Marantz, a premium set-top audio manufacturer, introduces a new Network solution for home audio. The M-CR603 is a combination of all good things. Featuring a built-in amplifier, a receiver, a CD player, an AM/FM radio and the ability to stream music from Rhapsody, Pandora or Napster.
In addition, the Marantz unit includes a USB port for iPod / MP3 docking, but what we really like about the unit is the ability to stuff a 64GB flash drive in there loading with MP3 files and you’ve now got one hot audio box!
No pricing yet, so I’m assuming the executives and sales guys are hammering out those details. Check Marantz for more info on pricing / availability.
Continue Reading
No one likes the dentist and it’s tough getter there twice a year like everyone should. So to help fight the war against plaque you can invest a bit of money into this USB toothbrush cleaning kit. Powered by UV light, the USB toothbrush cleaning kit will sanitize your brush while you’re out getting your teeth covered in sugar-bugs.
The UVmini [as they call it] comes in two models. A USB version and a USB + battery version. Obviously the second version is geared toward the germ-a-fobes who travel and uses a lithium battery which can cycle 10 cleanings. I would opt for the battery pack as keeping your toothbrush cleaning kit tethered to your computer’s USB port is a bit ridiculous [yet again, another reason to get a USB outlet kit].
We don’t have any price information as of yet but they should start hitting Pan-Asian vendors shortly. The rest of the world will have to wait a bit longer.
Continue Reading
Several years ago, I reported on a USB wifi extender in parabolic form. Now, we’ve got a slimmed down version using an empty food can and your USB wifi dongle.
It’s not the prettiest thing, but it works and will boost your signal strength enough to grab the channel from your neighbor who’s barely showing up in your wireless network.
Plus this hack gives you adjustable control both up and down, and left and right.
The concept here is getting the can to increase your signal. In addition, mounting the can and USB wifi dongle to a portable camera stand. This will give you the stability you need to keep the signal strength strong while in use. It will also allow you to keep the position for use from day to day.
Continue Reading
There is nothing more satisfying for a finger work-out then using a laboriously slow old school typewriter. Or on those cloudy days where you feel a bit melancholy and in the mood to write the start of a novel you’ll never finish, you may need to punch down on those exhausting keys of a manual typewriter to get the creative juices flowing.
Today I present you that possibility and better yet, with a touch of technology to make your craving a bit more current.
A well known steampunk modder [Jack Zylkin] has taken the traditional typewriter and transformed it’s key punching into a digital conversion of letters and numbers. Using some customized PCBA, a USB connection and a bit of code it’s now possible to sync your great grandmother’s typewriter with your computer, or in this video, your iPad.
Your craving wont go without some minor cash flow issues, as you can purchase a pre-made [or pre-mod I should say] USB typewriter or you can buy a kit and down grade your very own typewriter and keep the family air loom alive and kicking.
To get more details visit the Etsy Shop to make your purchase or gather more information.
Continue Reading
Brando announced a $17 USB port cleaner gadget. At first glance it’s a great idea and well needed in many situations. How many times has your flash drive been stuffed into your pocket, dropped on the ground or left in the glove box? In each of those situations it’s very likely junk or debris could have made it into the USB contacts.
The USB cleaner appears to be an alcohol based solution on the pad where by it cleans the metal contacts of the USB port. Honestly, if you feel the need you can grab a alcohol swab and a pop-sickle stick and accomplish the same thing. Although it wouldn’t be nearly as cool.
Flash drives are getting very large in size these days, the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 sticks are getting over 256GB capacity. With these larger sticks, the option to format the device as a NTFS file system is available, but what about the smaller USB sticks?
By default, any USB stick under 4GBs in capacity will not have the Format USB as NTFS file system option, but we can fix that.
Here is the How To: Format USB sticks as NTFS:
Click Start > My Computer > Right click on the drive letter for the USB stick and select Properties.
Now, click the Hardware tab of the Properties pop-up window and select the drive letter of which you’d like to change. In this case, it’s drive letter F shown as “Simple Flash Disk 2.0 USB Device“ From here click the Properties button.
We have all see the rediculous “premium” USB flash drives. Drives with gold, dimonds, platinum case all at rediculous prices and all something the average Joe doesn’t care about. Today, Mimobot did a nice job on playing into that category with their all new “Shimmer” USB drive.
The Shimmer MIMOBOT was beamed down from the crystal caves on Planet Blooh. 64GB of MIMO-Bling! This limited edition, solid platinum MIMOBOT, encrusted with 82 precious crystals, is limited to a 100 units. The price tage for this exclusive product: $898.48.
So there you have it, April Fools.
Shimmer Mimobot page.
Continue Reading
Hovercam X500 is great name for the function it performs, hovering over documents to project via camera. The Hovercam is meant to replace the age old overhead projector we are most familiar with from grade school.
The X500 USB imaging device has a 5 megapixel sensor mounted on a swing arm that can either scan and recognize or monitor and project anything on the surface underneath. As a scanner, the HoverCam performs as a 600dpi equivalent scanner. Scans are snapped as photos would be, in an instant. No more waiting for the slow trudging of the scan sensor to run up and down the page.
The free software that is included with the X500 is called HoverCam Flex. The Flex is not surprisingly built on the Adobe Air platform, and is a desktop based application that connects directly to their web services. Images can be uploaded, saved, published, shared and OCR’d with a quick drag and drop. The HoverCam Flex service also provides quick integration with other cloud services like Google OCR, Picassa, DropBox and e-Fax. The benefits of the software alone might be worth the $199 asking price of the HoverCam X500.
The mini RC helicopters have been in all the computer shops as of lately, and Brando just upped the ante with their USB rechargeable version, the Grand NANO.
I’ve seen these things in action, don’t use them around small children, the helicopter blades move so fast, it could cut off a finger if flown right into a child [by mistake of course!].
The Grand NANO is made of light weight metal alloy and has shockproof landing gear. This makes it a bit less likely you’ll smash the thing while landing.
The Grand NANO has an electronic gyroscope system which provides excellent stability, control and maneuverability.
Equally impressive, is the modified poker chip case for quick and easy storage of the USB rechargeable helicopter.
Windows 7 is much like XP in accessing the feature toturn off the USB auto playfunction. We don’t have a Window’s 7 machine, but I did find a great tutorial from DemoGeek. Here is the info you need to turn off USB Auto Play in Windows 7.
Go to:Â START > SEARCH > type “group policy”
From there Windows 7 will narrow down your options, select the “Edit group policy” option. Should be the first one listed.
From here, it’s virtually the same as Windows XP.
Go to:
> COMPUTER CONFIGURATION
> ADMINISTRATIVE TEMPLATES
> WINDOWS COMPONENTS
> AUTOPLAY POLICIES
With having “AutoPlay Policies” highlighted, you will see on the right side of the dialogue box, “Turn off Autoplay” option. Click That!
On the dialogue box which pops up, select the “Disable” radial button to
Continue Reading
It’s been all over the blogs the last couple of days regarding Kingston and their security issues. They have been tight lipped about exactly what makes the device vulnerable and with specific information it’s hard to gauge just how hard it would be for someone to crack it.
I don’t think the typical user who keeps their personal information secure with this drive [in the event it’s lost] has much to worry about, but the government has purchased plenty of units and that’s clearly a concern. The list of drives include Data Traveler BlackBox, the Data Traveler Secure – Privacy Edition, and the Data Traveler Elite – Privacy Edition. Again, a typical computer user probably doesn’t have the tools or skills to unlock the device, but a professional would.
My guess is the IC controller chip which runs the AES 256 encryption is at fault here and someone has figured out how to hack the machine code and disable the encryption, but that’s just my educated guess being in the industry.
PC World did a good write up about the statement and interesting perspective on the whole situation.
Continue Reading
