The Universal USB Travel Charger Kit from Bracketron is the perfect 3-in-1 accessory for powering up your portable device while on-the-go. The kit consists of USB car and wall chargers that provide 2.1 Amp charging for fast charging of the Apple iPad. There is also a Universal Charge/Sync Cable, which features Apple’s 30-pin connector and a micro-USB plug. Priced at just $39.95, the Bracketron Universal USB Travel Power Kit fits into any 12V or AC power port. [Bracketron]
Jui-Min Huang has creatively designed the MEMOME. It is a unique USB stick that is equipped with an e-ink display. The integrated e-ink display enables you to check the content of the flash drive without the use of computer. The MEMOME is a cool concept that will hopefully hit the light of production in the near future. Find out more pictures after the jump.
[Yanko]
Back in late July, we talked a bit about the ChargeCard for the iPhone. The device is a credit card-sized charger that allows you to connect your iPhone to your computer USB port for charging and synchronization. That’s all fine and good if you use an iPhone, but if you’re on Android or another device the original ChargeCard will do you no good.
The developers behind the iPhone version have now unveiled the promised micro USB version. This version of the ChargeCard works exactly like the original only instead of an iPhone connector on one end it has a small micro USB connector. The USB portion of the micro USB ChargeCard is still flexible just like the iPhone version.
The micro USB ChargeCard comes in white, black, and bird. The bird version is black with white birds printed on the outside. The project only has 11 days to go before it’s funded and already has raised over $136,000, nearly triple the $50,000 goal the developers started with – so there’s no question that it will go into production. If you want one, head over to Kickstarter now, and pledge at least $20(USD) before the fundraising closes.
The Leap motion controller is one of the most hyped gadgets unveiled this year, and it really is promising. But if you can’t wait until next year to have a 3D tracking interface, MAKE knows a way to make one using readily available tools.
The project is based on the RC time constant, which in simple terms is the time it takes to charge a capacitor. It has three cardboard plates covered with aluminum foil and connected to an Arduino Uno. When your hand (or any part of your body) approaches the plates, the capacitance of the plates change. A complementary program then interprets the changes to determine your hands’ position.
Head to MAKE for the full instructions for making the sensor. Obviously it’s not as accurate as the Leap or the Kinect, but at the very least you’ll have built something that show how capacitive sensors work. I’m sure more advanced tinkerers will find ways to make it more functional.
[via The Viral Trend]
It appears that a group of intrepid undercover photo-takers in France have taken some snaps of the iPhone 5′s docking connector in all of its 8-pin glory. This little pin is set to replace the 30-pin connector we’re used to on the iPad, iPhone, and all manner of iPods as well. It’s over at Nowhere Else that these images originate, they adding another piece to the ever-clearer puzzle of parts that make up the next iPhone here just a possible set of weeks before its launch.
What we’re seeing here is that this lovely little connector may be two-sided, that meaning that it’s got pins not just on the one side as previous connectors have had. These bits (or the two on the right, at least) show the part that pushes in to the iPhone (aka the male end of the connection.) It’s also been tipped that there’s going to be at least one official converter plug so that legacy accessories may be used once the new iPhone is released.
It’s also been tipped that the new iPhone will be just one of the whole line of Apple mobile devices to be working with a new generation of ports. With this new port comes more room inside the device and, we must assume, more room for an LTE radio. Of course there’s also going to be more room for battery space as well – more time with no charging for us!
Have a peek at the iPhone 5 timeline below to see all the updates from the past week or so on tips, leaks, and all manner of rumors leading up to the final release. We’re currently expecting the next iPhone to be announced on the 12th of September – but that’s also only a rumor, so sit tight! Also feel free to hit up our iPhone 5 portal to see everything that’s run up on us over the last few months!
[via Engadget]
New iPhone mini docking connector photographed is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
We’ve seen the rumored next iPhone’s minuscule docking port more than once. Any of the cabling that plugs into that port, however, has been non-existent until today. If photos slipped to Nowhereelse.fr are more than just flights of fancy, they show a much narrower and possibly slimmer connector that matches up with the hole we’ve seen. It’s so small that a full-size USB connector dwarfs it by comparison, and there’s only eight contact pins per side (or possibly total) versus the 30 overall that we know today. We’re not told if there are any special tricks besides the size reduction, though: while the new cable end looks dual-sided, there’s no guarantee Apple will have eliminated the right-side-up requirement that afflicts just about every mobile-sized port format we’ve seen to date. If real, the redesign could lead to one less hassle for charging and syncing. It just wouldn’t be much consolation to those who’d been hoping for a switch to a standard like micro-USB — or, for that matter, to long-time iPhone owners who may have to give up or convert legions of accessories.
Update: since we first posted, the rumor has fleshed out a bit. It’s claimed that there are eight pins on both sides, but that they perform different functions and might not let us plug the connector in any which way. Supposedly, the connectors also aren’t the final models and reflect the problems the unnamed contractor has had meeting Apple’s standards. Don’t worry about claims of future iPads leaping to the new connector: if there’s really a format switch underway, it’s only natural that other devices will follow suit.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs
Next iPhone’s tiny docking connector possibly spotted (update: more details) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Nowhereelse.fr (translated) | Email this | Comments
We recently reviewed AViiQ’s line of ribbon-style USB adapter cables, but found that what made them most unique—their flat cable design—also made them difficult to use. So we couldn’t recommend the cables, but maybe the convenience of this new triple-headed all-in-one design might make this cable worth carrying. More »
If you are searching for a fancy gift for your friends, then check out the USB Toaster Hub. As its name suggests, the hub has a bread toaster design and provides four USB ports and an SD card slot. The USB Toaster Hub is equipped with four Bread thumbdrives that are sold separately. Each thumb drive offers a 4GB of storage space, while the USB Toaster Hub features data-transfer speeds of up to 480mbps. The USB Toaster Hub is priced at $27.99, while the Bread thumbdrive retails for $24.99 a pop. [ThinkGeek]
Yeah. We know. There are pretty much as many ways to play Angry Birds, as there are people who play it. That’s a lot. However, the Super Angry Birds controller you see above speaks to us. Why? Because it’s not just a sling shot, or a fudged use of existing technology. That wooden “sling” hides one of those motorized faders you see in big music studio desks. Using some coding magic (i.e. a force curve stored in a table), the creators were able to give it a realistic resistance feeling, sans elastic. The rest of the hardware is programmed in Max / MSP and Arduino, with a “Music and Motors” microcontroller. It’s not just the sling part, either, with angle and special power triggering available from the same device. A pretty neat solution, we think. Now, we wonder if we could scale this thing up?
Continue reading Super Angry Birds USB controller puts the sling back in your shot (video)
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Super Angry Birds USB controller puts the sling back in your shot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
The Verge | Sound Plus Design | Email this | Comments
It’s time to get dangerous as the folks at Mimoco bring the most classic iteration of Bruce Lee to the world of fabulous USB sticks. This Legends of MIMOBOT addition is available in up to 64GB sizes and is officially licensed with Bruce Lee Enterprises – hot stuff! Just like the rest of the Legends series, this USB contains icons, avatars, wallpapers, and mimoByte sound software pre-loaded inside for your pleasure!
Be water, my friend – shapeless and formless. That’s what you’ve got here with the next addition to Mimoco’s unending collection of fabulous looking sticks of space. You can put whatever you like inside the container of digital goodness you’ve been given, but watch your back – this stick has the power of Jeet Kun Do, of course!
You’ve got the master’s yellow track suit, tiger claw cuts, and matching nunchucks from Game of Death – one of the most well-known costumes in the history of film! This USB stick is available at Mimoco now along with their whole collection of fabulous sticks, most of them in limited editions, all of them worth it! Now for those of you that’ve never seen Lee fight in Game of Death, it’s time for the funniest of the series – battle your way up the tower, old master!
Tap tap tap! Having used Mimoco USB sticks ourselves both for fun and at major tech events for quick transfer of data between computers, I can personally guarantee you’ll be getting your money’s worth here. The ink doesn’t break away, the plastic is strong, and the transfer is as quick as USB 2.0 will allow. Grab Lee now!
Mimoco continues Legends MIMOBOT USB stick series with Bruce Lee is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
