The catch phrase from Firebox for the USB Desktop Dunk is “Shoot hoops without breaking a sweat.“  Not bad – and looks like a great little gadget gift for the young ones.

Complete with 4 mini basketballs the goal is to bounce them into the hoop.  You can put the USB Desktop Dunk to good office use in “competition mode” which is 2 minutes of pure stress trying to get the high score.  Or, if you need to sharpen those virtual hoop skills, chill  in “continuous play” mode.

For added stimulation, the USB Desktop Hoops game throws out some audio fanfare with every 10 points scored (it scores 2 points per shot).

GetUSB reported a while back about the partnership between Microsoft and U3 and it turns out they’ve created the StartKey, a similar approach as the U3 drives.

The biggest difference is Microsoft using StartKey as the key component to logging in and booting up.  In addition, you can store personal computer settings and privileges, applications and data files on the StartKey itself.

Microsoft is looking past the ultra popular USB stick, and will incorporate the StartKey technology to nearly all types of flash media.

So many have asked the question: How do you make DVD rentals easier than running down to the video store. Well, we’ve seen NetFlix with their rapid shipping and quick turn times and Blockbuster on their heels. These big-boys are now turning to on-line download and “content on demand.” It all sounds nice, but even with great bandwidth and streaming video you still have a fundamental problem. You must watch those vidoe’s on your TV.

PortoMedia of Ireland has a different take on DVD rentals. How about rent movies on flash memory?

May seem a little crazy, but think about it. Once you have that content on flash, the ability to watch video on any portable device, be it a laptop, PDA or other device makes enjoyement of that DVD when and where you want it …well…ideal.

So what is the process?

“PortoMedia is setting up kiosks that will let consumers download movies to a flash memory key or portable hard drive. The kiosks will be packed with hard drives that can hold 350 to 5,000 titles. Users then plug in a memory device from the company, enter a PIN code, and buy or rent a movie. When consumers get home, they simply slide the memory device into a dock their viewing device and enjoy.”

If you are not on board with the idea of PortoMedia, don’t worry – you are not alone. Others, like Ziff-Davis, have doubts, but consider this:

Here is an eclectic set of USB gadgets which I think would be ideal for Frank’s Cubicle. I found the USB desktop multi-tasking organizational gadget over at ThinkGeek [via OhGizmo] and what kind of organization are we talking about? Based off the lightening fast USB speed of 1.1 you get:

1 – USB cup warmer
1 – USB mini desk lamp
1 – USB mini vacuum
1 – Open USB port (still 1.1)
1 – Pen cup holder as center base with no USB connectivity.

The USB multi-tasking device does make a good gadget gift and with the recent price drop from $30 to

Imagine stepping away from your computer was all that’s needed to lock your computer?  It’s a great idea, too bad ProxMat thought of it first.  Their USB Mat is a pressure sensitive floor mat which locks your computer when you step off/away.

The ProxMat activates the Windows Key + L shortcut to lock down your computer.

“The ProxMat sensor now locks the unattended computer automatically! The ProxMat incorporates sophisticated pressure sensing technology to detect the presence of the user. When the user leaves the mat, the ProxMat sends the keystrokes to lock the system.”

The USB mat connects via USB and requires no drivers upon installation.  ComputerProx, the company which makes the ProxMat has a list of available sizes:

It’s obvious there is one primary use for this USB mouse:  adult content and hiding your “habits.”

The Politically Correct term would be the USB Privacy Mouse, here is why.  Along with the traditional mouse configuration of left, right buttons and center scroll tool, there is a side button used for specific hot-swap configuration.  What do we mean by hot-swap configuration?  Well, since a picture can tell a thousand words, consider this: