Cool Tricks Your USB Can Do

A USB (Universal Serial Bus) drive is a storage device pretty much like a floppy disk, however it is more durable, reliable and can house as much data as 256GB. Some net books barely hold that much. Because it is a universal port it can be used for different types of systems not just exclusive to computers. It can be connected to DVD players, gaming consoles and even LCD televisions. If you have a USB drive that you are not using, think twice before tossing it out, there are nifty tricks that your USB can do besides being able to store files.

Bring along your software – more than just storing files, you can bring along programs that you often use. USB drives can also be used to run your programs by using PortableApps. It is a repository of open source programs that you can use in place of the programs installed in your home or office computer. All you need to do is download the PortableApps installer from their website and choose which programs to carry along such as browsers, Open Office and other portable multimedia programs. Using a browser installed on your USB is also useful for incognito browsing, where it does not leave traces of the sites that you visited on a computer you are using. This is quite useful when you are accessing secure sites, like your internet banking site on somebody else’s computer Run the installer software and install it on your USB drive and it will automatically open in any computer you stick your thumb drive into.

Go Cryptic – encrypting sensitive data on your USB is very important in case of loss. Having hardware encryption can be quite costly but there is still an effective way to encrypt your files by using a free program called TrueCrypt or other similar program. In order to open your files you need admin access to the computer you are using. This can limit the functionality but still keeps your data safe.

PC security – There are several programs you can install on a USB to use it as a PC lock and key. Rohos and WiKiD is just a couple of examples of authentication software that you can use to lock and unlock your PC or laptop via a USB.

Bring a portable jukebox – aside from carrying your music files your USB can also run Winamp and other music players that you can get from PortableApps. Of course this functionality can easily be replaced by an iPod or portable player, but having a jukebox the size of your thumb is still a cool thing, isn’t it?!

Cry for home – since a USB is very small, its quite easy to misplace, however with a program called Cry For Home, your thumb drive can cry for home and let the person who found it know where to give it back. There is a program called “Help! I’m Lost!” made by the Daily Cup of Tech, where message that come in a form of pop-up or text file automatically runs, you can tailor fit a message to the “finder” letting them know where they can return it and what reward they will get aside from your gratitude. If you do not want to give out your address or phone number, you can use StuffBak a site where you can put a corporate grade label with a serial ID on your thumb drive, this can be used to have the finder to email you and returned your USB. Of course this is all assuming that the person who found your USB does not believe in “finder’s keepers”.

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