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.

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.

In 2015, Intel introduced the Compute Stick, or Computer Stick – a product that has been around ever since. The idea is simple and elegant: Intel wanted to create an HDMI dongle computer that could run Windows 10.

There is no confirmation, but our suspicion is that Intel aimed to provide an ultra-cheap and portable solution to run Windows for embedded applications like set-top boxes (DVRs) and other IoT (Internet of Things) products. If our assumption is correct, it’s a wonderful product and a great solution for its intended purpose.

PCWorld did a fantastic review of the Compute Stick back in 2016, and a link to that article is at the footer of this post. The PCWorld review outlined the specifications and performance levels of the Intel-based product. We’ll let that article do the heavy lifting for the tech people out there, but today we want to talk about the applications one might have for a computer stick.

For only around $120 on Amazon, this is an excellent solution to run Windows 10 for a host of specific applications.

Several quick talking points before we move to examples of usage out in the field:

This topic is brought up today because we hear some users have issues understanding this point. The partition size inside an image file does matter. The question we will answer today is why it matters, and why an image can fail even when the IMG file itself looks small.

Let us start off with two simplified overviews. First, all storage devices use a partition to define their characteristics. A storage device has a file system like FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS, and that file system has a defined size or digital capacity. These characteristics, along with a few others, are laid out in the partition table.

Second, an image file is the above partition with all its detail — the file system, defined capacity, along with all the actual files and folders on that partition — captured into a single file, typically an .img file.

For a non-technical person, let me use a puzzle as an example.

• The puzzle box is equivalent to the physical device.
• The plastic bag inside the puzzle box, holding all the pieces, is the image file.
• The print on the puzzle box indicating the number of pieces is the partition.
• The puzzle pieces inside the box are equivalent to the data.

At this point we know the image file (.img) is the bag that holds all the puzzle pieces and the data are the pieces themselves. So let’s address the core question: why does the partition size matter inside an image file?

Back to the puzzle box. The outside of the box lists how many pieces are inside. If the physical box size is, say, 8 by 11 inches, it’s logical that a 1,000-piece puzzle would fit. It’s also logical that a 20-piece puzzle would fit. But could a 5,000-piece puzzle fit inside that same box?

From those scenarios, one clearly doesn’t work. The box claims more pieces than the physical space can support. Partitions behave the same way.

Said another way, you cannot use a partition table size of 4GB and try to write that image to a USB stick that has only 1GB of physical storage. Even if the image file itself contains only 1GB of actual data, the declared partition size still must fit on the device.

Here is a real-world example: you can download this IMG file which is only 40MB in size. The IMG contains a 4GB partition. Write it to a 4GB (or larger) flash drive and it works. Try writing it to a 2GB drive and it will not.

What happens?

Windows is smart. All modern versions of Windows compare the partition table size against the available physical memory on the device. If Windows sees the partition claims more space than physically exists, it blocks access to the device and only allows formatting. Formatting rewrites the partition table to match the real capacity.

This behavior exists to prevent fraud. Older operating systems like Windows XP did not validate partition size versus physical memory, which allowed fake-capacity USB drives to be sold. Windows 7 and newer closed that loophole.

This same partition-size rule shows up frequently when creating bootable media. We’ve seen it come into play when users attempt to write boot images that fail silently or appear corrupted, such as when creating tools like the Ultimate Boot CD on a USB flash drive, where the target USB device must meet or exceed the image’s declared partition size.

If you found this article because an image file is not working when written to a USB flash drive, check the partition size inside the image against the physical capacity of the device. The easiest way to verify this is to mount the IMG file and check its properties. Keep in mind the default Windows mount option does not work for this; you need something like this.

How to Format a USB Flash Drive as UDF in Windows

When trying to format a flash drive in Windows (7 or 10), you will see the file system options best suited for the device. The proper file systems for a flash drive are: FAT, FAT32, or exFAT. Windows also provides NTFS as an option for USB flash drives, but as mentioned before, NTFS is not the best file system for a USB drive. During the format process, only the most compatible file systems will be displayed in Windows.

Why is UDF not listed as an option?

First, let me say it IS possible for Windows to format a USB flash drive as UDF (Universal Disk Format). Microsoft just doesn’t want you to do it—and with good reason.

Important: If you think formatting a flash drive as UDF will make the thumb drive appear as an optical drive in the computer, you are mistaken!

According to the Universal Disk Format (UDF) specification governed by the Optical Storage Technology Association, many believe UDF will make a device work like a disc. UDF is most widely used for DVDs and newer optical disc formats. While it can be used on flash drives, it does not make them function as optical drives.

Some may assume that formatting a USB flash drive as UDF makes it universally compatible across Windows, Mac, Linux, Symbian, and other proprietary systems. In reality, exFAT offers the same cross-platform compatibility without the drawbacks of UDF.

Why You Should Avoid Formatting USB Drives as UDF

Here are the main reasons not to use UDF on USB flash drives:

• Lack of fully functional filesystem check tools.
• 64GB limit with Windows & Linux (a bug, not an inherent UDF limit).
• Risk of quick wear-leveling failure on SD and USB mass storage devices.
• UDF is read-only on Windows XP.

The most important issue is the lack of filesystem check tools. If the USB is removed during operation and data corruption occurs, there are no tools available to diagnose or repair the UDF file system. Since flash drives are designed for portability and frequent quick access, this risk makes UDF a poor choice.

How to format a flash drive as UDF:

1. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and note its assigned drive letter.

2. Make sure no programs or data are accessing the drive.

3. Navigate to your C: drive in Windows Explorer. In the search field, type “CMD” (case-insensitive) and press Enter. Administrator privileges are required.

4. In the command prompt window, type the following command:

format G: /fs:UDF /q   (Replace G with your USB drive letter.)

The /fs parameter specifies the file system (UDF), and the /q parameter tells DISKPART to perform a quick format.

5. The OS will prompt you to insert the drive (it’s already inserted), press Enter.

6. Next, you’ll be prompted to enter a Volume name. Press Enter to leave it blank or type a custom name (e.g., “Nexcopy”).

DISKPART will process the command and notify you once formatting is complete.

7. Type exit to close the command prompt window.

Note: The /q command deletes the file table and root directory of the previously formatted flash drive but does not perform a full sector scan for bad areas. This highlights the problem mentioned earlier: UDF lacks robust filesystem check tools, making it a risky choice for USB flash drives.

Yes. Performing an erase or a "full format" shortens the life of the device. The erase function is also very slow. This matters more than most people realize because flash memory wear is cumulative and irreversible over time.

Here are some additional questions based on the answer above which we will address in today's post:

Is "erase" and "format" the same thing?

Erasing flash memory (a.k.a. setting all bits to 0, also called a "full format" by Windows) does more damage. Flash memory has a limited number of times that it can be written, and the more you write to it, the more it degrades. With an erase function, you're writing to the entire device.

With a format, all that's happening is changing a few bits at the front of the device to indicate the rest of the memory space on the flash drive is available to be overwritten. This preserves the life of the flash memory because the old data isn't being overwritten immediately—just flagged for reuse later. We've covered the broader implications of flash wear and longevity in more detail in our article on the life cycle of a USB flash drive.

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.

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.

My neighbor has a Model 3 with a wireless charging station built right into the center console. I didn’t realize this was an aftermarket purchase at first, which is why I wanted to review it here today. The brand my neighbor uses is the Taptes Generation 2 wireless charging station.

The Gen 2 model includes several improvements over the previous version. Starting with the basics, this version has a ridge line molded into the center of the charging platform. This allows a user to charge two phones vertically at the same time, each independently receiving power. The center ridge does not extend all the way to the bottom, so if you need to charge a phone in landscape mode, for example while viewing Google Maps, that is still possible.

The charging station also includes a USB-C port in the event a passenger has a phone that does not support wireless charging. This applies to both Android and Apple devices, making the setup flexible for mixed-device households.

My neighbor’s car is a 2019 Tesla Model 3, but this charging station supports Tesla center consoles from the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 model years. The black finish closely matches the Tesla interior trim, and as mentioned earlier, it does not look like an aftermarket add-on once installed.

The charging pad uses an anti-slip grip material so phones don’t slide around while driving. The wireless signal is strong enough to charge through most phone cases. However, if your phone has a magnetic disc or pop-socket attached, charging may not work reliably. This is typically due to increased distance from the charging coil or signal obstruction. The pad also includes two LED indicators to show when the charging station is active, while your phone confirms receipt of power. Two USB splitters are included so the charger can be powered from the Tesla USB ports while still allowing connections for accessories such as a dash camera.

• 1 × Wireless Charger / Pad (Gen 2)
• 1 × Manual
• 2 × USB Splitters

Today, more than ever before, individuals are working from home offices. A comfortable and productive environment is one of the main reasons so many love working from home. However, even with all the conveniences, sometimes the home office lacks the computer equipment needed to handle specific tasks. With many businesses now practicing social distancing, certain tools are still essential. Let us look at a unique product by Nexcopy, the home office USB duplicator.

Consider the niche requirement to make USB duplicates at home. For example, an IT manager might need to prepare bootable recovery sticks, or a software engineer might need to send program updates to remote sales teams. These professionals require a fast, simple, and economical device to do the job efficiently.

The compact USB flash drive duplicator from Nexcopy is the perfect solution for this need. Measuring just 15cm long and 10cm wide, it fits easily into any computer bag and is as light as a book.

The USB duplicator is a one-master to four-target copy station. It is a digital binary copier capable of duplicating any file system or structure provided by the master flash drive. Using a USB cable, the duplicator can power up to five USB flash drives, though it is not recommended for USB hard drives.

With this device, making duplicates in a home office is quick and easy. The unit has four menu buttons: Enter, Escape, Up, and Down. It operates with a single button press, making it ideal for non-technical users. The duplicator can be set for a standard binary copy or a copy-and-compare function, ensuring every duplicate is an exact match to the master for added peace of mind.

Key Features of the Nexcopy USB104SA:

• Asynchronous copy mode at all times
• Binary copier supports all formats: FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS, Ext2,3,4, Proprietary
• Binary CRC verification algorithm
• Quick Erase and Full Erase for data sanitization
• Four language modes on the LCD menu (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese)
• USB speed benchmark utility
• Firmware upgradeable for future updates

Is this mini-sized USB duplicator worth the investment for a home office? The easiest way to decide is to consider how much time it saves. The Nexcopy USB104SA can copy 1GB of data to each device in just over one minute. If an IT manager or developer had to manually load 12GB of data onto four drives using a PC, it would take about 12 minutes. The duplicator accomplishes this in a fraction of the time. Using the copy-and-compare mode adds some time, about 1.5 minutes per GB, but still remains extremely fast.

The Erase function is another valuable feature. Unlike a simple format, which only removes the file allocation table (directions to data), Erase overwrites memory blocks with random binary data, making data recovery impossible. Quick Erase scrubs portions of the drive, corrupting most data, while Full Erase writes random 0s and 1s to the entire NAND memory, ensuring complete and irreversible data removal.

The USB benchmark utility is a convenient tool for testing read and write speeds, especially with lower-quality promotional USB media, which can be unstable. A write speed below 4MB/s indicates poor quality memory. Speeds above 8MB/s for USB 2.0 or 20MB/s for USB 3.0 are considered good quality.

The duplicator uses CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check) for data verification. Learn more about this in our article on CRC vs Checksum verification for USB flash drives.

This Nexcopy duplicator is backward compatible with USB 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 flash drives and writes as fast as the connected device allows. For best performance, USB 3.0 media is recommended.

Source: GetUSB.info

Are you looking for an inexpensive iPhone cable? This is a common search on Google because those cables go missing, get taken by your kids or co-workers, or simply break. It’s as though we need an endless supply of them. I don’t recall the last cable I had that lasted more than four months. There is an article out there somewhere that claims for each iPhone made, the user will need at least three cables for charging it. The link to that article escapes me, but from personal experience, it feels accurate.

Typically, one cable lives in the car for charging while driving. One stays at work to charge while you’re at your desk (and yes, for a little TV-background noise {wink}). And one stays at home for overnight charging. That’s the baseline.

iPhone cables, or Lightning cables, are expensive. Go to Amazon and you’ll find a decent six-foot cable costing close to $20. Multiply that by three and you’re looking at a $60 expense just to keep your phone alive. No thanks. We want an inexpensive iPhone charging cable solution.

This cable problem actually gets worse, not better, and here’s why.

You also need microUSB cables to charge your portable battery packs. So now we’ve got three Lightning cables for the iPhone (work, car, home) and at least one microUSB cable to charge the power bank that keeps your phone alive when you’re away from all three. Portable batteries are non-negotiable these days. Kids’ baseball games can stretch to three hours. Softball tournaments stack games back-to-back. A round of golf runs 4.5 hours. The point is, we’re often away from power outlets longer than our phones can handle.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. We’ve been writing about USB charging standards and cable sprawl for years, including how USB slowly became the? standardized connection for charging phones and mobile devices in general (related article here).

So how do we solve the problem of finding an inexpensive iPhone charging cable? The answer is a combination of products. This setup charges your iPhone and your portable battery packs without buying multiple expensive Lightning cables.

On Amazon, you can find a pack of five microUSB cables for under $10. Be sure to check the length you want. It’s easy to save a dollar and accidentally buy cables that are too short to be useful.

The other item you need is a microUSB to Lightning adapter. These small adapters sit on the end of your microUSB connector and convert it into a Lightning connection for your iPhone. A four-pack can usually be found for under $10.

It’s important to note these adapters only supply power to your iPhone. They do not support data transfer. For most people, that’s a non-issue. When was the last time you plugged your iPhone into a computer to sync? Everything happens wirelessly now.

For about $20 total, you now have multiple Lightning charging options for your iPhone and multiple microUSB cables to charge your portable power packs. It’s a simple, flexible, and very inexpensive iPhone charging cable solution. Honestly, it’s hard to justify doing it any other way.

Given USB is everywhere, this gadget gives you the ability to control the on-and-off power of a USB-powered device. On paper, that sounds useful, especially as more accessories, lights, fans, and gadgets rely on USB for power instead of traditional wall adapters.

I think for most people, there is no real difference between a WiFi wall outlet and a WiFi USB adapter. The only meaningful distinction is when you want to control the power of a USB gadget that is being powered directly from your computer. In every other scenario, the power source is still a wall outlet, so a standard smart plug tends to be more flexible.

Can you plug in your Alexa via USB? No. Can you plug in your Google Home via USB? No. Can you plug in your lamps in the family room or living room via USB? No. Can you plug in your Bluetooth speaker to charge via USB? Yes, but who really cares about controlling the power to that? Can you plug in your phone via USB to charge it? Yes, but again, most people want it to charge to full capacity anyway. Oh wait, unless you are a super nerd, like these guys (read the comments section).

For the $6.50 that Sonoff is planning to charge, I’d personally put my money toward a more usable product, like the Smart Life WiFi outlets. They work with a wider range of household devices and don’t limit you to USB-only power scenarios.