How To: Correctly Format a USB Flash Drive in exFAT

Cyrus July 14, 2016 USB News, USB Tutorials

Whether you’re formatting an internal drive, external drive, or USB flash drive, Windows makes it possible to choose between NTFS and exFAT formats. In this guide, we’ll go over the simple steps to formatting a USB drive and which format is best for certain situations.

exFAT is a file system optimized specifically for flash drives. Introduced in 2006, it’s designed to be a lightweight file system like FAT32 without the extra features of NTFS and without the FAT32 limitations. exFAT has very large file size and partition size limits so files larger than 4GB a piece can be stored on a flash drive formatted with exFAT. It makes very few unnecessary writes, and stores files throughout the drive in order to maximize the lifespan and speed up transfers.

An “Eyedropper” Tool For the Physical World

Cyrus July 5, 2016 USB News

When designing print for screens, visual inspiration can strike at any moment. Colors, font sizes, and typefaces come in infinite combinations and varieties but rarely can a single person view one such sample and know what they’re looking at – much less save it for later use. This is exactly what the working prototypes of Spector are tackling and it’s looking to become one the most useful tools for online design.

Spector captures typefaces and colors in the real world and then transfers them directly to your computer. Described by Fiona O’Leary, Spector’s creator, as “an eyedropper for the physical world”, many think of it as Shazam for colors and fonts. To use it, place Spector over a piece of media and depress the button on top. A camera inside will photograph the sample and an algorithm translates the image into information about the shapes and color values of the typeface. Spector beams that information to a database which IDs the sample and if your computer is nearby, a custom plugin will port the information to InDesign.

Nexcopy Adds Standalone microSD Duplicators

Cyrus June 27, 2016 Nexcopy Inc., Press Releases

Summary:
Nexcopy Adds Standalone microSD Duplicators With microSD Card Sanitization Features

Press Release:
LAKE FOREST, CA – CALIFORNIA, ORANGE COUNTY, June 22, 2016 – Nexcopy Inc., a leading manufacturer and developer of flash memory duplicators, introduces two new standalone microSD Duplicator models to Nexcopy’s line of flash memory duplicators and sanitizers. The 1-15 and 1-31 target systems offer unparalleled copy speeds to Secure Digital media with additional functions for device sanitization.

The duplicators function primarily as binary copiers with a variety of built-in features including:

• Bit by Bit Copying
• Benchmarking and Speed Test
• Pre-Scan Memory Features
• Speeds up to 1GB per minute
• Multiple Speed Copy Modes
• Control Equipment with Boot Password
• Set Language to: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese

The microSD duplicators operate as stand-alone devices where a host computer is not required to perform the bit-by-bit duplication or the binary sanitization processes. The simple one-button operation of these advanced duplicators is ideal for IT departments, fulfillment houses, flash memory manufacturers, businesses, software developers, and government agencies. For data professionals or businesses distributing data to employees or customers, a duplicator with this balance of speed and reliability can become an integral tool for daily activities.

Additionally, these new standalone microSD duplicators by Nexcopy can sanitize multiple devices simultaneously, saving IT professionals valuable time in flash memory management. Core functions of these new systems include the binary copy process used in the popular Nexcopy USB duplicator systems. Binary copy modes include the ability to copy bootable microSD media, FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, and any other file format system, proprietary or public.

“Pivoting from our core binary copy firmware, Nexcopy expands our technology to include sanitization features now being sought by IT professionals,” says Greg Morris, Nexcopy Inc. President. “It is important for Nexcopy to listen to the requests of our customers and act upon them to bring the best product to market.”

This release further reinforces Nexcopy’s commitment to innovation, as emphasized by Greg Morris in a recent interview:

“From a single USB duplicator in my garage to a full line of duplication and protection solutions, Nexcopy has always been about solving real-world problems with real hardware.”

You can read the full article here: Interview with Greg Morris – Flash Duplication Pioneer

Official Site Link

There are two stand-alone microSD duplicator models:
Part Number: mSD 115SA – 1-15 target microSD duplicator and sanitizer, 110–220V
Part Number: mSD 131SA – 1-31 target microSD duplicator and sanitizer, 110–220V

Product Images:
https://www.nexcopy.com/downloads/msd115sa.jpg
https://www.nexcopy.com/downloads/msd131sa.jpg

Availability: Nexcopy’s complete line of USB Duplicators, CF Duplicators, SD Duplicators, and microSD Duplicators are available through a worldwide network of authorized resellers.
Cyrus Riahi
Nexcopy
1 949 481 6478
Email Us Here

USBCopier Releases More Options For Their Custom USB Drives

Cyrus June 9, 2016 USB News

Summary:
USBCopier Releases More Options For Their Custom USB Drives To Personify Any Company’s Logo Or Mascot In USB Form.

 

Press Release:
LAKE FOREST, CA – CALIFORNIA, ORANGE COUNTY, June 6, 2016 – USBCopier, manufacturer of the most customizable USBs in the industry, has expanded their available selections to include human-shaped USB drives in any fashion imaginable. In addition to the endless possibilities and designs conceived by clients and brought to life by USBCopier, personalization has now expanded to mascots, avatars, or even a detailed rendition of a particular individual.

 

 

Consisting either of elastomers such as silicone, or low malleability plastics, the new generation of personified flash memory will stay unblemished and unbroken to act as a long-lasting reminder of any business’s commitment to quality. Cyrus Riahi, Marketing Manager for USBCopier states, “The new line of USB people makes branding a product or service incredibly easy. For any instance of data load distribution, not only will it always be simple for the receiver to identify and remember a company’s USB, but it’s unique and fun both in personal and professional use.”

3 Reasons Why Gamers Will Love The New ASUS Laptop

Cyrus June 2, 2016 USB News

ASUS has just unveiled the next iteration of their GX series gaming laptops and it is everything a gamer could ask for. Here are the top three reasons why the GX800 is the laptop of choice in the gaming world.

Faster Than RAM With The Price Tag Of Flash

Cyrus May 25, 2016 USB News

Earlier this month, tech giant IBM announced a more efficient way to use phase-change memory. This new method is a breakthrough with the potential to transition electronic devices from standard RAM and flash to the much faster and more reliable phase-change memory, or PCM. Phase-change memory is a type of non-volatile optical storage that manipulates the behavior of chalcogenide glass, the same method of data storage on rewriteable Blue-ray disks. Electric current applied to the PCM cells enables a binary modification from amorphous to crystalline structure which is the equivalent of a 0 or a 1 for the purpose of memory storage.

In the past, PCM’s limited capacity and high cost have been barriers to its widespread use but the recent discovery by IBM researchers was a way to triple the storage amount per cell. By operating the cells at high temperatures and studying the cells’ reactions, 3 bits were able to be stored per cell instead of 1. Haris Pozidis, an IBM manager of non-volatile memory research writes, ” The jump is significant because at this density, the cost of PCM will be significantly less than DRAM and closer to flash.”

This Simple iPad Stand For Beds Will Make Extended Use A Breeze

Cyrus July 8, 2016 USB News

Even considering the growth rate of recent technology, iPads and tablets are an impressive feat of functionality and compact usability. As a business tool, a substitute for your computer, or another way to binge-watch netflix, an iPad has countless uses and new apps are being created every day to increase its usability. Companies such as Moe Bull corporation however, have taken a more physical approach to usability instead of virtual and the newest Moe Bull iPad stand for bed is the perfect buy for any extended use of an iPad device.

Made of solid wood without any moving parts that similar and less stable products pride themselves on, the patent pending Moe Bull Stand is a unique and simple product which enables tablet use in a whole new range of locations. The tip resistant design leans the device towards the viewer when laying down on a bed or couch. This makes watching videos or reading an ebook an incredibly comfortable experience.

This Dog-Bot Is Amazing and Terrifying

Cyrus June 30, 2016 USB News

At the forefront of robotic innovations, Boston dynamics has revealed their newest design and it’s looking like a very futuristic representation of your family pet. The best part? SpotMini looks like it can replace your housecleaner as well.

Weighing in at 55 pounds, SpotMini has done away with hydraulics and pumps to rely exclusively on electric motors for movement. On a full charge, an estimated 90 minutes of activity can be expected. With a full suite of sensors, the robot can both navigate and manipulate its environment. This includes fetching a paper, opening doors, and walking down stairs and functionality testing is getting increasingly complex every day. To augment this, SpotMini can be taught or guided by its human companions to perform countless tasks for even more uses which will vary from household to household.

Does China Now Have The Most Powerful Computer On The Planet?

Cyrus June 20, 2016 USB News

Installed this week at the National Supercomputing Center in Wuxi, Sunway TaihuLight easily breaks its way into the top 10 of the international Top500 list for computing systems. More impressive however, is the margin by which it beats the #2 spot(also in China) to be the most powerful computing system in the world. With over 10.5 million locally-made processing cores and 40,960 nodes Sunway TaihuLight is capable of 93 petaflops which is a term most people do not and should not ever need in their lives. Counting up trillions upon trillions is required to put that figure into perspective and it means 93 quadrillion floating-point operations per second (FLOPS). In other words… lots.

Main applications for the system for now include advanced manufacturing, weather forecasting, and big data analytics but we’ve seen computers less powerful being applied to genome mapping and heavily extensive theoretical physics equations. Software for a computer with multiple cores can be difficult to write but software to take advantage of 10 million would be almost as much effort as building the system itself depending on the goal functionality. For the nerdy out there, the Sunway TaihuLight is an extremely high-spec Grand Prix racing car. Fantastic for races in a circuit, but not something any one person would ever need in order to drive to work.

Bose’s Most Immersive Noise-Cancelling Headset

Cyrus June 7, 2016 USB News

As one of the largest audio hardware providers, Bose has become synonymous with quality and consistency. Speakers and music systems are some of their most popular items but the QuietComfort 35 headphones are the active noise cancelling headphones that many users have been waiting for.

At $350, it is a small price bump compared to the previous QuietComfort 25 model which puts it closer to the Beats’ Studio wireless cost. Like the previous model, the QC 35 is lightweight, comfortable, and immersive according to user reviews. With microphones inside and outside the earcups, Bose says the QC35 senses, measures, and sends unwanted sounds to two digital electronic chips, one for each ear, that respond with a precise, equal and opposite signal in a fraction of a millisecond. Also equipped with a brand new equalizing system, the QC35 can balance sound at any supported volume.

New App To Check The Safety Of USB Type-C Cables

Cyrus May 27, 2016 USB News

As we mentioned in our previous post about Amazon cracking down on sellers of unsafe USBs, it’s now evident that many USB Type-C cables are just plain dangerous. With incredible utility does indeed come great responsibility but manufacturers and resellers have not been prioritizing manageable temps and safe power transfers in efforts to maximize data speeds. Fortunately, USBCheck has a solution to put testing for cable integrity directly into the user’s hands.

USBCheck checks current draw when a compatible device is connected to a PC USB port and will tell you if the current draw is following appropriate USB specs and recommendations. While it’s not 100% accurate to keep up with all the devices out there, it gives a strict value which a user can then check against manufacturer power specs.

NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1080 Demolishes the Idea of Small, Incremental, Hardware Updates

Cyrus May 18, 2016 USB News

As computer hardware becomes cheaper and more powerful, leaps such such as NVIDIA’s new GeForce GTX 1080 are why it has never been a better time to be a PC gamer. The rise of virtual reality and the growing 4K trend makes the power and efficiency of the GTX 1080 heavily desirable. Not only that, but with a $599 price tag and claims by NVIDIA of faster speeds than the $1000 Titan X, the GTX 1080 is an incredible value for the most powerful graphics card on the market.

Running at over 1600 MHz and with 8GB of Micron’s new DDR5X RAM, it’s a massive megahertz bump which will hopefully spur other manufacturers to do the same and mirror the performance increases of modern day CPUs. By comparison, last year’s 980 Ti card came in at 1000MHz with 6GB of standard DDR5. Most of the GTX 1080’s performance upgrade can be accredited to NVIDIA’s new Pascal architecture making its consumer hardware debut in this card. The big benefit with Pascal is its 16nm FinFET transistor technology, allowing NVIDIA cards utilizing the new style to reach higher clock speeds as well as make their cards much more power efficient.