If one were to ask me what I believe are most innovate computer inventions, USB is definitely one of them. The reason is because USB is the Swiss Army knife in the computer world. It can basically do just about anything. USB can transfer data, audio, video, access storage (i.e. flash memory), access power, be used for wired or wireless networking and so on. In addition it’s supported no matter what OS you use. If you think about it, is there any other computer hardware that does as much as USB? I don’t think so.

Here’s a quick list of USB stuff you should get.

1. Flash memory stick.

Yes, you probably already have one – but you need one that stores more stuff. I just bought a 2GB Sandisk cruzer at Wal-Mart and it’s only $12.88. Cheap. To note: 4GB sticks are available on NewEgg for $22. Again, cheap.

2. AC to USB power adapter

You most likely have a device or two that is powered  by USB but don’t always want to plug it in to the computer. This cures that ill in short order.

3. USB Squid

Provides 4 ports from one in "squid" fashion instead of a standard "brick" hub. Easier to manage.

4. USB FlexLight

FlexLights are well known to the handyman (or handywoman) as an indispensable tool for when you need to direct light to very specific places. Important note: I don’t suggest using this on a laptop if on battery as it will drain said battery fast.

5. External USB SATA Drive Dock

I bet you didn’t know this one existed. Take a standard SATA hard drive, dump it in the dock and you’re ready to rock. Why is this better than a caddy? Because you can switch out drives at whim. Hot-swappable? Yes. Not satisfied with just one drive? How about two?

Never underestimate the power of USB.