4 ms·

This gives me a simpler idea -- use a USB drive and run a script that detects it, writes timestamp to it as it is plugged in -- say intermittently every 10 minu

This gives me a simpler idea -- use a USB drive and run a script that detects it, writes timestamp to it as it is plugged in -- say intermittently every 10 minutes. The log can either be written to the USB drive or to a local file.

mgkimsal 15y ago
no more autorun.inf detection processes are there? :(
jasonkostempski 15y ago
I had the same idea when I opened the article but then I thought about wearing out the USB port, maybe that's a goofy concern.
- nknight 15y ago
  Officially, the required lifetime for a USB type A connector is a disturbingly-low 1500 insertion cycles. I expect present-day connectors to greatly outlast this in practice, of course.
  - jasonkostempski 15y ago
    The Wikipedia article I found, probably the same one you found, only specifies male connector cycles "The lifetime of a USB-A male connector is approximately 1,500 connect/disconnect cycles." I was more concerned about the receptacle, which I can't seem to find info on. I wouldn't care to lose a thumb drive so much, but a port would be horrible.
    - nknight 15y ago
      Regretfully, "connector" is used generically in the USB standard to refer to both the plug and receptacle. Type-A "standard durability" connectors, plug and receptacle, are specced for 1,500 cycles minimum. 5,000 for "high durability". The only type specced for more is the Micro connector, at 10,000 cycles. See section "5.7.1.3 Durability or Insertion/Extraction Cycles (EIA 364-09)" of the USB 3.0 standard. I'm sure it's in 2.0, too, but the section number may be different. http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/ http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/
- jasonkostempski 15y ago
  Bonus idea, could it be made to also start up RescueTime or similar software?
Palomides 15y ago
heh, my even simpler idea: use the capslock key (replacing the normal function, presumably); not used for anything else, standard on every computer, almost always has a visual indicator, probably very easy to script around.
- ericskiff 15y ago
  Ooh, that's a great twist! If you're working on the computer, that's an excellent hack.

mgkimsal 15y ago

no more autorun.inf detection processes are there? :(

jasonkostempski 15y ago

I had the same idea when I opened the article but then I thought about wearing out the USB port, maybe that's a goofy concern.

nknight 15y ago
Officially, the required lifetime for a USB type A connector is a disturbingly-low 1500 insertion cycles. I expect present-day connectors to greatly outlast this in practice, of course.
- jasonkostempski 15y ago
  The Wikipedia article I found, probably the same one you found, only specifies male connector cycles "The lifetime of a USB-A male connector is approximately 1,500 connect/disconnect cycles." I was more concerned about the receptacle, which I can't seem to find info on. I wouldn't care to lose a thumb drive so much, but a port would be horrible.
  - nknight 15y ago
    Regretfully, "connector" is used generically in the USB standard to refer to both the plug and receptacle. Type-A "standard durability" connectors, plug and receptacle, are specced for 1,500 cycles minimum. 5,000 for "high durability". The only type specced for more is the Micro connector, at 10,000 cycles. See section "5.7.1.3 Durability or Insertion/Extraction Cycles (EIA 364-09)" of the USB 3.0 standard. I'm sure it's in 2.0, too, but the section number may be different. http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/ http://www.usb.org/developers/docs/
jasonkostempski 15y ago
Bonus idea, could it be made to also start up RescueTime or similar software?

Palomides 15y ago

heh, my even simpler idea: use the capslock key (replacing the normal function, presumably); not used for anything else, standard on every computer, almost always has a visual indicator, probably very easy to script around.

ericskiff 15y ago
Ooh, that's a great twist! If you're working on the computer, that's an excellent hack.