United States. These manufacturers use contract factories in China to produce the goods.

Even if these companies had manufacturing capabilities in the United States the NAND memory required to make the product would need to be imported from China. Since the NAND memory makes up 90% of the USB flash drive product cost, the advantage to move manufacturing to the US is not profitable. It is less expensive to have end-users foot the tariff bill, than to have manufacturers change their supply chain manufacturing strategy.

Tariffs are an old strategy for international business negotiations. The president who implemented these tariffs does not hold the “art of a deal” but rather, simple and elementary visions for how to negotiate trade deals. Tariffs have been used for centuries as a tool to protect domestic industries, generate government revenue, and influence trade relationships. The theory is, imposing tariffs to shield local businesses from foreign competition and ensure domestic industries could develop without being undercut by cheaper imports is no longer a working theory.

While tariffs remain a common negotiation tool, many economists argue that free trade agreements and international cooperation (such as those under the World Trade Organization) are more effective at fostering long-term economic growth. Instead of imposing tariffs, modern trade deals often focus on reducing barriers, increasing market access, and enforcing fair competition rules, which can lead to more sustainable and mutually beneficial trade relationships.

The above paragraph is a major short coming of the current administration (Trump 2025) and the inability to think at these higher levels and negotiate more detailed agreements will ultimately cost the American consumer hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

What can you do?

There is not much which can be done to avoid or circumvent the tariff imposed. For example, there is no manufacturer inside the United States producing USB drives. The cost to ship product from China to say Taiwan or Mexico and then ship into the US is more expensive than paying the tariff. Looking forward, the “option” any American has is understanding what a tariff is and how that impacts the bottom line for a company or business. Most importantly, to elect officials who are more in-line with consumer protection rather than exercising retaliatory political moves at the expense of American people.

A couple notes:

• There is no tariff for purchases which remain under $800 dollars
• For major manufactures, the $800 single shipment amount is pointless (see below)
• The Harmonization Code for USB Flash Memory is 8523.51.00.00

USB Flash Drive sales are estimated to be 5.47 Billion dollars for 2024. Let’s say the United States purchased only 1% of that amount, the $800 limit on single orders would still not allow manufacturers to “work the system” and avoid paying tariffs by making hundreds of mini shipping orders – there is too much volume coming into the United States to justify making thousands of small orders under $800. Plus, US Customs would certainly catch on to a scheme like that.

We focus so much on USB here at GetUSB.info that we often overlook other technologies such as portable browsers or new browsers. Today, and I’m sure we are much behind the 8Ball, we talked about What is ChromeOS Flex.

ChromeOS Flex is a lightweight, cloud-based operating system developed by Google, designed to be efficient and compatible with older Windows and Mac computers. ChromeOS Flex is free for everyone. It is different than a Chromebook operating system because the Chromebook OS is designed to work on Android. However; ChromeOS Flex is specifically designed to work with Windows and Mac computers only.

This free alternative is web based and provides a streamlined, secure, and manageable experience. Based on the cloud infrastructure of Google this makes it inviting for personal or corporate users to make the most of their older PCs without having to do hardware upgrades or updates. Web-based applications and cloud computing is very common these days, if not more common than standalone operating systems. ChromeOS Flex offers a modern solution tailored for users who primarily work within an internet-based environment.

One of the key advantages of ChromeOS Flex is its efficiency. Unlike traditional operating systems that can slow down over time due to software bloat, background processes, and frequent updates requiring manual intervention, ChromeOS Flex is designed to run smoothly on older hardware. It boots up quickly, typically within seconds, and operates with minimal system requirements, making it particularly useful for devices that have become sluggish over the years. Google is saying the computer OS can boot as quickly as six seconds. We like the sound of that. Because the OS is cloud-based, much of the processing is offloaded to the internet rather than being handled by the device itself and this is why ChromeOS Flex seems to be a great fit for older hardware.

Google is saying security is another big reason to use ChromeOS Flex. Google has built the operating system with a focus on protection against malware, ransomware, and other cyber threats. We still think Google is looking to glean information off your user habits and browsing habits, so although secure, we are sure there is some ancillary benefit Google is getting from offering up this free OS.

Unlike Windows and macOS, which often require third-party antivirus software to maintain security, ChromeOS Flex includes built-in security features such as sandboxing, verified boot, and automatic background updates that ensure the system is always running the latest, most secure version. Sandboxing isolates applications and processes so that even if a vulnerability is exploited, it does not affect the entire system. Verified boot further enhances security by checking for system integrity at startup, preventing any tampered or malicious software from loading. These features make ChromeOS Flex particularly appealing for businesses and educational institutions where data security is a top priority.