Q. Is it safe to unplug a USB drive without ejecting it first?
A. When a USB drive is inserted into a device, the device “mounts” a virtual disk on your system. Ejecting the drive is the process of telling the device to “unmount” the virtual disk.
In a perfect world, a drive would always be ejected before unplugging it. The eject command performs an important cleanup process that closes open files, saves cached data, and checks for errors. Each of these steps is not performed if you just unplug the drive.
You may have discovered that it doesn’t seem to do any harm to just unplug a drive without ejecting. That is due mostly to luck. Eventually you’ll pull the drive out while there is a write in progress, which leads to file corruption or a complete failure if the drive index is corrupted.
The language for unmounting a drive varies by platform. Apple generally uses “Eject,” whereas Windows uses commands such as “Eject Mass Storage” or “Safely Remove Hardware.”
The bottom line is that while you can often “get away” with unplugging a drive without ejecting it first, it is an unnecessary risk that can cause serious data loss.
Take a moment to learn how to remove hardware safely, because the data you will save will be your own.
Q. Is the built-in Reminders app on Apple devices useful enough to use every day?
A. The latest version of Reminders, which was released as part of the 26.2 update, has added some serious power-user features that many users will find more than adequate for a reminders list. Here is a quick breakdown.
Urgent reminder alarms bridge the gap between the reminders and calendar apps, allowing you to set an alarm for an individual task. The alarm can be snoozed or set to repeat later. Urgent alarms are another tool to make sure that important deadlines are never silent.
There are display and interaction methods besides the reminder app itself. Your reminders can be viewed via widgets, which can show the most important tasks. The calendar app also shows scheduled reminders. Finally, the control center has an optional button that instantly creates a new reminder.
Siri is good at making new reminders via voice commands, either on your device or via a HomePod. It can also discern voices and assign the reminder to the particular person speaking. When my spouse says “Hey Siri, add milk to my shopping list” Siri recognizes her voice and sets the reminder on her devices.
Another power-user feature is groups, which allows a given task to be broken down into a series of intermediate steps.
There is a lot to like in Apple reminders. Its feature list has grown over the last few years, making it a powerful productivity tool.
Q. I need advice on how to tame the nest of tangled cables that live on my nightstand. Can you help?
A. Search the Amazon website with the phrase “nightstand cord clip.” The search results will reveal dozens of solutions.
There are clips that hold a single cord and clips that hold many cables. The clips use different attachment mechanisms: magnetic, adhesive tape, screws, while others depend on the weight of the clip itself. Choose the attachment style that works best with your nightstand.
Clips also use a variety of designs to hold the cable itself. Some clips allow the cord to slip through the clip, which acts a bit like a retractable spool. Other clips pinch the cord so it’s within easy reach, but it has to be slipped out of the clip sometimes to play out enough length to reach the device.
However, even the perfect clip can be cumbersome in everyday use. Personally, I use a multi-device dock that uses a single cable to charge a phone, watch, and rechargeable headphones via magnetic surfaces. These docks are the ultimate bedside convenience and tame cable management by eliminating unnecessary cables.
Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.
Wander the Web
Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month:
Netflix power search
Netflix supports searching for subsets of genres using the codes on this site. netflix-codes.com
Road trip advice
Enter any two cities and this website will generate a map to display points of interest along the route. makemydrivefun.com
Free sewing pattern generator
This site offers free sewing patterns. It can accept all your measurements and generate a pattern for a custom-sized clothing item just
for you. freesewing.eu
