The USB Drive

The USB drive, or thumb drive, is a miniature portable storage unit for online files. It can be used to transfer data from computers and carry large quantities of data in the palm of your hand. While perhaps not as relevant today with the creation of online clouds such as Google Drive and OneDrive, it still remains a reliable method for transporting large files. 

Creator 

The creator of the Flash Drive remains a controversial question to this day. Multiple companies and individuals claim they are the inventor, but no one is entirely sure. 

An Israeli company known as M-Systems filed the original patent for a "USB-Based PC Flash Disk". The company was a leading manufacturer of flash memory products like SIM cards as well. It was later purchased by Sandisk for 1.6 billion dollars in 2006 due to it being a leader in multiple markets. 

Pua Khein-Seng

In the same year (1999), IBM also filed a similar patent, as well as Pua Khein-Seng, who was the CEO of Phison Electronics Corporation out of Taiwan. There is one more company that claims to have made the USB drive known as Netac. This company was based out of China, but their claim is the weakest as IBM and Phison both had released versions of the USB drive by 2002, which was when they released theirs. The first company to actually sell a USB drive was a Singaporean company known as Trek 2000 International. The product sold was called a thumb drive.  

Towards the end of the century, people predicted the creation of this portable storage device and was considered bound to happen, which is where the conflict of origin originates. It is believed that each of these companies had simply made their own versions of the USB drive, so no one is able to take full credit for its creation. 

The reason for the invention of the USB was to create the ability to move and store data effectively as well as being able to simply store more data. Most computer users in the 1990s had to rely on floppy disks. Floppy disks only were able to hold 1.44 Megabytes (MB). For reference, a high-quality picture is around 2-5 MB, meaning that the process of moving any sum of data, even something as small as a singular picture, would require a tedious process and multiple floppy disks. The absolute worst flash drive you could purchase on the market right now can hold hundreds of times the amount of data a floppy disk can. 

Impact on our society

As I stated earlier, USB drives no longer have the intense impact that they did since the creation of online cloud services from Apple, Google, and Microsoft. However, they played a major role in revolutionizing data storage.

One of the main features of the USB drive is its convenience. Its small size makes it easily portable for commutes, such as school or work, allowing you to take data from home computers to work or for bringing online homework from the computer lab home in school. They are much faster than internet storage, which makes them the most efficient at transporting large amounts of files that would take longer online. USB drives also allow the user to run software applications off the drive, making software specific to a single computer able to work on any computer with a USB. It also can prevent data loss, most USB drive users (including myself) utilize them to backup their computer data in case of damage to prevent the loss of their data. 

The fact they remain relevant to this day despite the competition and convenience of other forms of data storage is concrete evidence of just how groundbreaking this invention was at the time. 

While the ease of use attracted people to this device, it also attracted hackers for the same reason. Hackers can use the devices' ease of transportation to spread malware from computer to computer by applying malware to the USB drive and plugging it into multiple computers. They can also use them to plug into your computer, downloading specific or even the entire computer's data to use against you. However, most of these threats are easily avoidable and did not cause the inventions' importance to our society to tarnish. 

Privacy, Online and off

 In the current technological era, citizens of nations' privacy remains at risk. As 94.5 percent of internet users today use social media, people's lives have become more exposed than ever. After watching a series of TED talks on privacy, I became aware of just how big of an issue it is. 

A quote from one of the TED talks, "How else can one threaten other than with death? Immortality," really stuck out to me. He used that quote to describe how our individual online presence was permanent, and that they would far outlive us, perhaps forever. His comparison to them being "electronic tattoos" was a great way to get the point across. The following TED talk discussed how the government and police use high-power technology to track and collect data on us. Her viewpoint was that we as a people need to stand up for our personal autonomy and protect ourselves from the inevitable abuse of power by the government/police having this information. Her suggestion was to have the government pass laws demanding this information be deleted, only allowing potential criminals/subjects' data to be kept for examination.

 All of these privacy issues directly affect me, my peers, and my family. It removes the sense of freedom as an individual knowing that you are being listened to, watched, and collected data at all times. It also makes me feel like I can't trust my own government knowing that I am being observed and everything I do they can access. 

According to the videos, we as individuals can simply be cautious of what we post online, say online, or do online knowing that it is permanent. We can also use encryption tools to help prevent wiretaps. Lastly, while I know our government needs to collect data in some aspects for national security, they should limit databases and not collect on each person, just potential threats or targets. 

The Eight Values of Free Expression

One of the things our great nation prides itself on is the value of Free Expression. It is, after all, the first amendment in the Constitution. 8 key theories of Free Expression are listed as follows. Marketplace of ideas, Participation in self-government, Stable Change, Individual self-fulfillment, Check on governmental power, Promote tolerance, Promote innovation, and Protect dissent. All of these are important to the value of Free expression, but what is the most important and relevant one to our society? 

The theory of Protect Dissent stands out the most to me. The theory was developed by renowned jurist and author Steve Shiffrin, who recently passed away in May of 2023. He was a strong thinker, writing books like What's Wrong with the First Amendment and Dissent, Injustice, and the Meanings of America. This theory originates from the second title, and I strongly believe in it and find it crucial to my value of Free Expression, as well as every individual in America. This theory discusses the protection of each individual's speech and how important it is to be able to voice disagreeing opinions to each other and the government. In 2025, Social Media is one of the most common forms of communication, allowing people to comment on just about any social issue they want, whenever they want. These platforms are strong examples of the importance of this theory. Without the protection of dissent, there is a risk that society could become conformant, the protection of dissent allows the growth of our American Ideals that the country itself was founded upon. This shows us that disagreement is not something that should be feared, but something that should be embraced to protect our democracy. To summarize, this theory is crucial because it allows free expression to remain a right for each individual American, not a select few. 

Another theory that stands out to me, is Promote Tolerance. This theory was developed by Lee Bollinger, a former president of Columbia University and Attorney. On top of this, he has authored multiple books as well. The Promote Tolerance theory is found in The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech. The theory discusses, well, Tolerance of differing opinions. It discusses that a tolerant society is simply better. Simply, I agree. A society that can tolerate discomfort would be stronger, and able to grow more. Discussing uncomfortable things with different individuals can broaden your perspective on societal issues while helping you learn about different viewpoints. This allows for people to engage in civil discussion to improve these societal issues, and allows each person to be heard. Without tolerance, free expression would be masked by saying what is agreed upon or considered tolerable creating the inability to move forward as a society. It would incite fear into people to stay conformed and not be the unique individual Americans they are supposed to be. These are crucial reasons for why this is one of the most important values of free expression as no societal progress could be made without Tolerance. This is without a doubt one of the most important, if not the most important value of Free Expression.

Supreme Court Video

 I currently know very little about the Supreme Court. In fact, I didn't even know how many Justices there were. I learned that there were over 100 appointed Supreme Court justices in American History and that they serve an average of 16 years. However, many of them serve longer. According to a quote in the video, becoming a Supreme Court justice is comparable (in rarity) to being struck by lightning. Stating that it was a humbling experience. The Supreme Court is responsible for "drawing boundaries on the governments' power" by telling the President, states, and Congress what to do. I learned that the government was relocated to Washington in 1801, and the Supreme Court lived in temporary housing at the unfinished capitol building. John Marshal had been appointed the Chief Justice at the time. The Dredd Scott case about a black slave named Dredd Scott, where the Supreme Court ruled that blacks could never be citizens is considered the biggest "self-inflicted wound" the court has in its history. This is the most surprising thing I learned, I was unaware of why the Supreme Court was not respected during points in our history but now I am. The Supreme Court receives 7000 new cases per year. They accept around 100 per year. However, each case is individually read and reviewed equally. The most important takeaway point is that the Supreme Court is vital to the successful running of the country. Without it, powers could be unchecked, cases could be made unfair, and the country would not be able to exist the way it has, consistently growing and learning. I did not have a direct opinion on the Supreme Court, I just thought of it as a normal court that just took significant political cases. The video has allowed me to realize just how important their duties are, and how hard the justices work. 

https://www.supremecourt.gov/

Top 5 Sources of News and Information

 Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/

This is my most commonly used platform for everything. I use it to connect with friends, read news, and expand my network. This is a critical platform for me to gather news and updates in multiple fields, such as sports and global politics. I love this source because I am able to follow individual reporters as well as the major companies they work for. For example, I can follow Adam Schefter on Instagram, as well as ESPN, and stay up to date more effectively. That also applies to the political and daily news world. Instagram will continue to be a highly used source for me in the future. 

Apple News 

https://www.apple.com/apple-news/

Apple News is a major news outlet for me. I find it incredibly convenient as an Apple user as it is already built into your Apple devices. The layout of the app is pleasant and easy to navigate, finding top news articles from different publishers and authors instantly. As someone with a premium subscription, I find myself using it for reading about global events such as the current wildfires in LA, and the war in Ukraine, and for less important things, like what the New England Patriots are planning to do with their 4th overall pick. I will continue to use Apple News in the future because of its easy layout, and broad selection of news. 

ESPN

https://www.espn.com/

Similarly to my first 2, I use ESPN daily for all my sports news. I have always been a huge sports fan growing up, and never plan on changing. ESPN is a sports broadcasting network, so they have a variety of different shows, news articles, and even documentaries. They cover all sports from hockey to women's college beach volleyball, allowing me to stay up to date in each sport of my choosing by updating statistics, rankings, and articles on the latest news consistently. For those who sports bet, they also have information and articles on that as well as their own sportsbook. ESPN has been in my routine for all sports news and info, and It won't be leaving the rotation anytime soon. 

Sports Illustrated 

https://www.si.com/

Sports Illustrated is another sports news outlet, keeping up with again a very wide variety of sports. However, unlike ESPN, it focuses more on articles than anything else. The website is similar to ESPN, however, there are no video links and only articles. I find myself using Sports Illustrated when I want to read about something in sports that's very specific in great detail, such as rules or draft analysis. I find it easy to navigate as well, and I have some friends who write articles on the Georgia Bulldogs so that encourages me to use it more. Overall, I like the old-school newspaper style it has, and the articles are really credible so I will definitely continue to use SI. 

Twitter/X

https://x.com/

While personally not the biggest fan of X, it is a news source that I rely on. The layout of the app makes it easy to find news, with specific events and articles being found with simple hashtags. It operates similarly to Instagram, make a post, scroll, and read it. However, it is based more on videos and words than pictures. I like this feature because it can make it easier to read more news about more things, or stay specific and read a lot about one thing. All sorts of opinions and viewpoints come into play here as well, so you can consume the news while reading other people's thoughts on how it's good or bad. It is an effective app for current events, sports, and politics.