May
2006
Tidbits - USB Drive Special Edition
- Make your flash drive easily returnable
- Portable browser and email for your USB drive
- Antivirus and antispyware for your thumb drive
- Adieu
Make your flash drive easily returnable
Many of us are now using those wonderful little portable devices called flash drives (a.k.a. USB drives, memory sticks, thumb drives, etc.). They are a great way to carry files with you, without taking up a lot of room in your briefcase or purse and are relatively trouble-free to use.
But what happens if you lose your flash drive? How would anyone be able to tell who it belongs to? Here's a tip from a reader of Ask MetaFilter: "First thing I do with a new USB stick (or Flash memory card of any kind) is rename the drive to my mobile phone number, and create a text file with my contact information called REWARD IF FOUND.TXT." What a great idea! And easy to do. Another reader does something similar, but less high tech: "I put mine on a split ring with a small address tag."
For more ideas on how to make your flash drive easily returnable if lost, along with other tips on using a USB drive, go to Ask MetaFilter's What is on your USB memory stick?
Portable browser and email for your USB drive
If you're always on the go but still want to check your email and browse online, portable Firefox and Thunderbird are just the ticket. They allow you to run the software right off of your USB drive attached to any computer, and they don't leave any personal information behind on the machine you connect through. It's a great way to bring along your address book and bookmarks, too!
If you're curious and want to give them a try, download the software from the pages below:
Antivirus and antispyware for your thumb drive
If you use your thumb drive to connect to a variety of computers not necessarily under your control, you can be risking having your drive infected by a virus or spyware. WorldStart.com Computer Tips has some good information about how you can protect your portable drive with some free software. Check out their article, "Flash Drive Protection - thumb drive antivirus antispyware," for more information.
Adieu
Farewell until next time from the library system where all the computers are fast, all the books are worth reading, and all the librarians are above average!
This issue of Tidbits was written by Beth Carpenter, Web Services Manager for the Outagamie Waupaca Library System. Please send any comments or questions about this issue to Beth.
Supporting public libraries in Outagamie and Waupaca counties