Now this truly is a USB powered gadget. Earlier this week SolidAlliance introduced the USB engine hub. Based off a two liter motorcycle engine the USB hub houses 3 USB ports and takes up quite-a-bit of space.

Two things are crazy about this. One, the USB engine hub makes noise, a lot of noise. The non-soothing sounds begin with; starter, gear shift and rev-engine sounds. Two, the president of SolidAlliance predicts this novelty gadget will become their best selling product. Well, that isn’t much of a stretch considering SolidAlliance is best known for Sushi flash drives.

If you need a USB hub and need to be heard, get the USB engine for only $43 USD. SolidAlliance ships globally. (more…)

It’s a goocher. From the latest GetUSB poll, “How Many USB Ports Do You Need?” a whopping 40% said the standard 4 USB ports is good enough.

What is more interesting is that over 50% of the voters indicated even with 8 USB ports they could still use more. This means most users have at least two USB Hubs hanging from their system. What a mess. You may ask yourself, why don’t they make bigger USB hubs? One answer might be this:

Chip manufacturers make either a 4 port or 7 port USB hub chip. You run into power problems after 7 ports. Companies who build USB Hubs are limited by this chip design. Placing two hub chips inside a hub box doesn’t make much sense because your host computer already has several USB ports - they just figure you’ll buy two units if you need more (4 or 7) USB ports.

With these poll results I think it’s safe to say USB is the majority leader in peripheral connectivity.

Press Release - Burnaby BC., June 19, 2007 – Icron Technologies Corporation (TSX Venture: IT), the developers of ExtremeUSB® announced that Gefen Inc, of Woodland Hills, California, has launched a wireless USB 2.0 extender based on Icron’s ExtremeUSB technology at this years InfoComm 07 show in Anaheim, CA from June 19th to the 21st.

The Gefen wireless USB extender supports the connection of hi-speed USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices up to 100 feet from the computer. It works with both Apple (OSX) and PC (Windows, Linux) systems using Icron Technologies’ ExtremeUSB based on 802.11g technology. The receiver is a four-port USB hub that can support multiple devices by adding additional hubs. Data can be delivered at high speeds, thanks to optimized circuitry.

“We believe this reliable and wireless method of USB extension will significantly enhance the way systems operate well into the future,” said Hagai Gefen, president and CEO. “Subsequent versions will also support multiple receiver hubs connected to one sender unit, allowing a same time distribution that delivers data real-time with no cables.”

Like most of Gefen’s extender solutions, the wireless USB 2.0 extender uses small sender and receiver units connected to the computer and to the extended USB devices. No cables are needed to link sender to the receiver, which allows connection to cameras, keyboards, printers, hard drives or any USB 2.0 devices at distances up to 100 feet away. (more…)

If I where to design this product the ratio would be reversed. I’d create a 3 USB port adaptor with one cigarette plug. After all, I only need one car frig to keep my beer cold at the baseball games. But I do have an MP3 player, phone and camera I’d like to charge up while on the drive over.

The Brando 3-in-1 car adapter with USB port is definitely a good idea. There have been several occasions where I’ve wanted one.

UberGizmo brings up a good point - it might not be the best idea to daisy chain some USB hubs off the single port to power everything you’ve got. Might strain the car battery too much over a long period of time, none-the-less, an excellent item to have for those long hauls.

Brando has them for $20 and ships to the US (and globally) very quickly and inexpensive. (more…)

Can I apply oxymoron to a product? If I could this would be it. The USB panic button. The idea is a single tap on the panic button clears your computer screen of those erm suspect websites and opens a generic document so your boss or wife doesn’t catch your mouse where it shouldn’t be.

Another tap of the USB panic button and “game-on.” My problem with this useless USB gadget is the large, obtrusive, colorful button grabs plenty of attention and your boss will want to push it as badly as you. BAMB, now you’ve got your boss in your face and p-rn on the screen. Too bad those Corona Time-Out’s don’t really work.

The USB novelty gadget is kinda cool, but it’s definitely not the USB self-destructing button. (more…)

The long awaited wireless USB hubs are starting to show their face. Belkin did a push for nearly a year before their wireless hub came out; Gefen just made their announcement about a 4 port wireless USB hub.

This is an excellent choice for those having peripherals further then a common USB cable connection. The Gefen WUSB hub uses a USB dongle at the host PC and will communicate up to 60 feet to the wireless hub.

Since these types of products have not hit the shelves yet, the real-world transfer rate is yet to be determined. The specification calls for data transfer rates between 55Mb/s to the max of 480Mb/s (wouldn’t that be nice) but I believe that will depend more on distance. (more…)

The pathetic man’s disco laptop light from Brando is now available. Not much to this $10 USB laptop light other than a blinking light every second which toggles between green, red, blue, purple and yellow colors.

I guess you could home-brew a disco light show with a handful of these and a USB hub. Might be a good mood-setter for the traveling sales man and his recent “friend” from the hotel lounge. Thus; pathetic. (more…)