Articles about USB

Security polices for USB devices are frequently outdated and inadequate, and enterprises are often failing to monitor their use, according to a new survey.

The study by encrypted drive specialist Apricorn reveals that while nine out of 10 employees rely on USB devices today, only 20 percent of them are using encryption on those devices. Eight out of 10 employees use non-encrypted USBs, such as those received for free at conferences, trade events or business meetings.

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While some people spend their days working at the same location, for many others, their office can be anywhere. It is not uncommon to see people laboring away on a laptop while in their cars, coffee shops, or in a field sitting under a tree.

Unfortunately, this often means working with only one display -- having multiple monitors can be a huge boon for productivity. With that said, there are portable monitors on the market that offer a multi-screen experience when on the go. Today, AOC unveils a beautiful new lightweight (1.81 pounds) 16-inch (technically 15.6) variant that connects via USB-C for both power and video.

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Microsoft has officially launched the much awaited Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. The latest release brings lots of exciting new features and improvements that make the operating system much more powerful and refined. And, naturally, many of you will want to create a bootable USB drive to perform a clean install of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Creating a bootable Windows 10 Fall Creators Update USB drive is very easy. All that you need is a USB drive, a Windows 10 Fall Creators Update ISO, a Windows device, and a couple of minutes to spare.

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When I bought my MacBook Pro last year, I knew I would end up buying some dongles. Since the laptop only has USB-C ports, I would need adapters to complete some tasks. If I want to use a traditional USB-A flash drive, for instance, I need a dongle. What if I need to plug into Ethernet? Yep, another dongle.

Truth be told, I very rarely connect to Ethernet or access flash drives these days, so those dongles are almost never needed. With that said, there is one big limitation of my MacBook Pro that impacts me regularly -- lack of video out. For this, I need to use a USB-C adapter (or a docking station). I've learned that not all of these dongles are created equally, however. While many can do 4K, they often max out at 30Hz. Thankfully, I found a really great USB-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter from a company called ACCELL that can do 4K @ 60Hz.

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Back in July, we reported that USB 3.2 was on the way. With USB being so popular nowadays, this was big news, despite the fact that it was merely an incremental update. While the average computer user probably has no reason to care, computer enthusiasts (aka nerds) will understandably be excited.

Today, USB 3.2 finally becomes official, as the USB Implementers Forum publishes the new standard. While it wasn't considered complete when it was announced in July, it is now properly finalized.

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There are times when you may not want to use the App Store or the recovery mode to install macOS 10.13 High Sierra on your Mac. So Apple gives you the option of creating a bootable USB drive. You can use it anytime and anywhere to quickly get the operating system running on any compatible Mac. An Internet connection is not even required as everything you need is already on the drive.

Creating a bootable macOS 10.13 High Sierra USB drive is very easy. All you need is a Mac, as the tools provided for the process are only available on OS X and macOS, and a USB drive with a capacity of 8GB or more. I will also explain how to use a dedicated third-party tool, in case you decide that this option suits you better.

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I recently reviewed the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock for Apple MacBook Pro and came away very impressed. This device essentially converts your Apple laptop into a desktop with great results. The problem? It needs to be plugged into a wall for power, and it is not intended to be taken on the go.

Today, OWC announces a product that is meant to be taken with you in your laptop bag. Called "USB-C Travel Dock," it features many of the ports you may need, such as HDMI, USB Type-A, and an SD card reader. It even has a USB-C port for power pass-through, so if you only have one such port, you can charge your laptop while using it too. Best of all, it is quite affordable.

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USB-C devices are coming thick and fast lately -- it feels like it is raining dongles and docks! While Apple's MacBook computers aren't the only devices with such ports, they certainly accelerated the popularity. Of course, there are both Windows and Linux machines with USB-C too.

StarTech manufactures many USB-C devices, and now it is releasing three new docking stations. Why three? Well, they offer different features and come in at different price points. Heck, one model even has an integrated 2.5-inch drive bay for an HDD or SSD! All three docking stations can charge/power a laptop too, with a max output of 60W.

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There are two very important technologies changing the computer landscape nowadays -- solid state drives and USB-C. SSDs are flash-based storage devices, meaning they are faster than traditional hard disk drives, while having no moving parts either. USB-C is just a connection type, but its reversible nature makes it an absolute dream for users -- Type-A connectors were a hassle as you had a 50-percent chance of inserting it incorrectly.

When these two things come together, you get a fast portable drive that can easily connect to the newest computers, such as the Apple MacBook Pro. I have been testing a very intriguing such external SSD lately from renowned company ADATA. This manufacturer is known for its high-quality memory products, such as RAM, flash drives, and solid state drives. The 512GB SSD I am testing, called "SE730H," is extremely small, very fast, and quite durable. It uses the USB 3.1 generation 2 interface.

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Thanks to the MacBook Pro, the popularity of Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C docks and dongles has exploded. If you have accessories that use USB Type-A, for instance, they simply won't work with Apple's latest laptop without the use of an adapter. Heck, the machine does not even feature a standard video-out port, so an HDMI, VGA, or DisplayPort dongle must be utilized.

If you use your MacBook Pro as a makeshift desktop with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, investing in a dock or docking station would be a wise move. Today, a new such product from a company called "LandingZone" caught my attention. While I am not familiar with the company, the docking station is quite intriguing. It is one of the most complete MacBook Pro dock solutions I have seen, featuring many useful connection options and the ability to charge the laptop, of course. It is designed as a traditional docking station too, where Apple's laptop actually locks into the product as opposed to being more of a hub.

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The United States has been heavily under attack from Mother Nature lately. Hurricane Harvey caused horrific devastation in Texas, and now Irma is headed for Florida. During these disasters, it is not uncommon to lose electricity. This can be a huge pain point, as people need devices such as cell phones to call for help -- a device with a depleted battery is pretty much useless. Not to mention, some folks have medication that requires refrigeration, so a loss of power could actually lead to death or sickness.

Thankfully, companies sell generators to keep the power flowing during an electricity outage. For prolonged outages, there are even models with solar charging capabilities. Today, a company called Renogy unveils a heavy-duty battery backup generator that can be charged using the sun. Impressively, the company claims it can keep a refrigerator running for about 8 hours! It is even on wheels so it can be easily transported. The fact that it has so many connection types, including USB Type-A , should make it indispensable during a hurricane or simply on a family camping trip.

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There is no shortage of diminutive bus-powered portable USB storage drives on the market nowadays -- both SSD and 2.5-inch HDD variants. Unfortunately, these drives typically offer relatively small capacities. Some professionals (and home users) need an external drive with much higher storage possibilities and being portable doesn't always matter. In these cases, a 3.5-inch-based USB drive is preferable, as plugging into a wall outlet for power is not an issue, and more importantly, it is available in higher capacities.

Today, Western Digital unveils a new external desktop drive line that should meet the needs of many. Called "My Book Duo," it actually leverages two 3.5-inch mechanical hard drives in RAID-0 to offer capacities up to 20TB. For example, the top capacity offering is comprised of dual 10TB drives. It connects with the latest-and greatest USB-C connector. Making it even more useful, it even includes an integrated two-port USB-A hub. This makes the My Book Duo storage system particularly ideal for machines without USB-A, such as the newest MacBook Pro. It will not charge a connected laptop, sadly. The external drive also features 256-bit AES hardware encryption and comes with a respectable 3-year warranty.

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USB-C is everywhere nowadays. You can find it on smartphones, desktops, and laptops. Heck, I recently reviewed an amazing router that leverages the connector for power! Even lower-end laptops are getting in on it, such as the Acer Chromebook 11 C771.

The beauty of this connector, besides it being reversible, is that it can support many dongles, adding support for devices you need now, plus future products too. Today, Satechi launches two new such dongles, both of which are made with aluminum. One is a VGA adapter, while the other offers Gigabit Ethernet.

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Back in the days of floppy disks, USB flash drives were seen as magic. When first sold, consumers could hardly wrap their heads around the concept. You didn't need to purchase a special drive to read the media, as the USB ports found on many computers were already there -- mind-boggling. Hell, it could attach to your keychain -- wow! Not to mention, they held much more data than a floppy. They were particularly great for students, as it meant easily saving and transporting files.

Nowadays, these USB flash drives are largely boring. While still useful for operating system installations, the cloud has made them sort of obsolete for data storage and transport. Quite frankly, these flash drives can be privacy nightmares too; they can potentially spread malware when inserted, and many users don't bother with encryption. Today, however, Silicon Power unveils a USB flash drive that is exciting. You see, the "Mobile C50," as it is called, features a triple interface -- USB-C, USB-A, and USB micro-B. In other words, if a computer or device has any type of USB port, it should be compatible.

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USB is one of the greatest inventions in computing. If you are a younger computer user, you may not remember a time before USB devices. It was rather terrible. Sure, there were external devices, but they connected to the very slow serial or parallel ports. I had a parallel port Zip drive, for instance. Ugh. Most things were in card form, however, and Windows wouldn't make installations an easy affair. Remember IRQ conflicts? No? Consider yourself lucky. I still have nightmares.

Over the years, USB has improved dramatically, with the latest connection, Type-C, solving the biggest issue -- a reversible connector. Not to mention, the newest specification, USB 3.1 generation 2, is insanely fast. In other words, life is good for consumers wanting external devices. Today, however, The USB 3.0 Promoter Group announces that things will be getting even better. Why? USB 3.2 is on the way.

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