It’s a bit complicated of a article title, but the point is this:  It is now possible to put a paper thin USB key into a magazine ad to drive customers to your site.

This fresh approach to implement USB technology into marketing is extraordinary to say the least.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not talking about a flash drive with storage, I’m talking about a “web key.”

A USB webkey is simply a device that auto launches your web browser to a specific web page.  That’s it.  But it’s incredibly powerful.

Now a major retailer or manufacturer can send a magazine reader directly to a webpage via a paper thin USB key.  I’d try it just to see if it would work.  I would try it just to see if there was storage on there [if I wasn’t a USB-super-geek].

The process is simple.

• Step 1 - Open magazine and see the ad
• Step 2 - Pop out the webkey
• Step 3 - Connect it to a USB port on your PC

That’s it.  Now your reader is on the web checking out your next greatest invention [Honda Unicycle]

To learn more about the USB webkey contact USBcopier.

The all new Kensington Ci70 USB keyboard is ultra slim for those seeking minimal usage of work space real estate.  In addition, the Ci70 includes a small USB hub for connecting those USB powered gadgets.

The USB keyboard comes with two full size USB type A connectors to connect MP3 players, cameras and promotional USB drives and one mini-USB connector for syncing mobile phones and digital cameras.

Kensington indicates the USB keyboard is 35% smaller then a typical keyboard, but don’t mention the height of this “slim design.”  It appears to be about 1.5cm at the keyboard and 3cm at the back where the hot buttons are located.

The Ci70 retails for $50, but we found it at Amazon for just a little less. (more…)

USB.org put out this semi-tech, self promoting video on the new USB 3.0 Superspeed. Take a look:

Actor Morgan Freeman and his production company Digiboo are trying to break ground with sales and distribution of movies via USB.  We love the idea!

USB Movie sticks might become a thing of the future as Digiboo plans to launch over 100 kiosks in Hollywood Video stores next year; the first will roll out in January. People will be able to plug a USB device into the kiosk, download movies to rent or own, and then plug them in to any USB 2.0 or 3.0-compatible devices.

Before you ask, yes, DRM is layered into the movie content so put away your ideas of bit-for-bit USB copies to pirate your movies.  However, you now own the content on a portable device which will pug into just about anything including xBox or game consoles, cars, computers and set top boxes.  No word on how transferable the format will be to get the rented video from USB to something like a iPhone or PDA for portable playback.

About two years ago we started reporting on the USB music albums and now it appears we’ll see more articles about USB movie sticks.

Today, a team of engineers will be recognized at the Computer History Museum for designing the first microprocessor in 1971, a 4-bit parallel CPU with 2,300 transistors. That project, from an infant Intel [3 years old], was a huge achievement and one can honestly say “it changed the world.”

The Intel 4004 was the first general purpose microprocessor that could be customized with software to perform different functions on different devices. The 4004 started a new era in both hardware AND software, along with a never ending quest of silicon integration that continues to this day.

The small team to be honored include: (more…)

iCarte is a snap-on device for the iPhone to allow it to receive RFID signals.  This is great for all sorts of on-the-go applications.

The iCarte could be used for micro payments, such as public transportation payments or vendy machine purchasing.

Another application is getting RFID signals for promotional material.  Such as walking past a movie theater and you would be asked to download the trailer for an upcoming movie.  Or past a music store and you can get a sample of the latest releases.

Makes you wonder what the world will be like in a couple years, doesn’t it?

UberGizmo rumors that Apple might integrate an RFID feature in the next release, but who knows.

Source:  UberGizmo.  Product by: Wireless Dynamics.

Did you know Windows will make over 260 registry entries with a single enumeration of a USB stick?  This means for those with multiple flash drives your registry will get extremely cluttered and bogged down.

With flash drives dirt cheap these days, you’ll find at least a couple dozen going into your computer through the year.  That would be over 6,240 registry entries.

USB Scrub is a free utility which performs a deep cleaning of those unused drivers and registry edits.

We gave USB Scrub a try, and it worked great.  We went from enumerating a single USB stick in 45 seconds to enumerating that stick in less that 12 seconds.

In addition, if you have a USB stick that doesn’t perform correctly or the Windows OS doesn’t see it, chances are the USB Scrub will clear up those problems and your drive will work once again.  This is because a registry entry can become corrupt and simply clearing it out will resolve your issue.

So lets take a closer look.

Using RegShot [a free application which takes a snap shot before and after an event and compares only the changed registry values] I took a snap shot before and after a USB stick was connected and ejected.  The result was this:

• 78 Registry Keys where created
• 183 Registry Values where added
• 261 Registry edits in total!

Here is a snap shop.  Click the image to get the full text file. (more…)