USB

Unfortunately, as our collection of consumer gadgetry increases, so does the number of different power charging cables piled up at the edge of the desk. Hong Kong's M&C Lighting t'Light desk lamps promise to help reduce the tangled mound by incorporating charging ports in the base. Each of the company's four models packs a USB charging port and comes supplied with multi-tip cables compatible with various brand mobile phones and notebooks. Two of them also have an integrated iPod/iPhone dock and a power outlet for notebooks, and there's one with built-in stereo speakers.  Read More

Fender has announced a new addition to its budget-friendly Squier line of guitars, in the form of a Stratocaster with integrated USB connectivity. This feature allows users to record and share tracks without the need of an additional interface. Though the guitar is clearly marketed with Apple’s iOS platform in mind, the company states that it is also compatible with Macs and Windows PCs.  Read More

The last of the power trio of microphones unveiled at this year's CES by Blue Microphones has finally been released. Laying claim to being the first true studio condenser microphone capable of delivering professional-quality audio to a 30-pin-packing iDevice or any computer, laptop or tablet with a spare USB port, the Spark Digital bridges the gap between supreme analog quality and convenient digital portability.  Read More

The Etón Corporation has now announced details of pricing for the BoostTurbine and BoostBloc portable power packs that debuted at IFA 2012 back in September.  Read More

By using cloud-based file synchronization services like Dropbox, we can free our digital lives from the confines of a computer, and access documents, photos, and music on several devices. However, this flexibility can leave some users feeling less than certain that their data is safe. With this in mind, iTwin has updated its eponymous file sharing hardware utility with a new feature named SecureBox. SecureBox is a free update available to all existing iTwin users which brings hardware protection to Dropbox accounts.  Read More

Eton came to IFA 2012 to show off its Rukus portable Bluetooth sound system and FRX Series of preparedness radios to Europe's green technology lovers but also treated us to a surprise unveiling of its new Power Boost USB battery packs. As the name suggests, the BoostTurbine sports a hand crank to keep the conversation going even when its own juice is drained. Meanwhile, the largest capacity BoostBloc portable power pack is claimed to be capable of simultaneously charging two smartphones.  Read More

Toshiba today unveiled its new hybrid laptop/tablet, the U920t, at IFA 2012. One of these (as it turns out, one that wasn't bolted to the table) found its way into the soft, delicate hands of the Gizmag team, and we decided to take it for a spin. Here are our hands on impressions.  Read More

With Windows 8 due to be officially launched in October, Samsung has pulled back the curtain on their ATIV suite of devices based on Microsoft's OS, including two hybrid tablets, at the IFA trade show in Berlin. The Smart PC and Smart PC Pro hybrid tablet/laptops, the Tab tablet, and the S smartphone were all shown off, with the fifth, a Windows 8-flavored refresh of the Notebook Series 9, also getting some air time.  Read More

The open-source Arduino micro-controller is a very useful piece of kit which has been implemented by hackers to power countless endeavors from Musical Umbrellas to Angry Birds Slingshot Controllers. For some projects however, the flexibility of the Arduino can be overkill and it's this issue which prompted Digispark to create a simpler, cheaper alternative - a tiny Arduino-compatible developmental circuit board that costs as little as US$12.  Read More