Did You Know?

There are many different versions of USB, from USB 1.0 to USB 3.2. Each one has a different port from A to C, which means they’re not always cross compatible with all of your devices.

  • USBs
  • USB devices
  • USB sticks
  • Flash sticks
  • Thumb drives
  • Flash memory
  • Flash memory sticks
  • Jump drives
  • Keychain drives
  • Pen drives
  • Memory units
  • Memory sticks
  • Data drives
  • Hard drives

These phrases are interchangeable and all refer to the same storage device. Keep in mind, “external hard drives” refer to storage devices that are similar to flash drives, but are typically larger and have more data space.

Technology

Technology

You work with computers all day, so it only makes sense to back up your content on a USB drive. Print your tech company’s logo on the front, and you can then use these flash drives as trade show giveaways or to promote new product launches.

Education

Education

Whether they’re for fundraisers, orientation night, or recruiting new students, your school can get a ton of use from promotional flash drives. Look for USBs that come in your school colors, and be sure to keep extras in the bookstore for your students to purchase.

Photographers

Photographers

The best flash drives for photographers have a high capacity. There should be enough gigabytes of storage for thousands of photos, so it’s easier to sift through all of the images in one spot.

Art & Design

Art & Design

Many artists use stylus pens and tablets to create their masterpieces. If that sounds like you, save your portfolio and work on USB flash drives. Flash drives come in handy for animators, graphic designers, comic book illustrators, and any other artist that relies on technology.

Finance

Finance

Advisors, bankers, analysts, accountants, and anyone else who works with money should keep digital records of receipts and transactions. Back these up on flash drives, and your clients will feel better knowing that you’re always double checking your numbers.

Music

Music

CDs and vinyl records are long gone, and most musicians are uploading their songs to Spotify or Soundcloud. For that reason, they need USB flash drives to save files and recordings. It could even be used as a portfolio while booking gigs or reaching out to record companies.

Law Firms

Law Firms

If you’re a lawyer, you want your clients to think of you as serious and organized. Skip the cheap plastic flash drives and instead invest in aluminum USB drives. You can have all of your client information ready to go as you travel from courtroom to courtroom.

Real Estate

Real Estate

Do you advertise on billboards and park benches? Try something new by printing your contact information on custom flash drives. They’re affordable housewarming gifts for clients and can also be used for digital copies of closing documents, loans, and other information.

Travel & Tourism

Travel & Tourism

Your clients want to have the vacation of their dreams, so make it happen by loading all the need-to-know info on flash drives. This should include: hotel reservations, airline tickets, rental cars, and a list of cool tourist attractions and tasty restaurants to try on their trip.

Writing & Publishing

Writing & Publishing

There’s nothing like holding a good book in your hands, but let’s face it, many people prefer to read ebooks. If you work in publishing, embrace the power of flash drives! They’re not only good for clients, but also make editing manuscripts way easier. You can even ask your writers to use them to submit query letters and their first few chapters.

Healthcare

Healthcare

Doctors and nurses have to stay on top of the latest healthcare news. Just look at the COVID-19 pandemic where new information was coming in every day. Be on the top of the game and use USB drives to store training manuals, guidelines, and regulations. They might even be useful for patients when it comes to bloodwork or x-rays.

Word Docs & Excel Sheets

Word Docs & Excel Sheets

College students take note – you should always have your essays backed up on a USB drive. The same goes for accountants or data analysts who keep their numbers in a spreadsheet. You don’t want to lose your work, and you also want a good way to access it later.

Photos

Photos

Can you imagine losing all of your vacation photos, or the pictures from your wedding? Back up your most precious memories by keeping them stored on a flash drive. You can then print the pictures out and make a scrapbook or photo album!

Personal Information

Personal Information

Credit card statements, tax returns, credit scores, and even digital copies of your passport can be saved on a thumb drive. This keeps your important information easy to access when you need it, which will make your life easier for everything from creating a budget to traveling.

Music

Music

All you need is Windows Media Player and a good pair of headphones, and you can use your flash drive to play music. Save the playlists you listen to the most, whether it’s the one you use while working out or the one you blast when going out with friends.

Movies

Movies

Depending on the storage space, you may be able to fit a few movies on your flash drive. This is handy when you’re in an area with spotty Wi-Fi connection like a campground or in the mountains. You can either download movies directly from streaming sites like Netflix or copy a DVD.

Games

Games

While you can’t download any video game to a flash drive, you do have access to certain portable titles like “Minecraft.” You can also use it to play classics like solitaire and chess. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are even able to support flash drives.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks

Copy your favorite audiobooks from your computer to a flash drive so you can listen to them anywhere! This is great way to save your phone battery while you’re on vacation.

Podcasts

Podcasts

Just like you can transfer audiobooks, you can also put your podcasts on a flash drive. Download them first, and you can move those files over to your USB for listening on another computer.

Apps

Apps

A person spends nearly 90% of their mobile internet time in apps. Your programs can be downloaded and stored on a flash drive by using a site like portableapps.com. Boom – you now have access to your favorite apps on your laptop!

Website URLs

Website URLs

Do you have all your Google information saved when you use the internet? Bring your home screen on the go by running Chrome on other computers. You just need to install Google Chrome Portable, and you can put your personal web browser on a flash drive.

Virus Removers

Virus Removers

Clean up your computer with a little help from a USB drive! You can purchase a portable scanner, like Anvi Rescue Disc or Clamwin, store it on your flash drive, and use it to remove any pesky viruses on your PC.


Did You Know?

With help from a website called Predator, you can use a flash drive to lock and unlock your PC. You’ll be the only one with access to your computer, which is great for extra security!

In order to save your information, flash drives use an electrical signaling power source known as a transistor semiconductor. This includes:

  1. Source
  2. Floating gate
  3. Control gate
  4. Drain

How Does a USB Flash Drive Work?

Source: The source is the channel between the circuit board and the device that the USB is plugged into. The data moves through this channel via an electrical charge and is then “pushed” through the floating gate.

Floating Gate: The floating gate is where all of the data is gathered.

Control Gate: The control gate prevents the data from traveling back to the source.

Drain: Any excess energy is forced to the drain, which then pushes the energy through the rest of the device to keep it powered.


This sounds pretty complicated, but it’s really cut and dry. Your data is stored within the flash drive, and thanks to the power of technology, you can access it whenever you want!

Did You Know?

A Japanese engineer for Toshiba named Fujio Masuoka invented flash memory in the 80’s. He presented the invention for the first time at the Integrated Electronics Devices Meeting in California.

Step One

Step One

Plug the flash drive into your device’s USB port or hub.

Step Two

Step Two

Find and open the flash drive. It’s usually easy to find as it will pop right up after you plug it into the device. If not, look in “My Computer” for a drive labeled “Removable Disk,” “Flash Drive,” or the USB manufacturer’s name.

Step Three

Step Three

Copy and paste any files that you want saved on the flash drive. You can also drag them over by holding down the mouse.

Step Four

Step Four

Right click on the flash drive and select “disconnect” or “eject.” This helps ensure your files aren’t corrupted.

Follow these steps to ensure you’re using your flash drive properly. This will extend its life and prevent you from losing any important information.


Did You Know?

Try to avoid editing files on your flash drive. This will extend the shelf life of your USB.


Portable

Portable

If you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, a flash drive can be a real lifesaver. It’s lightweight, small, and can fit in your bag or pocket. You’ll be happy to not carry around a bulky laptop or a bunch of loose papers, whether it be your dissertation or the first draft of your novel.

Affordable

Affordable

You can find flash drives as cheap as $5 each, making them a very budget-friendly way to back up your data. The higher the storage space, the more money the USB will cost, but it’s usually very reasonably priced.

Easy to Use

Easy to Use

Even if you’re not a tech whiz, you can still easily use a USB. All you have to do is plug it into your device, copy and paste the files, and eject before disconnecting. If only all gadgets were this simple and user-friendly!

Fast

Fast

Who has time to sit there and wait for their files to transfer? USB flash drives work lightning fast with a data speed that’s sometimes as quick as 4.8 gigabytes per second.

Widely Compatible

Widely Compatible

You can typically use a USB on laptops, tablets, phones, cameras, and other media players. As long as the device has a compatible port, you’re good to go!


The Bottom Line

As long as you don’t accidentally forget your flash drive in a computer lab, you can expect to use it time and time again! It’s a gadget that you’ll be happy to have when you need it, especially if you’re a hard-working student or do a lot of traveling. So get out of the Cloud and come back to Earth with a handy USB!

References

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Frank, A. (2020, July 27). NAND vs NOR Flash: Types of Flash Memory. Retrieved from,
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LeCount, R. (2019, December 12). How Does a Flash Drive Work and What’s Inside It? Retrieved from,
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