USB is an acronym that stands for Universal Standard Bus, a standard port which can be used with any computer to connect a number of computer accessories. USB flash drive is a compact USB flash memory that acts like a portable hard drive, letting the user store and transport huge quantities of computer data better than disks. Nowadays, USB flash drives, depending on the kind, can be used to hold vast amounts of information and are made to be small enough to be easily carried around by the users. One slips easily into the pocket, may be used as a pendant to be hung around the neck or even as a keychain.

As of 2006, there are USB flash drives that can carry as much as 16 gigabytes and may be used with most computers as long as the operating system you use has the driver that supports both USB mass storage plus the file system used on the various information stored in it. The needed drivers to make the USB flash drive work comes when the device is bought and is very easy to install in the computer.

Pen drives, chip sticks, thumb drives or USB keys are other terms given to USB flash drives and consist of a small printed circuit board encased either in sturdy plastic or metal; the latter makes flash drives even more hard-wearing. A removable cap protects the USB connected which is the protruded part in the USB fitted to the proper USB port on the computer. USB drives may either be connected directly and/or may come with a think plug designed for use with a standard USB port.

USB flash drives do not need an external power source or a battery for it to function and are powered by a USB computer connection. Hence, data accessibility is only possible if the flash drive is connected to a computer.

First invented in 1988 as a floppy drive replacement, the first flash drives were made to store data ranging in size from 8 to 64 megabytes which were quite expensive then. Asian manufacturers soon followed suit manufacturing flash drives which can hold as much as 256 megabytes at cheaper prices. Although initially conceived for data sharing, flash drives are becoming more and more utilitarian in nature, its uses only limited by the users.