Incredible USB flash drive | FerrariChat

Incredible USB flash drive

Discussion in 'Technology' started by Ricambi America, Oct 26, 2009.

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  1. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
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    Dec 7, 2003
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    #1 Ricambi America, Oct 26, 2009
    A few weeks ago I sent a bunch of pictures to a fellow Ferrari guy via a USB flash drive. It was a fairly cheap 2GB thing, that I certainly didn't expect to get returned to me. On Saturday, I saw him at a local FCA getaway weekend, and he returned the drive. Not thinking, I popped it into my shirt pocket and forgot about it.

    Came home, and did the laundry -- both Luca's clothes and mine together, on "hot-cold" water settings, then crammed everything into the dryer at "medium" heat for about 50 minutes.

    This morning, I pull the shirt from the dryer and notice the USB flashdrive is in the pocket. Crammed it into my Asus netbook -- and voila! all the pictures are 100% intact. I am amazed. Is this the norm or the exception of durability for these things? Fully submerged, in soapy water, then spun, then heated to god-knows-what temperature.
     
  2. Ferrarista3

    Ferrarista3 F1 Rookie

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    #2 Ferrarista3, Oct 26, 2009
    I don't know...but I dropped my iPhone in the swimming pool last week. Fortunately it still works :eek:
     
  3. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #3 285ferrari, Oct 26, 2009
    Just a tip in case it happens again. Immediately take the battery out and lay the phone in a bowl of dry rice. The rice will pull the moisture from the phone or device and usually will work fine..
     
  4. Ferrarista3

    Ferrarista3 F1 Rookie

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    #4 Ferrarista3, Oct 26, 2009
    I used a hair drier to dry it and then left it to "rest" for a day before turning it on again. The rice idea sounds good. Didn't think of that.

    Removing the battery from the iPhone is a mess. It wasn't designed to be removed by users.
     
  5. coverland

    coverland Formula 3

    Apr 22, 2007
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    #5 coverland, Oct 26, 2009
    I usually do the same, but with a ziploc bag of those silicone beads instead of rice (or whatever those little packets that come with beef jerky are)

    I've had my phone submerged in water twice, and it worked just fine after a day or so.

    As for the USB drive, I am pretty impressed. I would've thought it'd be gone after the wash.

    -Colin
     
  6. EnzymaticRacer

    EnzymaticRacer F1 Veteran

    Feb 27, 2005
    5,367
    #6 EnzymaticRacer, Oct 26, 2009
    Since the memory is all Solid State in USB sticks (and now many hard-drives), as long as there is no moisture on the circuit boards when a current is applied (aka, plugged in), the memory should remain intact.

    The biggest risks to USB drives are physical damage and exposure to water while on...
     
  7. fjb

    fjb Formula Junior
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    #7 fjb, Oct 26, 2009
    Daniel,

    You got lucky. Water can leave conductive deposits on exposed traces and between the leads of ICs; It does not matter if you let it dry if minerals have shorted traces, unless of course the PCB has been coated with "hysol" Still any exposed connectors could be an issue
     
  8. Latsyrc

    Latsyrc F1 Rookie

    Jun 23, 2008
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    #8 Latsyrc, Oct 26, 2009
    I put my old Motorola phone through a wash/dry cycle 4 years ago. I dried it out with a hairdryer and let it sit overnight. I just replaced that phone about 5 months ago. I've been told that they will be ok as long as you don't try to charge them before they dry out.
     
  9. Pranucci

    Pranucci Formula Junior
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    #9 Pranucci, Oct 27, 2009
    Dolby Labs in LA has a removable hard drive that somebody slapped a UPS label on and shipped back w/o any case. Worked fine, they kept it as a trophy.
     
  10. RacerX_GTO

    RacerX_GTO F1 World Champ
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    #10 RacerX_GTO, Oct 28, 2009
    :eek: That in itself is amazing!
     
  11. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #11 Etcetera, Oct 28, 2009
    All my thumbdrives die just sitting there, and they lead uneventful lives.

    :(
     
  12. Carsleuth

    Carsleuth F1 Rookie

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    #12 Carsleuth, Oct 28, 2009
  13. hiros

    hiros Formula Junior

    Mar 26, 2007
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    #13 hiros, Nov 3, 2009
    One thing I learned from this thread is that the next time when my blackberry gets thrown into the toilet by my daughter, I am going to put it into the dryer for 50 min, medium heat, and let it dry before I turn the power back on. :)
     

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