USB

Smartphones and the technology that powers them continue to evolve at an incredible rate. Year after year, phones have continued to close the power gap that separates them with their traditional PC counterparts. Taking advantage of the latest in mobile processors, Canonical is set to release Ubuntu for Android. The OS effectively turns your phone into a full Ubuntu desktop computer when docked and connected to a monitor, meaning the day your smartphone could act as your primary computer is drawing nearer. Read More

Fingerprint recognition has long been used to protect sensitive data on USB drives - here’s another approach. This 8GB USB storage device uses voice recognition software to detect a password spoken by the user. Read More

On the eve of Valentine's Day, here are some gift ideas that appeal to the geek at heart - everything from hand warmers to use while you type to jewellery made from recycled computer power buttons ... and if you happen to be a single girl this Valentine's day, the Girl's Guide to Dating a Geek might be able to give you a few tips for turning that around. Read More

OSIM, better known for its advanced massage chairs, has begun selling a US$170 thumb-sized USB massager which uses Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS - the same technology you first witnessed in biology when your teacher made a dead frog's leg twitch using electrical current), to deliver a suite of specialized massage programs from your laptop. It's a pretty good fit of technologies because you can synch the massage to your computer’s music player and massage away stress, and tone up using the tapping, squeezing and kneading of the uPixie on specific muscle groups … while you are working. You can even write and store your own massage routines. Read More

Life as a secret agent means you need to have access to the internet when you need it, as well as have the ability to carry around important files in locations where your adversaries won't think to look. These secret agent-worthy Wi-Fi cufflinks let you wear your mobile hotspot on one wrist, and carry around 2GB of important files on the other. The Wi-Fi cufflink essentially acts like a miniature router. The end pops out, and when plugged into the USB port on your web-connected computer creates a hotspot that can be used by other devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Read More

Noted rock vocalist and bass player Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and more recently Black Country Communion) has often been quoted as saying that, for him, much of the 1980s was just a blur. It's probably just as well, or he might have had a hard time dealing with the emergence of the keytar - a strap-on keyboard that has a little neck with a number of parameter-changing buttons on it. Okay, I admit it, I'm not a great fan of the Jan Hammers and Jean-Michel Jarres of this world, but those who want to emulate these digital music innovators without digging deep for a Korg, Roland or Moog original can now rejoice with the release of the world's first USB/MIDI keytar - the Vortex from Alesis. Read More

We have to admit to being rather thrilled at discovering the Mikey for Flip and the Yeti Pro USB microphones from Blue at last year's CES, and were hoping for something just as good this year. We were not disappointed. The company has just debuted the Apple-centric Mikey Digital, the studio-grade Spark Digital and the cute as a button (but not actually sporting any) Tiki in Las Vegas this week. Read More

While it’s certainly convenient that most mobile devices can be charged via one of your computer’s USB ports, what happens if all of the ports are in use? Even if they’re not, you don’t always want your devices and their cables cluttering up your desk. You can buy USB adapters for wall outlets, but then you end up needing to find an available outlet, and subsequently occupying it (in older homes especially, unused AC outlets are often something of a rarity). Now, there’s an alternative to using your computer or an adapter to charge your gizmos – it’s the Newer Technology Power2U AC/USB Wall Outlet. Read More

AOC, the makers of a range of USB monitors including the16-inch E1649FWU USB monitor, has upped the screen size for its latest USB-powered offering. The new e2251Fwu boasts a 22-inch LED backlit display and receives both power and signal solely through a USB connection. The single USB cable connection is designed to make hooking yourself up with a dual- or multi-monitor setup a simple plug-and-play affair and appeal to those looking to take a second monitor on the road to accompany their laptop. Read More