Just because you’re rocking 12GB in a postage stamp-sized package these days doesn’t mean that your old thumb drive is completely useless. Don’t let that ancient USB flash drive go completely to waste, as it still has plenty of life left in it. In fact, you can use it to increase performance in a Windows Vista-based environment.

Apparently, when you shove a USB 2.0 drive (it can’t be more than 4 gigs, but it’s got to be at least 256MB) into your computer’s port, the AutoRun window will show the option to “Speed up the system using Windows ReadyBoost.” This Vista feature essentially uses the drive’s memory “as an additional disk cache to speed things up.” If you’re in a particularly generous mood, however, you may want to send that drive to Africa. It’s tax deductible, you know.