This snowy cabin set is actually a USB storage solution in disguise

Many of us have computer accessories as well as toys on our desks, so why not just combine the two to save space.

Given how much we rely on digital files and artifacts today, it wouldn’t be surprising if we all had a USB thumb drive or external hard drive in our possession. Some might even have memory cards that travel to and from digital cameras to our computers. These devices either take up space on our desk or get lost in our drawers, mostly because they don’t seem to have a good home in our workspaces. This concept, however, tries to solve that by designing USB drives and hubs to be just as decorative as they are functional.

Designers: Yeseul Kim, Edo Kim, Yu Shan Huang

A winter cabin in the mountains is probably the last thing you’ll think of when trying to look for a metaphor for USB drives. That said, the designers of this cabin desktop set found connections in the way both are thought of as transient locations for people or for data. They’re also places where some people make and store memories, another allusion to data stored in these data storage solutions.

Whether you agree with that almost contrived explanation, it’s hard to argue that cabin is a rather creative way to blend utility and decoration in a fun way that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself. At first glance, the set looks like a white house with a red chimney set on top of a white plain. In truth, those three are also the three main parts of this deceptive computer accessory bundle.

The white box that serves as the base of the house is meant to be an external hard drive, with its ridges calling to mind white mountain tops in winter. The house is a USB hub with slots on the roof for data cards. That red chimney is actually the butt of a USB flash drive, though its size suggests it might have very little space for files inside.

The idea isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but it does raise the question of why very few manufacturers have dabbled in turning computer accessories into desk toys. The predominant minimalism trend in product design has flooded the market with nondescript and almost impersonal hubs and boxes. Perhaps it’s time for a change that will let people express their personality even through something as banal as a USB hub.

The post This snowy cabin set is actually a USB storage solution in disguise first appeared on Yanko Design.

Windows 10’s May update won’t work on PCs with USB storage or SD cards

Microsoft notified its users that the May Windows 10 update won't install on PCs using USB storage or SD cards. The company says it's blocking the installation on those PCs because "inappropriate drive reassignment" might occur and could impact both...

TouchID in your thumb-drive!

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USB have become a rarity nowadays, with how cheap and convenient cloud-storage and cloud-sharing is, but there’s a while before USB thumb drives go the way of the dodo, or the floppy, or the CD/DVD. Thumb drives are now primarily used for transferring files offline (sensitive documents, PDFs, work-files, images, etc)… usually confidential files that are safer off the internet than on, or files that are a little too heavy to transfer online.

Given that there’s still a large need to transfer sensitive files from one system to another, it makes sense that the Lexar JumpDrive F35 exists. With a built-in fingerprint scanner that can recognize as many as 10 fingerprints, the JumpDrive F35 is a rather effective way of making sure that your data is secure, and visible/accessible only to the intended subjects, thanks to its 256-bit AES encryption that works without any external or additional software.

Designer: Lexar

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One USB Drive to Rule Them All

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Gone are the days when you have to be so frustratingly delicate with your digital devices! Designed to be touched and shaken, this twist on the USB disk provides modern innovations that make file access quicker, safer, and easier than ever.

Only slightly larger than a traditional USB, the One-Step drive features an OLED touch-sensitive screen that performs a variety of tasks on its own. Users can scroll through and view/access the contents of the drive without first plugging it into a computer, give it a shake to view a slideshow of photos or documents, and lock or unlock with its integrated fingerprint scanner. Furthermore, users can highlight the document of choice on the OLED screen, plug into their computer or printer, and choose to save, upload, or print directly from the drive.

Designers: Xingxu Chen, Prof. Shaoping Guan & Jing Yang

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Just by shaking the USB disk, remaining memories can be easily retrieved, allowing users to enjoy the pleasure from such a new interaction.

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Its unconscious fingerprint identification process completes when the user inserts this USB disk into a device.

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The disk displays files stored recently in chronological order so that printing or transferring of files can be done directly on the OLED screen without operating the printer or computer.

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One-Step USB Disk is concisely designed. The classic stripes bring about a cool, minimal aesthetic and provide a non-slip grip. The whole design focusses on users’ demands while closely combining form and function to provide a new and interesting interactive experience.

HAL 9000 USB Drive: Open the Drive Bay Doors, HAL

We’re big fans of 2001: A Space Odyssey around here. There isn’t nearly enough 2001 merch available for fans, so when we see something nifty, we’ve gotta post it. This sweet Hal 9000 USB Drive helps to rectify that situation.

Kubrick’s dystopian masterpiece is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever and one of the most influential films in history. Many of the film’s predictions have come to pass in the 50 years since it first hit movie screens, most specifically talking computers that don’t do what you ask them to.

The limited-edition HAL Mini USB drive from Master Replicas Group is a great way to show your love for the murderous computer from the movie. The drive looks just like the face of the HAL 9000 computer from the second act of the film. The red lens that represents HAL’s camera eye lights up on the USB stick, so that is already pretty eerie. I’m really hoping that this USB drive doesn’t go insane like the original HAL. It might just deny you access to your own computer.

“Let me in HAL!”

“I can’t do that, Dave.”

Let’s just hope that this drive is sane. It’s definitely worth buying, but watch it closely. Very closely. I’ll just use it for show. No way am I plugging this thing into my own computer.

This Flash Drive Self-Destructs After Killing Your Computer

Even when they deliver malicious software, most USB drives don’t explode afterward, thank God. They just quietly sit there, having done their job. But a hacker who goes by “MG” on Medium has detailed a recent project where he created a Mission Impossible-style flash drive that does blow up after ruining your computer. Yes, this thing will ignite and explode after it delivers the goods. Or the bads in this case. It will mess up your day.

MG details most of the build, but not all of it. He’s not telling how he triggers and blows up the device. Those details are highly secretive. We can tell you that this build involves stuffing an Arduino-compatible ATtiny85 chip and other electronics into the housing of a USB flash drive. This creates a “USB Rubber Ducky” that can deliver keystroke commands and malicious code because the computer thinks it’s a normal keyboard when plugged in.

Very sneaky. You sunk my battleship! Also my computer. It’s probably for the best that MG doesn’t show us how to blow the thing up. I mean, humans are eating Tide Pods right now, so it’s not like they can be trusted even with household goods, let alone dangerous explodey USB drives.

[via Hackaday via Gizmodo]

Meet Beyond Ink Pen, the Ultimate Writing Tool

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If you’ve always been waiting to use a writing tool that also acts as a stylus, storage drive and power bank for your iPhone, then the wait is over as the Beyond Ink pen is here and can accomplish all of those tasks and more.

Writing tools couldn’t have served a single function until the end of time, especially since they have so much potential and there are so many different aspects that can be integrated in them. Beyond Ink, the pen in question, is not only a Jack of all trades, but also a master of all, since it accomplishes many different functions better than if you’d use multiple devices with a single purpose.

First and foremost, the Beyond Ink pen can be used as a regular writing tool, so you can scribble anything you want on paper or similar materials. However, the pen’s functionality extends way beyond that, as it was created as a solution to several problems faced by engineers, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals. During their meet-up, they realized that they all had different needs when it came to jotting down concepts. Some of them were recording ideas on iPads and laptops, while others were big fans of pen and paper. Using storage and the need to record or exchange ideas as a common denominator, they proceeded to inventing a device that plays all of these roles, and that’s exactly how the Beyond Ink Pen was born.

There are plenty of writing tools that double as styluses, so this is definitely not the greatest selling point of this device. However, this is a welcome feature, as you’ll find plenty of moments when a stylus offers better precision than your fingers.

The Beyond Ink pen also acts as a USB drive, being capable of storing up to 16GB of data. That’s more than enough for storing documents and projects, so don’t hesitate to use it as a storage device.

On top of this all, the Beyond Ink pen also packs a 1,000mAh Panasonic battery that easily turns it into a power bank. All you need to do is connect the pen to your iPhone using the Lightning connector (a microUSB version is also available for Android/Windows Phone/Blackberry users). The capacity may not sound like much, it’s enough for 5 hours of talk time, so it could really save your life in emergency situations.

Not at last, it should be mentioned that the Beyond Ink pen is also incredibly durable, since it’s made out of high-quality stainless steel and brass, materials that not only make it very sturdy, but also provide the impression of luxury.

Typically retailing for $70, the Beyond Ink pen can be purchased within the 5 days from Walyou Deals for $49. A 30% discount shouldn’t be neglected, considering the versatility of this little gadget. All sales are final and the product is shipped for free to continental US addresses.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Axis VIDIUS FPV-camera drone, or the Arduino step-by-step complete guide.

Dogs Trained to Sniff out Storage Devices: Scentsitive Data

The security dog training firm Tactical Detection K9 has an unorthodox and cute way to find all the thumb drives and microSD cards you’ve misplaced. The company recently started training dogs that can find storage devices by scent.

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Speaking with IB Times, Tactical Detection K9 said it had scientists isolate “a common by-product” that is present in storage devices such as hard drives, SD cards and even iPads. The dogs are then trained to recognize the scent of that substance, a process that could take 8 months to a year.

Bear, one of Tactical Detection K9’s electronic detection dogs, has helped law enforcement officers in five investigations, including the recent search of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle’s residence. Fox 59 got to see a demo of Bear’s abilities:

Tactical Detection K9 is selling Bear and his buddies for $9,000 (USD), which includes training the dog’s new handler. On second thought, my 16GB flash drive can be in Mars for all I care.

[via IB Times & Fox 59 via Get USB]

Card Catalog USB Drive: Dewey Digital System

Have your kids even been in a library? It seems that kids these days just don’t read anything but texts and status updates. So this Card Catalog USB Drive probably doesn’t make any sense to them.

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See, in the old days instead of going to Amazon or the iBooks store, you had to go to the library to gets books. To find said books, you had to look through a card catalog like this one. Don’t ask me to explain the Dewey decimal system. Same-day shipping depended on if it was checked out already. This 8GB USB drive pays homage to that experience.

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It’s the perfect place to store your ebooks. In fact, you can get it loaded with 11 books from Unshelved when you buy it.

[via Nerd Approved]