We will admit upfront that we never really understood the whole steampunk notion. A Russian dude has started with a Genius mouse and ended up with something that looks like coming from Steamboy - a steampunk anime. However, we would hesitate to call the finished product ergonomic like a Microsoft Natural mouse, but the steampunk mouse the Russian ended up with is more about the looks and craftsmanship than usability and practicality. In the end, the modded mouse looks really cool and like something you would find laying around in the game BioShock. There are no real details on the device so just jump over to the page for more pictures and see for yourself. Permanent Link
CNET put ION's Desk Rocker USB speakers through their paces, looking to quantify the quality of a $99 set of speakers with RCA, 1/8th inch, and USB input jacks that let you double these bookshelf-sitters into recording devices. Not surprisingly, they found the Desk Rockers do a decent job acting as a jack of all trades (so to speak), but aren't particularly stellar options for any one usage: audiophiles will want better sound reproduction, gamers will want a surround option, musicians will need more types of inputs (and possibly better D/A converters, if CNET's statement about higher volume distortion is any indication), etc. However, for anyone getting started in those areas, investing $100 as a down payment towards developing a hobby doesn't seem like too much to ask. Permanent Link
Thinking about getting a USB microphone (or four) but have questions about their usefulness - or need recommendations on models? So did EQ Magazine, so they did a feature, available on their online version. We suspect it's an upload from the print version of the magazine, which probably explains why the article jumps around from general explanation to review and back again, but the technical information is solid. More importantly, it's written by audio people from an audio perspective, so you're getting the sort of information you need to make some informed decisions about whether or not to add USB microphones to your recording arsenal. The quick verdict: USB microphones aren't just for podcasters anymore. Permanent Link
We know many people who like pranks and gags to play on their friends and coworkers. With the importance of computers today many people choose to play their pranks in some sort of digital form to make the computer user think something is wrong with their system. If you are the digital prankster type your latest prank is here and it's called the Haunted USB cable. The cable itself is a dead ringer for that Hacked Flash drive we talked about a few weeks back. Rather than cramming some flash storage in the cable, the Haunted USB Cable adds software that that simulates a problem with the user's keyboard. The software adds random keystrokes at intervals between 30 seconds and 30 minutes. If the user looks at the back of the computer to see that everything is plugged in correctly, they will see nothing but a USB cable with a frayed end. We will say this, if you use this gag in your office the only person you are rally going to be pranking is the IT guy.If you really want to scare a coworker, just start using the body mouse. Permanent Link
Evidently, there is a market for computer stuff that doesn't look like computer stuff. Just consider the Mimobot line of flash drives that look like Star Wars characters rather than the simple flash drives they really are. If you like the idea of the Mimobot and have wished you could get a real hard drive with hundreds of gigabytes of storage that doesn’t look like the average external hard drive - Meninos can hook you up. Meninos has a line of external hard drives that are inside your typical square-ish USB connected enclosure. If you order the enclosure with a drive in it, you can get 250GB, 320GB, 400GB, and 500GB versions. You can also simply order the enclosure and choose the vinyl stickers that change the drive into a piece of art (supposedly). Some of the cool designs include Pulp, which looks like Samuel L. Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction, and you can get cereal box designs too. The price for the enclosure alone is $250. Prices for the enclosure and hard drive range from $400 for 250GB to $620 for 500GB. Permanent Link
If you have to sit in a chair in front of a computer all day, you know how much of a pain in the back it can be. You could get one of those blue lumbar cushions or try to talk your boss into a fancy ergonomic chair. You could even try to talk the cute receptionist into giving you a shoulder rub, though you might get fired. An alternative is the USB/In-Car back massager that can run from your cigarette lighter in the car or from the USB port of your computer in the office. The massager has for modes including kneading, tapping, shiatsu, and rolling. You can also control the strength of the massage with low, medium, and high settings as well as controlling the massage rhythm with high, medium, and low settings. An attached remote control gives you control over all features of the massager. The design of the massager fits onto the back of your chair so you should still be able to use your USB butt cooler as well. You can get your massager for £39.99. Permanent Link
I can't count how many times over the years I have wanted to take a hammer to my computer for one reason or another. I am sure you have felt the same way at some point. If you like to make people look at you funny while you are looking at your computer; you may well have some odd flash drives like the Hacked flash drive we checked out a while back. If that was not odd enough for you, Plankton (not the tiny green nemesis of Sponge Bob and Mr. Crab) has a very interesting flash drive that looks like a giant nail driven into your computer. The drive is called Nailed and is made from polyurethane and iron. The drive measures 90 x 34mm, and has 1GB of flash storage. The price to get nailed is 29 euro and I am not sure if you can get one in the US. Permanent Link
Let's face it, it really sucks when you are out with your mobile phone, iPod or other electronic device and you run out of juice. If your device charges with mini USB, your days of running out of power could be over thanks to Duracell's new PowerSource Mini. The device comes in two versions with one designed to power iPods and the other for Blackberry devices. Both have a mini USB connector as well. The PowerSource Mini uses an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and has a pivoting mini USB arm for connecting to electronic devices. Duracell says that a second USB port allows you to charge an additional device at the same time. Duracell also ships an AC adapter and DC charger that each has a USB port with the PowerSource Mini. I would rather have something like the IOGear Rescue Charger personally that uses AA batteries. Then I can keep charging as long as I can get my hands on fresh batteries. Permanent Link
Headsets are a gaming necessity for the hard core gamer and for those who want to game late into the night without being yelled at by other people in the house. USB headsets are nothing new and we have looked at Tritton AXPC and Creative HS-1200 before. Creative has a new set of headphones that connect to your PC via USB and are powered by its X-Fi technology. The headset is called the Creative Fatal1ty USB Gaming Headset, and it promises positional audio to help gamers tell whether an enemy is behind them or to the left or right from sound alone. The headphones also feature a detachable mic and inline volume control. Drivers for the headphones are 40mm neodymium and the mic features noise-cancelling technology. The ear cups are enclosed and padded for comfort. The Fatal1ty USB Gaming headset is available now for $79.99. Permanent Link
For the most part, I am a big fan of convergence. I like it when one item can serve more than one purpose, but sometimes convergence goes wrong and you end up with a spectacularly ugly gadget. Case in point is the USB 4-in-1 Webcam from Brando. The device wraps a USB fan and USB light into the same package as a USB webcam. The USB 4-in-1 Web Cam has a suction cup on the bottom so you can attach it to most smooth surfaces. The fan is a dual blade design and is on a separate and adjustable stalk from the webcam and mic. Around the webcam are six LED lights that can be used as a desk lamp and add light for better video recording on the webcam. The dimensions for the device are 75 x 75 x 228 mm and it retails for $23. Brando says the mic will work with any chat software. Permanent Link
Green is good when it comes to computer gear and many manufacturers are introducing green products. We have looked at green external hard drives before with the Kanguru Eco Drive. We have also seen Turbo USB drives before, like the Buffalo MiniStation, that promise more speed than normal USB hard drives. What we haven't seen is a drive combining both Turbo USB and green features. Today Fabrik introduced a new SimpleTech [re]drive that claims to be the world's most eco-friendly external hard drive using Turbo USB. The Turbo USB feature promises 25% more speed than normal USB 2.0. The [re]drive uses less power to save electricity and the housing is made from recycled aluminum and bamboo. Even the box the drive ships in is green - it's made from 100% recycled material. Software for automated backups is also shipped with the drive and it can save data online for added security. The 500GB [re]drive is available now for $159. Permanent Link
If the hot temperatures outside didn't tip you off already, summer is officially here. Each summer Thanko whips out a laundry list of really weird and questionably useful USB gear to help us keep cool. Thanko isn't the only company guilty of trying t pry cash from our hands with odd cooling peripherals; GTECH did it with its USB OptiWind Mouse. The perfect companion to the mouse is the new USB Cooler Keyboard from Thanko. You can pretty much gather what the device is supposed to do from the name. You hook it to your PC via a USB port and you can type away on the keyboard using a standard QWERTY layout and a full number pad. Slots in the wrist rest area blow air on your wrists to keep you cool and the fan has an on/off switch. Like all Thanko products, this one is dubious in its value. We can't say that we have ever been so hot a nice breeze on my wrists was needed. Permanent Link
We have said on several occasions that we don't happen to find the Mimobot's particularly appealing. Despite that the maker of the Mimobot's, Mimoco announced in late June that its third generation of Star Wars themed drives was getting ready to launch and that a contest would be held to win free drives. The contest required users to guess what Star Wars character would be features in Series 3. All the really cool and iconic characters were featured in Series 2 if you ask us. The contest is now over and all the Series 3 Star Wars Mimobot's have been announced. Series 3 includes C-3PO, Wicket (an Ewok), Emperor's Royal Guard, and Darth Sidious. The drives are available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB capacities and ship preloaded with software including mimoByte sound software and the mimoDesk personalization suite of icons. All of them are being built in limited quantities and can be ordered right now starting at $49.95 for the 1GB and going up to $109.95 for the 8GB versions. Permanent Link
Certified Wireless USB and Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology promised a lot to home and office users. Promises include the ability to send lots of data wirelessly over short distances with low power requirements and the ability to cut lots of the cables running to and from our computers. Despite these promises WUSB and UWB technology have not taken off. A few devices shipped in 2007, but no native devices have yet hit market. One of the main reasons for this is the current high price of the actual UWB silicon. According to In-Stat the market penetration of USB and WUSB won't increase until the price drops for the silicon. The price for the technology is expected to decrease and while only 100,000 WUSB devices shipped in 2007, In-Stat predicts that the total will be more than 190 million by 2012. In-Stat's Brian O'Rourke says that UWB and WUSB will succeed because the technology offers a solution no other technology can. In May IMS Research said the same things about WUSB so In-Stat isn't alone in the prognosis for UWB and WUSB technology. Permanent Link
USB gadgets can be a very odd lot. We have looked at some strange ways to get your message out to people powered by the beloved USB port before like the USB magic Wand and the Lex device for your bicycle spokes. If you are a cubicle jockey flailing your arms wildly about with the USB wand will probably get you fired and you can't very well ride your bike through the office. Enter the USB LED Message Board from Brando. You can plug the 85mm x 20mm x 55mm device into your USB port and program the messages that you want the screen to display. The red scrolling LED lights will write out up to 8 messages and you can choose from 8 different scroll speeds. Wav sound effects are supported and the display can support up to 12 bit map images. The device supports Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. The message board will be available in August for $27. Permanent Link
Creative is one of the top DAP makers in the world behind (way behind) Apple with its world beating iPod line. We have never looked at a Creative player and thought, wow this looks cool. The ZEN X-Fi is boxy and rather ugly and the simplistic Zen Krystal is nothing overly spectacular to our eyes. This week, Creative Zen Mosaic comes along, and shows us they can be creative after all. The Creative ZEN Mosaic can play music and videos as well as display photos. The device comes in pink, black and silver colors and all three share the same mosaic design for the controls with different hues and colors alternating on the keys. The pricing for the Mosaic is decent with the 2GB version going for $99.99 and a 4GB model selling $129. The player weighs 43g, measures 79.5 x 40 x 12.8mm, and promises up to 32 hours of continuous playback on one charge. The screen is a smallish 1.8" TFT LCD, but at least the Mosaic has a built-in speaker on the back. Permanent Link
The computer mouse has been one of the most import devices for controlling the PC for decades. The technology behind the input device has changed from mechanical ball to optical then to laser as the years have gone by. Now some analysts believe that the days of the computer mouse are almost over. Gartner analyst Steve Prentice believes that we will see the end of the computer mouse in only 5 years. According to the analyst our Razer Lachesis mouse will be replaced with facial recognition systems, multi-touch and perhaps interesting devices like the OCZ Neural Actuator. We will be very shocked if the mouse is actually gone in 5-years myself, but stranger things have happened. Prentice says that the keyboard is here to stay. Honestly, we would think voice recognition software would be able to replace the keyboard before the mouse is extinct. Permanent Link
Creative intends their HS-1200 2.4Ghz wireless boom-mic-equipped cans to appeal to the hardcore gamer who's tied up in knots by irritating wires. However, while it's true that the full duplex operation and USB connection are both pluses that mean that you can use the HS-1200 without worrying about a soundcard, its profile does not mention one crucial feature that any set of gaming headphones should have: surround sound. This is where X-Fi comes in. Creative's proprietary CMSS-3D can upmix stereo sources up to 7.1 channels, offering virtual 3D during headphone mode - obviously activated all the time for the HS-1200. As with other X-Fi offerings, these cans are also able to restore compressed audio quality through 24-bit Crystalizer. Result is largely a matter of perception, and depend on the type of audio being played. Creative didn't specify whether these X-Fi exclusive functions are implemented with the aid of DSP or in software, the latter of which could take a toll on the CPU resource. This HS-1200 headset has dedicated earcup VoIP control buttons on the right can, and its Li-ion battery can be fully recharged via USB in 2.5 hours for up to 8 hours of non-stop playback. You'll get up to 22m range in open space. Creative HS-1200 gaming headset is available now for $99.99 (MSRP). Permanent Link
We can thank DisplayLink - touted as UbiSync by Samsung - for the ability to connect new displays to our PCs with nothing more than a simple USB connection like the Samsung SyncMaster 940UX LCD we tested before. One of the cool things that the technology allows for is a display that can be used for PC stuff like showing emails or web pages and then can be used to show digital photos when you don't need it for work. Samsung has announced a new SPF-105P digital photo frame with a 1024 x 600 resolution and a 10.2-inch screen size that connects to a PC via USB and can be used as a secondary display. The Samsung SPF-105P frames 10.2" screen is significantly larger than the 7-inch screen we saw on the similar ASUS UFOTO UF735. The frame uses a rechargeable battery so it doesn't need to be plugged into the wall and has 1GB of internal memory for storing photos. The display has 300 cd/m2 brightness and a contrast ratio of 500:1. The frame measures 11.37" x 7.81" x 1.8" and weighs 2.18 pounds. Permanent Link
Some computer users really feel the need to take advantage of a wrist rest when using a mouse. I’ve never felt the need for one myself and actually find them rather uncomfortable. Anyhow, the UR.Frog is one of the first USB wrist rests I have seen and it looks like a frog to boot making it doubly odd. When you plug the silicone rest into a USB port it has lights that glow. Plugging the Ur.Frog into your PC USB port also enables it to be used as a controller for some games offered by the maker of the frog device. At this time the website lists only one game that has a frog on screen trying to eat flies. To make the frogs tongue shoot out and grab the flies you whack the Ur.Frog wrist rest. The harder you hit the Ur.Frog device the farther the frogs tongue goes. Just be warned, if you whip this frog wrist rest out at a LAN party along with your Razer Tarantula you may have some issues. Frogs eat spider’s right? Permanent Link
The keyboard has come a long way from the days of being a simple input device and much of the advancement in keyboard design has come from the needs of the gamer. Long (long, long) ago we first saw a mock up of the Optimus Maximus keyboard that used tiny little OLED screens for the keys. That keyboard taunted us with vision of sweetness for years before it finally came to market in 2007 at a price few were willing to pay despite how cool the keyboard is. The makers of the Optimus Maximus keyboard, Art Lebedev Studio's, have announced it is working on a new project that will go along side the Optimus Maximus and the Mini Three devices already on the market. The new device is called the Optimus Pultius and sports 15 keys. The Pultius looks like a number pad and has the same OLED keys we are familiar with. The device also has on USB port for connecting other devices as well. Pricing is unknown and availability is set for late 2008 or early 2009. Permanent Link
There are several common threads that unite geekdom. Two of the biggest threads are the love for digital gadgets and a love for animated shows like The Simpsons. The Simpsons Shop has found a way to pair the iPod and The Simpsons together that is sure to make geeks as happy as Homer with a sixer of Duff. You can get several Simpsons customized iPods that are engraved with Simpsons characters. The iPods available include the iPod classic in 80GB and 160GB, iPod nano in 4GB and 8GB, the iPod Shuffle in 1GB and 8GB, and the iPod Touch 8GB, 16GB and 32GB. The engravings available include Bart SK8, Home Tested and Homer D'OH!. Prices range from $89 for the 1GB nano to $599 for the iPod Touch 32GB. Permanent Link
Long ago in the earlier days of PC gaming Microsoft was a big maker of all sorts of gaming peripherals from joysticks to other devices. Microsoft left the gaming peripheral business for a number of years and then in late 2007 it revived its SideWinder gaming division with the introduction of its SideWinder gaming mouse. There is a new rumor and photo going around about a new SideWinder X6 gaming keyboard that looks much cooler than its Razer powered Reclusa. The guys at Crave are unsure if it’s simply a fake or a really product shot from Microsoft that was leaked. The story originally hit Engadget and like many things a good way to tell if the keyboard is real is if Microsoft forces the story to be taken down. At any rate, the X6 is notable for the removable number pad that can be positioned on either the right or left side of the keyboard. This is a very cool feature for gamers who like to bind commands to the number pad, but want to activate them without having to take a hand off the mouse while playing. The X6 will reportedly go on sale in September for $80. Permanent Link
Most geeks I know don't even wear watches anymore, I know I don't. I just use the clock on my iPhone if I need the time. Still sometimes a watch would be nice and if you are the type of geek who really likes watches, but you don't want a plain watch there are some suitably geeky timepieces available. We have looked at the grandfatherly looking digital photo watch before, but its rather boring looking. We have also seen the way cool looking Kronos with the USB drive built-in as well. Today we find a watch that falls somewhere between these two watches. The Timeless Watch looks old school, and rather like something that I won in a gumball machine when I was eight. The watchband looks like it is made out of a ribbon cable from inside a PC. The clasp is the USB connector and the watch gets its power from your USB port apparently. As for the display, it's a simple LCD that shows the time and date in circa 1980 fashion. If you want one of these you are out of luck, it appears to be nothing more than a design concept. Perhaps you can rig one up for yourself. Permanent Link
Those leading an active lifestyle will come to appreciate the built-in pedometer and stopwatch on this unannounced Creative Zen Krystal MP3 player. First discovered on the company's Hong Kong site, the $90 Krystal can track your running speed, distance and calories burnt. Its all so small 0.7" single-color OLED is probably not good for anything except for the pedometer function and a glimpse at the ID3 tag. If Creative didn't put the dimensions, we would have mistaken the size of the Krystal to be a tad larger than just 57 x 37 x 10.9mm. The site mentions games, including Hurdle Race, Catch & Dodge and Dice Roll; this is new since Creative doesn't traditionally ship games with its DAPs. Krystal's battery life stands at healthy 10 hours - more than enough time to exhaust yourself from marathon. Accessories include a pouch, a wristband, an ordinary pair of earbuds and a USB cable for recharging the integrated Li-ion battery. Nike+ SportBand is a similar device sans the MP3 player function, but it comes with an online coach, and you can challenge others to a marathon over the Internet. Permanent Link
Music fans tend to have vast libraries of digital tracks stored on their computers and PMPs like the iPod. Samson has announced a pair of new StudioDock systems that are aimed at users looking to hear their digital music from more than one device. The Samson StudioDock 3i features USB connectivity allowing users to play digital music libraries from their PCs on the speakers. On the top of the StudioDock 3i is an iPod dock compatible with most iPod’s including the nano. The dock can sync, charge and allows for playback of music from the iPod. The StudioDock 3i has 3-inch magnetically shielded speakers with a 25mm silk dome high frequency driver. Power for the dock is 15 watts per speaker and the system features a front panel 3.5mm aux input, headphone output and volume control. The MSRP for the StudioDock 3i is $149 per pair. Samson also announced a StudioDock 4i that offers the same features but has 20W of power per speaker and larger 4.25-inch drivers. Permanent Link
Setting a WiFi network has long been known as challenging, particularly for the uninitiated. One has possess at least some background knowledge of WiFi devices to make sense of what's going on. To ease the whole process, Wi-Fi Alliance came up with WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) that lets you configure a secure network via either of the 2 options: entering PIN from a sticker label on the device and push button config. in which users are prompted to press the WPS button on both router and adapter to connect. The latest Asus USB-N11 adapter adopts both security methods. In addition to supporting WPS, the dongle is fully draft-n 2.0 compliant (max. 150Mbps) while backward compatible with 802.11b/g. What amazes us is that the Asus USB-N11 is also universally compatible with every operating systems, from Linux to Mac, Windows 2000, XP, Vista and even the least popular Vista 64-bit. We heard nothing yet on the pricing and availability, butwith its platform friendliness and security, this baby is as unique as it gets. Permanent Link
Flash drives come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but if you want one that evokes nostalgia, look no further than the MIXA 2. It is sequel to last year's successful USB tape cassette, and the most notable improvement is the retractable USB connector. You can either outfit the sleeve with your own custom design and optionally spice it up with 'mixa bits', or simply pick one of the pre-made images. The color of the tape however is limited to black, white and turquoise. The recent re-launch means the MIXA can fit into a conventional tape box, but MIXA is still going to need a USB extension cable considering how wide the drive is. This is no doubt another novelty flash drive so don't expect to slip it inside your tape deck for MP3 playback through your car stereo. The MIXA tape (1GB only) goes for £19.99, worldwide shipping will come at extra cost. Permanent Link
Mac developers sometime have too much time on their hands. This USBCat utility written exclusively for PowerPC-powered Apple machines really does nothing except makes your Mac meows when a USB peripheral is connected or disconnected. Looks like it has received warm reception for something with very limited application. General consensus is that the USBCat should be re-complied with XCode to make it Universal Binaries and that it should have an option to bark as well. Permanent Link
Usually when you shop for a digital camera you get everything digital, including the gauges. Not all that surprising really. What if your digital camera used some analog components? That sounds a bit like an oxymoron, but that is exactly what Samsung has done on its TL9 camera. The Samsung TL9 digital camera is a small point-and-shoot with 10-megapixels of resolution. It also features Dual Image Stabilization. All pretty common stuff. Where things get different and go analog is in a pair of gauges atop the camera. The dual analog gauges show battery life and the amount of storage left in the memory is a very gas gauge-like fashion. It adds an interesting flair to a fairly cheap camera retailing for about $280. The camera also features a 2.7-inch LCD and has a 5x internal optical zoom. The TL9 has MP3 and PMP capabilities as well. Smile Shot is also featured to activate the shutter when a framed subject smiles. The small camera measures 3.74" x 2.36" x 0.84". Permanent Link
If you are tied to your desk all day and your boss gives you the evil eye if you get up for coffee too often you probably find that it's cold before you finish it all. You probably also keep your fancy creamer stashed in your desk somewhere lest your co-workers use it all up, so you will need a stirrer as well no doubt. What you need is a device like this Heat Me USB Stirrer. Its serves two uses, plug it into your USB port and it heats your drink and you can use it to stir in your creamer as well. The catch is twofold. First it seems this thing is just a concept, and second I'm not sure I would want liquid that close to my computer. If you need something to keep your drinks warm right now you'll have to make do with the less cool USB drink warmer and cooler. Permanent Link
The Kingston DataTraveler Terra Cotta is made just in time for either Universal's upcoming Mummy 3 movie or Beijing Olympics 2008. Well, it probably doesn't matter anyway. The limited edition 4GB flash drive is engraved with the image of a Terra Cotta warrior that is a form of the funerary art buried with the Emperor of Qin. The whole Terracotta army was discovered in 1974 by locals in Shaanxi province in China; the original figures stand as tall as 6 ft. high, and also include chariots, acrobats and musicians. (The $43 flash drive however only measures at 2.6" x 0.4 x 0.8".) The 7000-figure collection was regarded as the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. This place is worth a visit if you have a chance to visit China. As for the DataTraveler itself, the chassis is made of zinc, and comes with a 5-year warranty. We only hope Kingston has spare caps left should we need replacements. Permanent Link
Clock Radios are one of those things we have to deal with. Sometimes it's nice to have an alarm clock, say if you won the lottery and are waiting for the time to claim your loot. Other times, like Monday mornings, the alarm clock is a tool of Satan. At least if you have to deal with your alarm clock, it should be a cool alarm clock like the Philips digital frame and alarm clock. Even cooler than that is Philips' new AJL305/05 clock radio that has five 1.5-inch displays built-in. The displays can show five photos at 128 x 128 resolution and rotate them in a slideshow. The clock can also show a calendar and record voice messages for your family. Its internal memory allows for up to 20 photos and can record up to 2 minutes of audio. When it comes time to get up the clock can wake you to your music, FM radio or an alarm all with progressive volume. You upload images into the clock from a PC via USB. Permanent Link
Music fans often can't stand to be without their tunes no matter what they are doing. In the car, on the bus, outside-- they want music everywhere. JVC let music fans have tunes in the tub with its floating MP3 player. That was fine for the bath takers, but what about those who prefer a shower? Net Japan has the solution for the shower musicophile that wants tunes while they shower in the morning called the Juke Tower. The device is about the size of your bottle of shampoo and even has a clock built-in so you don't stay in the shower too long. Power for the device comes from a trio of AA batteries (or a trio of USBCell) that provide 12 hours of playback. Music for the player is stored on a removable USB flash drive (not included). The price is $129.99 and you can get yours now. Permanent Link
With digital cameras we can shoot all the images we want, delete the ones we don't like and see them as soon as we take the picture. Thanks to small photo printers like the HP Photosmart A716 we can also print the images wherever we are for sharing immediately. HP has a new compact and portable Photosmart printer called the A630. The little printer has a 4.8" touchscreen, which HP claims is the largest available on a portable photo printer. The printer produces photo lab quality shots that are smudge free and fade resistant. Photos can also be edited from the printer. Prints can be made in 5 x 7, 4 x 6 and 4 x 12 panoramas. HP says 4 x 6 prints can be made in only 27 seconds. The printer also features Bluetooth to allow wireless printing from camera phones and other devices. The A630 will retail for $149. Permanent Link
Have you ever noticed that most all of the USB drives around look the same? Flash drives tend to be about the same size and being the same as others is a big problem with many computer users. Just look at all the Mac heads if you need proof of the need to be different. If you want to mess with a few people and get a flash drive that looks different at the same time Fred & Friends has the storage device. The little gizmo is called Hacked! The OH!*#% Flash Drive. It looks like a normal USB cable that has been cut and frayed, but has 2GB of storage inside. To those around you they will either think you had something stolen from your computer or walked off while your printer was plugged in and ripped the cable in half, sort of like grandma did with the gas pump that time. Put one of these drives and the DIY keyboard key flash drives in your machine and you will get some weird looks. Permanent Link
All is not well in Apple land with some buyers of the new iPhone 3G. Many of the iPhone 3G buyers already own an iPod or the first generation iPhone and have multiple accessories to go along with it from speakers to docks. Many of these new iPhone 3G owners are finding that their pricy accessories won't work with the iPhone 3G. Users have complained that many accessories that worked with the original iPhone, like the Bose SoundDock, won't operate with the iPhone 3G. Exactly why the accessories won't work with the new iPhone 3G isn't known. Some speculate it's because the original iPhone would work with USB or FireWire connectivity to accessories and the new iPhone 3G is USB exclusively. If you have an iPhone 3G, be sure to buy accessories like the Macally PowerLink that specifically say they work with the iPhone 3G. Permanent Link
This picture clearly depicts the the perfect application of Displaylink USB video technology (while secondary functions are found on Samsung 7" LCD sidekick and Asus photo frame. In the rather grim future of the financial sector, we don't think they will be needing new monitors anytime soon. If everything picks up in a few years' time, LG's new L226WU is going to sell like hot cakes. The new USB 22" LCD monitor is built for multi-screen environment in mind. With a notebook's screen serving as a primary display, you can have an additional six more of these LCD units via daisy-chaining. Each can be rotated from landscape to portrait and vice versa without the use of GUI. The current DisplayLink DL-160 core can boast up to 1680 x 1050 (16:10), which is the maximum resolution the L226WU offers. The panel supports a 1000:1 contrast ratio; 176-degree view angle; and a 2ms response time. HDMI is absent in this model, and even support for HDCP through DVI-D remains a question. As for sales target, In-Stat recently projected USB network displays to exceed 40 million units by 2011. USB 3.0 will likely be available by then to further boost performance. To find out how USB monitors generally, check out the Samsung 940UX review. Permanent Link
Microsoft is more known for its anti-trust suits and software like Windows and Office. Microsoft is also into the peripherals sector in a big way with hoards of peripherals from gaming mice and keyboards to wireless desktop sets for the office worker. We have even looked at several Microsoft mice here like the fantastic VX Nano notebook mouse and the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000. In direct contrast to the way Microsoft tends to name products, with lots of words and names that beg to be sung to the tune of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a new wireless mouse was leaked recently simply called the Microsoft Arc. Not much information is available on the Arc, but what we do know is that it is wireless and has a rear half that folds to make storage easier. The Arc is set to hit stores for the holiday shopping season at $59.95. Permanent Link
When a notebook is plugged in, its highest performance mode kicks in and then the bottom of the machine can get uncomfortably warm by the minute. It is also particularly unhealthy when you are enjoying a TV show with notebook on your lap, the heat might contribute to infertility. For whatever reasons, you need a laptop stand when working on a couch. This is where the Belkin Laptop Cooling Lounge comes in. With an adjustable-height mechanism and a wider footprint, the USB laptop cooler works with even a mega-sized 17" laptop while still keeps heat off your legs. It's certainly an improvement over the company's first gen. notebook cooler, despite both being a single-fan design. And unlike the three-fan NZXT Cryo LX unit that is clearly targeted for stationary cooling stand, the $40 Cooling Lounge is far more portable. Permanent Link
You might think that all keyboards are the same; after all they pretty much look the same and have the same keys. Gamers will tell you a bad keyboard will cause nothing buy headaches when you are playing from ghosting that keeps your movements going when you release the movement keys to closing to Windows when you hit the wrong button. A good gaming keyboard is important to a gamer. OCZ now has its new Elixir gaming keyboard available for purchase. The Elixir is very similar visually to the Razer Tarantula and has some similar features as well. The Elixir has ten tri-mode programmable macro keys along with keys for mode selection, pop-up menu shortcut, and Windows Media Player control. The keys are coated with non-slip rubber and the Elixir has two USB ports. The membrane keys promise a lifespan of 5 million activations. The best part is that the Elixir is about half the cost of gaming keyboards like the Logitech G15 and Razer Lycosa at a MSRP of $29.99. Permanent Link
If you are like me, you may have never heard of iBurst. iBurst is a wireless mobile broadband specification that is used in commercial wireless WANs. The specification is defined by the IEEE 802.20 group for a low-cot, always-on mobile network with peak data rates of over 1 Mbits/s. Kyocera is one of the main hardware providers for the specification and it has announced a new and updated USB modem for iBurst simply called the USB Wireless Broadband Modem for iBurst. The modem can be directly connected to a USB port on a host computer or can be connected via a cradle using a USB cable. The modem operates on a 5MHz bandwidth and provides up to 24Mbps download and up to 8Mbps upload per iBurst base station. Permanent Link
Brando has been launching new SATA HDD docks at a furious pace recently. Its latest dock does what you expect by allowing you to insert a SATA drive into it and use it as external storage. However, its new SATA HDD Multimedia Dock now combines the function of the traditional USB SATA dock with a media center. The HDD dock supports both 2.5-inch SATA HDD and 3.5-inch SATA HDDs and connects to the PC via USB 2.0. The device supports MPEG-1/2/4, XviD, Divx 3.11/4.x/5.x video formats and MP3, WMA, and WAV audio. Image formats include JPEG, BMP, and GIF. And outputs for AV connectivity include AV out, S-video and component video. The dock doesn't seem like it supports optical for surround sound though. The dock retails for $84.00, $25.00 of which is the shipping cost. Permanent Link
For a flagship MP3 player of a company, Creative ZEN X-Fi brings a several firsts. For starters, the ZEN X-Fi offers onboard WiFi, which isn't limited to just instant messaging on Yahoo and MSN with its nine-button interface, but also wireless streaming and downloading tunes from a PC. The WiFi 802.11b/g module is exclusive to 16GB and 32GB, however. We aren't entirely sure if Creative will lose the keypad on the WiFi-less 8GB model in the absence of the online options. The DAP as the name suggests is also the first to feature the company's patented X-Fi - a two-way audio enhancement that restores lost detail due to file compression and that adds range effect to the audio. Creative's premium in-ear EP-830 earbuds are bundled to make the best out of the X-Fi acoustic experience. Unfortunately for a flagship player, the ZEN X-Fi's 2.5" screen is rather smallish. You'll find an onboard speaker, SDHC expansion slot and FM radio/recorder included in the ZEN X-Fi. Permanent Link
Video is the driving force behind the so-called Internet 2.0 phenomenon which has seen video sharing sites like YouTube blow up is a huge way. To make it easier for users to put their videos on YouTube manufacturers have rushed to get camcorders to market specifically for the YouTube user like the high-end JVC Everio GZ-MS100 and the entry-level Flip Mino. Samsung has announced an upgrade to its previous YouTube camcorder, the SC-MX10, called the SC-MX20. The SC-MX20 has a 34x optical zoom lens, image stabilization and face detection. It stores video to SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB and can store up to 4 hours of video per 8GB SDHC card thanks to H.264 compression. Resolution for the videos recorded is 740 x 480 (adjusted to 640 x 480 MP4/AAC during Web & Mobile mode), and the standard definition-only camcorder will be available in August for $279.99. This is certainly a nice way to push non-HD camcorders, and Google must also be getting a share of this. Permanent Link
We've waited long enough for this day. Drobo 2nd version now gets FireWire 800 in addition to USB 2.0, but for those of us who only need the slower USB 2.0, you can get the original generation Drobo for $349 - a $150 price cut after the $200 slash from May last year - until they clear their inventory. It does still sound a lot even for hassle-free data reluctancy without the actual storage. When you slide in 4 SATA 750GB HDDs in a Drobo, the system gives you an effective 2TB of replicated drive space, which you can safely rely on for your primary storage. The new Drobo remains a 4-drive slot system; adds the 2 FireWire ports; upgrades to an enhanced processor which also improves the USB performance; and installs a new fan that makes for a quieter operation. If you need the extra speed, the much improved Drobo 2 is still $499. Feel kinda bad for the folks who shelled out for the USB-only version just a week ago. Preliminary reports are coming in that the 2nd generation is twice as fast as its older cousin; it can now read about 52MB and write at 35MB. Drobo 1 generally performs at between 20MB/s and 24MB/s. Permanent Link
Sony just launches the 8GB Memory Stick Micro (aka. M2) with a compact USB adapter. This is the kind of news that only Sony Ericsson cellphone owners maybe interested in as their handsets' storage can only expand via a M2 card. Technically and physically, the M2 with an adapter maintains compatibility with the current PRO devices, including PS3, PSP and a growing list of digital cameras. The M2 supports dual voltage (1.8V & 3.3V) which is necessary to support both phones and MS PRO Duo devices. Hopefully, the miniatured Memory Stick is the last removable media as its small size has started to become its inconvenience. Permanent Link
So what is a geek to do when he has a serious craving form some pop corn and no popcorn maker handy at the side of the computer or in the cubicle? Make one that is USB powered naturally, I am sure your microwave will be jealous over this mod. Instructables has a video outlining the build process for those looking for something to do. To make your own USB popcorn popper you will need a high intensity heater light, aluminum cup, a mason jar and your corn of choice. Considering that it takes my microwave 5 minutes to pop some corn, I am betting the 5V of power from your USB port will need some serious time to pop. I'm also not sure I would want pop corn oil anywhere near my computer when it is boiling though. The smears from my fingers are hard enough to get off the keyboard. Just be sure you have a cold can of soda in your USB fridge to go along with your pop corn. Video proof after the jump. Permanent Link
The much anticipated EFiX internal USB dongle that promises instant hassle-free Hackintosh finally debuts. The device which essentially allows you to install Leopard from a standard retail DVD on a PC is now available in V1 and V2 versions. The V1 is basically handmade version of the V2, supports a few more mobos, and is the hand-crafted series of just 200 units. This limited version costs €80 ($125). The mass-produced V2 shipping out in about a month should go for a lot less. So far, EFiX has made deal with distributors in Taiwan and Bulgaria so availability is limited to these regions. EFiX requires a desktop PC (obviously) with a vacant USB header. When going through the hardware compatibility list, nVidia is almost universally supported, ATI lags behind quite a bit, only Gigabyte motherboards show up, and a handful of USB sound cards are proven to work in the Hackintosh environment. Our feeling is that the V1/V2 is a work in progress at best. Hopefully, the company will bring us firmwares that make this solution more practical. Permanent Link
If you ask someone to describe the average gamer, odds are they will think of the geeky male teen alone in the basement huddled over a computer. While that might describe some gamers out there, gaming is far from a solitary past time today and many gamers are now female to boot. What has been lacking for female gamers for the most part are some girly colored gaming peripherals. SteelSeries has fixed that with the Iron.Lady bundle. While the bundle lacks the SteelSeries 7g gaming keyboard, it does include the Ikari gaming mouse and a QcK mouse pad both in pink. The SteelSeries Ikari laser mouse may not be as recognizable in the gaming world as say the Microsoft Sidewinder, Logitech G9, or the Razer Lachesis, but hey none of those comes in a suitably girly pink color either. Ladies can get their game on in pink for $95.99. Permanent Link
Like most geeks I really like it when my gadgets converge to offer more capability in the same package. Macally has a new gadget for your iPod or iPhone that offers some very nice features called the PowerLink. The device has a 30-pin connector for connecting to your iPhone or iPod and can provide emergency power for your device. The website doesn't say how big the battery built-in to the device is or how long it will last. In addition to powering your device the Macally PowerLink can also act as a sync cable between your iPod or iPhone and your PC. The device also has 2GB of flash memory inside it allowing you to use it as a flash drive. This should be a great accessory for those iPhone 3G buyers Friday and iPod Touch owners looking for more playtime. The PowerLink retails for $49.99 and will be available soon. Diagram after the jump. Permanent Link
USB hard drives that feature RAID1 data security like the 2TB WD My Book Mirror are nothing new nor are external USB solutions for cloning hard drives like the Apricorn DriveWire. A new device from Brando offers the functionality of both these items in one package. The Brando USB 2.0 to Dual SATA HDD Adapter retails for $69.99 and allows for drive cloning and RAID1 support. The adapter uses a Silicon Image Sil 5744 storage processor to support RAID1 mirroring for data security. The adapter is complaint with SATA 1.0a and USB 2.0 specs. The dual headed connecter plugs into one single USB port and works with both 2.5-inch SATA and 3.5-inch SATA drives. An external power supply is provided. When drives are connected to the adapter they are recognized by the computer as a mass storage device. Supported operating systems include Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. Permanent Link
Certified Wireless USB devices, unlike their wired counterparts, must have a way of handshaking since they may not be paired via a simple USB cable. For consumer electronics with a screen, the bonding process can be done relatively easy through a graphical interface. For the usually screen-less peripherals - such as printers, hard drives, speakers, WiQuest's new PIN association method will come in handy. It basically provides enterprise-level security with the assignment of a unique character key or PIN, up to 28-characters log to every WUSB device. Once the wireless association process begins, software on the PC will prompt for the same PIN printed on the hardware, and the secure pairing is completed upon entering the correct code. This essentially absorbs the cost of a USB cable and a display for products that may not need neither two. For even simpler bonding, specifications for Wireless USB 1.1 allow host/device association by means of contacting each other. Permanent Link
Years ago before I had kids my wife and had a Jack Russell terrier that was always up to no good when he was home alone. On more than one occasion we wondered exactly what he was up to when we were not home. He was also an escape expert and would get out frequently, often coming home with pink fur. I suspect neighborhood kids chalked him up for reasons only a dog and kids understand. I often wished we could attach a camera to him and see exactly what was going on. Were good old Gordy still around I could now see exactly what he was up to with the Pet's Eye View Camera. The camera fits to your dog's neck like a collar and takes still photos every 1, 5 or 15 seconds at a resolution of 640 x 480. Sure, odds are you will get lots of shots of your good old dog licking his rear or humping your pillow while looking much like that humping dog USB gadget, but still hard core pet lovers will want one of these. The camera costs right at $45. Permanent Link
No one will argue that when the Wii hit market it revolutionized gaming not with flashy graphics, but by its novel motion based controls. More than one PC gamer has wished that you could get Wii style controls on the PC and GoLive2 has answered that wish with its new Stix controller. The Stix controller will come in two versions, a Stix 200 and a Stix 400. The difference between the two versions other than color is that the Stix 200 only works with 2D games and the Stix 400 will work with 2D and 3D titles. Pricing is unknown but the Stix controller will be available in August. This will make for some fun playing Age of Conan swinging the Stix like a sword and if you couple the Stix with the Trakonya Mutator you are in for a shocking PC experience. Permanent Link
For companies needing to duplicate lots of flash drives at the same time for simple documents that aren't sensitive something like the Nexcopy drive duplicator that will allow you to update and add files to the drives without overwriting all the content on the drive is ideal. For some businesses that need to place sensitive data on flash drives that it doesn't want duplicated the standard Nexcopy isn't enough. What they need is a flash drive duplicator that will not only duplicates flash drives, but offers copy protection as well. The new Nexcopy USB drive duplicator allows the addition of copy protection to the files stored on the drive to prevent unauthorized duplication. This would be perfect for designers looking to be able to give out digital portfolios, but wanting to protect their work from duplication. Both software and PDF documents can be copy protected. Permanent Link
It's official, the US is getting the worst deal on the iPhone in the world. Hutchison 3 based in Hong Kong will be offering iPhone buyers in Hong Kong some of the best deals on the shiny new iPhone 3G to be found anywhere in the world. Some plans will get the buyer the 8GB iPhone 3G for free To make things even more attractive, the 8GB iPhone 3G is free and has a downright affordable unlimited data plan. To get the free iPhone 3G buyers have to agree to a 2-year contract and pay 498 HKD per month, amounting to about $64 USD. That price gets 2200 minutes and unlimited data. If Hong Kong shoppers want the 16GB model they only need cough up an additional 138 HKD or about 18 USD. Cheaper monthly plans are available, but the device costs more with those plans. Permanent Link
If you think lost flash drives are only an issue for individuals, businesses and the US government you are wrong. The Japanese military has lost a USB drive that contained sensitive data detailing troop deployment maps for a joint Japan-US military exercise. The story of the wayward flash drive doesn't stop there though. The flash drive was actually stolen originally by a Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force captain along with 2,000 yen and a 10,000 yen airline coupon. The flash drive was recovered by the Japanese only to be checked out by a lieutenant colonel and then loaned to a sergeant who left the drive on his desk where it was thrown away. Someone seriously needs to tell the Japanese about the Ironkey full-encryption flash drive. Permanent Link
There are many reasons to try and save electricity. Some try to save electricity in an effort to do their part to improve the environment and some try and save electricity for the more mundane reason of simply saving money on utility bills. What many who own computers and other items don't understand is that some electronic devices draw power even when they are turned off. To prevent this so called phantom power usage a new smart power strip called CheckTap has debuted. The power strip connects to your computer via USB and software allows you to adjust the power savings to your needs. The software provides feedback on how much power you are saving and a virtual tree grows based on the carbon dioxide you don't dump into the environment to give you a visual image of how good you are doing. The CheckTap is not clear on what exactly it does be it simply giving you a visual representation of how much power you are using or if it is actually able to turn itself off when you turn off your computer like the Ecostrip. Permanent Link
Any gamer is familiar with the name Razer as the maker of some of the best gaming peripherals for the PC around. Razer is very well known for its gaming keyboards like the Tarantula and the Lycosa. Razer's gaming keyboards tend to share some of the same features like being available in the U.S. and having the familiar blue backlighting. Razer has departed from these two familiar ways with its latest gaming keyboard called the Razer Aurantia. While it is still named after an arachnid, the keyboard is destined to be available only in China and sports a red backlight color appropriate for Chinese consumption. Razer calls the new keyboard ultra-portable and it measures 446 x 205 x 29 mm with the removable wrist rest attached. It can record macros and store ten game profiles on-board. It also features the ability to disable the Windows key for gaming. I wouldn't be surprised to see it show up in the U.S. eventually considering the keys are in English already. The Aurantia will be available in mid-July in china bundled with a Razer Salmosa mouse for RMB 399. Permanent Link
Hardware encryption seems to be all over the market these days. The software counterpart is practically sufficient for most users, but as few would actually take the extra step to hit the 'encrypt' button, the data protection is equally useless as the 3-page manual in the packaging. Buffalo MiniStation DataVault with encryption-based security is probably the best for all these lazy geeks (who are well aware of the risks) and for the uninitiated executives. The MiniStation DataVault - also going after the same market as the Max
