'10 cool things for a USB flashdrive'

I find it less useful to have them at all now.... used to have one with a little operating system, web browser, office applications and mail client on it, so I could plug it into internet cafe machines etc and boot up into a system I was used to and had all my settings in place. But now mail come in on a blackberry, the screen is more than good enough for basic weather forecasts on the web whatever the signal strength and memory cards in phones and cameras are more than big enough for any cruise pics and vids.

On the plus side, they make really nice keyrings :)
 
bilbobaggins said:
I'm intrigued by the suggestions on ZDNET's website here. Perhaps others will find it useful.

However, I'm rather more interested in what 'boaty' stuff and onboard uses such a device might be applied to.

Thoughts? :cool:
Click to expand...

I have various programmed with Ozi-Explorer ... charts calibrated .... Road Nav and country files ...... so I can swap over depending on whether my Notebook PC is used in car or on boat.

I have other sticks with MP3 music on ... one stick I have is worth over 13hrs music ... plugs into a FM MP3 transmitter .... plays to any radio set to freq. and I'm amazed at distance it covers ! I get over 30m range ....
 
This is beginning to shape up.... good stuff emerging.

I frequently sail on others' boats. Peeps will understand that one is sometimes surprised by what IS there, and in equal measure by what is NOT.

Many moons ago, a wizened and wise old navigation instructor intoned to a class of hopefools with their shiny eyes set on fast jets "This is how you draw a Mercator chart from first principles...."

"Silly old goat!" we each thought - and confirmed to each other in the Students' Bar later - "What one earth are we ever likely to want to do with that useless nugget.....?"

I've once had to do it in the air - Pretty Damned Quick, when the charts I 'knew' were in my nav bag proved missing - and twice on a sailboat. On each occasion that obscure, arcane know-how, dredged up from reluctant memory, saved my bacon.

From that lump of experience grew the sure knowledge that any bit of professional knowhow that comes along should be noted and filed away in case of unknown future need, by everyone aspiring to professional standing and professional performance sometime in the future.....

When you're green, you just don't know how little you know.

;)
 
The newer USB sticks have enough memory that you can run a virtual machine from them.
In this way you can have the latest whizzy OS, but still be able to run an older/alternate OS for a fussy or legacy application, such as an old low graphics C-MAP.
It's also great for separating work/personal stuff, say being able to run your charting and nav stuff in a Linux window on a business laptop that's running XP.
 
Photos of boat equipment, personal jewelry etc. Scans of insurance, maintenance bills and other docs. PDF Manuals. GPS tracks from the plotter. An encrypted partition that details where your savings REALLY are for the benefit of SWMBO in the event of a sudden heart attack while hauling anchor........

For insurance purposes - keep it in a ziplock in the grab bag.

Useful little buggers, memory sticks.
 
If you really are intent on keeping real valuable info on a USB stick - then IMHO forget bthe fancy plastic cased ones with daft weak plug fitting. We have loads in office that have failed due to that plug connection in the plastic.

There are USB sticks that are actually a piece of board with circuitry embedded on ... the connector is gold strips on the board and fits into USB socket without need for that daft rectangle of metal that you usually have. These are virtually indestuctible and so much smaller / neater. My inspectors use them now and they get treated roughly and still work ... USB sticks as well !!
 
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