AdvancedNewsFeed

SmartFish ErgoMotion Mouse Review

9/4/2010 12:55:13 AM

The number of people suffering from Repetitive Stress Injury and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is on the rise and so too is the number of “ergonomic” mice available in the marketplace. Ergonomic mice are certainly nothing new; however SmartFish and their ErgoMotion Laser Mouse is certainly a new twist on the old way of accomplishing things as it looks a heck of a lot like a normal mouse. As a sufferer of bilateral CTS my question is does it work and is their any downsides? Read on for my full review.
Permanent Link

Samsung Certified Wireless USB Modules to Go Mass Production

9/3/2010 11:42:42 PM

Samsung is readying a new Certified Wireless USB solution that breathes new life into the dying UWB technology. The company cites the high-speed, low-power chipset - designated S3C2680/S5M8311 - will enable video content to be wirelessly streamed from a mobile electronics to a HDTV. Samsung has a diverse interest in consumer products to create their own eco system. If they want to, they could add the WUSB module into their arsenal of mobile headsets, cameras, HDTVs, notebooks, home theater, camcorders and etc.

For Samsung WUSB solution to succeed, it must find its way into the company's smartphones, one of which can already sync video playback with HDTV. WiFi sucks too much battery to leave it on all the time. For this reason, Samsung WUSB module low consumption of less than 300mW should be appealing, but effective throughput is still an uncertainly. A high-end Toshiba laptop dock powered by Alereon manages to boast 1080p video output, though keep in mind that these docks usually aren't placed too far away from their host. Another potential market is the SD add-on whose primary competitor is the EyeFi. As of this writing, the chipset will go into mass production in Q4 yet there's no word on the pricing.
Permanent Link

Sony Bloggie Touch Mini-camcorder Reminds us of a Smartphone

9/3/2010 1:15:59 AM

Only one thing comes to mind after a glance at the new Sony Bloggie Touch: is it a smartphone? As the follow-up to last year's MHS-PM5, the $200 Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 shares the same minimalist design as an iPhone and a Google Nexus. The front of the handheld camcorder is dominated by a 3" 230k-dot capacitive touch screen. So you do most of the navigations through swiping. There's only one button below the LCD. The power button is on one side while the HDMI connector is on the other. The flip-out USB connector is revealed by pressing on the release latch. Unfortunately, there's neither removable battery nor expandable memory slot.

You will find a nice big lens on top of its curvy back brushed metal casing. And that's clearly distinguishes the Bloggie Touch from the competitors. The f2.8 lens has much needed auto-focus and macro mode. It can also record panoramic video with ease at twice the resolution compared to previous Bloggie. Sony cites the Bloggie Touch's low-light performance to be equally impressive thanks to the Exmor CMOS sensor. The on-board accelerometer allows video to be shot in both landscape and portrait mode - a feature first found on iPhone. We are still waiting for a mini-camcorder that does 1080p60 for those fast motion recording, but 1080p30 and 720p60 will have to suffice for now until Sony decides to quadruple the built-in 8GB memory (4GB also available) to 32GB. Still, we would suggest you check out the formidable Xacti VPC-PD2 (hint: optical zoom, built-in flash) first before making a decision.
Permanent Link

iPod nano Welcomes Multi-touch, Says Goodbye to Click-wheel

9/2/2010 11:12:16 PM

After five generations of nano, Apple now dumps physical button navigation in favor of multi-touch interface. The iPod nano's form factor is long due for an update, but that click-wheel is obviously standing between miniaturization and innovation. So it's logical to let go of the wheel. This move could signal the end for the legendary click-wheel should Apple also decide to phase out the iPod classic in near future. There's a lot to like about the new 6th generation iPod nano. With a tiny 1.54" touch-sensitive display and a size not much bigger than the shuffle, it looks a lot like those cheap photo frame keychains.

The software interface is completely revamped, resulting in something that is reminiscent of iPhone's home screen. You are allowed to have 4 pages, each of which contain 4 icons. Like the iPod touch and iPhone, you can customize each screen by moving these icons around. Trying to scroll through the song list is by swiping in either up or down direction. During playback, the album art dominates the entire screen. Apple did remove a few things, notably the camcorder, H.264 video playback, and ability to run iPod games. FM radio, pedometer and VoiceOver stay. There are now seven colors to choose from, down from nine of previous generation. iPod nano 8GB will retail for $149 and the 16GB for $179. From the looks of it, the capable yet compact iPod nano 6G could cannibalize iPod shuffle even if the latter is now only $49.
Permanent Link

iPod touch 4 Almost Completely Matches Specs of iPhone 4

9/2/2010 1:51:39 AM

It isn't news that the touch has quickly overtaken nano as the most popular iPod. The Apple iPod touch has access to over 250,000 apps, many of which are games that go for less than $10 and some are even free. Now the iPod touch - as a portable game player - outsells combined worldwide sales of Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. In many ways, the iPod touch is just as important to Apple as iPhone. It isn't a surprise that Apple matches the new iPod touch 4 features with that of the ~~infamous~~ iPhone 4.

Being only 0.28 inches thick, the fourth gen. iPod touch is basically razor-sharp version of iPhone 4, only without the phone part. The two now share the same Retina Display (another way to saying a 3.5" IPS-based LCD boasting 960 by 640 pixels); the same speedy Apple A4 chip; the same 3-axis gyroscope to make motion tracking more accurate; ability to record 720p video with its back camera; and ability to run FaceTime with its front camera. The iPod touch 4 will have iOS 4.1 built-in. However, future updates for touch will likely not be free whereas iPhone 4 will definitely get 'patches' and major iOS as free download. Pre-orders are available right now. 8GB will go for $229; 32GB for $299; and 64GB for $399. Curiously, Apple skipped 16GB altogether.
Permanent Link

ioSafe SoloPRO Waterproof / Fireproof USB 3.0 Hard Drive Review

9/1/2010 12:32:32 PM

While most external storage customers don't mind the fact their data is more vulnerable than if it was inside because of the added convenience / portability it offers; there is a group of people who want MORE protection than simply sticking the drive inside a case. For this group IoSafe has many makes and models. One such model is the 1TB SoloPro USB 3.0 model, which boasts not only tank like amour chassis, but water AND fire proof abilities! Lets see how good this tank really is! Read on for my full review.
Permanent Link

Logitech Z305 Laptop Speaker - A Bus-powered 360-degree Sound Bar

9/1/2010 12:30:57 PM

Those hoping to turn a netbook into a portable movie theater are setting themselves up for disappointment. Those severely underpowered netbook speakers are so lame that they alone create a new aftermarket opportunity for audio upgrades. As a follow-up to the Z205 clip-on speakers, Logitech's Laptop Speaker Z305 sound bar is a no-brainer way to give any netbook a boost.

The extremely lightweight Logitech Z305 attaches to the back of the screen. This design is different than say the Z205 in that the Z305's speakers are actually facing away from the user. Logitech cites this bus-powered speaker projects sound more uniformly in all directions. Both forward- and backward-firing drivers provide sound output that is more tonally balanced. So you won't hear high and mid frequencies dropping out when you move to the side of the speaker. All Logitech wanted to do is to make a 360-degree sound system, but everything is still marketing hype for now. Still, let's hope the $59.99 is worth every penny.
Permanent Link

Best of August 2010 - Everything USB

9/1/2010 12:44:37 AM

Featured Reviews

USB 3.0 News

Other USB Gadget News

Permanent Link

PhotoFast iPADock for Apple Fanboy Family

9/1/2010 12:06:16 AM

PhotoFast is a name often associated with innovations, particularly in niche USB adapters. It's the same company that came up with the idea of a JBOD microSD card reader and a flushed USB 3.0 ExpressCard. Now PhotoFast is back again with iPADock - a dock that is universally compatible with any iDevices. This is the kind of device for everyone in the iFamily owning more than one iPhone and iPad.

The PhotoFast iPADock has two full-sized slots for iPads. There are two smaller slots for two iPhones or iPods. Swap out the iPads and you can sync and charge up to four iPhones or six iPod nanos simultaneously. Besides a versatile dock, the iPADock also doubles a USB 2.0 hub and a multi-card reader - presumably iPad-compatible. The massive accessory comes with a 4A power brick in order to power all these. PhotoFast is currently taking pre-orders for $80 if you want the iPADock by the end of September. But better check out the video first after the jump.
Permanent Link

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 3TB External Hard Drive Review

8/28/2010 9:23:49 PM

When it comes to storage the old motto "Bigger. Faster. Better. MORE!" is in full effect; or at least Seagate seems to think so as their FreeAgent GoFlex Desk just got a huge storage boost! Today I am going to look at their all new THREE Terabyte version of their Desk version which not only boast customizability but an industry leading capacity. To me the questions I want answered are: is this down right awe inspiringly huge portable storage device as good (or better) as its little brother the GoFlex Portable; and does all that size come with any downsides? Let's find out!
Permanent Link

Imation Link "Driver-less" Wireless USB AV Kit Powered by Alereon

8/26/2010 11:59:23 PM

After months of waiting, Alereon NoWire HDTV Kit is picked up by Imation, which renames the Wireless USB video adapter to Link. Imation didn't mention the Link Wireless A/V Extender as a Certified Wireless USB device, largely because the UWB-based protocol is now relegated to niche interface. The Imation Link consists of a WUSB transmitter and a shark fin-lookalike receiver with a HDMI output on the back. The said transmitter is a USB dongle that can send lossless 720p video (courtesy of DisplayLink) over UWB waveband to the receiver.

There shouldn't be any lag in frame rate since the application usually involves a laptop and the receiver (usually near the HDTV) in line of sight of each other. Unless the wireless distance is over 30 feet, you shouldn't see any performance degradation. Though, if you up the output to 1080p, Imation Link can only manage photo stills at this resolution. Imation Link is competing with Intel WiDi; the only difference is that the Link is trying to grab third party PC/Mac accessory market while WiDi can only be found on most recent Windows 7 laptops. The Imation Link Wireless AV Extender is immediately available for $149.99 on Amazon.
Permanent Link

A-Data Nobility N004 External (Internal) SSD Kills Two Bird with One Stone

8/26/2010 9:34:04 PM

A-Data Nobility N004 Dual Interface is shaping up to be the next hot trend in storage. The 2.5" SSD appears to be yet another commodity external drive, but it's actually a speedy SSD with SATA-II sitting alongside USB 3.0. What makes this special is that while you need a $40 USB 3.0 enclosure to convert a regular SSD into an external drive, the A-Data N004 provides instant SuperSpeed connectivity. The plush aluminum chassis should offer at least some protection, but with capacity up to 256GB, N004 could turn out to be insanely expensive so we would recommend at least a silicone case.

The 70g A-Data Nobility N004 combo with 8-channel technology is truly a speed demon. If you are going to install it as your primary drive, you will see a very impressive performance jump to 250MB/s and 180MB/s for sequential read and write respectively. For those with enough dose to afford the N004 as backup drive, you can expect read and write speed up to 200MB/s and 170MB/s respectively. A-Data got all these benchmarks from CrystalDiskMark. If we have to choose, the A-Data N004 might be a better choice than the OCZ Enyo though the latter (rated at 260MB/s read & 200MB/s write) is even faster.
Permanent Link

JVC Picsio Pocket Video Camera Returns with Touch-screen and Water-proof Body

8/26/2010 5:31:19 PM

Though late to the game, JVC is still trying to play catch-up with Flip and others in the budget handheld camcorder market. Its first pocket camcorder - looking like a a teen girl's bedazzled cellphone - is kinda lame as it failed to differentiate from other similar offerings. JVC now returns with two Picsio pocket cameras, both of which are armed to the teeth. The Picsio GC-FM2 and GC-WP10 both take still pics at 5-megapixel resolution without interpolation; and up to 1080p/30 HD video as well as 960x540/30p (Apple's beloved iFrame format) motion picture. The latter format ensures seamless compatibility with none other than Apple iMovie.

You'll also find a 3" touchscreen viewfinder which has found its way into various handheld camcorders lately. The screen's also sensitive enough for those wearing gloves. The two models are fundamentally the same except the IPX8-certified GC-WP10 is waterproof to a max. operating depth of 30ft. / 3m. Its nature also explains why the GC-WP10 doesn't allow the slide-out USB connector that is found on the GC-FM2. Other connectivity options are the identical, from SD/SDHC/SDXC card to Eye-Fi SD card compatibility and mini-HDMI port as well as a headphone jack. Despite of the appealing features, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-PD2 is still one-step ahead with its 3x optical zoom and built-in flash. Expect to find the two Picsio's in September for $179.95 and $199.95 (waterproof version). Video demo after the jump.
Permanent Link

Kodak EasyShare M590 Point-n-Shoot Camera Approaches Credit Card Size

8/24/2010 2:54:40 PM

Kodak has released a new point and shoot camera that would be perfect for taking family photos while on trips to Flatland. That's a nerdy way of saying that the Kodak EasyShare M590 is really thin. This point and shoot is very nearly the thinnest camera we've ever seen and packs a whopping 14 mega-pixel sensor into the nearly 2 dimensional body. The M590 boasts optical image stabilization and a 5x optical zoom. Getting moving lens elements to produce this level of zoom is hard to believe. This is the equivalent of a 35-175mm zoom lens. A lens that size for a DSLR could easily weigh more than a 6 pack of these cameras.

Roughly half the size of a deck of cards, you also get 720p video recording options buffering with 32MB of internal memory onto MicroSD cards. There's a handful of notable in camera digital offerings, but the other biggest standout of this little guy is it's greatest power. Finally and from on high, this camera can charge by USB. Hoo-ray, no more lost chargers in the i-forgot-to-pack-it bag. From the pictures available, it looks to be our favorite microUSB port. If this is a standard cable, we'll be ordering one as soon as the first review hits the blogosphere. All other features aside, if this helps get rid of the tangled mess of chargers and adapters we have to keep track of, the EasyShare M590 will be worth twice the $200 MSRP.
Permanent Link

Star Wars Can't Save you from the O.I.C. USB Missile Launcher

8/24/2010 11:58:26 AM

We cover a lot of products centered around desktop security but this is a slightly different type and MUCH more fun. Dream Cheeky has upgraded its hilarious O.I.C. Missile Launcher for more range and better remote control. The O.I.C. Missile Launcher is an internet toy, O.I.C. stands for Over Internet Control. It's a remote control nerf-type missile launcher and when we say remote we mean remote, as in, anywhere in the world. You can control this mini launcher from any place that's connected to the internet, via MSN Messenger.

The included software CD installs itself and integrates into MSN Messenger for Windows. Versions for Facebook, Mac and Skype are coming later this year. The silo is equipped with a webcam and with the remote controls you can zero in on your target. While the control is remote, the O.I.C. USB Missile Launcher is tethered to your machine by a 4 foot USB cable. Even on that leash, you can protect your desktop from all threats foreign and domestic at ranges up to 30 feet. This might also be a perfect tool to teach your cats to stay off the counter. Available soon for under $50 or you can register to win one on their fan page on Facebook.
Permanent Link

MosKeyto & WriteCard - Some Svelte and Functional Flash Drives from LaCie

8/24/2010 11:11:08 AM

LaCie, a company that has made its reputation on making storage fashionable, has a new pair of flash drives for your approval. These new drives take two completely different paths to get data into your hands and out of your way. The cleverly named MosKeyto is a flash drive of the nano variety, our favorite USB development to date. The drive barely extends outside of the USB port on your computer, but this tiny nubbin drive holds either 4 or 8GBs and can be had for as low as $18 from their online store.

Also released today is the WriteCard, which is the right tool for the write job. Similar in concept to the Swiss Card from Victorinox, it substitutes a flash drive for the pen knife. Besides the ultra thin flash drive, they also incorporate a tiny ink pen and business card size pad of paper. Now unfortunately, this will only hold you teeny tiniest of thoughts but it'll do in a pinch. It might be a bit better served as a business card holder but the exact dimensions of the notepad compartment aren't available. The slide out flash drive comes in 3 sizes, 4, 8 and 16GB capacities. The WriteCard starts at only $23 and should be available at their same online store in a few weeks.
Permanent Link

NXT DyadUSB Platform Paves Way for Loud Notebook USB Speakers

8/24/2010 1:39:13 AM

NXT has announced big plans for its latest stereo amplifier module that boosts audio output to 15W per channel, all powered by a single standard USB port. NXT cited this is the synergy between the company's proven Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) and Audium amplifier chip technology. This paves way for high-output portable speakers, useful whenever an external power source is unavailable.

Bus-powered USB speakers have only traditionally been able to deliver up to 2W or sometime 3W with BMR technology. These USB speakers sell like hotcakes, largely thanks to the inferior netbook audio, but they do lack power. So, five fold increase in audio output seen in DyadUSB is nothing short of breathtaking. This is certainly a very interesting development; that is, if this works just like NXT claims.
Permanent Link

Samsung HZ35W / WB650 Digital Camera Review

8/22/2010 3:51:57 PM

Samsung once again wants to show the world they are innovators in the point-n-shoot camera arena. They want to show the world you can have a "super zoom" camera with advanced features which is not as big as a brick. They also want to show you don't need external attachments to get GPS/Geo-Tagging. To do all this, Samsung have released their HZ35W / WB650 15x compact Point & Shoot camera. Can one camera do all this?
Permanent Link

Sanyo Xacti VPC-PD2 Gives Handheld Camcorder Optical Zoom & Flash

8/22/2010 3:49:11 PM

If there's a reason why people would stop upgrading their handheld camcorders to a better model, it's mostly because of lack of optical zoom and other advanced features. There's just no incentive to drop another $200 on something that is technically the same. Granted, there's no shortage of shameless Flip wannabe from Creative, JVC, Kodak, RCA, Samsung and Sony, yet none of these have the said feature. Sanyo, coming out of nowhere, outs the Xacti VPC-PD2BK - the first budget handheld camcorder with a 3x optical zoom.

The 3.7 oz. Sanyo Xacti VPC-PD2BK offers a much needed 3x optical zoom with a 37mm wide-angle lens. This is coupled with a built-in flash and burst-shoot mode that snaps a series of 2MP images. There's also the ability to shoot 720p60 to capture fast moving targets; and 1080p30 to max out the HD pixels. The slide-out USB connector takes care of battery charging and video / photo syncing to a PC. All the clips and pictures are stored on a SD card (supporting up to 64GB SDXC). If there weren't good enough, the same slot is compatible Eye-Fi cards to upload files directly over a WiFi connection. Expect the Xacti VPC-PD2BK to hit retail as early as September 1st for $169.99.
Permanent Link

Samsung S2 Becomes True Native USB 3.0 Portable Drives

8/20/2010 1:50:41 AM

The original Samsung S2 has gathered attention in the blogosphere for being the first native USB hard drive on the market. That implies the traditional on-board SATA interface is replaced by USB. This results in a smaller chassis as you no longer have to make room for the SATA-to-USB bridge. At the same time, the drive likely performs faster without going through said controller.

Now, Samsung comes up with USB 3.0 version of the S2 Portable Drives. They only come in 320GB and 640GB with spindle rate at 7200-rpm to leverage the full potential of SuperSpeed USB. These drives as with other 2.5" internal counterparts are equipped with noise reduction technology. If they break new speed record, we don't mind a little noise. The S2 Portable 3.0 is also loaded with Auto Backup, SecretZone and SafeyKey, the functions of which should be pretty self-explanatory. Expect both models to hit Europe first and then first of the world at a later date.
Permanent Link