Creative USB

A voice authenticating USB drive

Pauline Hand — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:52:02 +0000

Hey there Siri, it’s me Voicelok. You don’t know me but I’m thinking we could be soul mates. You see, I’m a voice-authenticating USB flash drive and you, well, everybody knows who you are. At least they ought to by now. Unlike other USB flash drives or thumb drives, I have built-in voice recognition software. I am actually known as the only USB storage device whose contents are under voice activated password protection. I can be helpful without requiring the standard types of software installation. Owners need to simply find the nearest USB port and speak their password to authenticate. What’s that you say, laryngitis? Ah, what if the user has laryngitis? Well, as I was saying, I’m no ordinary USB drive, there’s an override for that. And by the way, I am PC and MAC compatible. I know, I know. For now, being a humble USB device I am not as fabulous as you, but I’m getting there. And well, you and me together – could be a match made in – science?

Google Chrome as a portable app

Pauline Hand — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:37:30 +0000

Another of the many reasons to love USB flash drives is that you can also install Google Chrome on them for ultimate portability. With the release of Google Chrome Portable (or actually, Google Chrome Portable 17.0.963.83 Stable), fans of Chrome can make any computer their own with a USB drive. As with all portable apps, it’s simply a matter of plugging in your USB flash drive, downloading, installing and voila – you’re ready to roll. Long before its official release Google Chrome Portable was already being downloaded by those in the know. For users who believe that launching Chrome from their USB drives is slower than in other situations, there could be several reasons for these problems. None of them are inherent in the portable app or the USB drive. One reason could be due to the specific computer into which the flash drive is connected. Some USB ports are slower than others. It could also be a problem with the specific flash drive, so the idea is to get one with the speed and capacity to match your preferences. Of course, Google Chrome Portable isn’t just for USB flash drives, it can be used with any portable device.

Snakes on a plane on USB drives

Pauline Hand — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Recently the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport was among three airports debuting vending machines that dispense movies that can be downloaded to a USB flash drive. Once in flight, a customer would simply plug the drive into a USB port on a Windows PC to view the movie. At a glance the idea seems to eliminate the need for finding reliable Wi-Fi at the airport to download movies, but it’s not that simple. First of all, users need a Wi-Fi connection to authorize their USB drives before being able to download a movie or television show from the kiosks. On the upside, they only have to do it once for each device. Also, the movies are not available in HD and the service is currently only compatible with Windows computers, although Mac and Android versions are promised. Still, for someone with a USB 3.0 drive, a movie can be downloaded in about 25 seconds. Users can also download several movies depending on the capacity of their USB drives – a movie averages 1.8GB. Detractors believe that the process of downloading movies onto USB drives is a hassle that users will reject. At the same time, the movies on flash drives are a convenient option for air travelers.

Software update on a USB drive

Pauline Hand — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:20:21 +0000

Last week owners of 2011 and 2012 Ford vehicles received a software update. Perhaps this is the next trend in car updates, as the software arrived on USB flash drives which were mailed out to owners. In order to perform the system update, owners will simply plug the thumb drives into their USB ports. The process of upgrading the software from the USB drive takes about an hour. Instead of using the thumb drives, owners also have the option of taking their cars to the dealers who also received the USB drives. We imagine that if the software works as planned, it should be a cinch for customers to perform the update from the USB drive.

The software being upgraded with the flash drives is for the MyFordTouch, the vehicles “infotainment” system. Vehicles with built-in navigation systems will also receive updated maps. These are being shipped on SD cards. The software update simplifies the screen layout for customers. It also speeds up response times when changing radio stations or adjusting temperature controls. Of course car radios have already included USB drives for storing and playing music. Meanwhile, automakers such as Mercede Benz have long used key shaped USB drives to distribute promotional materials.

A better USB survival tool

Pauline Hand — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Some time ago Victorinox, the Swiss Army Knife people, in recognition that the USB flash drive is practically a survival tool, added a USB flash drive to their famous, portable multi-tool set. But that was then. Now it’s a new day for Victorinox as they launch an even better USB drive. Well actually, they launched drives at CES 2011. One of these is the Victorinox SSD which offers a terabyte of storage capacity, enough to hold 220 million pages of text or almost two years worth of uninterrupted music. The other product is the Victorinox Slim, a USB drive with faster read/write speeds and enough bells and whistles to keep data secure and portable. And in recognition of today’s world, the Victorinox SSD has separate housing for flight-friendly or regular use of its implement. The flight-friendly version is a knife-free body, all the better to get through airport security. We can’t wait to see what they’re planning next.

Many USB drives in one

Pauline Hand — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:43:25 +0000

Do you prefer to keep all of your files on a single large USB drive? Or are you the type to carry around several devices, each with its own set of relevant files. In the first case, losing the USB drive means a lot of data lost – though you should have also backed it up to the cloud or an external hard drive or somewhere else. In any case, the loss is not necessarily so great if you lose a USB drive with only a few files – unless of course, those were the most critical files. Well, you get the idea. But now brains are storming around with the idea that you could have one large USB drives that has several detachable parts, each one able to function as an individual USB drive. Got that? In any case, it is an intriguing concept where you’ll be able to detach parts of a USB drive as needed. But since it’s only a concept, you can’t really use it just yet. This is why you’ll probably want to partition your drives with software instead.

This USB drive is a computer

Pauline Hand — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:22:45 +0000

Computing with a USB type device is now easier than ever thanks to the latest merger of USB connectivity with dual-core computing along the lines of the Samsung Galaxy tablet. Who would have guessed? The recently released technology is called “Cotton Candy,” due to its incredible lightness of being. It has a USB connector on one end and an HDMI jack on the other. In between it’s a 1.2 GHz computer complete with a MicroSD slot. Developers of the USB device call it “any screen computing.” Any laptop, TV set or phone can essentially be turned into a computer terminal once the USB device is connected to it. And it can deliver 1080p video. The Cotton Candy runs on the Android operating system. FXI Technologies, the Norwegian company behind the device says with this device, it has turned computing upside down, delivering the power of a PC to any screen. Okay, so when you actually give this some thought, you realize it’s not really a USB drive in the traditional sense of the word, but hey, it’s still a pretty cool thing. And we like that.

The Bible on a USB drive

Pauline Hand — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:36:53 +0000

In the beginning the Word was probably written in stone or on scrolls or both until Gutenberg came along with moveable type and produced the Bible as the first printed book in 1455. Now the Bible is more portable than ever thanks to a coded version that can be loaded on to a USB flash drive. Download it for free and put it on your own USB drive or make a donation to the people who programmed the more than 20,000 lines of code and they will send you a preloaded USB drive with the Bible. Among the best features of the digital version of the Bible is the ability to quickly search for verses or topics of interest. Whether on a USB drive or on CD or other drives, you can also customize the display text among other things such as cross referencing and highlighting. Whether you’re interested in the preloaded USB Bible or downloading it onto your personalized USB drive, go to www.theword.net for more details.

Poker Chip USB drive giveaways are a big win at charity poker events

Visual Thinker — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:12:56 +0000

Order Poker Chip USB Drives for your next Charitable Event

Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that there are more than 60 million poker players in the United States, and more than 100 million worldwide? Poker tournaments have gone mainstream- they’re on television, and have a huge following. Charity poker is even bigger than traditional charity golf, billiards or tennis events.

Charity poker tournaments are such a fun and rewarding way to donate to a worthy cause. There are so many charitable foundations, organizations and poker rooms that need your support and helping out with a game of poker is a great way to help. They’re a great idea to build awareness for your brand and goodwill simultaneously.

When you plan your next event be sure to also order Poker Chip USB drives with your promotional information pre-loaded on them. We can pre-load videos, audio, presentations, digital flyers, software, applications and nearly any digital data. Ordering them couldn’t be easier and we’re standing by to lend you a hand at CreativeUSB.com.

Check out this upcoming Chairtable Poker Event

The Bicycle Casino is proud to support Fallen Heroes USA by hosting the February 19, 2012 ”For the Families” Celebrity Charity No Limit Hold’em Poker Tournament. Our Event Center doors will open at 1:30 p.m. and our popular 5-star lunch buffet will be served at 2:00 p.m., with the shuffle-up and deal at 3:00 p.m. The tournament buy-in will be a $80.00 donation (plus a $20 entry fee) with $20.00 unlimited re-buys the first 90 minutes. In addition to individual entry, sponsored tables are also availabe for $600.00 and seat 10 people.

George Kozel, The Celebrity Poker Host, has rounded up the following celebrities who will be supporting the families of the fallen and be on hand to take pictures, sign autopraphs and mingle with their fans: David Arquette, Lou Diamond Phillips, Corey Feldman, Shannon Elizabeth,Samantha Phillips, Storage Wars’ Jarrod Schultz & Brandi Passante, Greg Evigan, Lorenzo Lamas, C. Thomas Howell, Tony Denison, Adrian Paul, Billy Burke, Carl Weathers, James Kyson, Omarosa,Rex Linn, Tom Malloy, Mimi Rogers, Benito Martinez, Brian Ronalds, Dean Ronalds, Bill Fabergakke, Martin Klebba, Lee Arenberg, Vince Lozano, and Joseph Reitman. In addition, Kozel promises that the following celebrity poker players will be showing off their skills: Men the Master, David Oppenheim, Jeff Madsen, and John Phan.

In the past, Fallen Heroes USA celebrity poker tournaments have been filled with a mixed bag of celebrities, poker enthusiasts, peace officers, fire fighters, and regular Joe’s who just want to give back to the families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our communities. The events have always been light-hearted and a great time has been enjoyed by all!

Word processing on a USB drive

Pauline Hand — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:02:06 +0000

If you’re among the multitude of USB flash drive fans, you’re a fan of portability. Among the most useful portable apps out there in the apposphere is AbiWord Portable. This portable version of the open source AbiWord word processing software is ready travel the world in your pocket on a USB drive. Place it on a USB flash drive or other portable media and you’ll be able to use it on any computer without leaving digital footprints behind. Fans of AbiWord compare it favorably to other widely used brands of word processing software. It has grammar and spell checker along with mail merge and an assortment of handy formatting options. From bullets to lists to tables, images and endnotes, you never need to feel deprived of a professional looking document while using AbiWord Portable. And for you polyglots and hyper-polyglots, AbiWord is compatible with other languages – 30 language dictionaries and counting. But if you only use one language, you can remove the others and save space on your USB drive. As with all other portable apps, when you’re done processing your words, close down the application and wait for the signal to safely remove your USB drive.