Never Forget Your USB With USB Guard
In a mad rush, I’ve logged off my computer, shut down the PC and ran out the door. All the while with my USB stick still connected. The USB stick with all my photo’s, portable applications and the exe file I promised to give my neighbor. Getting home, I reach for my flash drive in pocket, and oh Sh1t it isn’t there.
Or some of you may be using USB’s to boot from so there is boot strap code on the device. If the USB is connected during bootup of your PC, you can get an error message…and for a non-tech person [wife or girlfriend] they may think their computer has crashed.
The only way around all this stuff is making sure to pull the USB out of your computer.
With USB Guard this is exactly what it does, reminds you a USB flashdrive is connected before you log off, or power down the PC.
You can also flag USB hard drives so they too are never forgotten.
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Imation Acquires IronKey Hardware Security Solution
IronKey has long been known as the ultimate in data storage and security for content loaded on a flash drive. With hardware encryption, self destruct safety protocols for incorrect passwords and AES 256 data encryption it’s no wonder those who need the ultimate in data security go to IronKey. Well no longer says Imation.
Under the agreement, Imation will receive exclusive license rights from IronKey for the secure storage management software and service along with licensing to use the IronKey brand for its secure storage products.
While Imation is bringing the IronKey brand to a global distribution channel, IronKey will accelerate their focus on cloud-based security tools and features. IronKey will support
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Bootable Windows 8 Off USB
Microsoft is looking to make their OS more portable. With Windows 8, one of the features the Redmond, Washington company is introducing is a bootable OS off USB. True, we’ve seen both Windows and Linux distributions bootable off a flash drive before, but what makes this different is 1) it’s legal and 2) officially supported. This is a smart move to keep Microsoft positioned as a strong option as virtual desktop and thin client systems continue to rise in popularity.
Many power users already run virtual laptops off USB flash drives, enabling them to work on a single consistent environment at both home and work without fussing with a laptop or briefcase. An official bootable Windows 8 USB version should cement this concept and help Microsoft move towards more secure OS options comparable to VPMs.
With an official version of bootable Windows OS on USB, IT managers could now use a Nexcopy USB Duplicator to mass-produce their installation and/or restore media in a much faster time frame than using an old-school optical duplicator.
An additional caveat of the portable Windows system is the speed of the environment. Granted, there is nothing like running off a hard disk, but running off NAND flash will be almost as smooth… and with memory performance getting better with USB 3.0 flash drives, it will soon become virtually the same experience.
Video of Bootable Windows 8 running on a MacBook Pro via USB after the jump:
Source: EverythingUSB
Bootable USB Drive Articles on GetUSB.info
GetUSB.info has published several articles and tutorials related to bootable USB drives, covering setup guides, troubleshooting tips, and reviews of popular utilities. Below is an overview of their most useful content.
Bootable USB Guides on GetUSB.info
- Ultimate Boot CD from a USB Pen Drive: A tutorial explaining how to make the Ultimate Boot CD boot from a USB flash drive by formatting, extracting, and using Syslinux to make it bootable.
- How To: Check if My USB Flash Drive is Bootable: A step?by?step walkthrough using Windows tools to verify whether a USB is configured with boot?code/MBR.
- Make USB Flash Drive Bootable in Anything: A review of using Ventoy, an open?source tool for making a USB drive bootable with ISO, IMG, VHD, and EFI files, supporting multi?boot and persistence options.
Other Related Articles
- Review of Rufus Utility: Explains how Rufus writes bootable ISO files to USB and clarifies common misunderstandings.
- USB Boot Troubleshooting: Tutorials about BIOS boot order issues, clearing boot code from USB drives, and proper formatting steps.
Summary Table of Bootable USB Articles
| Topic | Published On | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Boot Ultimate Boot CD from USB | 2006 | Hands-on guide using Syslinux and ISO extraction to create a bootable USB version of the Ultimate Boot CD. |
| Check if USB is Bootable | July 2020 | Methods using Windows Disk Management to verify MBR/boot code on a USB drive. |
| Make USB Bootable Using Ventoy | 2022 | Multi?boot support, handles ISO/IMG/VHD/EFI files, no need to reformat for new images. |
| Review of Rufus Utility | 2021 | Explains how Rufus writes bootable code and compares it with other tools for ISO installation. |
| USB Boot Troubleshooting | 2021–2022 | Guides for BIOS issues, clearing bootstrap code, and proper bootable USB formatting methods. |
For more tutorials, reviews, and troubleshooting guides on creating and using bootable USB drives, visit GetUSB.info.
USB Light Back For TV or Monitor
I think we can agree that “USB light back” is not a common tech term among the geeks out there. What I mean is a LED system powered by USB which provide background lighting to your TV or monitor. USB light back takes your TV one step further by supply complimentary tones and colors to what is currently being displayed on your TV. Gives you a theater effect. The only way to fully understand, is to watch: A quote from the creator:The software analyzes the image on your monitor and transfers its data by USB to the Lightpack board. This board lights the surface behind a monitor, TV or laptop by means of RGB LEDs of the corresponding colors. The effect reminds us of the illumination of Phillips Ambilight TVs most of all.The lightpack is available for all via Google Code download link. For the more advanced, but an very effective tool to enhance your TV experience. Continue Reading
Skinny Jeans 2TB USB Flash Drive
Transcend and Taiwan’s ITRI are doing a joint venture design on an ultra slim 2TB USB flashdrive. The “Thin Card” was shown at the Display Taiwan convention. Not sure why the release was at a flat screen convention, but I guess a moot point.
Nothing official from either company in regards to specs or a simple introduction, nor does the high-capacity USB 3.0 stick appear on Display Taiwan’s trade show website. So adding this all up, it could be nothing more then a USB case and a trade show hottie giving out false information.
If you watch the video [here] you can hear the girl say things like “this could be a 2TB drive” well no sh!t I could pull out any sized drive and claim it “could be 2TB” and follow up with a release date of March 2015.
However, lets keep a positive attitude about this and hope a 2TB drive isn’t too far off.
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USB-IF Releases USB 3.0 OTG Specification
The USB Implimentors Forum announced the availability of the USB On-The-GO [OTG] specification for embedded USB host controller applications where a PC is not required.
The supplement ensures that mobile devices such as phones or cameras are able to use a SuperSpeed USB link in both USB host and USB peripheral roles through a single receptacle. OTG and Embedded Host Devices requiring fast synchronization or streaming of rich data will benefit from this feature.
The USB OTG 3.0 and Embedded Host supplement offers power saving features equivalent to those available in USB OTG 2.0, enabling the adoption of SuperSpeed USB in mobile devices. Additionally, USB OTG 3.0 provides backward compatibility with USB OTG 2.0.
To learn more about the specification,
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Windows 8 To Offer USB 3.0 Stack
One of the main goals for Windows 8 with respect to peripheral support, is the robust support for USB devices. From the first 1.1 standard, the high speed 2.0 standard and the newest addition of SuperSpeed USB 3.0.
Microsoft expects to see all new PCs have a USB 3.0 port by 2015…but I think we’ll see USB 3.0 in all PCs before the end of 2013. Microsoft also forecasts a number of 2 billion USB 3.0 devices to ship in 2015 as well.
Microsoft’s game plan is keeping their current USB stack for 1.1 and 2.0 devices as it’s proven and stable, while incorporating a new USB stack for 3.0 devices.
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New USB Power Specification – Dreamy
Cell phone standards ditched the AC/DC adapter about a year ago and it’ll be a requirement all cell phones power only via USB. Now it looks like we could do the same for computers. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group introduced a new specification to offer up to 100watts of power over a USB 3.0 cable. How convenient would that be!
Lets ditch the AC/DC power block with most laptops and just plug into one of those USB wall mount power stations. Or recharge your laptop directly off your tower PC. Or easily power an unlimited number of USB devices via your USB laptop USB 3.0 port.
This means more and more peripherals will be powered via USB and not require the extra power adapter. This ultimately mean less cost and less hassle for the average computer user.
“Building on the rapidly increasing industry momentum for using USB bus power to charge a broad range of mobile devices, the new USB Power Delivery specification extends USB’s cable power delivery capabilities beyond simple battery charging,” said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman, in a statement. “For example, charging the battery of a notebook PC, or simply powering that notebook PC while actively using the USB data connection, would be possible. Conceivably, a notebook PC could rely solely on a USB connection for its source of power.”The preliminary spec indicated power is bi-directional and therefore no need to switch or swap the USB cable. The new specification would be compatible with Continue Reading
USB Drive As Luggage Tag
Several years ago the concept of a 2GB luggage tag would be out of the questions. A 2GB drive was about $15 and for that reason, most everyone would consider it too expensive.
Today however, with a 2GB flash drive less than $5.00 it makes plenty of sense to use a flash drive to store your contact information via USB. Sure, you still write your name, address and phone number on the label above, but you can now include additional information. Travel itinerary, medical information and 2nd contact information.
Now, if you want the luggage tag looking USB with label area, it will cost you the full price of $30, but I’d rather take an old USB or a new $5.00 and create my own. Wouldn’t be that hard with some creative material like duct tape.
Continue ReadingPorsche Inspired LaCie USB 3.0 Hard Drive
Just looking at the picture, wouldn’t it be a shame if the Porsche-inspired USB hard drive from LaCie got a scratch on it? Not many tech products are designed after household names like Porsche, but it seems LaCie is making a good business out of it.
The exclusive design is available in 500GB and 1TB sizes, with an even more exclusive 750GB version only available at Porsche stores. Wouldn’t that be odd: “Honey, I’m going down to the Porsche dealership to pick up a hard drive to expand the TiVo box.” But after she saw the hard drive, I’m sure she would understand.
So when you can find a 500GB USB hard drive for about $80, why bother? Drop another $20 and get the LaCie Porsche version. Now that is money well spent.
For the tech folks, it’s USB 3.0, so you get great transfer rates. For the Uber-Geek, forget about Thunderbolt — the spec had just come out at the time, and I’m sure it took Porsche at least six months just to approve the design. So stop getting theoretical on me about why it should be Thunderbolt and get some perspective.
For those who ended up buying a bulk lot of the LaCie drives (image-conscious marketing companies come to mind), may I suggest a USB hard drive copier like the one from Nexcopy to make data loading a quick task?
Source: LaCie News.
DIY: Wallet With USB Pocket
Not everyone keeps their flash drive on a key-chain or in their pocket. For many, using a ultra slim USB flashdrive and sticking it into your wallet is your form of portability. For those who do this, read on for a good DIY to insure the stick doesn’t get lost.
First off, if you are using something like the Kingmax Super Stick, the drive is so small you’re more likely to lose it pulling keys out of your pocket then forgetting in the computer USB port. For this reason, the USB wallet is a DIY project to stitch the drive into your wallet.
You’ll need:
- wallet
- tiny USB flash drive
- piece of Velcro
- thread, needle and a thimble
In short, you’re going to use the lanyard loop of the stick and some thread to stitch it a piece of Velcro which is then put into the wallet. This design allows the drive to be some-what permanent, yet you can pull it out completely when needed.
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