Disguise Your USB Flash Drive With Sawed-Off USB Cable
One aspect many people seem to forget about when thinking about securing their USB flash drives is Deception. In addition to securing your USB flash drive with passwords, encryption software, and fingerprint sensors ... you should first first disguise your USB drive. One cool way to do that is making it looks like a useless sawed-off USB cable.
Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories shows you how to create your own sawed-off USB flash drive. Those guys make it look so easy. I might actually try it in my spare time (if I can find any).
Last September I talked little bit about USB 3.0 coming soon in 2010. Engadget was able to spot USB 3.0 in CES 2008 and take few pictures of the new connector and compare it with the old USB 2.0 ...
"We just got a chance to check the connectors and compare with the old 2.0 standard (which the reps tell us is backward compatible, of course). With speeds of 4.8 Gbit/s (600 MB/s), and a powering system which intelligently cuts the juice when you're not using a device, we have a feeling you'll want. Too bad we all have to wait till 2010... the year we make contact... with USB 3.0", said Joshua Topolsky from Engadget.
SanDisk Introduces Handmade 18K Gold USB Necklaces At CES 2008
Philips has been making expensive Swarovski-encrusted accessories for women for a while now and we lately saw their new Active Crystal Collection at CES 2008 show. It looks like they have got a competitor now, with SanDisk showing their new prototype USB necklaces.
No word whether they are going to put them into production, but one thing is for sure that these USB necklaces look stunning. They are hand-made gold creations with Onyx centers on a gold chain. Pictured above boasts a 4GB hard drive with a tiny diamond entrenched in its handle. Anyway, the news in the air is that these beautiful USB necklaces will have 12GB of memory and obviously, a high price tag ;)
SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus: USB Drive with Online Backup
SanDisk announced yesterday Cruzer Titanium Plus, a USB flash drive that offers automatic online backup for every file copied to the drive, giving users true peace of mind. Cruzer Titanium Plus will be featured at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show from Jan. 7 to 10 in the Las Vegas.
The drive comes with six months of free online backup service. After quickly opening a personal password-protected online account, any files copied to the drive are automatically backed up online. If the computer isn’t online when files are copied to the drive, the backup will take place automatically the next time there is an Internet connection.
Cruzer Titanium Plus even helps protect the user against accidentally deleting important files. Files deleted from the drive can be easily recovered by signing into the online backup account. Files deleted from the drive will be kept online for 30 days, as long as the total of backed up files from the device and deleted files do not exceed available online backup capacity. Available online backup capacity matches the physical capacity of the drive.
The online backup service for Cruzer Titanium Plus is powered by BeInSync, a leader in data backup, synchronization, access and sharing. Storage for BeInSync online backup is provided by Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon.com.
The Cruzer, which retails for $59.99 and goes on sale in March, will come with four gigabytes of storage and provide six months of free online backup, After that period, a user pays $29.99 a year to continue the online storage service.
Online backup is an important resource for many computer users. Other online activities include games and even learning. Teach yourself more about free online learning at the Learning Haven, a resourceful site with a variety of articles on just about anything. World maps, arts and crafts and much more information is free to just about anyone willing to learn.
Converting a SATA HDD for USB 2.0 can be a chore, especially if you aren't a geek. Now take a look at this SATA HDD Stage Rack. Instead of a plain USB enclosure design, it treats your internal drive as a old-school Sega cartridge. This approach is by far the best I've seen compared to the numerous SATA to USB adapter cables.
There's a button in front for ejecting the drives, and a glowing blue ring that doubles a power switch. The $47 base will also accept 2.5" in addition to 3.5" internal. The designer puts some extra weight in the rack to avoid the drive from tipping over. This means you have to bear the extra shipping cost ($39.7 to UAE)...
USB 3.0 Coming Soon: Specs in 2008 & Release in 2010
The "SuperSpeed" USB Promotions Group was announced Tuesday at the Intel Developer Forum. The promotions group will get together with contributors over the next year to finalize a USB 3.0 spec that will, they hope, take care of our wired peripheral and syncing needs for another five years or more.
USB 3.0 is built upon, and is backwards-compatible with, the USB 2.0 "High Speed" spec. It would be generous to even call the specifications "early" at this stage, but the group still had lots of information about how USB 3.0 will work and what features it will provide. The spec should be finalized sometime in the middle of 2008, with initial devices available in '09, and broad deployment by 2010.
The main two goals of SuperSpeed USB are to provide a 10X boost in transfer rate (from 480-Mbits/s in USB 2.0 to 4.8 Gbits/s in USB 3.0), while dramatically lowering power consumption. One example of their speed goals is to transfer a 27GB HD movie to a portable device in 70 seconds. The same thing would take 15 minutes or more with HighSpeed USB (2.0). The SuperSpeed devices will use the same connectors and the same programming and device models as existing devices.
SuperSpeed USB (aka USB 3.0) still has a long way to go, but the development pace seems pretty rapid. The spec will probably be done, or nearly so, by the time Intel Development Forum rolls around next year, with initial device development underway. In two years' time, we might even have the first USB 3.0 devices on the market.
USB History
USB 0.7 Released in November 1994.
USB 0.8 Released in December 1994.
USB 0.9 Released in April 1995.
USB 0.99 Released in August 1995.
USB 1.0 Release Candidate: Released in November 1995.
USB 1.0 Released in January 1996. 1.5 Mbit/s (Low-Speed)
USB 1.1 Released in September 1998. 12 Mbit/s (Full-Speed)
USB 2.0 Released in April 2000. 480 Mbit/s (Hi-Speed)
USB 3.0 Specification to be released by Intel and its partners mid 2008. Initial devices available in 2009, and broad deployment by 2010. 4.8 Gbit/s (Super-Speed)
Kensington Auto Power Inverter with USB Power Port
Kensington announced yesterday 20 new products that will be available soon this month and among them is the Auto Power Inverter with USB Power Port. This inverter converts your vehicle power outlet (e.g. car cigarette lighter) into a 90 Watt wall outlet. It will power and charge Mac or PC notebooks and USB mobile devices simultaneously in your car. The Built-in USB power port lets you charge USB compatible devices. The auto power inverter has some safety features (over temperature, over current and short-circuit protection).
The Auto Power Inverter with USB Power Port is backed by the Kensington Limited Lifetime Warranty. The retail price is (US $39.99).
The new Kensington products will be available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Kensington.com starting on September 17, 2007, and at other major retailers in late September.
Irikon flash memory is the world's first flash memory implementing iris authentication and ensures that the confidential data in the flash memory is secured by the iris authentication process. No one other than the pre-registered user can access the data within the flash memory without taking the iris authentication process. Users do not need to recall passwords but simply gaze into the iris camera on the flash memory to activate.
The iris scanner draws its power from the USB port and can recognize an approved iris in 2 seconds or less, and the iris can be scanned from up to 6cm away. User can register for up to 20 Iris templates (256-bit iris template encryption). Available flash memory capacity : 1GB / 2GB / 4GB.
Irikon hard disk drive will be available in future, too.
I found this custom homemade USB Flash Drive highly unique and mouth-watering for any USB geek (like myself). That's what Slava Tyukalov had to say about Titan, his custom homemade USB Flash drive ...
"I found out the hard way that most USB flash drives are highly unreliable and breaks down easily due to its inferior plastic. I had a few flash drives and I would throw them in my bag all the time - before I knew it they would die at the most inappropriate times (usually about 6 months later). So I decided to build my USB flash drive to be Waterproof, Anti-Shock, Anti-Vibration and Anti-Static.
Don’t put your data at risk of permanent loss with a simple zap of static electricity. Others USB flash drives manufacture claims to be bulletproof and virtually indestructible. It may be able to withstand a crushing force of 2,000 pounds, but it no match for a simple jolt of household static electricity, which can fry your USB flash drive, causing to permanently lose all of your data.
Each USB flash drive is constructed from graphite/aluminum composite metal matrix (which is light but durable), traditionally been used by NASA and other space agencies. Coated with Titanium (which is corrosion, chemical and acid resistant proof in all naturally occurring environments)."
Only 100 units were put for sale and Titan is already sold out.
Microsoft & SanDisk To Replace U3 Smart Technology To Curry Personal Computing Environment
Microsoft and SanDisk announced they have signed an agreement to deliver a next-generation software and hardware solution to place application programs and personal customization on USB flash drives and flash memory cards, expanding on and replacing SanDisk’s existing U3™ Smart Technology.
Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will develop a new software experience and SanDisk will develop new hardware capabilities, including the addition of TrustedFlash™ security technology. SanDisk will incorporate the combined software and hardware solution on removable flash memory cards and Cruzer USB flash drives. The new offering is expected to be commercially available starting in the second half of 2008.
Effective immediately, Microsoft will engage in discussions with third-party hardware vendors interested in licensing the new software offering. A new entity will be created to license compatible hardware designs, TrustedFlash and other intellectual property from both Microsoft and SanDisk, with revenues to be shared by the two companies.
The new offering will be designed so that users can carry their personal computing environment – including a customized and familiar user interface, applications and data – on a flash storage device such as a USB flash drive or flash memory card. This computing environment will be accessible on Windows XP and Windows Vista-based computers with a USB port or flash card reader. Users will be free to work on public or shared computers without fear of leaving personal information behind, and with confidence that their personal information will be encrypted, kept safer from malware, and otherwise protected through security provisions enabled by TrustedFlash technology.
Take a good look at this picture. What do you see? This is just another weird USB design from SolidAllience. I think this would look nice next to your desktop. Just not let your kids chew them.
According to Akihabara News, each foodDish USB hub is 100% hand made.
RITEK had showcase the availability of its new range of USB Flash Drive Hub--Yego at CeBIT 2007.
RITEK USB Flash Drive Hub Yego is unique design includes two additional USB ports, which allows users to combine each USB drive into a USB HUB and add on more mobile devices. Users now have easy access to a virtually endless stream of data, photos, or music without having to download or continually change out devices.
To assure privacy and protection, the USB Flash Drives feature advanced partition and security functions that make it possible for users to create password-protected sectors for the storage of confidential material. A tie-style LED indicator shows usage status. The versatile drive has its own storage up to 4GB.
The SkyScout is a revolutionary handheld device that uses advanced GPS technology with point and click convenience. It can identify 6000 Stars, 1,500 Double & Variable Stars, all 88 constellations, over 100 deep space objects including Galaxies, Nebulae & Star Clusters. SkyScout has over 200 audio descriptions of the most popular celestial objects.
Identify: Simply point the SkyScout at any star in the sky and click the "target" button. The SkyScout will tell you what object you are looking at.
Locate: To locate a star or planet, select the object's name from the menu and follow the directional arrows through the viewfinder. SkyScout tells you when you are on target.
Learn: Once you have targeted an object the real fun begins. The SkyScout includes entertaining and educational audio and text information, including facts, trivia, history and mythology about our most popular celestial objects. A fun learning tool for all ages, the SkyScout personal planetarium™ puts the knowledge of an expert astronomer in the palm of your hand.
USB connection and SD memory card slot allow database to be updated with new objects like comets, spacecraft, additional lessons and Sky Tours. Celestron SkyScout is sold in Amazon for $399
Kingston DataTraveler Reader = Card Reader + USB Drive
Kingston announced March 8th, 2007 its new DataTraveler Reader, a USB 2.0 Flash memory drive that provides up to 4GB of Flash storage, and includes an onboard SD/MMC expansion slot for reading nine different Flash memory card formats, including the new Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) format.
Available in storage capacities of 1GB, 2GB and 4GB, the Kingston DataTraveler Reader is compatible with both Mac (OS 10.x or higher) and Windows (2000, XP and Vista) platforms. The new USB reader is compatible with SD, SDHC, miniSD, microSD, MMC, MMCplus, RS-MMC, MMCmobile and MMCmicro card formats.
When inserted into a computer's USB port, the DataTraveler Reader is assigned two drive letters (for example, G:\ and H:\). One drive letter is assigned to the Reader's internal storage while the other is designated for the expansion slot. Users can quickly and easily work with both drives to either transfer files to the computer or between the USB drive and the Flash memory card inside the DataTraveler Reader.
Suggested prices are as follows ...
Part Number Description MSRP (US only - subject to change) DTCR/1GB 1GB USB drive & card reader $19.99 DTCR/2GB 2GB USB drive & card reader $34.99 DTCR/4GB 4GB* USB drive & card reader TBD
All 80 years of The New Yorker magazine...in your pocket Perhaps the only thing better than holding a New Yorker magazine in your hands is being able to hold every New Yorker in your hands. Every Talk of the Town. Each Profile. The many Shouts and Murmurs, reviews, theater news. All those wonderful covers, in color. And every one of those beloved cartoons.
Now all 4,164 issues and 500,000+ pages of The New Yorker, from its February 21, 1925 debut to April 2006, are available on one pocket-sized, USB-powered portable hard drive that's about the size of a PDA. You can take this treasury wherever you take your laptop or use your desktop PC or Mac. Enjoy the fastest, easiest access there is to the complete archives of America's grande dame of literary magazines.
Find virtually anything you're looking for, in any issue, thanks to an indexing system that's simple but thorough. Browse by cover, by author or department, year or week. Use keywords to find everything written about baseball. Find John Updike's first story, then all the Updikes. Browse chronologically through the cartoons of Ed Koren and Charles Addams, laughing as you go. Look up the weeks that loved ones were born and print out the pages, ads and all, for an especially meaningful gift.
If you love the magazine or simply enjoy world-class writing and humor, why not have your own personal archive of the definitive New Yorker. And you don't even need to find a room to hold it-it comes in a handsome, compact presentation box.
I would love to see similar hard drives available for Arabic newspapers and magazines. Would you love that?
SnoopStick: Monitor Internet Activity of Your Wife, Kids, & Employees
Suppose you don't trust your wife and kids to spend time by themselves using the internet. Or suppose you're dying to know what your employees are doing spending hours surfing the internet. Here is the best way to spy monitor web activities of those who live with you and don't trust.
SnoopStick is a USB flash drive type device that allows you to monitor what your kids, employees, or anyone using your computer is doing while on the Internet. And, you can monitor them live, in real time, from anywhere in the world.
Simply plug the SnoopStick into the computer you want to monitor. Then run the setup program to install the SnoopStick monitoring components on the computer. The whole process takes less than 60 seconds.
The SnoopStick monitoring components are completely hidden, and there are no telltale signs that the computer is being monitored.
You can then unplug the SnoopStick and take it with you anywhere you go. No bigger than your thumb and less than 1/4" thick, you can carry it in your pocket, purse, or on your keychain.
Any time you want to see what web sites your kids or employees are visiting, who they are chatting with, and what they are chatting about, simply plug in your SnoopStick to any Windows based computer with an Internet connection and a USB port. SnoopStick will automatically connect to the target computer.
Monitor both sides of IM conversations in real time or tell SnoopStick to display recent activity. Check the sender and recipient of every email sent or received. You can even log the user off, disable internet access, set time restrictions or even turn the computer off. All using your SnoopStick from any computer.
There are no commands to remember, no passwords to remember, just plug it in.
USB Micro Drive for MicroSD (T-Flash) is a tiny card reader which direct read and write MicroSD/T-Flash memory card. It turns your flash card into a Pen Drive! This super mini Micro Drive goes with your mobile life. Probably, the world's smallest MicroSD reader!
If your office workstation is stinky and you are so lazy to clean it up, then I got the solution for you ... Aroma USB!
Aroma USB is a USB fragrance dispenser. It provides a pleasant fragrant when plugged into a computer. Aroma USB can also become an economical, effective promotional novelty for marketing campaigns, trade fairs, conferences, giveaways.
Aroma USB comes in different styles and colors. It can be custom-printed with logo. Perfume options are also available. No word on pricing or availability but it seems the manufacturer is looking for dealers.
