December 2005 USB News

Digital pens have been around for a while, but the fact that they all require expensive special paper for note taking is enough to turn any poor ramen-fed student against them. EPOS may just have the answer to this problem with their upcoming Digital Pen & USB Flash Drive duo, that uses 3D positioning to track its movements on any surface.

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Leadtek is finally making the leap to Digital Terrestrial Broadcast tuners, and as one might expect they're releasing an external tuner for us roaming laptop users and USB junkies. The WinFast DTV Dongle carries on many of the same features as it's analog cousins, including picture-in-picture, time-shifting, and EPG scheduled recording.

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It's only a matter of time before developers ride on the success of iPod to develop iPod-friendly USB video capture devices. Mobilygen today has given them a head start. Their new MG1264 is the first codec chip providing USB developer the the functionality of converting DV into H.264/AAC that falls within 30fps QVGA 768kbps baseline profile requirement of the video iPod.

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This is probably the coolest mini hard drive we've seen in a while. Modeled after a padlock with a flexible USB connector acting as a clasp, Imation has just announced that the 4GB version of their Micro Hard Drives is now shipping. The MHD uses Toshiba's .85" hard drives which currently are the smallest hard drives in existence according to Guinness.

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Logitech has finally begun shipping their answer to Apple's AirTunes, the Wireless Music System for PC. Rather than bother with integrating a router or print server, Logitech chose to focus on what matters most - music, and they seem to have their bases covered, too.

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Rather than let the classic QX-3 USB microscope from Intel die, Digital Blue has secured the rights to continue producing the widely-adopted toy and has even upgraded with higher quality components in the form of the QX-5. Along with the CMOS sensor's increased resolution of 640x480, the framerate is a much heartier 15 frames per second, nearly triple that of the original.

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FM alarm clocks are a dime a dozen these days, but when Oregon Scientific throws in a calendar, MP3 player and a DECT phone we think they're on to something. The CU328 Cubic Telephone has an intriguing design; The unit itself is a wireless speaker phone powered by rechargeable batteries, whose stereo ring tones can be personalized by MP3 and WMA files loaded over USB or SecureDigital cards.

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One of our friends had the unthinkable happen to his "rugged" Flash Voyager thumb drive - the USB connector snapped right off just from being in the same pocket as his keys. We thought it was a freak accident, but apparently Gabriel over at Hardware Secrets had the same problem.

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Those looking for an alternative to the McAffe antivirus that came bundled with your U3 flash drive or for those who have no antiviral solutions at all for now can feast your eyes on the latest contender in the portable security sector, Avast! Antivirus U3 Edition. Fully extracted, it will take 12MB of free space, and there's a free trial on the U3 software portal if you want to give it a shot..

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Ah, the new version of Firefox for the new generation of flash drives, what's not to like? YourBrainz has repackaged the all-around-better Firefox 1.5 web browser to launch directly from the Launchpad on U3 Smart Drives, so go download it while it's hot at the official U3 Software Portal - it's free after all.

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Life can be hard if your World of Warcraft session comes to a grinding halt when the neighbors decide it's a good time to microwave a turkey. Of course this can all be prevented if you were to scope out the airwaves before implementing your WiFi, and now MetaGeek has an affordable way to help you do just that.

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Let's say that your laptop audio is either not working or not working well. You can't change the audio circuitry and you can't repair it affordably. Griffin Technology has a solution - the iMic USB Audio Interface. It's compatible with PCs and Macs and uses built-in Window/Mac drivers.

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Just what we need for the New Year - more iPod accessories! Griffin Technology has introduced the PowerBlock iPod charger for juicing up your favorite Apple music box while on the road.

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And now some good news for those amongst us that are still confined to the antagonizing speeds of a 14.4k modem: Google and Lexar are teaming up to bundle three of the popular Google applications on Lexar JumpDrive flash drives so you no longer have to take the time to download them.

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If you're looking for a way to share a USB device with multiple computers, here's yet another software solution for you to consider. FabulaTech has recently released a beta of their USB Over Network system, allowing for multiple Windows-based computers to connect to a shared USB device by running a small client while maintaining plug-and-play functionality.

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The uses may be limited, but there's no denying that having a full-fledged webserver on a USB stick is undoubtedly cool. CH Software has taken the best of the freeware open-source server software and bundled them together with a free Start utility that runs from the flash drive without the need to install on the host Windows PC.

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Feeling the urge to spy on backup some keystrokes? DesignREM has released a corporate version of the KeyPhantom, taking the onboard memory from 128KB to 512KB and boosting the processing power to 90 million instructions per second - because it "just has to be faster" than an iPod nano.

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What? A radio that simultaneously fills our need for technology with our love of nostalgia? Germany's Teac has fit the bill with the SL-D900, blending a 50's style radio with a CD player and digital clock/readout. But what really gets the saliva flowing is the support for MP3 audio, both from inexpensive MP3 CDs as well as those stored on a flash drive that can be plugged into the USB port on the front.

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Xmultiple must be obsessed with USB On-The-Go, because it seems they're trying to eliminate the PC from the MP3 player scene. We're talking about their FlashPoint M3 SharePlayer, an expansion of their regular FlashPoint drives that doubles as an MP3 player.

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Creative is playing some catch-up with Apple. Its rival iPod, shipped two months earlier, have been highly praised for its seamless integration with iTunes video, ranging from Podcast to $1.99 TV downloads. When everyone is trying to decide which portable video player to get for this Christmas, Creative timely airdrops the Zen Vision:M video player whose specs look familiar to the iPod. Despite their technical similarities , my in-depth investigation revealed a lot more.

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They're small, they're cuddly, and they're USB. To celebrate 2006, the year of the dog, Imation Japan has released a small plush dog that has a USB drive stuck in it's mouth, along with it's alligator and hippopotamus friends.

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Wireless is truly a blessing for eliminating cable runs and mobile laptop users, but it's also a tedious pain in the rear when you can't maintain a working connection. Several products such as the Cantenna are made with the single purpose of boosting your range by the use of a directional antenna, although this only works if you have a wireless card in the first place and it happens to have an antenna port. Fret not, Hawking Technologies has come up with a dish of a solution to this potential dilemma.

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Unotron has announced a new version of what every hospital should (hopefully) be using, if not the public schools - a washable mouse. The ScrollSeal Washable Optical Mouse is designed to be doused in harsh antibacterial concoctions without being damaged for quick sterilization.

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Inspired by BIOS: Video amateurs that want to start burning DVDs of their home videos but don't have a digital camcorder need to look no further than LG's external £100 GSA-5169D Super Multi DVD Rewriter, the first DVD burner from the company with the ability to capture analog video.

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Mac users finally have a VoIP handset of their own to use, the IPEVO Free-1. Available in both black and white, the wired USB phone seamlessly integrates with Skype for both PC to PC and PC to Phone (SkypeOut) calls, and can even leave voicemails at the touch of a button. Nine different ringers are available. Unfortunately while the PC support is tried and true, the Mac support is only in beta at this stage, but for only $30 it would still seem like a good investment if you place a lot of Skype calls.

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Icron has updated their line of USB 2.0 range extenders today with the introduction of three new models that not only increase the number of USB ports extended, but also the range... to a staggering 10 kilometers!

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Ever get the feeling that flash drives are too cliché? You're probably on you own as far as that goes, but take comfort in knowing that there are credit card size alternatives from Walletex to replace those infernal neck weights.

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Hmm... According to ZDNet's The Apple Core, Apple will be dropping FireWire 400 altogether from their first Intel-powered iBooks, which reportedly will sport a nice 16:9 13.3" screen. It won't be a surprise if this comes true since Apple has dropped the FireWire option from the new video iPods. And Apple has started integrating iSight into consumer computers, starting with iMac G5.

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Not content with the way things were, Logitech took another jab at creating a high-end webcam for laptops and ultimately deciding on replacing the QuickCam for Notebooks Pro with the QuickCam for Notebooks Pro. No, it doesn't make sense to us either, but since it's boasting new Video Effects features to play around with and a 1.3MP sensor with RightLight all crammed into a smaller enclosure, we just had to put this new revision to the test. Read on to see how it fared.

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Wisair has renewed the interest in USB today with their announcement of the first Certified Wireless USB hub. While it's still a reference design, the offering including a WUSB PC dongle and a WUSB hub has shed light on the availability of the first commercial product.

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We just managed to pick one of these up and thought it'd be nice to share it with you. Behold the USB Mini Lava Lamp, that surprisingly works like a real lava lamp. Of course USB isn't nearly powerful enough to heat wax, but the convection currents created by the tiny bulb are enough to create a constantly flowing current of glitter that does a nice job of reflecting light in all different directions, just take a look for yourself.

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Inspired by Akihabara News: Thanko's gone off the deep end again, and this time they're selling a USB-powered Japanese paper lamp that doubles as a 2 watt stereo speaker set. Is it just us or does Thanko need to find a US-based distributor, somewhere along the time-frame of now?! Our speaker-less LED lights pale in comparison..

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Just a heads-up, Boynq's Cubite hybrid USB hub and bus-powered speaker (analog audio) is finally shipping on Amazon.com's website for $50.

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Creative Japan has spilled the beans on the latest Zen to hit the waves, the Zen Vision:M. While the 3.7" VGA screen that was on the original Zen Vision has been replaced with a smaller 2.5" QVGA (320x240), we applaud the decision because it leaves more room for a control set we all know works, taken directly from the Zen Micro.

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If you're looking for whatever happened to the GameOptics X1620 external USB LCD display that used to be sold on ThinkGeek, stop looking. The new model is here, and is ready to distract you from your games no less than four lines at a time.

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Want to entertain your guests to the latest in your MP3 collection, without showing off the potentially radioactive UV junk in your computer? The Japanese Evergreen Corporation might have something a bit more tame that would do the trick. Take a look at their 2.1 channel DN-USP913 speaker system, complete with a wired remote with a USB port for playing back music off a flash drive or SD card.

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It'd be pretty awkward seeing someone with a backpack sized Walkman, but if all your old music is on vinyl, that's practically the only way you're gonna get in your daily dose of Led Zeppelin unless you're willing to convert it to the oops-I-degaussed-it cassette tape or not-another-scratch CD. Ion's doing you one better, and has a nifty solution for digitizing your record collection into MP3 with the Turntable USB.

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While there are a few exceptions, it should be taken as a general rule that laptop speakers sound terrible. Headphones fix this easily, but what about when you want to have people listen to that one awesome guitar solo in all its glory? Either you can lug around your 2.1 powered speakers, or a lightweight set that's powered by USB with minimal cabling. Out of courtesy for our backs, we'll go with the latter, and that's why today we're taking a look at the Logitech V20 Notebook Speakers.

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boynq has unleashed on us another wave of designer USB peripherals, with uses ranging from uncluttering your desk to working with Skype or simply bringing USB closer to your fingertips.

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Do you consider a power strip to be fashionable? Us neither, but that isn't stopping boynq from making a USB hub that looks like one. After all, if electrical outlets come in strips, why can't USB ports? The USB Strip comes with 4 ports and a 1m magnetically shielded cable, and is USB 2.0 compatible with white and black versions available.

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As retro as it is handy, the boynq Toastit is the only 7-in-1 card reader that can remind us of our favorite buttered breakfast item. Compatible memory cards include Compact Flash I & II, Memory Stick, MicroDrive, MMC, SecureDigital, and xD.

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One of the many new desk assistants from the designers at boynq, the Stylo looks to organize everything on your desk into one fashionable unit. From the left to right, there's a 3 watt USB-powered (analog audio) speaker with volume controls and passthrough for connecting a headset, and a USB hub for connecting flash drives and other gizmos without reaching behind the computer.

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Take lots of Skype calls? The boynq Notone looks to be an office worker's best friend, with all the phone basics covered. There's a small hole on the topside for keeping a pen handy, with a 3M paper tray underneath for jotting down notes.

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One of the more curious items in boynq's new product lineup is the Bogy, a USB extension for those who like to err.. highlight. The square unit comes with three highlighters (blue, green, yellow) that are stuck into the top of the unit, with the fourth quadrant reserved for a USB 2.0 extension for plugging in tablets, MP3 players, or boynq's matching FlashDisk.

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The design artists at boynq are at it again with their stylish speaker solutions, and this time they're aiming for your eyes as well as your ears. Take a look at their Art4Sound, a USB powered stereo speaker system (analog audio) with a USB 2.0 extension.

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Owners of the Logitech gaming rats who have felt the troubles of black mousepads will be glad to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Logitech has released a firmware update on their website that patches the G5 to 1.1, enabling the mouse to work on more surfaces where tracking would otherwise be an issue.

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USB flash drives save lives. (Hmm, the truth that rhymes.) YAK Biotech Solutions has developed a wearable flash drive that slips on your wrist, containing emergency contacts, medical notes and history filled out electronically, along with a mix of Metallica songs in case you're ever feeling down in the down under.

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Plextor, one of the more reputable drive manufacturers has finally created a true portable DVD burner of its own that doesn't require a power adapter or weigh as much as a sack of oranges. The PX-608U, despite its 22.2mm thickness is feature packed, offering adequate burning speeds, DVD-RAM support, and dual layer recording.

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