Archive for October, 2009

5 Ways To Improve iPhone Which No One Has Mentioned – Yet

Matt LeBoff October 29, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

I’ve read several articles about how to improve the iPhone, most notable are CNET’s comments and iSmashPhone comments.Â Both articles have good ideas about improving the iPhone software, but there are five user improvements which I would like to humbly suggest. To me, these are fundamental improvements for an everyday user.Â What do you think? 1)Â How many times have you read an email chain with an attachment?Â With the small screen of the iPhone even the shortest email requires you to scroll.Â With a long email you must scroll forever to get to the attachment.Â Why can’t Apple make a “paper clip” icon at the top to jump directly to it?

improve iphone

2)Â I’m the type of iPhone user that likes to keep everything clean and up-to-date.Â So why is it that I can listen to a Voice Mail from a recent caller, but I still need to click the “Recent” icon to remove the notification.Â It should be removed automatically when Continue Reading

Ion Audio USB Tape Express

Matt LeBoff October 29, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

If you are old enough to remember those â€˜Foreignerâ€™ pre-digital cassettes, youâ€™ll also remember making your “Top 40” by duping the Saturday morning radio show with Rick Dees. Thatâ€™s why youâ€™ve got a box of C60s collecting dust in the cupboard. So why not set them free with the USB Tape Express.

Tape Express Ion Audio

Utterly ingenious, the sleek Ion Audio Tape Express cassette player lets you rediscover the precious sounds trapped in your cupboard cassettes. Lets take that a step further, Ion Audio uses the Tape Express to convert those “Glory Days” and set them free in digital format. Simply USB the Tape Express into your computer and idiot-proof EZ software will start converting your recordings, so you can burn them onto CD, archive them in iTunes or transfer them to your MP3 player. There is something Back-to-the-Future-esque about listening to old chart countdowns, forgotten mix tapes and piece-milled favorites. Because the Tape Express functions Continue Reading

Windows 7 Offers Direct Download For Bootable USB Recovery Drive

Matt LeBoff October 25, 2009 Tutorials & How-To Guides, USB News & Press Releases

There is no doubt Netbooks are becoming more and more popular.Â The problem with Netbooks if your computer goes south, no optical drive is available to restore your computer.Â You either have to A) buy an optical drive, burn a bootable backup or B) call the manufacturer and request a disc.

Windows 7 usb recovery

Windows 7 is addressing this process with the option to burn a bootable USB stick with your on-line purchase.Â Well, at least that’s the rumor.

“The ‘Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool’ is used when you buy a down-loadable version of the software from Microsoft’s online store. During the download process, buyers are given the option of creating a bootable USB stick or burning a DVD.”

So now the question becomes, should a user be required to Continue Reading

USB 3.0 Might Hit The Breaks

Matt LeBoff October 23, 2009 Flash Storage & Memory, USB Security & Compliance

We’ve been talking about USB 3.0 for almost one year now and last week we hear the maker, Intel, is looking to put on the breaks.Â This isn’t the first time Intel has rallied the industry, gotten chip makers to support it, then corporate shut it down via lack of integration [Wireless USB].

USB 3.0 breaks

What the general population might not understand is that USB is a fairly inconsistent bus for enumeration with peripherals.Â Sure, for the average user their USB devices work, but for an engineer or tech savvy user, they all pretty much agree – USB is problematic. Maybe this is just one reason why Intel is slowing it’s adoption of it…the other is probably the new development of Light Peak.Â Light Peak is a fiber optical cable which supports up to 10Gbps [now] and expandability to 100Gbps [future].Â Light Peak doesn’t use complicated protocols like Continue Reading

USB Duplicator Movie Trailer – Say What?

Matt LeBoff October 22, 2009 Flash Storage & Memory, USB Duplicators, USB Hardware & Gadgets, USB News & Press Releases, USB Reviews

If Nexcopy were to make a movie about USB duplicators and data loading USB flash drives, this would be the movie trailer to draw in attention.

Clearly, it would be “the most boring” movie in the world, but I’ll have to admit the movie trailer is quite impressive given the mundane product.

Nexcopy did a good job of putting a unique spin on their product announcement for the new 40 and 60 port USB duplicators via a movie trailer. The 1 minute video gives you just enough information to pique your interest, yet doesn’t bore you enough to click away.

The high definition version is posted on YouTube, but you’ll get the point from this:

Watch the Nexcopy USB Duplicator video

Click to learn more about the Nexcopy USB duplicator and SD duplicator solutions and their all new 40 and 60 port solutions.

Source: Zedomax.

Impressive Porsche USB Drive

Matt LeBoff October 20, 2009 Flash Storage & Memory, USB Hardware & Gadgets

Porsche is shipping a limited number of Panamera USB flash drives and we’ve got the pictures.Â It’s clearly a drive with a great amount of detail and pristine looking Porches logo on the USB cap.

porsche usb drive

It’s not clear if this is a marketing piece for Porsche or things to come about how we interface with the cars.Â Wouldn’t it be nice however, to have a USB key to start your car, upload recent maps, download car statistics and diagnostic information, sync MP3 files with your stereo.Â Seems to me the term USB key has been accepted quite nicely by everyone BUT the car manufacturers.

porsche usb drives

We believe the capacity is 4GBs, but has not been confirmed. Continue Reading

USB Transfer Cable For Windows 7

Matt LeBoff October 18, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

In Feb of 2007 Belkin introduces their USB transfer cable to get from XP to Vista.Â Now Belkin has their USB transfer cable to get you from Vista to Windows 7.Â From everything we’ve heard and experienced, we expect nothing less than a mad rush for users to get away from Vista and try anything new.

The two-ended USB cable plugs into your old Vista or XP computer as well as the new Windows 7 machine. Then you launch the Easy Transfer application shipping with Windows 7 inside “Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools”. Once there, you can migrate files, users, bookmarks and emails onto your shiny new rig. Since many programs might not be Windows 7 compatible, Belkin puts together a list of what those programs are with links to any updates available for the software.Â Seems to me that database would be a nightmare in itself, but hey, we’ll drink from the water cooler. The Belkin USB transfer cable from Vista to Windows 7 retails for $39 – but we found it on sale for $22.Â Not much to avoid a headache and make life a bit easier, right? Continue Reading

Sliders for your iPod

Matt LeBoff October 15, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

We know the Nano and iPod Touch don’t come with speakers, so it was nice to see the latest product roll-out from Green Power.Â Their sliding speaker system is quite nice, compact for the iPod line. A miniUSB port makes the connection between the iPod and the speaker system.Â Green Power reports a long playback of nearly 12 hours, but I find that hard to believe because my iPod barely stays charged for 12 hours using the ear buds.

ipod slider speakers

The slider speakers are 1.5Watts which should carry a fairly good sound for desktop use at the office or maybe a quite pool side background music. No report on price, but if they tag it more than $25, you wont see many takers. Continue Reading

Intel’s Marketing Push For USB 3.0

Matt LeBoff October 12, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

Intel is making an interesting marketing move these days with positioning the “Father of USB” as one of Intel’s best performing “Rock Stars.” You have may have seen the Intel commercial I posted several weeks ago.Â You may have seen that same commercial on TV [as I did] and now we have Ajay Bhatt, the Father of USB, on the Conan O’Brian show. Clearly Intel is making a push for the general public to pick up on USB and it’s newer technology USB 3.0.

What is funny about the Conan O’Brian interview is that in my original USB video post with Ajay Bhatt as the main character, was exactly that, just a character.Â The real Ajay Bhatt is interviewed by Conan.Â It’s a funny little interview, check it out after the jump. Continue Reading

USB Gadget Crap: USB Comb

Matt LeBoff October 9, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

Get your fashion on with some flash storage.Â There couldn’t be much more to this tag line for the USB comb. Keep you data tighty and keep your person tighty. Carry your files with flair. I care about my hair and the data I wear. Should I keep going? Not.

USB comb - USB gadget

Source:Â LikeCool. Continue Reading

USB Hub With Portable Microphone

Matt LeBoff October 8, 2009 USB Hardware & Gadgets

Most use a headset for Skype and MSN chat, but for some the headphones are too cumbersome or you feel strange wearing them [the older folks]. So in the later case, you might opt for the 3 port USB hub that includes a microphone.

The USB hub with microphone has a frequency response of 20-16kHz so you’ll get the lows and the highs. The convergence of technologies means you can ditch your external hub and USB microphone for this all-in-one unit.

It’s got some cool blue LEDs as well. All this for just $14.

USB Hack: Upgrade Your Prius With USB Port

Matt LeBoff October 7, 2009 Tutorials & How-To Guides

In most cases, the cigarette lighter inside a car is used for nothing more than a charger outlet.Â This is why Rosenberger31 updated his outlet with a USB connector.Â It’s a nice USB hack. There is no data connection here, just a regulated port to provide a nice stream of 5v to your USB Powered Gadgets.

car usb port

He removed the access door on the console where the 12v lighter was located. A Dynex 12-volt to USB adapter was piggy-backed onto the power lines and the USB connector was then fit into the blank accessory plate next to it.Â What he didn’t mention was a much needed switch to insure juice wasn’t flowing to your USB device while the power is off. I think Rosenberger31 did a nice job on the dashboard mod.Â What do you think? Continue Reading