Hasta La Gadget!

Seriously, Ajay here would be downright ashamed. His Universal Serial Bus has found some seriously awesome uses over the years, sure, but the latest torrent of USB-equipped garbage is looking to do more harm than good to the venerable connector. In our latest roundup of crap found ’round the web, we see yet again that it’s the USB-infused devices holding down the fort. From a flashlight-packin’ USB SD card reader to a USB Parrot, our heads hurt from just imagining who among us is actually spending cold, hard credit on this rubbish. Feel free to inflict the same pain upon yourself by visiting the links below, and then cast your vote for the worst of the worst. Good luck, brave souls.

Read – USB SD card reader with flashlight
Read – Sparkling USB bracelet with no purpose or dreams
Read – USB Notebook Pocket Cooler puts ‘Huffing’ and ‘Puffing’ out of work
Read – Pepe, the USB Parrot
Read – 4-port USB hub gains a mirror… because it can
Read – Jewel Rose Pin USB Flash Drive: perfect for Great, Great, Great Grandmother’s Day
Read – USB U-Shape i-Speaker just looks disturbing

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Storage

Crapgadget: USB embarrassments shame Intel’s rock stars originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 02:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you missed out on your chance to add a little Decepticon flare to your PC with the Ravage USB flash drive earlier this week, you’d better hurry and put in your pre-order for this Trypticon Transforming Laser Mouse. In disguise he looks like a particularly non-ergonomic way to control your computer, but in just a few seconds he transforms into… well, a pretty sad, skinny looking rendition of the Decepticon command base. He may have lost weight, but he certainly hasn’t dropped any perceived value, available now on pre-order for a somewhat pricey $59.99. He also ships in September, and despite his cost we wouldn’t be surprised if that “Add To Cart” button transforms into a “Sold Out” button right quick. When oh when will the Autobots show up to save us from these evil USB gadgets exploiting our childhood memories?

Update: We got a comment from awa64 that there are a few other devices in disguise available for pre-order, including a few Autobots. Go get clicking if you want one, but we’re holding out for an Optimus Prime uninterruptible power supply.

[Via GadgetReview]

Filed under: Peripherals

Trypticon Transforming Laser Mouse is here to destroy Autobots, carpal tunnels originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Compared to technologies such as Wireless USB, DisplayLink has actually done fairly well for itself. Nah, it’s no worldwide phenomenon, but it definitely has enough traction to really shine once USB 3.0‘s bandwidth arrives. That said, the tech is making the most of its current situation with the introduction of the DL-1×5 Series processors, two of which actually support Full HD. The DL-125, DL-165 and DL-195 will all slide into USB-enabled LCD monitors here shortly, with the middle guy supporting resolutions as high as 1,920 x 1,080 and the DL-195 cranking things to 2,048 x 1,152 before crying “Uncle!” In theory, at least, this enables laptop users to connect high-res screens when their desktop replacement needs a helping hand, and it can be enjoyed now by consumers in Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Europe who can snag themselves a new SyncMaster LapFit LD190G or LD220G monitor.

[Via EverythingUSB, thanks Ian]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Peripherals

DisplayLink boldly enters HD realm on new Samsung LapFit displays originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first USB 3.0 host controller is expected to spur the availability of USB 3.0 products.

NEC Electronics has taken the first step towards general availability of devices based on USB 3.0, the next generation standard that is expected to offer a ten-fold speed increase over the current USB 2.0.

The company introduced the first USB 3.0 host controller chip for PCs and other digital devices in a move that will help bring the technology closer to market.

NEC’s µPD720200 chip can support USB data transfer speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second (Gbps) and will be fully backward compatible with earlier versions of the USB standard, says the company.

The launch of the chip comes nearly six months after the USB Implementers Forum finalized the specifications for the USB 3.0 standard. The new standard also allows for greater power output, which means more devices can be charged faster via USB.

Since its introduction in 1996, USB has changed the way we interact with our digital devices, allowing them to be truly plug-and-play. In 2007, more than 2.6 billion USB-enabled devices were shipped in 2007, estimates research firm In-Stat, with nearly four billion expected to ship by 2012.

NEC says it expects the market for USB 3.0 products to expand significantly in 2010. Samples of its µPD720200 host controller will be available starting June priced at $15 each. NEC expects monthly production of the chips to reach approximately one million units in September.

See also:
USB 3.0 to Deliver Tenfold Speed Increase

Photo: NEC Electronics

Remember the LANDroids initiative, which resulted in iRobot scoring a $2.5 million contract to create tiny, miniaturized bots that could crawl through battlefields and your nightmares? The company is showing off the early fruits of that contract, the Ember microbot, which is so small it slipped entirely under our radar. It’s not quite as tiny as DARPA seemed to hope, which depicted a bot little bigger than a pack of cards, but shrinking a Packbot down to paperback size is no small task — even it is a James Clavell paperback. The bot’s primary function is to set up a roving military network on the battlefield, but, with an integrated webcam and extension via USB and SDIO, who knows what kind of functionality they’ll provide. The goal is to get these down to $100 or less, and for that price we could see plenty of civilians investing in these just to keep an eye on the activities of household pet insurgents.

[Via Robot Stock News]

Filed under: Robots

iRobot’s military Ember bots are tiny treaded hotspots originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 May 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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