USB flash drives are small, pocket-sized versions of a computer hard drive. They are removable and rewritable and extremely portable. As of this writing, they come in capacities of up to 64 MB.

Flash drives are manufactured by a number of companies and are give flashy names such as Cruzer, JumpDrive, Date Traveler and Attache.

Flash drives are plugged into a computer USB port so files can be transferred between the computer and the drive. Like computers, flash drives store digital photos, videos, music and document files.

Flash drives are compatible with computers and notebooks running Windows 98SE and higher, and with many Apple computers that have a USB port.

According to some manufacturer’s specifications, flash drives can keep data for ten years.

Edit photos, and more, from a flash drive

Some flash drives include U3 smart technology, which allows you to securely carry files and software. Plug the U3 drive into a PC and run applications, surf the net, send email, edit photos and more. U3 software and applications take space on the drive so be sure to buy one with enough capacity for your storage needs.

Print from a flash drive

A growing number of photo Kiosks accept flash drives. Bring your digital images to the store, insert the drive into the USB port and your images are ready for printing.