Category: Gadgets

The Latest in Gadgets of All Types

Got Plenty of Buttons…what is missing?

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We’re always looking for new ways to improve our experience controlling our computers. Sometimes this means a trackball instead of a mouse, an ergonomic keyboard, remote control, etc.

CrunchGear brought this particular item to our attention. It is a USB Powered Knob which can be programmed to control anything from volume to fan speed. If you are interested, the PowerMate USB 1042BPMT is available through Amazon.

Wooden USB Memory Sticks

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As Crunchgear reports, Dutch design company OOOMS selects sticks and has USB memory drives stuffed inside them. We hope that it is a professional designer who selects the sticks that eventually become USB sticks, because otherwise…it is just silly.
Wooden USB stick

The Remember Ring

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We found a fascinating item on Hackedgadgets.com, called The Remember Ring. The Remember Ring appears to be a standard ring that contains a heating element that heats 24 hours from the day you want to remember. It starts at 120 degrees and gets warmer after that point. It only lasts for ten seconds, and causes discomfort, not damage. It is charged up by the heat from your hand.

The Remember Ring

Flash Memory Drives

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Recently, we discussed USB Flash Memory Drives, a highly mobile piece of technology that is very useful. We mentioned that in a future post we would be discussing installing a complete operating system on a USB memory drive.

However, yesterday, Tom’s Hardware reviewed Samsung’s 32GB Flash Drive. 32GB is large enough to install a full and complete operating system instead of a scaled down one. Modern hard drives are the slowest components in a computer. Memory, flash or RAM, is being added to hard drives to speed up access times. The alternative for the future is flash drives…essentially the same technology as USB flash drives but with a different interface. The price per gigabyte of flash memory is much higher than hard drives right now, but those prices continue to drop each year.

The advantages are many. Power consumption is less, as there are no motors or moving parts to operate. It produces little heat and takes up little space. There are concerns, however, about the lifespan of this type of drive, as well as its current size limitations.

Eventually, the sizes and speeds will be more comparable with hard drives. Until then, even a version this large is useful for operating systems and productivity systems. 32GB is enough to satisfy most uses except multimedia file storage. When the price goes down, it may be a good alternative in the future, at first for a niche market, then the mainstream.

The Future is Here…

A New Rechargable Battery

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USBCell.com

USBCELL from Moixa Energy was launched on September 18th. The concept is a rechargeable battery which can charge from any USB port. The lid pops open to reveal a USB port which can be plugged in to charge the battery. Currently only the AA battery type is available, but AAA, C/D, 9v, and various cell phone and other device batteries will be coming.

We’ve signed up for their notification list. The product is currently only available in the UK. We will advise you when we are told it is available in the US. Either way, we think it is a cool idea.

Buying a USB Drive

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As promised, we’re going to review USB flash memory drives. For some historical background, we once again referred to the people at Wikipedia for their entry on the subject.

There are many types of drives, and unfortunately we do not have the funding to do speed tests on a large selection of USB drives…unless someone would like to send us such a selection, in which case we will be happy to make such a comparison. In June of 2004, CNET reviewed 14 tiny USB flash drives. In November of 2005, PC Magazine published their USB Key Superguide.

Now that we’ve referred you to people who have the budget for intensive reviews, we’re going to refer you to a few different types of USB drives that are good for various uses. Now, most USB Drives look pretty much the same. A little rectangle that has a loop for a keychain. Many have a cover for the USB port that frequently is lost. We recommend you review Amazon’s user reviews for each drives to see what people are saying.
For rugged durability, you might want to try a Lexar Jumpdrive Sport. It is available in several sizes:

If you are interested in a newer feature we recently reported on, another Lexar Product, the Jumpdrive Mercury, has a built in usage gauge.

USB Drives from Kingston also receive favorable reviews:

While there are many others, we do want to cover the other popular brand, Sandisk…

Now, most of these drives have some kind of security software, often proprietary, designed to protect the data inside. If you don’t wish to spring for this, or wish to explore the wealth of open-source options for using your USB drive, please stay tuned for the next part of our series, where we will show you how to use your new USB drive to protect yourself.

Pocket Keyboard

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We have yet to purchase the Virtual Laser Keyboard, but we have been waiting for this technology to become available.  It projects the image of a keyboard onto a flat surface, and uses lasers to sense key-press events. Currently, it is about the size of a cellular phone, and comes with either bluetooth or serial connectivity.

This technology, when coupled with various types of electronic ink and oled displays that are also being developed, could be used in the future to produce a very small keyboard and video hookup for a small computing device. Currently, that device is a PDA or mobile phone, both of which are continuing to increase their computer power.

For now, however, we believe as soon as the price point reduces, it may become a viable option for the basic of mobile functions, word processing, if nothing else.

Frugal it isn't

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TrekStor i.Beat organix Gold MP3 Player (1 GB)

This MP3 player is built for every millionaire who loves digital music, according to the Amazon description. Eighteen-karat gold, 63 diamonds, and a gem-encrusted chain. Of course, we endorse frugal purchasing. We even are reluctant to endorse the Ipod, not because it isn’t impressive and well designed, but because too many people want to steal it. Imagine how much security this thing requires. Hope it comes with lojack for that price.