USB device in VirtualBox Windows 7 partition

First have to install the extension pack for Ubuntu as @rusty says in the comment below. Then install the VirtualBox extensions pack - open the virtual machine, and install the guest additions pack as explained here.

You have to set up virtual-box for USB access - Close any running Virtual Machines (as in Shutdown, not saved state), Open VirtualBox settings, by clicking settings when the right VM is selected:

You then need to tick all the boxes under USB:

To add devices click the green '+' to the right - you might as well add all that are listed by it.

Then when you are running the VirtualBox, plug in the devices, and then right-click on the USB icon in the bottom right and select the ones you want:

^{Unmount the devices in the host system first}

Works for Android (mostly), Windows XP, 7 and 8(.1) :D - Haven't tried my phone, but the camera seems to work, and I can use my memory stick to copy stuff on and off the virtual machine as I can't be bothered to set up a shared thing.

N.B. If it says you need to add your user to the vboxusers group, you need to run:

sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers USERNAME

This will add the USERNAME you specify to the vboxusers group, so you have permission to access the USB devices from inside a VM.