Combine Micro SD Cards into a USB Stick
When you purchase new handsets, digital cameras and other technical gadgets you are bound to get a growing pile of discarded memory cards. The Collector is admittedly only a concept, but a fully realistic one as such and similar solutions already exist. Hiding beneath a cover on the memory stick is the three slots for Micro SD cards where you can easily put your old and new cards. The Collector then combines the storage space and the computer interprets it as a normal USB stick.
USB-Powered Fans: Stay Cool with ARCTIC Breeze Pro
ARCTIC Breeze Pro is a combined table fan/USB hub that not only keeps you cool in the summer heat, but also adds another four USB connectors to your desktop. ARCTIC already has some USB fans in their product lineup, but have now expanded it with two new models in which the ARCTIC Breeze Pro is the top model with an included USB hub.
It also has a built-in fan control that adjusts the fan speed between 800-1800 rotations per minute. Measuring 92mm, the fan sits freely – like a windmill on a flexible arm so you have to watch it when adjusting the angles of the fan, even if the speed is hardly fatal.
The ARCTIC Breeze Mobile is yet another innovation, which simply consists of the said fan, minus the USB hub. Breeze Mobile can be plugged into the USB port at any time and provide a cooling breeze while you’re at work.
This is a USB Key
Active Media Products has unleashed a new range of USB memory sticks – or USB keys – in a somewhat unusual design. Sure, this is not the first time we’ve seen the key-shaped USB sticks but these ones have an extremely thin profile (3mm) and should have no problems whatsoever to fit in your key chain.
The AMP Key Drive measures 58 x 29 x 3 mm and comes in 4GB or 8GB capacities that cost $12.95 and $21.95 respectively. There’s no detailed avspecificatiailable that reveals the performance of these USB keys, but that is probably not a major issue in this case.
USB 3 Gadget for Capturing HDMI Video
So far, the USB 3 gadgets on the market have mainly been storage devices, so seeing a product that is not about storage is a breath of fresh air. Black Magic Design has previously produced a PCI-Express card that captures HDMI video, and with the Intensity Shuttle they are now conquering another format.
The unit can capture non-copy protected video over HDMI and analog video over s-video, component or composite. There is also an HDMI output that shows the result of the capturing on an external monitor. Intensity Shuttle handles HDMI 1.3 and captures video at 8 or 10 bit and up to eight channels of audio.
It apparently utilizes the USB 3 interface in full, so before making a purchase, make sure that your USB 3.0 bandwidth isn’t crippled in any way, as it might be in some motherboards and laptops.
Intensity Shuttle comes with software to capture and play back video and should be available soon. The price is said to be in the same neighborhood as the Intensity Pro card. On the other hand, that one is currently down from $441 to $189.
Record to USB Straight from Your Flat Screen TV
Now this is something we didn’t know we needed, but it’s sure to catch on. Just insert a USB thumb drive or hard drive in your TV and record the program that’s on right now. Everything it takes is a few keystrokes, and you just need one remote to handle the entire process.
With the Time Shift function you can even take a break in recording for up to 10 minutes if you have to go get coffee. The producer behind the chic USB Recorder gadget is television manufacturer Grundig. This spring they have started integrating this feature in several of its models from 19 inches and up.
In the models Vision 7, Vision 9 and Fine Arts 40 LED the feature for USB recording comes standard with the TVs. The remote control provides both recording and playback, and may also provide a break in the current program for up to 10 minutes without the need for other boxes.
There are no restrictions on the size of the connected USB memory stick/hard drive and the system can record both in HD resolution and standard resolution. The recording capacity is roughly eight minutes per gigabyte in HD and up to 30 minutes per gigabyte in standard definition.
You can also use the USB port to play back your own files, such as pictures and movies.
256GB in Your Pocket with the Kingston DataTraveler 310
USB thumb drives are rarely spectacular in any way, but Kingston’s DataTraveler 310 definitely sets a new standard for USB sticks. It’s not often you see one with 256 gigs of storage space. Actually, never until this thing came along – at the time of writing, this is the world’s largest commercially available memory stick. The DataTraveler 310 is also unusually fast, with read/write transfer rates at 25MB/s and 12MB/s respectively, which is very fast for a thumb drive.
When you have a thumb drive that can hold quite a few annual company budgets with room to spare, you need to some security, which comes standard with the Kingston DataTraveler 310. An app aptly named Password Traveler lets you password protect your files. As all thumb drives it should work flawlessly with Windows, Mac or Linux, although the Password Traveler application only works with Windows, so Mac/Linux users will have to use another encryption solution such as the free TrueCrypt.
Now the largest USB stick in the known universe is obviously not cheap, but it’s currently available for $324 below MSRP, bringing it down from $1,108 to $783.90 at MemoryC via Amazon Marketplace
A 256GB thumb drive should come in handy for many professionals such as architects and others with large storage requirements, but it’s of course having 256GB of data in your pocket is an attractive proposition for just about anyone. You can save a liberal amount of movies, music and other important stuff that you want on your person at all times.
Purchase the 256GB Kingston DataTraveler 310 Via Amazon.com
256 GB of data, allows you to store:
- 10 Blu-ray discs (~25 GB each)
- 54 DVD discs (~4.7 GB each)
- 365 CD discs (~700 MB each)
USB PC Prankster: How to Alienate Your Office Mates
Plug this handy little device into your boss’ computer and it will start generating extremely annoying random mouse movements, type out nonsense text chunks and switch on caps lock on a random basis. Read more
Absolutely Ridiculous USB Hand Warmers
Do you often get cold hands while working at a computer? Does it bother you to look like a complete dork while working at said computer? If you answered both questions correctly, you might be interested in these ludicrous USB-powered hand warmers shaped like fluffy bears or bunnies.
Essentially it’s like wearing a couple of stuffed animals on your hand, with the difference that they’re also hooked up to your USB outlet, which in turn powers some sort of internal heating pads keep your hands warm and comfy. I wouldn’t know how safe it is to run an electrical current through a stuffed animal, but if you want to look this great you can’t be too picky.
Now most proud owners of these furry gadgets will probably want to wear them even while away from the computer, and this isn’t a problem as you can just detach the USB cable and use them as gloves when it’s cold outside.
USB Powered Toaster
Hook this baby up to your laptop’s USB port, and in roughly 7 to 9 minutes, your slice of bread will be freshly toasted! The USB-powered Toaster also comes bundled with free software – the BreadBrowner 2.0 app that makes perfect toasts on any occasion. Sadly, like most of the stuff produced by The Onion, the product is a fake. The 5W provided by the USB port are probably on the short side for pulling off something like toasting bread.
On the other hand, the box with the imaginary USB toaster on it is real and offers a great way of disappointing your friends when they discover that the box is empty. Or you can always use it to package some less exciting present – like a pair of socks – that clearly needs some help to be well received.
The Onion Store also sells these empty boxes in bundles. They sell a set including the USB Toaster, the iFeast Pet-Feeding MP3 Docking Station, the Kleen Stride Personal Debris Removal System, and the Visorganizer hat pocket.