Aug 10

Tiny USB Card Reader Packs 16GB, Is Smaller Than USB Port

Posted in: Accessories and Peripherals, Today's Chili, usb

teensy usb

This tiny little plug might look like an ordinary microSD card reader, and it is. The catch? Buffalo’s diminutive device will cost you $160, although for that the company throws in a 16GB microSD card.

That’s actually quite a good deal, and will turn your cellphone into a pocket media center, allowing you to share music just like the generous kids in my town. They “share” their tunes on buses, trains and even in the street, blasting tinnily distorted noise through tiny cellphone speakers. And if its too expensive, you can always opt for a smaller and cheaper 4GB version, for just $36.

These things are becoming so small that we wonder if the full-sized USB plug is too big. Is there any (technical) reason why the side of my MacBook couldn’t have a row of four mini USB ports on the side in the place of the two honking great holes there now? Wouldn’t that be a lot better?

Product page [GeekStuff4U]


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Aug 10

Crapgadget: “Oh yeah, they’re totally serious” edition

Posted in: mouse, Today's Chili, usb

Every so often, we come across a gadget (or five) that’s so offensive, so absurd that we simply can’t help but stick it in our back pocket and show it to the general public. Today, we’re rounding up the worst of the worst once again, proving that there literally is no end to the spewing of gadget-related garbage that comes from unknown caverns in undisclosed corners of the universe. We mean, just listen to these products: “fried eggs night light,” “Bic lighter spy camera,” “hungry caterpillar USB hub,” and “half-eaten chocolate mouse.” Does those even sound like kit that any partially sane individual would purchase? No, no it doesn’t. Have a gander while shaking your head furiously below, and feel free to drop a vote for the king of the crap while venting in comments below. Trust us, it’s therapeutic.

Read – Half-eaten chocolate mouse
Read – USB Penguin 4-Port Hub
Read – Fried Eggs Night Light
Read – Spy camera Bic lighter
Read – USB Bulb Flash Drive
Read – Hungry caterpillar USB hub

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Crapgadget: “Oh yeah, they’re totally serious” edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 07

Buffalo adds 16GB microSD card / reader to its line of incredibly small USB memory

Posted in: Today's Chili, ultraportable, usb

We’ve seen Buffalo shrink USB drives down to preposterous sizes in the recent past, and now the company is throwing a microSD card reader into the mix. Available for ¥15,500.00 (that’s $160, give or take) this guy stores 16GB internally, is available in both colors — black AND white — and would be right at home in any of your computer’s favorite USB 2.0 ports. And just to get you started, this bad boy includes a 16GB card microSD card. How sweet is that?

[Via OhGizmo!]

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Buffalo adds 16GB microSD card / reader to its line of incredibly small USB memory originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

USB retro wooden speaker escapes the crap pile by the slimmest margin

Posted in: audio, mp3 player, Mp3Player, Music, Retro, speaker, Today's Chili, usb

Try if you wish, but you’ll never convince us that the masterpiece you’re peering at above should be lumped in with every other crapgadget out there. Sorry, it just ain’t happening. The wondrous USB Retro Wooden Speaker / MP3 Player Cube does mostly what it says: you insert a flash card or USB drive, and it plays back MP3 files through the pair of 3-watt stereo speakers. Those vintage buttons can skip tracks and pause things for a brief moment of silence, while the bundled remote keeps your nates planted after a hard day’s night. There’s even a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input in case you’re short on flash, and the built-in rechargeable battery ensures that this bad boy will be showcased at your forthcoming tailgate parties. There’s a whole lot of awesome here for $29, wouldn’t you concur?

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USB retro wooden speaker escapes the crap pile by the slimmest margin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

Mimo’s 710-S ‘Mobile Slider’ USB monitor gets low… real low

Posted in: Today's Chili, usb

Well, wouldn’t you know it? Those off the wall concepts of what appeared to be a next-generation USB-driven Mimo monitor seem to have found their way into the production line, as the outfit made suddenly famous for its secondary displays now has a new model on tap. The 710-S “Mobile Slider” edition is really just a tweaked version of the aforementioned 7-inch panel, but it has been completely redesigned into a “sleeker, foldable and more portable unit.” We hadn’t really given much thought to bringing one of these things along in a laptop case, but this critter just might change our opinion on the usefulness to road warriors. Hit the read link to get in line; you’ll have the opportunity to part with $149.99 in exchange for one later this month.

[Via EverythingUSB]

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Mimo’s 710-S ‘Mobile Slider’ USB monitor gets low… real low originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

Kensington’s iPhone / iPod charging dock throws a mini battery into the mix

Posted in: accessories, Apple, charger, charging, Today's Chili, usb

At this point, you’ve probably assumed that there’s simply no way any company can produce yet another iPhone or iPod dock that’s significantly different from the legions of alternatives already out. And you’re wrong. So wrong. In an effort to milk that Made for iPod / iPhone partnership for all it’s worth, Kensington has just introduced its Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack, which not only charges your dock connecting iPod or iPhone, but also energizes an external battery pack through the same USB cable. When you leave, you’ll depart with a charged device as well as a charged battery pack in case you need to use 3G services for more than eight minutes. Brilliant, no? It’s up for pre-order now for $69.99.

[Via iPodNN]

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Kensington’s iPhone / iPod charging dock throws a mini battery into the mix originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver: one dongle to serve multiple input peripherals

Posted in: keyboard, logitech, mouse, Today's Chili, usb

C’mon folks, say it with us now: “finally!” While those utilizing Bluetooth-enabled input devices have enjoyed the ability to connect multiple wares to a single computer without any fuss, those relying on a USB keyboard and mouse have typically been forced to block a pair of their USB ports in order to have both operating simultaneously. Thanks to Logitech‘s marvelous new USB Unifying Receiver, said issue is no longer an issue. Designed to operate with the Wireless Keyboard K350 / K340 and Marathon Mouse M705 / M505 (all of which are being jointly announced here), this compact receiver is tiny enough to stay inserted in one’s laptop even when it’s stored, and while we can’t fathom why you’d need a half dozen devices linked at once, the nub definitely supports it. Each of the four new products will ship with one of these special receivers, with the keyboards expected to arrive in the US and Europe this September for $59.99 (K350) / $49.99 (K340) and the mice landing later this month (Europe) / early 2010 (America) for $69.99 (M705) and $49.99 (M505). Incredibly informative demonstration vid is after the break.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Gallery: Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver: one dongle to serve multiple input peripherals

Continue reading Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver: one dongle to serve multiple input peripherals

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Logitech’s USB Unifying Receiver: one dongle to serve multiple input peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 02

Thanko USB dental device will help prove you still need a dentist

Posted in: Today's Chili, usb

Oh, the joys of self-diagnosis. Thanko’s unleashed a USB dental “microscope” to let you check out the inside of your own mouth in great detail — because you’re so much more knowledgeable than a real dentist, right? This puppy’s got six LEDs plus a small CMOS camera so you can shoot JPEGs / BMPs or 1,280×1024 resolution vids of your champers then check them out on your home computer. Of course, the sample shots (which are disgusting and after the break) inexplicably show a closeup of someone’s scalp, demonstrating that this USB badboy has a variety of uses, all of them pretty gross. Is there something wrong with us if we just don’t want to see our bodies in that much detail? It’s only available on Thanko’s Japanese site for the time being, and costs in the neighborhood of $80, but we have a feeling that it’ll show up in the States anyday now… as soon as Oprah gets wind of it.

[Via Gizmodo]

Continue reading Thanko USB dental device will help prove you still need a dentist

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Thanko USB dental device will help prove you still need a dentist originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 01

MiLi Universal Charger for the psychedelic world traveller

Posted in: charger, Today's Chili, usb

Are you a globetrotter with a penchant for vivid colors? Mili’s got your back with its compact and surprisingly practical Universal Charger. Capable of plugging into US, UK, EU or Australian-style sockets, this unit covers quite a bit of ground and can power a pair of devices at once via USB. Technically then, you’re unloading the chargers from your bag and refilling it with USB adapters, but a lot of UK road warriors would carry live rattlesnakes around if it meant freedom from those humongous plugs. There are nine color options — some of them are even socially acceptable — for the discerning customer with £20 ($33) in his pocket, and pre-orders are being taken now for August 14 delivery.

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MiLi Universal Charger for the psychedelic world traveller originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 30

MSI Wind battery used as a not-exactly-portable, unreliable USB charger

Posted in: charger, diy, iPhone, mod, netbook, Today's Chili, usb
Yes, we find the fact that our USB port won’t charge our phone when our laptop is sleeping to be pretty annoying, too. But does that mean we’ll rip the battery from it and use it as a semi-functional, clunky but self-sufficient charger? Well, probably not, but that doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t. Now, we don’t want to launch into a big round of spoilers or anything, but we’ll say this: it takes a little over four minutes of sweet, blistering house music to get the battery off of the MSI Wind, and there are a couple of false starts before the phone (an iPhone) begins juicing up. The good news? It doesn’t seem to permanently damage the battery pack in any way. The bad news? The song eventually does end. Check it out after the break.

[Via Oh! Gizmo]

Continue reading MSI Wind battery used as a not-exactly-portable, unreliable USB charger

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MSI Wind battery used as a not-exactly-portable, unreliable USB charger originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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