Why encrypt Data on your USB Stick, if you just can lock it

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Japanese ingenious gadget maker (they brought us the Vacuum Cleaner USB Mouse for instance) offers an old school dial lock to protect your data stored on your USB Stick.
Why hassle with encryption software if you can just lock the cap on the USB port of your stick? The 3 digit dial lock physically protects USB sticks from unauthorized access. Read more

Posted on Sat, 4 Oct 2008 09:20:03 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

USB Multi-Monitor Systems Use Less Power than Discrete Graphics

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According to a study on electrical consumption by DisplayLink, USB displays use less power than discrete systems. The study used two identical computer systems and measured the power needed to run one to four LCD monitors. One of the computers was equipped with DisplayLink USB to DVI adapters and the other with a dual-DVI discrete graphics cards.

Power consumption was measured at the entry point to the power supply to gauge system use under different loads. The study showed that the computer with the USB used an average of only 4 watts per display, or 7% increase in power use. Read more

Posted on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

iPhone Ultracompact USB Power Adapter needs Exchange

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Apple wants you to give back your Ultracompact USB Power Adapter you got with the iPhone 3G to get a new one, the old one might hurt you. Apple announced a Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange program.
Apple has determined that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. Read more

Posted on Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Hi-Fi USB Sound Card Debuts

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Andrea Electronics has introduced the PureAudio USB High Fidelity External Sound Card to improve the quality of PC sound. The sound card uses Andrea's patented noise cancelling technology for dramatic sound improvements.

The Andrea USB-SA device replaces the onboard sound system of a notebook or desktop computer, eliminates external sound, and increases the stereo microphone input and stereo speaker output. Andrea says that the device will help improve the quality of speech recognition in applications like Dragon Naturally Speaking. The USB sound card retails for $44.95. Read more

Posted on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:36:28 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Sony VAIO Notebook Dock with DisplayLink USB Graphics Ships

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Sony is now shipping a dock for VAIO laptop computers that features built-in DisplayLink Graphics Technology. The dock is called the VGP-UPR1 and can connect a DVI or analog display to the notebook via a single USB connection.

The USB connection is able to support display resolutions up to 1600 x 1200. The dock is universal and works with all VAIO notebooks and other notebook brands. The dock also offers an Ethernet jack, headphone, mic, and four USB 2.0 ports. It measures 11" L x 1.25" H x 2.92" W and weighs 1.032 pounds. The dock retails for $199.99. Read more

Posted on Tue, 9 Sep 2008 12:37:10 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

AT&T Launches USBConnect Mercury 3G Modem

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AT&T Wireless has announced its latest USBConnect 3G modem called the Mercury. The Mercury is the smallest, and lightest of AT&Ts USBConnect devices. The Mercury has the connection manager software needed to operate preinstalled on the modem itself.

It is compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and 2000. Mac users can take advantage of the device with Sierra Watcher software for Macs. The Mercury is capable of downloads from 700 kbps to 1.7mbps and upload speeds of 500 kbps to 1.2 mbps. The Sierra Wireless Mercury is available now free after 2-year contract discount and a $100 mail-in rebate. Read more

Posted on Wed, 3 Sep 2008 11:28:42 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Novatel Launches MC950D USB modem with Fido

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Novatel Wireless announced today that it was launching a new wireless broadband modem called the MC950D with Fido. The modem is designed for global tri-band HSPA/UMTS and quad band EDGE/GPRS networks.

Fido subscribers can plug the modem into a USB port and get instant broadband access. The connection software needed for the modem to operate is stored on the modems internal memory. The modem is capable of download speeds of 7.2 Mbps and uploads of 2.1 Mbps. Read more

Posted on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:44:21 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Eco-friendly Woody Bamboo USB Drive

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MemoTrek Technologies has launched a new eco-friendly USB drive made of bamboo. The drive is called the Woody Bamboo and is made exclusively out of hardened and durable bamboo wood.

The flash memory itself is encased in solid, carved bamboo wood. The drive can also be packaged in an exclusive bamboo gift box that slides open to reveal the drive. The drive also ships with the hemp-like band allowing it to be worn around the neck. Read more

Posted on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Bridgeview 2-Port USB/DVI KVM Switch With Audio Review

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Motherboards published a review of the Bridgeview 2-Port USB/DVI KVM Switch With Audio.
Quote from the review: "One of the big positives of this KVM Switch can also be a slight negative. The Bridgeport BR-U1021DA KVM Switch is small which looks good, but almost could get lost in the cabling of two computers if not placed in the right spot. Otherwise, the switch worked immediately out of the box, with no issues as to compatibility with a Vista computer and a Mac working at the same time. Read more

Posted on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:07:38 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

VOX V1 500GB USB and eSATA External HDD Review

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Tweaktown published a review of the VOX V1 500GB USB and eSATA External HDD.

Quote from the review: "Aaah, storage. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t have enough of it. Be it in a server or on the go, you can’t really ever have too much hard drive space. Today we’re taking the time to have a look at a hard drive caddie from a company called VOX. Read more

Posted on Mon, 4 Aug 2008 21:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Asus USB-N11 is World's first USB Adapter with EZLink

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ASUS has released the new ASUS USB-N11 wireless N USB adapter. This compact sized USB Wi-Fi stick allows users to simply push a button on the adapter and the router to create a protected wireless environment without complicated setups.

Additionally, the USB-N11 is fully 802.11n compliant allowing users to have easy interoperability with all draft-N devices. Last but not least, the USB-N11 supports a whole range of different operating systems that includes Windows, Linux and MAC OS to further provide support for users. Read more

Posted on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

USB i-Buddy brings MSN Buddy Icon to the physical World

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The USB i-Buddy is a USB gadget specially designed for Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) users. It is a physical representation of your buddy.

You can program the i-Buddy to recognize a particular buddy account, and it will response to all messages and status events sent from your buddy.
i-Buddy is 3-inches tall and connects via USB to your PC. Read more

Posted on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:46:06 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Lexar Releases FIPS Validated JumpDrive Solo USB Drive

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Lexar has introduced the latest flash drive in its JumpDrive line. The drive is called the JumpDrive Solo Vault with FIPS Validation. The FIPS validation certifies that the drive meets the requirements of the Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 Level 1 standards.

The drive uses 256-bit AES encryption along with FIPS certified software needing no central management to encrypt and protect data right out of the box. Features of the drive include an idle time out, passwords of up to 32-bits long, and a FIPS approved application for deleting files. Read more

Posted on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:28:13 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

SkyCross Enables First Certified WiMAX USB Device

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SkyCross has announced that its antenna technology is powering the first ever USB device certified by the WiMAX forum. The USB dongle uses the SkyCross Isolated Mode Antenna and is called the MiMAX Q-series USB dongle from Airspan Networks.

The USB device is certified to operate on 2.5GHz band for WiMAX and runs on 2GHz to 5GHz Wi-Fi frequencies. After certification the USB WiMAX device is ready to be put to use in different countries around the world offering WiMAX service to consumers. Read more

Posted on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:40:19 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Hungry? How about a Strawberry or Chicken Wing USB Drive?

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Electronics makers are still creating new crazy shaped USB sticks for your pleasure. Back in 2004 Sushi USB Sticks were the latest trend. How about a strawberry USB drive or a BBQ chicken Drumstick for your lunch today?

Hong Kong based gadget shop Brando just stocked a bunch of new USB sticks that take the shape of your favorite foods. Read more

Posted on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:18:45 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Super Talent Pico Gold 8GB USB Drive is Tiny

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Super Talent has announced a tiny flash drive that has 8GB of storage space called the Pico-C Gold. The little drive measures 31.3mm x 12.4mm x 3.4mm and is water resistant. The drive is also resistant to shock and supports 30Mb/s transfer speeds.

The gold color of the drive comes from actual 24-carat gold plating and the drive weighs about 4.7 grams. The tiny drive has an exposed USB connector and comes with a sturdy gold chain. Despite the small size and 8GB of storage the drive will retail for about $40. Read more

Posted on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Kyocera Updates USB Wireless Broadband Modem for iBurst

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Kyocera has announced an updated wireless USB modem offering iBurst connectivity. The modem allows users to connect it to the USB port of their computer directly or in a cradle with an attached USB cable. The iBurst system is based on IEEE802.20 and the spectrum it uses can have a total of 32 Mbps throughput per base station divided into 24Mbps download and 8Mbps upload.

The system operates on 5MHz of bandwidth and Kyocera says it is economical to roll a complete system out for commercial uses. The modem allows users to move between base stations as they move about the service area without and performance issues. Read more

Posted on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:04:52 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Monster Outlets To Go 3 USB unveiled

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Monster announced the introduction of the newest product in its popular Outlets To Go lineup, the Outlets To Go 3 USB.

Monster Outlets To Go 3 USB provides safe, convenient charging for multiple electronics like MP3 players and computers. In addition, the USB port gives you easy charging for any USB accessory: cell phones, digital cameras, and more. Read more

Posted on Tue, 8 Jul 2008 15:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

MindMapper 2008 USB Edition Announced

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SimTech has announced a new USB version of its MindMapper 2008 software. According to the maker MindMapper is used by Fortune 500 companies in over 56 countries around the world. The new USB version makes the software portable and easy to use for out of the office productivity.

The gold flash drive includes MindMapper 2008 Professional edition pre-installed on the drive and the software is available in 3 language versions including English, German and Dutch. The drive has 4GB of space offering plenty of room for the application and storage of MindMapper documents. Read more

Posted on Tue, 8 Jul 2008 15:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Wireless PIN Association Method for Wireless USB Announced

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Wireless USB products have yet to make a big appearance on the market, but they promise to free our computers from the tangle of cables often associated with computer use and peripherals. WiQuest announced today that it has enabled a new PIN Association method for Wireless USB devices.

The new PIN Association method is aimed at low cost products that can’t absorb the cost of a USB cable or an LCD. With the PIN based method devices can connect to a computer by simply entering the PIN into the host PC and the wireless association is complete. Read more

Posted on Mon, 7 Jul 2008 11:03:31 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Super Talent Pico-C 8Gb Micro USB Stick Review

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Madshrimps published a review of the Super Talent Pico-C 8Gb Micro USB Stick.

Quote from the review: "A 6 gram USB drive not much larger than a fingernail, with room for up to 8Gb of data. Read more

Posted on Sat, 5 Jul 2008 15:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr