So I now have local admin rights to my work laptop but there are some limitations. To wit, I can't permanently install unapproved software. Well I *can* but I shouldn't because the network has an auditing system and might pick up on new stuff installed on the machine. I say "permanently install" because I have the same status as developers and so am permitted to install software for evaluation, code snippets etc. But anything that's going to stay for good has to be vetted by the tools group and IT.

I haven't kept up with USB flash drives other than to see that now 4gb drives are so mainstream that they are available at Sam's Club. A buddy was telling me that flash drives marked with U3 can actually have applications loaded on them and you can run the software from the USB drive...no traces left on the computer itself. Is this the case? Any applications or just ones written for the U3 drives? So far I've seen Firebird and a few other apps that run on U3 drives but if any software (that fits) will work then I have a solution to my situation