Review » Retro USB Mouse

Hey you, 1980s kid – do you miss the era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters as well as playing NES for the entire summer at your friend’s place? Well, if you answered in the affirmative, then you might be interested to know that ThinkGeek has obtained a time machine and returned to the 1980s in order to gain inspiration to come up with the $19.99 Retro USB Mouse. Yes sir, the name itself gives the game away, where it sports all the trappings of a modern mouse underneath the hood, although it comes dressed ready to party like it is 1980.

I guess with clothings and fashion being able to go through different cycles which repeat themselves after a while, why not technology where aesthetics is concerned? This is not a wireless mouse though, as it will remain tethered to your computer via USB, measuring all of 3.66″ x 2.56″ x 1.30″.

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Review » Verbatim USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers and USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader

Verbatim is no stranger when it comes to storage devices and media, and this time around, they have rolled out a couple of devices which will read your stored data – in the form of the USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers and USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader. Both of them will play nice with Windows and Mac platforms, and are 100% compatible with all USB ports. Featuring a sleek, modern design in either model, the USB 3.0 device comes in an eye-catching, silver finish while the USB 2.0 model will definitely attract fingerprints with its classic piano black finish.

Supported memory cards by both the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers include CompactFlash Type I & Type II (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), miniSD, microSD, Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick Micro (M2), MultiMedia Card (MMC) and xD-Picture Card (xD). Depending on your needs, I would say go for the future-proof USB 3.0 model – after all, it retails for $10 more compared to the $14.99 USB 2.0 Universal Card Reader.

Those who tend to do a whole lot of traveling can always fall back on the $9.99 USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader, and as the name implies, it fits into most pockets without missing a beat, and will read just about any memory card format while you’re on the go.

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Review » AOC announces portable USB Monitor

When we talk about monitors, most of us would definitely think of the most common models that are sitting there, prim and proper on our desks. Well, AOC not only delivers said monitors, but they too know how some people feel about not getting enough viewing real estate whenever one travels. Guess this is why they have come up with what they deem to be the ultimate laptop accessory – a portable USB monitor that ain’t too small it might be deem useless, but is large enough to warrant more than a second look.

This lightweight and sleek 16″ monitor will boast a convenient built-in USB port which allows it to receive not only power, but also signal from the computer. Basically a single USB cable eliminates the need for you to tote around a power cord or VGA cable on your travels, now how about that? It isn’t only good for dual-monitor setups, but multi-monitor configuration as well.

Apart from being an extended display, this particular peripheral will also work great if you happen to need something more decent than an iPad for on-the-go presentations. With a 16″ form factor, it will be able to display a resolution count of 1,366 x 768, sporting 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a brightness level of 250cd and a response time of 5ms. There is even a built-in Smart Stand that pivots out when required, but if you don’t need it, it will be stored flush against the back of the monitor.

It doesn’t matter whether you are going to go portrait or landscape with the display, since the foldable stand supports both configurations. Those who have a penchant for model numbers will make do with e1649fwu, so calling it a simple “portable USB monitor” makes a whole lot more sense (and is easier on the brain and tongue). With a serious looking black piano-polish finish on the bezel, there is also a hard glass screen that delivers superior protection.

If you are interested, AOC’s portable USB monitor will set you back by $139, although I do not see it listed on the official website just yet.

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Review » Logitech Wireless Touchpad severs cable connection

I would say that when we talk about the 21st century as well as towards the end of the 1990s, many people were optimistic that we would soon move into a true blue wireless and paperless age, but judging by what I see at the moment, it seems as though that is not going to happen anytime soon. Why, you ask? Well, paper is still an indispensable part of life, and it is far easier to access something you’ve written on a note than to pull out your notebook or smartphone, turn it on, and boot up a particular note taking program.

As for going wireless, that is far more practical – although it has not really caught on as I originally thought it would. Logitech intends to push the wireless envelope with their latest product, the $49.99 Logitech Wireless Touchpad. Yup, the introduction of touchpads on notebooks, netbooks and even an optical trackpad on a smartphone did open up a whole new way of interacting with the digital world. Let’s see what Logitech has in store for us with their Logitech Wireless Touchpad after the jump.

This device was specially designed to work with the Windows 7 operating system, where it will boast multi-touch navigation and gesture-based controls, making it a whole lot easier to point, scroll and swipe your way to an intended file or shortcut, where even surfing the Internet now is so much easier to do. Since this device comes with a large touch surface, it ought to deliver a fair amount of room for your fingertips to stretch in they very own way without getting cramped, especially after spending the whole day in front of the computer.

Setting it up is a snap – just plug the diminutive Logitech Unifying receiver into a USB port, place the touchpad at an area where you’re comfortable with, and you’re good to go. The included receiver is able to simultaneously supports up to five more compatible devices.

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Review » USB Vibrator carries your precious data as well

 

You know how to mix business with pleasure? Well, for those who want to keep their secrets close to their chest, this particular USB flash drive is definitely worth looking into. We are talking about a USB flash drive which not only boasts space on it to stash away precious data, and in addition to that, it also has a hidden function – which will keep the ladies happy, since this is a vibrator as well.

Known as the Duet, the USB flash drive vibrator will be sleek in nature, sporting the ability for you to adjust the various speeds if you want to, and of course, it is waterproof. Otherwise, how else are you going to keep it clean once you are done with your private pleasure?

Just how much storage does the Duet hold? We are talking about 16GB here, which is far more than what most of the other standard USB flash drives come with. Designers Ti Chang and Michael Topolovac did come to the realization that one of the biggest complaint from women concerning something as personal as vibrators would be the power cord issue, batteries, or having it come along with an obscure charging device.

The whole solution? Well, a USB connector was thought of to be the solution, where you simply plug it into a computer or laptop and have it go. You might want to lock the door whenever you decide to spend a little bit of alone time with the Duet, otherwise you might literally be caught with your pants down – if you don’t dig skirts, that is. Since the ladies would be the ones spending most time with this, it will arrive in a range of colors.

I would be a whole lot more wary the next time someone passes me a USB flash drive, of course, making careful note of its make and model to make sure it isn’t this particular version.

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Review » Logitech HD webcam B525 brings video chats to business circles

A webcam has proved to be an accessory that you can live without, although those who are involved in long distance relationships might beg to differ. After all, there is nothing quite like seeing your beloved in the flesh despite being separated by thousands of miles, with a phone call coming in second where keeping in touch is concerned. Logitech does not only make computer mice, you know, as the Swiss company is also involved in a bunch of other peripherals where among them include keyboards and webcams, which we will look at the latter in greater detail today with the business-class Logitech HD webcam B525.

The relaunch of the business-class Logitech HD webcam B525 happened in order for the B525 to take advantage of an ever-changing workspace – regardless of whether it is at your office, at your favorite coffee haunt, the airport terminal, or even in the comfort of your home, where it delivers seamless video calls without missing a beat. Among the features in the Logitech HD webcam B525 that you will read of, they are available after the jump.

The B525 will come in a simple fold-and-go design that allows you to pack it up in a jiffy, perfect for those who are always on the go. Not only that, the inclusion of a 360-degree swivel rotation lets you make a call and record in just about any angle – perfect for those moments when you are so bushed that all you want to do is carry out your conversation right on the comfort of your fluffy bed. Alternatively, this allows you to turn the camera away for added privacy, now how about that?

There is an integrated autofocus capability to make sure that you remain at the forefront and center of the webcam whenever you are involved in a video call, and with Logitech’s RightLight 2 Technology, your eyes will experience sharp video quality, never mind that the lighting around you is less than satisfactory.

As for the built-in mic, it was specially formulated to minimize background noise. Featuring both Microsoft Lync and Skype certification, the Logitech HD webcam B525 is already in the market if you’re interested in introducing video conference calls to your office.

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Review » Victorinox Slim and Slim Duo

Victorinox Swiss Army (VSA) has created a lot of USB Flash Memory devices (not to mention cutlery), and they recently have released the Slim and Slim Duo. Both of them have a USB plug that retracts like the famous Swiss Army knife, and the Duo is the one with two USB plug-ins.

The Slim and Slim Duo are both waterproof and shock-resistant, and is also TSA-approved. Not only are they hard on the outside, but they have “iron-clad protection” with many layers of data encryption as well as password protection.

The Slim and Slim Duo are available at many shops like the Swiss Knife Shop, Amazon, B&H, and Datavision. They come in many colors like silver, blue, orange, pink, and green. They have a range of storage needs as the Slim is available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The Slim Duo is available in 128GB. The price begins at $39.99 for the 4GB Slim, and $349.99 for the 128GB Slim Duo.

Yeah, that is pretty high for the Slim Duo, but for students going back-to-school, it can be a worthwhile investment. It is good for 25,600 songs (14.6 years of uninterrupted music), 25,000 pictures taken with a 20 Megapixel camera (50,000 with a 10 Megapixel camera), 18 full videos in HD format, and 32 Britannica encyclopedias.

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Review » Brando USB optical mouse serves as digital scale

We have seen a lot of interesting products come out of Brando before, and they are often quite useful in certain situations. For example, there was the Bike Crash Cam, good for lawsuits involving a two-wheeled bike accidents.

This USB optical mouse also seems good for only certain situations. As you can see, there is a working scale on this mouse. It has a cover so you are not constantly weighing your fingers.

The problem that I see is that I don’t think I really need a device like this. While it is handy to have a scale on one’s desktop, I don’t really need one that can only go up to 500 grams. I wonder if there is an app for something like this.

I suppose that if you are in the business of shipping small items, this would come in handy. After all, I do a lot of business on eBay, and I have a postal scale for that. I don’t even think that I could put an envelope on this.

However, if you are in a business where weighing small things is important (and I’m not talking about drugs), this USB Optical Mouse with Pocket Digital Scale might come in handy. You should be able to get it from Brando here for a price of $22.

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Review » USB Pedometer lets you take step towards better fitness

Love being fit? Surely you would do well to walk more each day, and just to know how many steps you are supposed to take, it is highly recommended to get a pedometer to help you out. The £24.99 USB Pedometer that you see here is a step in the right direction, so to speak, counting each and every step that you take so that you can clock up those miles and make sure your physician remains up-to-date with your physical activities.

Hang the USB Pedometer around your neck, or opt to pop it in the pocket – it doesn’t matter. This device is still able to accurately measure the distance you have walked, in addition to the amount of calories burned so that you can consider wolfing down another Big Mac. Apart from that, at least you know how to gradually increase your physical activity each day to meet your fitness goals. All collected data can be transferred over to a PC by plugging this device via USB.

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Review » Verbatim unleashes Ergo Mouse

Verbatim is more often than not a name which we associate with flash memory as well as portable storage (remember floppies back in the day?), but here we see them branching out into peripherals such as a mouse – specifically speaking, the Ergo Mouse. Verbatim’s Ergo Mouse will take the wireless route to keep up with the times, making sure you do not end up with a tangled mess at the end of the day.

This is an ergonomic mouse that seems to cater only to right handers as you can see from the image above, so southpaws will have to look elsewhere – or just pester the folks over at Verbatim to roll out a left-handed version! Featuring a convenient thumb support (for your right hand, of course), it offers what Verbatim calls to be “the ultimate comfortable computing experience.” The Ergo Mouse has an ultra-smooth, rubberized grip and scroll wheel that were specially developed with comfort in mind, making you control your computer easily without batting an eyelid.

Apart from that, this ergonomically designed mouse will work via the 2.4GHz wireless frequency for lag-free cursor movement. Gamers would do well to give this a miss though – especially hardcore ones, since it won’t be able to hold any macros at all, and there aren’t any weights for you to insert or remove to suit your gaming needs. This is purely a workstation mouse, to put it in a nutshell.

The Ergo Mouse will ship with a nano receiver that works great by remaining plugged into your notebook via USB at all times, so you need not worry about it snapping off on your travels or anything like that. Available in blue, red and black colors, it will be powered by a couple of AAA batteries which surprisingly comes with each $29.99 purchase. Normally, hardware manufacturers don’t throw in batteries as you would need to get those yourself. Good job, Verbatim.

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Review » Avatar S Gaming Mouse from NZXT

I’m always glad when I can get my hands on a gaming mouse, and NZXT was nice enough to send over the Avatar S for me to review.

The Avatar S has a 1600 DPI laser sensor right out of the box, and it can be adjusted by installing the drivers for 1600, 800, or 400 dpi settings. You might notice in the image how there is a blue light, which will change color when those dpi speeds are changed. It has a tracking speed of 30 inches per second, which makes the cursor quite fast.

What makes the Avatar S a “gaming” mouse is that it has five buttons instead of the usual three (left, scrolling, and right). The other two are on the left and right sides of the mouse, and, once the drivers are installed, the user can program all kinds of macros with 16KB of onboard memory.

The user can also change the orientation from left and right handed, and I can imagine that something like this can really improve one’s game. Clearly, I need to be more into MMORPGs to really appreciate the subtleties of the Avatar S.

If you are the type who would appreciate a mouse like this, head over to the NZXT site and check it out for yourself. The current price on the online store is about $39.99.

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Review » Bracketron does the Dual USB Charger

 

Most devices these days have a USB port, and it goes without saying that this also means a USB charger is in order to keep said device juiced up at all times. Of course, finding a USB port wherever you are is definitely harder than looking for the ordinary, standard issue power outlet – after all, it isn’t as though all power outlets have a dedicated USB port crammed in at the moment, although we do wish it were otherwise.

Bracketron has every intention to make sure that no matter where you go, especially if you’re a heavy road user, will be able to keep your USB-powered devices juiced up before you arrive at your destination, and it does so in style with the Dual USB Charger. As with many other heavy duty electronic devices in your vehicle that need power, the 12V cigarette lighter port is taken advantage of. Sure, you lose your car’s lighter in the process, but that’s a small price to pay to make sure your phone’s all juiced up for that important meeting in an hour’s time. Wanna smoke? Carry a Zippo lighter with you then.

The Dual USB Charger from Bracketron says it all – it has two USB ports, which means it can charge up two USB devices simultaneously in just about any vehicle. At $24.95 a pop, this isn’t to say it is terribly expensive that it is placed out of reach of the ordinary man on the street. The Dual USB Charger will sport high and low-current USB outputs, making it ideal to power your tablet as well as mobile device at once.

It will play nice with the iPad, iPhone, iPod, portable media players, satellite radios, GPS units, and smartphones amongst others. There is also a built-in LED light feature that lets you know whether power is coursing through its wires, delivered right to your devices’ batteries. Since it sports a low profile, it ought to be able to fit into just about any 12V port without a problem.

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Review » Isostick has identity crisis

When is a USB flash drive an optical drive? Wait a minute here, before you think that I have had a little bit too much to drink, let me explain to you just how such a situation can happen. We’re talking about the Isostick, an idea that needs funding on Kickstarter. This particular device is a memory stick which is capable of converting ISO images into physical, mounted optical drives automatically – it does so by tricking the computer into thinking that way.

The entire process happens in a transparent manner, letting you stash away an image of Ubuntu or Windows on an Isostick, reboot up your machine and boot straight from it. Your computer won’t care that physically it isn’t an optical disk, as it “sees” it as an optical drive.

To sweeten the deal, you are able to cram in as many ISOs as you like onto the Isostick – as long as space permits, of course, limited by the 32GB of memory. Apart from that, a hardware read-only switch is thrown into the mix, letting you flip it if you want to prevent viruses or other malicious programs from messing with your images.

I would think that those who are power users or administrators at the office definitely love the Isostick for what it is. Imagine being able to stash away just about any and every utility and operating system you need on a solitary USB flash drive, without having to tote around discs upon discs. There is also no risk of the disc getting scratched, so that is definitely another incentive.

This convenience comes at a price – the 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models will retail for $100, $175 and $225. Anyone wants to contribute their bit over to the Isostick project? There are 24 days left to go, and the Isostick project is short of $3,500 thereabouts as at press time.

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Review » Verbatim splashes color with new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 portable hard drives

When it comes to portable storage, you can be sure that Verbatim ranks pretty high up there – and one of the company’s latest releases, the Verbatim SuperSpeed USB 3.0 portable hard drive, will now be available in a couple of eye-popping colors – Caribbean Blue and Hot Pink. What a great way to usher in the summer with such vibrant, bright colors, no? I am guessing that Verbatim wants to deliver both style and function in a single device, hence splashing a couple of colors that normally don’t see the light of day in portable hard drives.

As for the amount of storage space, you might want to rethink all those downloads you make – after all, 500GB isn’t that much to go around these days. Good thing it is connected via USB 3.0, so make sure your computer has such a port to make full use of it. Transferring 500GB worth of data over USB 3.0 is going to be a snap, and with the ability to reliably back-up and transfer files anytime, anywhere, this might just be what you are looking for.

Verbatim claims that this is the “perfect way to save, store and share your favorite videos, photos, music and more”, although we might beg to differ simply because the 500GB of storage space is not going to go too far in this day and age. At the very least, it makes for a colorful accessory to your computing gear, don’t you think so?

The Verbatim SuperSpeed USB 3.0 portable hard drive will play nice with all USB ports of yore, and it will ship with Nero BackItUp & Burn Essentials software that delivers full system backup and restore functions, while you will also benefit from the ability to schedule automatic backup by date/time and an encrypted backup option with password control.

Whenever the drive is not in use, you can always use the Green Button software which offers three sleep/suspend settings to help save energy. The Formatter software is handy when you want to change the format of the drive from FAT32 to NTFS or HFS+ in a jiffy. Nice to know Verbatim decided to throw in a 7-year limited warranty with this $99.99 purchase.

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Review » LEGO Minifig USB Flash Drive

Love all things LEGO? I am quite sure that you know by now the wonders of LEGO and how it does its job in tickling your imagination. Well, LEGO’s back with a spanking new device for computer geeks – the aptly named LEGO Minifig USB Flash Drive. You would surely place this Minifig in a potentially embarrassing situation, as in order to access data, you will have to pull down his pants. Yes sir, I wonder how many of us have dreamed of going around naked before waking and realizing it was not real. Phew!

This LEGO Minifig will hold 2GB of data inside, and he will play nice with both Mac and PC platforms. Accompanied by a keychain attachment, you can more or less carry around another 2GB of storage space with you – all that convenience will cost you $24.99 though. I am just waiting for someone at Hackaday to take this puppy apart and include a higher capacity chip – if only LEGO would come up with various capacity models.

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Review » USB Body Scales for the geek in you

Keeping watch over your weight a good seven months after your New Year’s resolution in the eternal fight against the flab? Fret not, you have plenty of assistance in the form of nutritious meal replacement sachets, not to mention getting the right kind of tools to assist you in taking down details of your battle. For the inner geek, there is the USB Body Scales – and the name says it all.

Currently available for pre-order at £59.99 a pop (it will start to ship from August 11th onwards), this gizmo will get to work by measuring your essentials such as weight, body fat percentage and muscle tissue. Since the scale itself sports internal memory of its own, you need not look for scraps of paper to write down the daily statistics, as you can easily transfer all that information to a plugged in USB flash drive (not included, so use your own) in a jiffy.

Each USB Body Scale comes with the ION Healthsuite software so that you can check out your detailed readings in an easy-to-understand format, and it can even help you set goals for yourself.

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Review » Dr Who: Tardis USB 4 Port Hub

USB ports are to geeks just as handbags and shoes are to fashion forward ladies – do you subscribe to that ideology? Well, if you answered in the affirmative, perhaps you might be interested in the £22.99 Dr Who: Tardis USB 4 Port Hub. The name of this peripheral says it all – at that kind of price, you will be able to hold imaginary scenes right in front of you with the Tardis as the meeting point for your characters, while transferring data from a USB flash drive over to the computer (or vice versa). After all, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, so why not send that noggin’ of yours into overdrive while you curse the slow speed of USB 2.0 compared to USB 3.0?

This 4-port USB hub will replicate the 1950s police phonebox, complete with a flashing lantern on the Tardis roof in addition to time-travelling sound effects, although you won’t be able to turn back the hands of time with this – not even when you Ctrl-Z a dozen times on your keyboard.

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Review » Logitech’s security solution targets small businesses

Logitech is a name that is well known among computer users due to the many peripherals that they roll out, and webcams are one of them. Well, Logitech’s webcams are not just there for you to hold a video conversation or conference with your family or colleagues – it will even add value to small businesses by functioning as a HD video and audio security solution – thanks to the introduction of the Logitech Alert B700i PoE Camera and Logitech Alert B700e PoE Outdoor Camera.

With Logitech’s Alert PoE system, it delivers Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity so that small business owners are able to monitor their cash register, storage rooms, warehouse or front desk regardless of what time it is, and where they are – as long as there is a decent Internet connection. It must be said that this is no pansy video feed – we’re talking about High Definition video here. The cameras will come with a smart HD camera, a built-in microphone, professional-grade wall mounts, and powerful PC software. Not only that, you will be able to enjoy free live remote viewing over a variety of devices, be it desktops, notebooks or on a smartphone.

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Review » Sony Micro Vault P Release Date and Specs

Sony has stopped in recent months the production of its famous 3.5-inch disks as well as its MD . The Japanese giant, a major producer of this type of media, however, continues to expand its line of USB sticks. New Micro Vault and P are about to be launched in the Asia-Pacific and will be pushed out to Europe later. They feature a very classic body that hides the USB connector.

The interface is not specified and it was very probably dealing with a solution Hi-Speed ​​USB or USB 2.0. Sony highlights the strong capabilities of its new range. Micro Vault will offer these P 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of flash memory!

These keys come with a small hole for hanging on key chains and also an activity LED 360 degrees for better visible. Sony provides its software with new keys and File Rescue X-Pict Story. The first is logical to recover deleted fileswhile the second allows you to create presentations with small files on the key. The Micro Vault P will be available soon,in two colors: black and white. The price tag is still untold.

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Review » Maxell AirStash ready to rock and roll

If you happen to own one of the following iOS-powered devices – the iPad, iPad 2, iPhone or iPod touch, then chances are you would have plenty of media stored on them, ready to entertain you at a moment’s notice whenever you are bored while making that daily commute to the office (and back, of course). Needless to say, space is never infinite, and eventually it will be filled up to the brim, but what happens when you have some extra help?

This is where the AirStash from Maxell comes in – this device is touted to be the first as well as only wireless flash drive in the market that delivers media streaming alongside two-way wireless document transfer capability. To put it in a nutshell, you no longer need to rely on your iOS device’s internal memory to store your entertainment media – that job has been relegated to the AirStash now. Granted, it means you need to tote around two more devices, but that’s certainly a small price to pay when you think about it, no? Learn more about the AirStash after the jump.

Merging the portability of a standard USB flash drive alongside the flexibility of an SD memory card, while boasting the power of a media streamer, this is one convenient device to get your wireless two-way file transfer action going on. The AirStash will rely on a standard USB connection so that there is no need to tote around additional data cables that will further bog you down during your travels.

Even better news is this, the AirStash will support the WebDAV industry standard for compatibility with popular apps, among them including Apple’s iWork suite and GoodReader for iOS and WebDAV Navigator for Android. There is also an AirStash+ app that can be downloaded off the App Store without having to fork out a single cent, since it was developed due to professional photographers, letting your AirStash browse and batch import photos in a jiffy.

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