Thunderbold, LightPeak and their magical 10Gpbs transfer rate have been the talk for some time.  Well, at least the LightPeak version.  Thunderbolt is just Apple’s spin on the technology.  So will these new fangled technologies replace USB one day?  Yes, I think so.  Anytime soon?  No way.

LightPeak and Thunderbolt are currently designed off copper wire and provide an estimated 10Gbps transfer rate in both directions.  Of course that is spec, and we have yet to see a working product.  But never-the-less, the LighPeak technology has the ability to cap at 100Gpbs if they ever switch to Fiber Optics as the transfer hardware.

But lets be clear, a lot must happen before the momentum of a market switches from one technology to another.  Heck, just for Dell to make a change from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 took them nearly 9 months…and that was just an upgrade.

Are we scared over here at GetUSB.info – no.  I could see DisplayPort USB drives in the future, after all, it’s just another means of connection…and if it gets me more speed and more done in less time.  I welcome it with open arms.

USB Autorun is a favorite among USB promotional companies as it will autorun their website, PDF files or movies.  USB Autorun also gives the pirates and hackers an open door to reak havoc on your system.

Last year one of the worst virus’ spread via USB and it’s most important attribute for success was the USB autorun function.

This should all change if millions of users update the latest patch from Microsoft which address the autorun problem.  The update is for all versions of Windows other than Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to adapt to the behavior in those new versions. After the patch update (KB971029), users who insert a USB device will no longer see a menu option to execute programs on the device itself. The standard menu options, to view files on the device or play media, will remain, and behavior for CD and DVD media also remains unchanged.

Microsoft feels the autorun function was such a big problem for malware jumping onto your system they had to do something.  Users should note that USB with CD ROM emulation will still trigger the USB autorun function.  If interested, there are some ways of getting a CD-ROM partition onto a USB stick.

The update from Microsoft is not considered urgent enough for a security update, but they do consider it an “important” update, so we recommend you use the link in this post and get the update.  Or approve the next Microsoft update you get from your OS.

If you have a geeky love one, the following NES USB storage cartridges might stike that cord to make a perfect Valentine gift.  Etsy dealer 8BitMemory is doing a fantastic job of  mod jobs for NES hard drives like the Zelda cartridge below:

Some live, eat and sleep SuperMario, or at least did when they where younger will enjoy this small USB flash drive cartridge:

Or for the hard cord geek who needs a boat load of extra storage you can pull out all the stops for this 1TB hard drive,

Nest is a contemporary looking storage slash stand for Apple products.  The Nest is a device-stand small enough to prop up your iPhone and sturdy enough to hold up your iPad [via the back door sliding tray].

Very clever indeed.  It would be great to see their creative genius make up a solution for multi Apple products as well.  As I’ve mentioned before, my house alone has 3 iPhones and one iPad.  We are constantly searching for a bulk charge center that will keep the USB power cords organized and the devices available.

Back to the Nest – different color insert lining for padded storage.  The rubber insert folds over the top so that when an iPad is set flat on the top, it will not slip.  Making it easy for the user to read, type and browse the device while in use.

The Nest is bargain at just $15.

Site page.

Everyone loves a good USB missile launcher and Thanko has released yet another version.  The first thing you will notice is the cosmetic change to look more like an Army missile launcher, but Brando reports hardware changes as well.  The new missile launcher was retooled to have more power for longer distance and the software was updated to be less buggy.

As with all previous models, you get four foam missiles, software which controls the cannons up, down, left and right.  You have the option to go into stealth mode and turn off the sound effects and of course, all this powered via USB.

Software includes support for Windows 7, although not sure about 32bit verse 64bit.  Priced right at $36 + shipping.

To be clear, we are not suggesting Intel has new information on the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, but rather new information on how USB 3.0 technology will play with Intel’s new Panther Point Platform.

What this means is that Intel will start native integration with their new chipset in the coming year.  An interesting point gleaned from the leaked PDF is that USB 3.0 will not [natively] support Windows XP or Vista operating systems.  For those computers, the user will need to purchase a PCI to USB 3.0 adapter controller card [NEC is most popular for that peripheral].

Panther Point will support up to 14 USB ports in total, four of which are USB 3.0 and rest are legacy USB 2.0. Texas Instrument and Renesas have plans for a 4-port USB 3.0 solution but none of their solutions have obtained USB-IF certification approval yet. This may all change once Intel starts shipping Panther Point laptops and desktops in 2012.

I’m sure you had to read the title once or twice.  Well, you know what they say…a picture is worth a thousand words.  Doubt I’ll drum up a thousand words for this post, but you get the point.

The FlipIt is a slick little piece of plastic which fits between your wall prongs and the outlet itself.  This way you can high-jack some power off the outlet, while still sharing it with other electronics.  The FlipIt then redirects the juice to a USB port where you can plug any device which uses USB for recharging.

It’s a brilliant idea.

It’s $15.

After seeing it, don’t you wish you thought of it?

Source:  Those guys