Gadget Centre has once again pulled through with an excellent review. The Terratec USB Surround Sound Headmaster is one high-tech, well built, hard core headphone system.
…held together by a unsightly looping support which wouldn’t look out of place in a medieval dungeon, it’s a good job the Headset Master is for your PC: if you took it outside people would go out of their way to point and laugh at you.
Chris Russell points out that although they are a little heavy, they are well built and designed for the hard core gamer who’d appreciate every tweak of sound during an all intense Counter-Strike tourney.
Continue ReadingBy default, most use IE for their web browser and those wanting a little more switch to Firefox. You’ve also got a portion of that browser pie who love Opera. Recently Opera-USB become available for U3 flash drives. Opera is a portable browser, email system, contacts database and download client.
As with Mac/PC Opera there are a host of internet surfing tools available for this portable application. If you’re on the fence here are a couple safe harbor statements:
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I’m a little skeptical about the USB optical finger mouse. The potential is there, but I see some issues with the strap working loose and thus becoming more of a nuisances then asset. None the less, the optical finger mouse is worth a closer look.
So the USB finger mouse straps to your index finger via Velcro, then use your thumb to push two levers up or down for scrolling. There is a rotary navigation dial as well, and I’m guess you depress the dial for
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What is the Life Cycle of a USB Flash Drive is a question which has been around for a long time. There are many factors which contribute to the longevity of a flash drive. Let us consider the following:
There are three main components which affect the life cycle of a USB flash drive.
Flash drives use three primary types of flash memory. There is SLC, MLC and TLC memory wafers (NAND memory). SLC is Single Layer Cell memory. MLC is Multi Layer Cell memory. TLC is Triple Layer Cell memory. GetUSB.info did an in-depth write-up about SLC and MLC flash memory if you’re interested, but for this article we have:
Most UFDs use MLC memory because it’s cheaper to make and allows manufacturers to offer more storage in a smaller space. It’s difficult to figure out which type of memory a UFD has, but it doesn’t matter anyway – most flash drives are more limited by other factors.
As of this article update of January 2022, most USB 2.0 product is made of MLC NAND memory because MLC is the least expensive being manufactured at this time. TLC memory is the most common memory type for USB 3.0 product because TLC is the least expensive which also satisfies the large storage capacities of USB 3.0 product. SLC memory is very difficult to source, very expensive, and not found in most flash drive products.
The second component which makes up the life cycle of a USB flash drive is how it’s made. Yes, the PCB (printed circuit board) matters. So do the components used on the device and the soldering quality. Collectively, these elements are absolutely crucial to the performance and longevity of a flash drive. For example, the USB specification states that, at a minimum, a four-layer PCB is required to make a USB device to specification; however, 95% of USB flash drives use a two-layer PCB. Two-layer PCBs are much less expensive to make and thus keep the unit price lower, but this is not a good strategy if the ultimate goal is performance and longevity. Companies like Nexcopy manufacture a four-layer product which results in better performance, more reliability, and longer lifespan.
Last, we must consider the physical connector of a USB flash drive and how the device is used throughout its life cycle. This is the actual socket which connects the UFD to the host computer. Doing some research, most USB Type-A socket manufacturers provide a specification called Mating Durability. The spec is around 1,500 connections. WOW, that sure limits the life cycle, but I doubt many would connect the UFD to a host over 1,500 times.
Finally, the chassis or case helps the USB life cycle. The chassis helps the UFD look cool, but also provides a small amount of protection against wear and tear. UFDs are exposed to all sorts of shock. Whether it be physical shock or electric shock, it’s important to treat your UFD with care. True, there are some indestructible flash drives out there, but the point here is try not to let external factors instantly destroy your drive. The best method for shock protection is A) don’t drop, slam or smash your UFD and B) keep the cap on so the connectors don’t rub or touch another object which could create electric shock.
So, to sum everything up: Given you don’t physically ruin your drive, you have about 1,500 connections and about 10,000 write cycles before you can expect the USB flash drive life cycle to become questionable.
