News about USB Gadgets:
Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader
When you hear the name ‘Lexar’, what goes across your mind? Do you think of the range of flash memory products as well as storage devices that carry that brand, or do you see more of the peripheral? Today, we will look at the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader which you can tell by its name, is a useful gizmo to tote around if you want to transfer plenty of data from one memory card to your computer in a jiffy.
Hoyos Eyelock USB Iris Scanner Eye-dentifier
Some of you probably have those biometric readers on your laptops to scan your thumb, but some of you might want more security than that.
I suppose that Eye-dentification is the way to go, as no two irises are exactly alike. This particular Hoyos Eyelock Iris scanner hooks up to the computer via USB.
Aleratec PortaStor Secure USB flash drives – more secure than ever
Aleratec knows that data security is of utmost importance for many people, and this is why the company decided to come up with new additions to their family of 256-bit AES encrypted USB flash drives under the PortaStor Secure guise. Osama bin Laden would have done well to store his porn collection on these, it might just slow down those investigator’s a wee bit before realizing that the man lived differently than he preached. These highly secure flash drives are touted to feature hardware encryption for fast, dependable performance and superior ease-of-use.
Genius Ring Mouse hits North American shores
Genius of Taiwan has been working quietly in the background for years now, as their range of computer peripherals have been functional at best without really breaking any new ground. Perhaps it is time for the company to step out of the shadows, and they might have stumbled upon a winner with the Genius Ring Mouse that picked up an iF award along the way. Now available to folks living in North America, the Ring Mouse is an innovative input device that delivers flexibility in an unprecedented manner, letting you wear it on your finger as a ring.
Engage Keyboard comes with ErgoMotion
Now here is a moving experience for a computer peripheral if we ever saw one – the Engage Keyboard that comes with ErgoMotion. Retailing for £89.99, it intends to help you alleviate the pain that is normally associated with your wrists when you sit in front of the computer keyboard, hacking away (gracefully or not, it doesn’t matter) for hours on end.
This Atari 400 keyboard will bring back early eighties computing
Ah, remember the early eighties? Before everyone had a personal computer, you could always get a computer that you could hook to your television set.
The Mini – Might get Someone to Use their Digital Picture Frame
I don’t even like to cover digital frames anymore, I mean, everyone has one, and everyone has given at least two as a gift. I know I have, and three birthdays later, my mother in law is still begging me to set hers up, it seems like the people that would actually enjoy using a digital frame, are the least likely to be able to set it up easily…
Tobii releases Tobii PCEye to help the impaired use a computer
Tobii has just announced that they will be rolling out the Tobii PCEye – and just in case you’re left scratching your head and wondering what this is, it is one of the most advanced stand-alone eye control device that is currently available on the market, delivering the wonders and magic of eye control over to the standard computer. Of course, it is said to be easy to use, is highly accurate and portable to boot – making it is compatible with a wide range of software in order to offer total access to just about any personal computer.
Fuuvi USB Mini Digital Camera
A USB flash drive is just that, or is there more than meets the eye? The answer is in the affirmative when you bring the Fuuvi USB Mini Digital Camera into the picture – we’re talking about a device that not only carries your favorite files on-the-go, it also allows you to shoot secret shots of upcoming devices assuming you’re working in some sort of top secret assembly plant for one of the major hardware manufacturers.
Evoluce uses a Kinect to control Windows
Some of you might remember when we covered the Gmail Motion a few days ago. I was told that Gmail Motion was essentially a big joke for April Fool’s Day, and that there isn’t a system where you can send emails by doing a “slapping a stamp” hand motion.
Logitech Wireless Mouse M325 arrives
For those of you out there who spend plenty of hours sitting in front of the computer, having good hardware is always an advantage. You wouldn’t want to suffer from RSI or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after giving away your best years to an organization or company, do you? Since having the right hardware is the way to go, chances are pretty good you would have scouted out peripherals from companies like Logitech – and the Swiss company does not disappoint with their latest release, the Logitech Wireless Mouse M325.
Nexus Silent Mouse SM-7000B
Are you one who tends to work late into the night? If the answer is in the affirmative, then the Nexus Silent Mouse SM-7000B is the solution that you (and your poor spouse) has been searching for all this while. After all, some of us require complete silence (save for the hum of the air conditioner or heater) to get some shuteye, so the constant clicking of a keyboard as well as mouse clicks (especially if you’re into RTS) might just drive you nuts.
Verizon USB551L announced
Verizon Wireless have teamed up with Novatel Wireless to roll out the Verizon USB551L modem. Obviously, Verizon Wireless will offer the data plan, while the hardware part is offered by Novatel Wireless, where you are able to make an order on March 31 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores as well as online if you do not want to drive out. The USB551L is said to offer businesses and consumers the download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps, not to mention upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps under the umbrella of their 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas.
Genius aims smart with SlimStar 8000 wireless keyboard and mouse combo
Genius hasn’t been rated as a top tier hardware manufacturer in my books, but they do come up with decent offerings once in a while (more so in the past, I feel, as the lack of press releases from them don’t do any favors on their side), with their latest release being the SlimStar 8000 wireless keyboard and mouse combo.
GoPad Atari Asteroids
Want to have a blast from the past? You can place a pre-order for the GoPad Atari Asteroids, where it is tipped to ship from the middle of this month onwards to your house address (or wherever else you live/work/play, of course). At £14.99 each, surely this isn’t something that is considered to be too expensive for you, right? After all, the GoPad Atari Asteroids intends to deliver the perfect retro gaming experience unlike a regular clunky laptop keyboard, working in a plug-and-play mode.
Hands on with the Swiftpoint Mouse
Some of you might remember when I reported on the Swiftpoint Mouse back at CES 2011.
DreamCheeky offers new USB Missile Launcher
Let’s face it – USB Missile Launchers are old hat by now, but that doesn’t mean you cannot improve on it. Enter DreamCheeky’s version of their USB Missile Launcher, where it has been specially re-engineered to deliver the additional power required to land that knockout blow. Of course, this is meant to be a prank toy, and if your colleagues complain to the boss about you fooling around in the office, tough luck. Boasting easy mouse and keyboard control, each purchase will come with a quartet of foam missiles that will not put anyone’s eyes out, so choose your targets carefully. This is Angry Birds in the flesh, albeit in a different form factor. Boasting a 25’ range thanks to its new “Ballistic Missiles”, you have another 4’ of USB cable to toy around with – making it more than suitable for any decent sized office. Mac users will have to wait until a Mac version of the software launches (no pun intended). Read the rest of this entry »
2GB Flash Drive Memory Spy Audio Digital Voice Sound Recorder
Now that’s certainly one of the longer names for any device in my history with Coolest Gadgets, why can’t we just call it a spy voice recorder? Oh yeah, perhaps that will not help it stand out from the rest of the crowd, that’s why. The next time you go to work and tote a USB flash drive, make sure it is this $19.99 model since it sports an advantage that your colleagues’ don’t – it has a built-in sound recorder. Yup, even if it is lying prone on a table, it is capable of capturing crystal clear audio across a 5-meter radius, storing all of the recordings onto its internal flash memory. All you need to do for that to happen is slide the switch and audio recording happens instantly and automatically. We find it rather strange that audio is recorded in WAV format instead of MP3, but good thing its 2GB of internal memory can hold up to 4.5 hours of non-stop recording. Since it doubles up as a USB flash drive as well, this one has something slightly different – an integrated 120mAH Li-battery that takes 1.5 hours to juice up. We would have liked to see something with more internal memory though to keep up with the Joneses. Read the rest of this entry »
Victorinox introduces Slim, Slim Duo and Secure SSD USB devices
Victorinox has long been a staple name where Swiss Army Knives are concerned, and it is nice to see the company keep up with the times with their latest range of devices for the ever hungry mass market – we’re talking about the Slim, Slim Duo and Secure SSD USB devices. For those of you who managed to attend this year’s CES and made up part of the 140,000 entourage there, you might have chanced upon Victorinox’s booth. Well, good news if you didn’t manage to simply because there wasn’t enough time to cover the showfloor – at least we are able to bring you official word on a trio of new products – the Victorinox Slim, Victorinox Slim Duo and the Victorinox Secure SSD.
Swiftpoint’s Mouse makes an award-winning splash at CES 2011
Just so you know, CES is officially over. However, we’ll be reporting about its ripples in the tech world all year round.
I figure it will probably take me the rest of the month to report on all the coolest gadgets that I saw in Vegas this year, so I will start with the Swiftpoint mouse. Actually, it is not a new product, as we covered it almost three years ago.
USB Camera Speaker
Hmmm, shutterbugs will definitely love the idea of the USB Camera Speaker. After all, it speaks volumes (pun intended) for folks who are looking for a unique desktop speaker attachment that will also echo the love of their hobby, which in this case, is shooting photos. As the name suggests, the USB Camera Speaker will let you connect all forms of devices as long as they play nice with the 3.5mm jack, and will connect with your computer via USB. That connection allows it to draw power straight from your computer or notebook, or if you decide to take the portable route, then a quartet of AA batteries will need to be summoned. Of course, we do have our doubts that the $75 asking price is worth every penny, but it is the idea here that counts. Read the rest of this entry »
Hands on with the Belkin Conserve Valet Energy-Saving USB Charging Station
Just to let you know, this isn’t another one of those wireless chargers like the Powermat, Wildcharger, or that one from Energizer.
No, this Conserve Valet Smart USB Charging Station from Belkin is full of wires, but at least it puts all the wires in the right place. You can’t see the back of this, but there is a cord that plugs into the wall, and three USB ports on the back. The device comes with two USB to mini-USB ports to plug and charge appropriate devices.
Hands on with the Kensington Pro Fit Washable Keyboard
Whenever I get a chance to try out a keyboard to review for a post, it is my tradition to write the article about it on the keyboard itself.
Most of these keyboards are all alike, and this one isn’t wireless like the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750. It is USB and PS2 compatible, and it is good to go if you want to wash it. When I say washable, I mean that you can run the keyboard under a running faucet with soap, disinfectant, or bleach, and then air dry it. It’s all good, just keep the connector out of the water.
Hitachi releases three more 3TB drives
Hitachi certainly knows that with the proliferation of High Definition movies, it makes perfect sense for people to run out of hard drive space faster than ever. Well, in order to make sure that doesn’t happen to you, Hitachi has decided to roll out a trio of 3TB drives that ought to capture your fancy, regardless of your needs or budget. First off, we have the new 3TB Hitachi Deskstar Internal Hard Drive Kit that breaks the 2.2TB capacity limit on 32- bit Windows XP systems without the need for additional hardware, while the 3TB Hitachi XL USB 2.0 drive offers reliable, high quality external storage and backup. Last but not least? The 3TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 and 5K3000 hard drive families which has begun to ship to OEMs and the Channel for System Builders and Value Added Resellers. We will look at all these hard drives in greater detail right after the jump.
Portable USB Power Supply
With modern gadgets, running out of juice if something that happens to some of us more often than not, simply because today’s devices seem to suck up a whole lot more juice than before. I mean, when was the last time your smartphone lasted you from the morning till at night when you retire in bed without requiring a quick charge? That’s where the Portable USB Power Supply comes in handy, being an optimal emergency charger for cell phones & other devices. Capable of holding a charge for up to three months when in standby, it will ship with adapter tips that cater for a variety of cell phone brands. At $19.99 a pop, the fact that it does USB charging more or less makes it the essential tool for today’s road warrior. Read the rest of this entry »
We go hands on with the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750
We reported on the Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 before, and I got a chance to try it out for myself.
USB Fishquarium
Something tells us that the idea of merging an aquarium as well as a USB dock isn’t that smart – what happens when your USB-powered devices accidentally drop into the water – wouldn’t it just fry the poor gadget, not to mention scare the fins out of your pet fish? Well, that’s what is happening with the USB Fishquarium, where it merges a fish tank with a desk lamp, clock and pencil cup. Of course, what else you use to fill up the rest of the dock depends on you, but we do know that it comes with a low voltage pump and filtration system which runs off of USB power. For $39.99 a pop, this is something worth having if you want to keep your work space feeling nice and refreshed. Read the rest of this entry »
QNAP Systems has more budget-friendly Turbo NAS servers
QNAP Systems knows that times are hard, so the company has done its part to make sure that you get the best bang for your buck whenever you are looking for some Network Attached Storage capability (NAS), and this time around they have your bank balance in mind with their latest TS-x19P+ range of Turbo NAS servers which will primarily target home and SOHO users. These new models in the range will take advantage of Marvell’s new 1.6GHz embedded processor while throwing in 512MB of DDR3 memory and Gigabit LAN ports, capable of hitting transfer rates that exceed 100MB/sec while delivering a unique blend of performance and features without breaking the bank.
Creative announces Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro
Creative is famous for their line of audio products for computers, so it is no surprise to see the company roll out yet another addition to the sound card family which they’re noted for, in the form of the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro. I clearly remember back in the days when I was running a 486DX 33MHz, and was extremely envious of my friends who had an 8-bit Sound Blaster since they enjoyed games in a totally different way while I had to settle for lousy beeps and boops on the PC speaker itself. The only game which I was thoroughly impressed with using a PC speaker was Loom by LucasArts, boy did that blow the mind (and ears) away! But I digress – back to the topic at hand, which we will look at the Creative announces Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro in greater detail after the jump.
Hitachi unveils slim new G-Technology G-DRIVE
External or portable hard drives are pretty popular these days, especially for those who tend to do a whole lot of traveling (or tote around netbooks, since those devices are notorious for not having enough storage space for a decent computer user). Well, if you’re going to carry around another computer peripheral in your notebook or netbook bag, why not make sure it is as slim and light as possible?
Sesame Street Video USBs are ready for purchase
Everyone loves Sesame Street, right? Well, that might be a pretty sweeping statement to make, but frankly, with so many characters from the childrens’ educational show, surely something about those lovable hand puppets will appeal to you. Who can forget Ernie and Bert’s extremely close friendship (which some say border on a relationship), as well as the Count who can’t stop, well, counting? If you want to relive your fond childhood memories of Sesame Street, you can now do so by picking up Sesame Street Video USBs from the nearest Toys R Us store, subject to availability, of course. Alternatively, your less than deep interest in this series doesn’t mean you can’t fill up someone’s Christmas stocking this holiday season with it, right?
Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372 rolling out with KDDI in Japan
Novatel Wireless has decided to launch their MiFi 2372 device With KDDI in Japan for international data roaming purposes, so frequent travelers from and to that part of the world will be able to enjoy pretty zippy Internet access no matter where they are without having to worry about super high data charges that are “offered” by their carriers back home. With the MiFi 2372 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that is being offered by KDDI Corporation in Japan as part of a rental service for Japanese consumers and business travelers who want to remain connected when traveling overseas, this service will deliver a range of wireless rental data plans without having to be tied down to long-term contracts, be it for business or leisure purposes, playing nice with international carriers in 23 other countries.
Lexmark introduces the Genesis
It has been a while since we have reported on a printer from Lexmark with the Pinnacle Pro901.
USB L.P. Gas MP3 Player and Portable Speaker
Brando has come out with yet another product that really makes me wonder. Honestly, who thought this one up?! I don’t know whether to congratulate them on their originality or have them get an appointment for an immediate head check. I just can’t wrap my mind around that someone would create an MP3 player that looks like a miniature gas tank.
Glow in the Dark Lego USB Drive
Finally getting your hands on a Lego shaped USB drive is a legendary day. However, most of them immediately disappear as soon as the lights go out, making your investment not as cool. Thankfully, one intelligent person has created a Lego USB drive that glows in the dark. That allows for you to find that handy little stick no matter whether it’s bright and shiny or dark as night.
Hands on with the Aluratek AUH100F USB to HDMI 720p Adapter
Some of you might have a Desktop or Laptop that you might want to see on your big screen TV, and Aluratek has the USB to HDMI 720p Adapter that you would need for that.
New external DVD writer from Samsung makes traveling easier
When faced with an external DVD writer, what comes into your mind? Most people would probably think along the lines of “one external DVD writer is as good as the other, since they all use the same internal parts anyways but sport different labels on the outside”. Well, not all external DVD drives are created equal, and if you’re a frequent traveler with a netbook as your working tool of choice, then we might want to suggest you quickly pick up an external DVD drive before you continue on your next stop. After all, you can never quite tell just when you’re going to have something to burn on your next road trip, eh? Let’s face the fact, carrying even the largest capacity USB flash drive is not going to make the cut (not to mention expensive in the long run) if you need to transfer huge chunks of data onto other portable media for friends and associates. Enter Samsung’s external SE-S084F optical disc drive which we’ll look at in greater detail in the extended post.
Skullhub USB dampens the mood further
Already feel rather depressed at the office? Well, you can have a USB hub which could be the straw that would break the proverbial camel’s back in the form of the Skullhub USB. This macabre looking USB hub will be made out of resin, looking extremely realistic as though it was freshly dug up from some archeological site just last week. Equipped with a quartet of USB 2.0 ports, the hollowed out segment of the skull could be used to hold stuff like jellybeans and paper clips. It retails for $24.99 a pop just in case you were wondering whether you should get a gift for that new colleague of yours. The USB cable itself is 56 inches long, which means it ought to have some fair share of allowance to roam around your desk. Read the rest of this entry »
Western Digital introduces My Book Live home network drive
Western Digital has yet another portable storage solution for the masses, where this time it will be the My Book Live home network drive that will make a splash in the markets. It is capable of delivering consumers the fastest storage available for the average consumer, alongside access to one’s content among consumer-grade network drives. Not only that, you will also be able to benefit from a seamless set-up for centralizing a home’s digital media. The new My Book Live home network drive is an easy and secure manner for you to consolidate movies, music, and photos in a solitary location while providing convenient access to digital content from multimedia devices in the connected home.
Western Digital offers new My Passport Essential portable hard drive and two other models
Western Digital is a name that is synonymous when it comes to storage space, and this time around the company intends to excite the market with three more models – we’re looking at the My Passport Essential portable hard drive, the My Passport Essential SE portable hard drive and My Book Essential external hard drive. All three of these will come in a range of capacities to suit your needs and budget, but what makes it all the more special would be all of them boasting lightning-fast USB 3.0 connectivity to keep up with the times. Not only that, Western Digital intends to make its mark on the market with the highest industry capacity where the My Book Essential drive is concerned, sporting up to 3TB of storage space. Of course, if you don’t think you need that much space, you can always settle for 1TB and 2TB capacity.
Rugged Super Talent CKB Flash Drive
There are a great deal of flash drives that have a keychain attached to them, but they don’t really look like they can handle being beat around in your pocket with the keys. Now this Super Talent CKB actually looks like it can handle being knocked around and even dropped. That’s a handy item to have around, even if it is something just as simple as a flash drive.
Toshiba Canvio 3.0 Portable Hard Drives comes with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Interface
USB 3.0 is the way of the future and Toshiba knows it, which is why the Japanese tech giant has come up with the Toshiba Canvio 3.0 Portable Hard Drive which will be equipped with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface to get you off the ground flying. USB 3.0 will basically deliver up to 10 times the speed of a USB 2.0 drive, albeit without having to balloon your cost substantially. Depending on your storage needs, the Canvio 3.0 will be able to cater them in three different sizes – which are 500GB, 750GB and 1TB. Nice to know you need not worry about anything else such as software installation as well as pesky cable connections, since the Canvio 3.0 is full plug-and-play, boasting pre-loaded backup software as well as backwards compatibility with personal computers and other devices equipped with USB 2.0 ports.
Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex ultra portable drive
Seagate’s latest FreeAgent GoFlex ultra portable drive will carry 1.5TB of storage space in a mere 2.5-inch form factor, making it the world’s first in the process. Already available in the market if you are interested, this is one way for you to store all of your favorite digital memories and content on a single device, regardless of whether you are running on a PC or Mac platform. Just what does 1.5TB offer you? Well, on average, that would equal to 60 High Definition movies, or 750 video games as well as countless hours of digital audio and thousands of photos. What makes the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex ultra portable drive different is also the inclusion of USB 3.0 connectivity – a good idea since transferring up to 1.5TB of data is going to take a while if you use USB 2.0.
Steelseries Shift Gaming Keyboard
Steelseries has come out with yet another keyboard for gamers to pick up. Instead of being made for just one game, this one is able to handle interchangeable keysets. This way if you decide to drop WoW and switch to a FPS game it doesn’t require you to pick up a new keyboard. Plus, with the Shift Keyboard it offers several different ways to personalize it to the point that you’ll be able to use it the way you want.
