A USB flash drive, commonly referred to as pen drive in the promotional industry, is a very small device that is able to store large amounts of data. The pen drive is able to store data by utilizing an integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB). Prior to flash drives being introduced to the technology sector, both CDs and floppy disks were used to store and transfer data. The development of USB memory sticks has been a technological breakthrough, due to the fact that they are compact and manageable in size (average weight of a USB memory stick is roughly 30 grams), and are capable of storing tremendous amounts of data. These devices are far more reliable than its previous predecessors because of its durability, and also due to its lack of moving parts. The storage capacity of USB memory sticks range anywhere from 4Gb to an impressive 128 Gb. There are even plans in the future to release USB memory sticks as large as 1 terabytes.
The majority of modern day operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux) are compatible with USB memory sticks, and in recent years, there has been a transition to USB 3.0. USB 3.0 is similar to the original USB technology, but supports faster data transfer speeds and increased storage capacity. Each USB flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board which is activated once it is connected to the device. They are powered on once they are connected to a computer or another compatible device through the USB connection. USB flash drives are now a very common computer peripheral used by students and day to day professionals to store and transfer important data for school or work or other common purposes. Because of this, most USB flash drives come with a protective cap to become convenient and portable in every scenario. Because of a high demand for these devices, USB flash drives have become more accessible, economical, and prevalent in households all over the world.