Cock and Leap USB Memory Stick shoots out of the connector socket on your computer when it's ejected, because it is spring loaded, and has a releasing switch.
Because it only triggers this action when fully ready, this process avoids corrupting half copied files, and losing them when the stick is withdrawn before the data has been totally copied.-- xenzag, Jan 18 2009 Cocks and leaps....right into your coffee mug. I like the idea of a locking pin, but that would need (perhaps) modifications to the socket as well as the stick.
The LED indicator on most sticks suffices, but doesn't seem to be to a consistent standard. Some sticks seem to have a light that comes on when it's OK to remove, others have lights that blink slowly when safe but quickly when not... and in some cases the light changes before it's safe to remove, for some reason. Better and simpler, surely, to have a red (unsafe)/ green (safe) LED on the stick, and to implement it consistently?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 18 2009 Not a bad idea really. Maybe we you get around the modifications necessary by using a small octopus/squid to grab the stick.-- wagster, Jan 18 2009 //Cocks and leaps....right into your coffee mug// - where it swims around, merrily stirring in the milk.-- xenzag, Jan 18 2009 I had an old floppy drive that would nearly shoot disks across the room.-- Spacecoyote, Jan 18 2009 // I powered up my 1GB Jaz drive last week on the linux machine (by taking the wireless PCI card out and putting an old SCSI PCI card in its place). I was pheasantly surprised to discover that I'd already left the compiled modules in place from years and years ago to drive that particular card. I was also pleased that (because I've compiled my kernel to be able to mount and read/write Mac HFS+ hard drives - I use it that way a lot) the 11 year old Mac formatted 1GB Jaz disks each mounted and copied over perfectly well. //
You should go into insomnia therapy. I think you have a gift.
As far as cocking and leaping USB sticks -- on my desk? I'd never find them again. Oh wait, this has given me an idea.
[edit] There are too many similar ideas -- what is up with you people?-- mylodon, Jan 19 2009 I wrote this because on several occasions I have taken out a memory stick, thinking that it was safe to do so, only to be greeted with the customary error message that the drive was not ready. I then lost files, or found that the ones being copied would now not open - usually Quark documents. Every time this happpens, I curse the vagueness of the puny flashing light on the drive. I demand a leaping out drive, that must be cocked on entry!-- xenzag, Jan 19 2009 It's a good idea, I don't get the nay-saying - apart from maybe in the slightly over zealous use of the word "leap", but a self-ejecting USB stick would be really useful.
[+]-- theleopard, Jan 19 2009 That's the "Cock and Limp USB Memory Stick."-- theleopard, Jan 19 2009 You mean the ones you 'apply' and they turn blue?
I could understand that if the stick gets fatter and fatter, while complaining non-stop in a shrill voice about the smell of coffee grounds, and then spurts warm water on your desk followed by a half dozen 256k chips.. kinda. maybe not.-- mylodon, Jan 20 2009 //You mean the ones you 'apply' and they turn blue?//
Are you talking about a USB pregnancy test?-- theleopard, Jan 20 2009 One way to do this would be to tether the self-ejecting USB stick to a belt device that would rapidly reel it in. You can already get these kind of belt spools for ski passes and id cards.
Such a device would also be easier on the feeding front than a small cephalopod ...-- Aristotle, Jan 20 2009 Slartibartfast memory device, from the TV series, when you eject it, it invariably falls and shatters on the floor. Damned if I can find footage of it.-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 27 2013 random, halfbakery