Of course, looking at the Brookstone Wi-Fi Cufflinks is something of a refined experience in and of itself, with the cufflinks themselves boasting a nice polished silver finish in an oval style. But while that by itself would be impressive enough for many, it’s not worth our time to cover in a tech blog. Until, of course, you consider that both cufflinks have detachable fronts that offer up extra bonuses.

Detaching the front reveals that the cufflinks are actually a very small USB thumb drive offering fully two gigs of storage space.  And, once you’ve plugged the USB connector into a computer’s USB port (and downloading some accompanying software), you’ll be able to use said cufflinks as a wi-fi hotspot for other computers. Better yet, Brookstone says that smartphones, iPads, and most every other wireless device out there will actually work with these, giving you the flexibility to access media servers and the like.

Brookstone bills these as terrific for travelers and business meetings, as well as tech-heads who want to look sharp but still keep their access near to hand, not to mention for those times when you need a little extra storage on the road, or want to keep your favorite files or programs on you where ever you happen to be.

Brookstone’s looking to get $249.99 for a pair of these, and they do look nice, sure enough, but it may be a bit of a stretch to ask people to shell out that kind of money for fancy storage and wi-fi dispersal in a down economy. Of course, being as this is Brookstone we’re talking about, that may not be a consideration at all.

So what do you guys think of this one? Figure that there will be some interest for sharp-looking storage that gives your cuffs some extra fancy bling besides? Or do you figure these will go the way of other high-priced toys that don’t do much? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

The Model S may not look like much, but it’s packing a surprising depth of features. For instance, the Model S Professional boasts gold-plated mechanical key switches for conductivity and surety of response, as well as some specific Mac keys that you won’t find on the PC version of the Model S, like Command and Option. Even better, it will also pack in a USB hub with a pair of extra ports (which is extra good as the keyboard itself is a USB keyboard), and an instant sleep capability.

Better yet, if you’re looking to get hands on a good old fashioned mechanical keyboard for your Mac, putting your money down now will get you a 15 percent discount, letting you get in on the fun for $113. They’re set to start selling April 15th, so if you’re interested, you’ll want to get your preorder in as soon as you can.

It’s a little pricey, I’d say, but then Mac stuff often is, and it’s not like you don’t get plenty of extra features on this one. Personally I say more keyboards should come with extra USB ports, especially when they take up a USB port on their own, so why not lend a little extra value by at least making sure you don’t lose a USB port to use them? And gaining an extra in the process, well, that’s even better.

But what do you guys think? I know we’ve got plenty of Mac users out there, so I’ll open it up to you: anyone interested in getting hands on a Model S Professional from Das Keyboard when it comes out? Or do you think you can do better with less on that front? No matter what you think, the comments section is open to you, so head on down and tell us what you think!

The Plextor PX-612U is a DVD burner. And these are great–most computers have them these days, and they’re useful for most everything from putting your pictures on them to burning legally-obtained video to backup sources. But the Plextor PX-612U is unique in that, while it connects via USB like most external computer devices, it doesn’t necessarily require a computer to be used.

See, it’s got a little something extra inside called PlexTV, which some might recognize as being the name of a media client, but in this case refers to a code translator that lets the DVD burner be recognized as a hard drive by your television, assuming it’s smart enough to allow an external hard drive get connected to it. While you won’t be able to burn footage from your television to disc, you will be able to play burned discs on the Plextor PX-612U, which is a shame but still pretty good.

You’ll be able to lay hands on these by March–Plextor wants them in stores by the end of the first quarter–but they (like plenty of other devices we’ve seen this year) aren’t putting out word on just how much these will cost. It sounds like a pretty solid and versatile piece of hardware, and hopefully it will find a good user base behind it.

But what do you guys think about this one? Figure that the Plextor PX-612U will be worth picking up? Or do you have enough alternatives to get your media to your television as it stands? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and let’s talk Plextor!

Mophie’s Juice Pack Powerstation Pro steps up things yet another notch from the already substantial levels that the Juice Pack Powerstation provided, taking it up from 4000 mAh all the way up to 6000 mAh, so that’s about a 50 percent jump over the previous. It comes with a USB port built in, so worries about charging most any device that charges via USB port are largely unfounded. It will offer up pass-through power when you plug it in, and can switch between three levels of power–500 mAh, 1 A and 2.1 A–to get you just enough power to carry on while maintaining its own battery life as much as possible.

This by itself would be pretty good, but things only get better when you discover that the Juice Pack Powerstation Pro has been substantially augmented in its casing, now impact-resistant, and offering construction of very strong names like “steel”, “aluminum”, and of course, “rubber”. The whole array is even IP65 certified, which means its casing is proof against a variety of standard ailments like liquid, impact and shock, as well as dust. If I read the source material correctly, basically, this is completely dust-proof and can withstand water projected by a 6.3mm nozzle from a distance of three meters for a full three minutes.

As for price and availability, oddly, nothing on those points just yet, but if you’re looking for a great way to safely juice up your iPhone 4S when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, then this one just might be what you’ll want to see. I’m pretty impressed, myself, especially with all those protections built in, but am I alone in my interest here? Any of you think that you’ll be interested in a Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Pro when it makes its appearance? Or do you think you’ll do just fine with a standard AC outlet? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section below and fill us in!

The AOC e2251Fwu is a 22 inch LED monitor that offers up full 1080p resolution, a 20,000,000 : 1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, a 5 ms response time and 200 nits of brightness, all in a package that measures just 10.6 millimeters deep. It’s said to burn 50 percent less energy than CCFL monitors, which isn’t a surprise given the LED backlighting, and also boasts a removable stand that will let it serve as a presentation display, or even as an impressively large digital photo frame. And, being as it’s USB, it will work with either Windows or Mac systems, and cover operating systems even going back several years, a definite plus for the Windows users out there who still favor Windows XP.

You’ll be able to see these operate for yourself out at the CES event, and starting in February, you’ll be able to buy them yourself for a relatively slim $199 from a variety of national retailers.

The AOC e2251Fwu looks like it will be pretty sharp when you’re finally in a position to get your hands on one, and they’ll be extra portable, so for those of you out there with laptops whose displays aren’t their best, you might have a solution to your problem right here. It’s never really a bad idea to have spares for your monitor on hand, especially if you use your PC a lot like a lot of people I know.

But what do you guys think? Figure that the AOC e2251Fwu is going to have all the punch you’ll need? Or do you think you can do better with a non-USB monitor that may take up a bit more room and weigh more, but give you a better display? No matter what you think about this one, the comments section is waiting for you below, so head on down and tell us what you think!

The USB Music Box feature, which will only be coming your way via a set of about ten fairly recent model cars (after 2003), essentially provides you with a USB port that plugs into your car’s systems (it will also, according to press from Ford, be available as an aftermarket item) and allows you to connect USB devices to it, for use in your car.  You’ll be able to connect it to compatible audio systems, and compatible navigation systems, that have an AUX output, and you can secret the connection away in your choice of the glove compartment, the armrest, or the center console, which is likely where it will end up for most users.

And it will allow you to play your music from your USB device with a sound quality similar to that of the FM radio itself, which isn’t exactly top of the food chain as it sits, but is still somewhat better than trying to hook up a series of adapters or burning all your MP3s to disc, a process which for some could take hours, maybe even days.

Sadly, this appears to be only available in Europe for now, so the rest of us will have to make do with adapters and the like for the time being. This isn’t such a bad thing, of course–with portable speakers being what they are now and cigarette lighter adapters being widely available, chances are you can play just what you want if you don’t want to take your chances with the radio.

But what do you guys think on this one? Like your current system for providing traveling music? Or are you looking forward to getting a USB Music Box attachment from Ford? No matter what your stance, we always like hearing from you, and the comments section is just the place to fill us in!

Strange name, I know, but the e1649fwu is a 16 inch flatscreen monitor that plus into a USB port. Powered by DisplayLink, the AOC e1649fwu monitor will offer up resolution topping out at 1366 x 768, and do so at a 60 Hz refresh rate. Sounds pretty good, until you consider that the whole thing uses just eight watts of power, so if you’re running on a laptop battery, you’ll likely find that this one makes an excellent replacement. It even offers up a built-in stand allowing it to display in both horizontal and vertical setups, letting you switch between portrait and landscape almost on the fly.

It’s actually available right now from a variety of retailers, including Tiger Direct and Best Buy, and sells for about what you’d expect to pay for a monitor, $139. A bit small, granted, but still, we’re talking about a monitor that can fit in a laptop bag. Now if your laptop’s display breaks or otherwise burns out, you can take this, and possibly a bit of duct tape (or possibly not to preference, whichever) and pretty much make it as though nothing ever happened, with the important distinction that you’ll lose a USB port, and considering USB hubs are dirt cheap, you may well never notice with a bit of planning. And having a second monitor running, well, that’s usually a lot of fun in its own right.

So what do you guys think here? Think $139 is too much to ask for a second monitor, or an emergency spare that can go anywhere you do? Or do you think that this is a pretty smart buy for those who use laptops on a regular basis? No matter what you think, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

The specs, admittedly, aren’t anything truly spectacular, offering up a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 on the processor end, backed up by an ARM Mali-400MP GPU, wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a USB plug and a microSD card slot as well as its own Android operating system. But when you consider that it’s all encased in a device that’s the size of a basic key chain, well, suddenly the whole picture looks a lot more interesting.

What this is designed to do is hook into much larger displays, thanks to that HDMI plug, and allow you to perform many of your basic computer functions. You’ve got Bluetooth for the peripherals, microSD for the storage, cloud access from the Android app…it’s a very simple, very basic, but extremely portable setup. And, you can even hook it into another computer with the USB plug included, which in turn will let you borrow the peripherals hooked into that computer (great if you needed to print something, I’d say) to do the various jobs you want done.

And if you want an ultra-small computer to take with you most anywhere you go, Cotton Candy should be on hand in time for Christmas 2012, and the pricing is expected to land at the $200 mark, which isn’t half bad. Though it does make me wonder why most wouldn’t just buy a full on laptop for not too much more, especially if they buy used.

Still though, an ultra-small PC for an ultra-small price tag is in the offing, so what do you guys think? Will the Cotton Candy catch on? Or will we be seeing these go for half that or less just to clear them out? No matter what you think, we love hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The XtremeMac Tango Bar–which, the first time I heard it, made me almost immediately think of the Jimmy Buffett song, Desperation Samba–is a highly compact six speaker bar that gives you ten watts of amplified sound (about as much as some entire televisions put up) from a bar small enough to fit easily under your iMac or Cinema Display screen. It gets its power from a USB connection, and offers a headphone output jack, a line-in jack so you can plug your various portable devices into it, and even a sub-out port so you can hook a subwoofer into it and make it even more powerful than it already was. Plus, you’ll even get an amber backlit volume control so you’re not trying to crank the volume blind and end up blasting yourself across the room with sound. Hyperbole, granted, but I think we’ve all been on the receiving end of accidental sudden loud at least once.

If you want to get your hands on one of these, they’re available right now out at Apple and XtremeMac’s websites, as well as on Amazon, though out there it’s temporarily sold out, and you’ll have to shell out fully $99.99 to get your hands on one. Still though, if you want some big sound out of a small item and don’t mind paying a big price tag for it, then you should do pretty well indeed with the Tango Bar.

So what do you guys think here? Way too much money for way too little product? Or a fair price for a speaker system that should put out much more sound than you’d expect? I’ve heard more than a few speaker bars before, and many of them often do a lot better than you’d think that that small a system could achieve. But no matter what you think here, we welcome your thoughts down in the comments section below.

Intel’s Thunderbolt technology was created in close collaboration with Apple, after finding the need to come up with a fast, all-in-one connectivity solution. The standard was actually built to compete with USB 3.0, which is already being adopted by some USB device manufacturers and computer makers. Thunderbolt currently supports PCI Express and DisplayPort protocols, which enable connectivity to input and output devices such as mice, keyboards, storage devices and monitors. This reduces the need for additional interfaces and can save space on a portable device.

The technology was initially licensed exclusively to Apple, but at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel’s PC client group general manager Mooly Eden demonstrated a Windows PC doing a Thunderbolt transfer at 700 megabytes per second. This is still just about half of Thunderbolt’s maximum rated capacity, which is 10 Gigabits per second, or about 1.25 Gigabytes per second.

Is Thunderbolt Geared for Wide Adoption?

Thunderbolt’s exclusivity to Apple gave MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros an advantage in terms of speedy connections, although this was said to have resulted in a limited interest by device-makers to build peripherals based on the technology Even top PC-maker HP decided against Thunderbolt and stuck with USB 3.0 because of wider adoption. But with Acer and Asus joining the ranks of Apple, we might soon see more peripherals running on the platform.

Intel will include Thunderbolt support in its upcoming Ivy Bridge platform in Intel’s next-generation i-Series chips. It’s not clear, though, whether upcoming Asus and Acer ultrabooks (which are likewise created in partnership with Intel) will sport Thunderbolt technology when Ivy Bridge comes out in 2Q 2012, although this is a possibility.

The SH14 offers up a USB 3.0 port for fast file transfer–oh, and don’t worry if all you have is USB 2.0 ports, as this will work just fine with those too–and gets both power and file transfer alike from the USB, so there’s no need to worry about not having an extra electrical plug-in handy.

And it actually gets better from there; the SH14 also offers up military-grade protection against water and shock, which means if you spill something on it, or drop it, you probably aren’t going to lose the data unless, say, your drop is off a several story building or into a major body of water. It also boasts some included software like a 60 day trial of Norton Internet Security as well as the OStoGO tool that lets use convert your Windows 7 DVD to a digital format, which lets you install Windows elsewhere, and then boot from the USB hard drive, sort of like a pocket OS to go.

It’s set to release in your choice of three flavors: 500 gig, 750 gig, and a full terabyte, and are currently available. The bad news is that they’re priced in pounds sterling, so finding them where you are may be a bit of a struggle. The 500 gig model sells at 59.90 ($99.38 US), the 750 gig sells for 71.90 ($119.29 US), and that whopping great terabyte will set you back 92.90 ($154.13 US). A bit pricey, sure, but with all those extra protections, it may be just what you’re looking for if you find yourself working in rugged terrain and require extra protection for your data.

So what do you guys think here? Think those prices are too high for what you get? Or do the extra protections and the USB 3.0 speed make the Adata SH14 a worthwhile buy? Either way, we’d love to hear what you think about these, so hit the comments section and let’s talk external hard drive!

The Genius G-Pen F610 Ultra Slim Graphic Tablet is a USB device that plugs into your computer, and then lets you use the wireless pen to draw on the tablet and have what you draw converted into an electronic format that you can work with on your computer. That isn’t just for drawing, of course; those of you out there who subscribe to the Victorian style of living will be pleased to note that you can now officially send handwritten email thanks to this device.

You’ll also get fully 29 programmable hotkeys that let you set up a variety of shortcuts, and the pen itself boasts fully 1024-level pressure sensitivity with a battery life of fully one year. It’s set to work with Windows versions starting at 2000 and going all the way to 7, so chances are your computer will work with it–yes, there are even Mac drivers here–if it was made at some point this millennium.

And if you’re in a hurry to get your hands on one of these, it’s listed as being currently available for a sticker price of $99.90, though there are earlier versions out there for less (remember, this one’s an upgraded version).

So what do you guys think? A hundred bucks too much to ask for a tool that lets you draw and write normally and put it on your PC or Mac to work with from there? Or is this too much of a specialist tool to be of any real use to most people? No matter what you think, we always like hearing from you, so head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

The obvious key point here is that it’s geared specifically for the Mac, specifically designed to not only slip right under your standard iMac screen, but it will also charge your iOS devices at the same time.

And as if that weren’t good enough in its own right, the Iomega Mac Companion offers up your choice of two or three terabytes of storage space, runs at 7200 RPM, and can hook up by your choice of USB or a FireWire 800 port if you happen to have one. It also boasts Iomega’s QuikProtect software which lets you schedule drive backups (and you can never back up your drive often enough; just ask anyone who lost their gear on the bad end of a thunderstorm and see what they think), an extra two gig of MozyHome online backup storage, and 12 months of free subscription to the Trend Smart Surfing protection system, which is good if you do a lot of shopping online. Plus, you’ll even get four LEDs on the front of the drive which will show you at a glance about how much room you have left on the drive, though with two or three terabytes, it will likely take you some time before you need to wonder how much you have left.

The two terabyte version comes your way for $195, but stepping up to the three terabyte version will take you $295. Both are expensive for hard drives that size, of course, but considering all the extras you’ll get, this isn’t exactly a bad deal on the surface.

So what do you guys think of the Iomega Mac Companion line of hard drives? Think they’re a great addition to your Mac hardware array? Or are you being overcharged for the whole Mac experience? No matter how you feel about it, head on down to the comments section and fill us in.

Admittedly, calling this a 4G modem is really something of a misnomer (like a lot of a misnomer, really–it’s actually more an HSPA+ modem), but you’re still going to be looking at some pretty nice speeds. And the best part is that it’s available at your choice of $89.99 outright, or free if you’re willing to take on a two year contract. Not only will you get the USB modem, but it even comes with a microSD slot just to top off the value, as well as data roaming in over 200 different countries (assuming you’re willing to pay for it).

Now, the down side here, of course, is that you’re going to be looking at very, very tight data caps. For instance, the “day package” buyers will get 100 meg for $15. Brace yourselves, folks; it doesn’t get better from here. You can also get 300 meg for $30, the “weekly package”, as well as a full gig for $50 for the “monthly package”. Those wanting to stay on contract will get something of a benefit here…in the form of five gigs a month for $50 a month.

It’s said to play nice with both Mac and PC, so whatever your weapon of choice is, this will load it with tiny amounts of ultra-fast data access.  And if you’re interested, you’ll be able to lay hands on these soon, as they expect to hit shelves by July 17th.

Seems like way too small a cap to appreciate the speeds to me, but for those business travelers who need immediate access to email and the like no matter where they are, well, this might just be what they need.

What do you guys think here? Too small a cap to be any value, or a great if somewhat specialized business tool? Hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

Admittedly, we’ve probably all at least heard of something like this before, but Iogear’s offering is something a little extra exciting, especially if you’re a home theater PC user. The USB Theater Sound Xperience, meanwhile, plugs into your computer’s USB port (before you ask, it seems to be PC compatible only, so a television, Blu-ray player, or receiver’s USB ports seem to be left out in the cold, as do those of Macs), and then you plug your headphones into same to get a simulated surround sound effect. It does that by taking your standard two channel audio and running it through DTS Surround Sensation Headphone technology to make it sound just like surround sound.

And interestingly, this will also work over stereo speakers as well, so you can turn your ordinary computer speakers into a full-on surround sound array.

Naturally, I haven’t heard this myself, so I can’t comment as to the audio quality, but there’s a distinct advantage here in that you can actually get one of these yourself from a variety of retailers (including Amazon and Iogear proper) for $39.95, so buying one and then trying it out won’t exactly be a huge challenge. And if you don’t find yourself enjoying it, well, that’s why return policies exist.

I’m a bit skeptical about the idea of simulated surround sound, especially since this only works with PCs, but still, it’s something I wouldn’t mind going ears-on with myself just to see how it turns out.

So what do you guys think here? Fast and easy (and affordable) way to get surround out of your PC? Or a cheap gimmick that won’t provide true quality sound? It doesn’t matter what side you fall on, just head down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The folks out at D-Link have finally brought the dual-sided remote out, and this should be a literal godsend for anyone favoring the home theater PC approach to media management. One side offers a simple set of commands for media control–pause, play, and the like–and the other offers a full (albeit rather tiny) QWERTY keyboard so you can interface with your system via text. It also uses a small USB dongle to make sure you can plug it right into your system and then use the remote from across the room.

And indeed, a remote like this does go a long way toward helping out with the home theater PC experience. Couple this one with the Boxee software (which will get its update, reportedly, sometime this fall), and you’ve got a surprisingly robust experience waiting for you and one that’s just as easily managed.

If you want to get in on the Boxee remote experience, you’ll be able to get your hands on one of these for $49.99, as it’s reportedly already hitting some online vendors right now.

Though I look at this and wonder if you could save the cash by going with an ordinary wireless keyboard and mouse–I’ve seen very good models in each field–that would serve much the same purpose in much the same fashion. Though on the other hand, it does kind of take away from that classic home theater experience by forcing you to keep a big old keyboard and mouse near your seat while you’re trying to watch your video.

So what do you guys think? $49.99 sound like too high a price to pay to get that great synthesis of the internet on a home theater system? Or would you cheerfully pay it to get the big clunky keyboard out of your hair for good? The comments section awaits below, so head on down and tell us what you think!

Nvidia has offered up a lot of great stuff previously in terms of graphics and displays, and sometimes it’s tough to find a PC that isn’t packing some brand of Nvidia graphics at least as an option. And now, with these, they’re offering active shutter 3D glasses with a bit of a twist–a USB cable.

Currently, Nvidia offers a species of glasses with no wires, but they’re priced significantly higher than these new offerings. They only give you about ten feet of range, though, due to their cabling (I find myself wondering if you can boost that range by way of a corded USB hub or the like, sort of like an extension cord, or by plugging them into your laptop and watching a 3D television with both of them nearby), but in every other sense, they seem normal.

Now, here’s the kicker. For those of you willing to settle for shorter range (or possibly by longer range with a few tricky dodges), you’ll get a substantial discount. The wired glasses sell for just $99, and considering that earlier wireless versions went for as much as double that (though there have been some price drops of late) these might well prove a worthwhile substitute. And, of course, there’s a different fit involved too, which may make these more comfortable. Wireless versions require a battery be embedded in the glasses, while wired versions take their power as needed.

They’re expected in stores this June, so I’ll go ahead and ask you now–what do you think of these? Is the loss of some range worth the fairly substantial price savings? Or do you not even bother with 3D glasses at all and stick to 2D in all your entertainment? Hit the comments section below before your next show starts and tell us what you think!

It’s a strange idea, all right, but that’s the current word. Basically, if you’ve got an Intel-based Mac, you can plug the Kanex mLinq into its USB port, install some software, and then, you can take advantage of an HDMI port that will output full 1080p (1920 x 1080 resolution video), and will even do it with sound. The device actually gets its power from the USB port as well, so you won’t have to go plugging in extra wires, and reportedly, it will even do smaller display resolutions too.

You know, I’ve always had a certain note of respect for the USB port. I’ve seen it do amazing things, and I’ve seen it do preposterous things. But even I never thought I’d actually see a USB port become an HDMI port, adapter or no. If you’ve got an older Mac, one of the ones that don’t have a Thunderbolt port, then you might want to look into this one. Naturally, plenty of people are concerned about the frame rate that this device puts out–and no one seems to have a lot of information on just what kind of frame rate we’re talking about here–but if it works the way Kanex seems to suggest it will, well, then you’ve got a little pocket miracle here.

And what will you pay to get your hands on an extra HDMI port? Well, not as much as you might think. Turns out the Kanex mLinq is set to retail for $99. They’re taking preorders on it right now, so if you’re inclined, head on out to their web site.

So do you think this is too good to be true? Or is it a great way to give your old Mac gear new life, possibly as home theater equipment? Hit the comments section below and tell us where you plug in on this one.

Following Thunderbolt news has proven something of a bizarre trip. First you have to sift out the cell phone news (HTC’s Thunderbolt often gets in the way of the Thunderbolt port), but then, what you find is a strange pastiche of news–Intel wants to outclass the Thunderbolt, HP won’t use it, and so on. But this is an even more unusual bit of news.

Sony’s Ultimate Mobile PC, which is a pretty sweet-looking laptop in its own right, is set to include Thunderbolt, but not in the standard way. Apple, for example, used the Mini DisplayPort, but Sony’s looking to use a Type-A USB jack for its connection. And this is actually causing something of a stir.

While using the USB port does put people in mind of Sony’s first attempts at using USB as both an optical interface and a power connection, it does leave many somewhat disturbed in that, last summer, the USB Implementers Forum chipped in commentary that USB connectors were not to be regarded as “general purpose connectors” to support other technology, or to be used as “combo connectors”, which is pretty much what Sony’s looking to do here.

Sony might have worked something out, but either way, we can tell that Sony’s looking to do exactly what you’d think they probably shouldn’t. But since no one’s actually tried this out yet, it’s clear no one can really complain about how it works. We’ll have to wait until some more hands-on data emerges to find out whether this actually works, and if it does it might well change the way people think about their USB connection. Frankly, I like the idea, myself–I’ve grown used to the thought of the USB port as a do-it-all connection, and the idea that it could even go that far is thrilling.

So do you think Sony’s got the right idea here, or will it all fizzle in the end? Hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

According to Xavier Lauwaert, manager of worldwide marketing for desktop computers, HP still has Thunderbolt under consideration, and is looking for a “value proposition” for the technology. However, the company has opted to stick with USB 3.0, citing that most PC manufacturers seem to be content with the USB 3.0 spec.

Thunderbolt supports data transfers of up to 10 Gbps and is viewed as an alternative to USB and other peripheral interfaces, since it also supports PCI Express and DisplayPort protocols. Of course, Intel insists that USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt are meant to work hand-in-hand and are technologies designed to complement each other. While Apple has gone all-out in support of Thunderbolt, only a few PC manufacturers are currently developing devices with Thunderbolt built-in, such as Sony. Some accessory manufacturers have announced support, but have yet to come up with compatible devices.

HP’s latest Pavilion desktop series are priced with varied target markets in mind, from entry-level slimline P7 budget series to more business-oriented H8 series. Both support HP’s LinkUp virtualization technology, which enables access to files and apps directly on a remote computer via Wi-Fi.

Designed for use on boats, the Amped Wireless UA600EX adapter is a relatively simple prospect. You’ll plug it in to your computer’s USB adapter, and next thing you know, you’ll have a whole new world of wi-fi possibilities open to you. It’s a single-band adapter running on the 2.4 GHz spectrum, and while they don’t specifically tell you just how far you’ll be able to get, they are suggesting a substantial improvement in range.

And while it’s intended for boats, RV owners and urbanites who want other connection options shouldn’t feel left out here–the UA600EX comes with an extra 26.5 feet of heavy cord to give you some weatherproof connection options, as well as some extra specific mounting hardware, meaning you’ll be able to hook this up to most any mobile platform you’ve currently got on hand.

While I’m not a boat owner–though I’d like to be–I’d figure having this beauty around would definitely give you a lot of options in terms of wireless internet connections available to you. And it will also give you a few extra reasons to put some password protection on your wi-fi lest someone lay hands on one of these for their more illicit internet uses and discover that you’re well in range.

So how much do you think you’ll shell out for boosted wireless internet range? The folks out at Amped Wireless are looking to get $110 per for one of these, which isn’t exactly terrible…if it works.

The Plextor PX-LB950UE represents their fastest such burner yet, using both USB 3.0 and eSATA connections to get speeds up to 12x, which actually doubles the speed of their previous version. The PX-LB950UE can use both single and dual layer discs (no word on if that includes BDXL in there), and can work with LightScribe technology, allowing you to burn a label into your Blu-ray with the same drive you used to burn the information onto it in the first place.

Of course, it’s hard to say whether this is really a good value or not, depending on what side you find yourself in the physical media / streaming debate. There are plenty of people out there (like me, frankly) who like the idea of having their media on hand whenever they like, and consider the costs involved with storing and preserving said media a small price to pay to be able to get hands on media in an Internet outage or when someone gives forth with the piteous cry of “the cloud is down”. Cloud storage has its place, sure–it’s hard not to at least have some respect for a system that lets you keep incredible amounts of data stored and easily accessible from anywhere– but keeping a physical backup on hand is never a bad thing. Just ask anyone who’s survived a hard drive crash if they regretted burning their really important stuff to a USB drive.

And if you want to make sure you’ll always have Blu-rays to burn, you too can pick up a Plextor PX-LB950UE right now for $239, which really isn’t that terrible a price for an external Blu-ray burner.

It may seem simple enough; it’s a standard USB thumb drive, coming in sizes from eight gig all the way up to 32 gig, but it does offer pretty fast transfer speeds of 70 MB/s, weighs a meager 9.5 grams, and even offers up a lifetime warranty.

But that’s not where this thing really distinguishes itself; the Silicon Power Blaze B10 offers up a strange feature in which the graphics on the side change from blue to red as the drive is used. Most thumb drives do have a tendency to heat up a little, but this may well be the first time I’ve seen any hard drive take advantage of this to turn a normal property into a feature. That’s actually pretty clever, I’d say, and turns this thumb drive from just another storage commodity into a strange and unique piece of, well, technological art, really.

Maybe that’s overstating things a bit, calling a flash drive a piece of art and all, but it’s still not the kind of thing you see every day. And of course, it handles that simplest and most basic of tasks well enough, so that only makes things better.

The bad news is that we have neither pricing data for this little wonder nor any clue as yet as to its release, so we’ll all have to keep an eye out and see when this strange little version of a very popular tool lands on our shelves.

You’ll remember the iHub as an unofficial device that allowed you to get some more USB real estate involved in your Apple computing. And on the surface, it seemed like a nice idea–plug in extra devices, get extra utility, what could be wrong with that? What seems to be wrong with that, at this point, is the big blue Apple logo on top that came on when you’d plug something in.

Interestingly, MIC seems to be honoring all current orders, though, so if you managed to shell out the $10 required to get one of these back when they were first announced, then you’ll in all likelihood actually get your order fulfilled.

What’s odd about all this is the whys and wherefores behind it. Sure, we all pretty much knew, at least on some level, that Apple wasn’t going to take the iHub lying down. And indeed, three days after we first spotted it, here came the resulting firestorm. But why MIC used the Apple logo in the first place is what’s amazing. USB hubs are a dime a dozen. If they would have made a big blue circle or square or plus sign or anything else, they probably would have made it out with just a grumble from Apple and no legal hassles. Maybe they were counting on the float, in which the media landed on this with both feet, a flood of orders hit and they promptly shut down the product line.

Still though, some out there will get their USB hubs, and maybe someday we’ll see these again, just without the blue Apple on them.

Not only is the DataTraveler 4000-M FIPS-certified according to FIPS 140-2 Level 2 (FIPS is the Federal Information Processing Standard, or the standard commonly used to accredit cryptography modules), it also has full device management. It’s waterproof, comes in a titanium casing, and uses a 256-bit encryption system. They offer 10 MB/s write speed and 18 MB / s read speed, and come in your choice of two, four, eight, or 16 gig sizes.

Better yet, if someone tries to access the data on this memory stick, they’d better be a good guesser–not only is it password-protected (and includes support for specific characters–imagine how hard it might be to guess a password that could have a tilde and an umlaut in it), but after ten failed attempts to access the drive’s contents, the encryption key is automatically erased, rendering the entire drive, and its contents, permanently inaccessible.

This might well be one of the safest memory solutions ever brought to bear, and frankly, I can see where people would love to have one of these. I’d feel safe keeping my personal data on this thing, and even if all you’ve got to protect is your Twilight fan fiction, you know it’s not going anywhere you don’t want it to go.

And if you’re looking for a thumb drive with absolute security for its memory, you’ll be able to pick the Kingston DataTraveler 4000-M up starting the first week of May at last report, with prices starting at $62 and going all the way up to $195.

The current word, via our own Kevin Schram, is that Intel is indeed still planning to bring USB 3.0 to its next line of chipsets, paving the way for a day in which USB 3.0 ports become as ubiquitous as USB 2.0 ports are today. But the kicker is that, at last report, Intel was looking to support both USB and Thunderbolt concurrently. And, considering that earlier reports put Apple as adding Thunderbolt to its lineup of MacBook Pro laptops, (plus there’s some word that says Sony will get involved with Thunderbolt on its higher-end notebooks) the end result puts USB 3.0 in something of a bad situation.

See, Thunderbolt is quite a bit faster than USB 3.0–almost twice as fast, really–and considering that most people haven’t even tried USB 3.0 speeds yet, an instant leapfrogging to Thunderbolt may leave USB 3.0 somewhat out in the cold.

But one thing I really don’t think those inside sources have considered is the backward compatibility point. If Thunderbolt worked like a DVD upconverter, then of course, I’d say USB 3.0 would be useless. But a whole lot of people out there have USB, especially USB 2.0, devices. They’re not going to want to shrug their shoulders fatalistically and throw them all out then go buy Thunderbolt gear. They want something that plays nice with their old hardware for as long as possible, and, if possible, even makes it better.

So while it’s clear that Thunderbolt will swamp USB 3.0, I don’t look for USB to go away with it. Entirely too many people have entirely too many USB devices, and I can’t help but think that computer makers will want to stick with the product base. Sure, you’ll probably see more Thunderbolt ports than USB, but USB will still have a place. And there might be a burgeoning market in USB-to-Thunderbolt adapters….

By all reports, the iHub is basically exactly what it sounds like: a USB hub for your Apple hardware that gives you four USB ports to work with and also plugs into your Apple devices. It ships in your choice of almost-colors (black and white, which some art enthusiasts will tell you aren’t technically colors), and offers the interesting little twist of an Apple logo on top of the device that lights up when you plug in a device.

And yes, this is the same company that previously came out with a Steve Jobs action figure. But still, I like this idea myself. Then again, I have to, as I own a couple of USB hubs for my home PCs, and I’ve seen how valuable they are in providing extra space to plug your stuff into or just providing a little extra extension cord-effect to your corded USB gear. When I first tried my hand at building a home theater PC, it was a USB hub that gave me the extra length to run a keyboard to my living room chairs. Of course, wireless gear quickly put paid to that, but for a cheap way to get extra length on your cords? You couldn’t beat a USB hub for that.

You can pick one of these up for a whopping $9.90 US out at MIC Gadgets, and from there give yourself plenty of room to keep all your peripherals in play. Considering, however, that the device is unofficial, those interested may want to pick one up lest Apple step in and kill it off before you can get one.

ASUS earlier made an announcement that they’re partnering with PrimeSense to make motion-based controllers for the PC. Recall that PrimeSense is the same company that developed the technology for the Microsoft Kinect. Now what ASUS wanted — aside from the peripheral itself — is to develop an app store dedicated to software that run on motion-sensing technology.

Games and gaming are actually just one of the applications that ASUS intends to target the Xtion PRO Motion Sensor for. There are other possible applications for this device, which perhaps includes design and even medicine. Now what’s quite exciting for me is whether ASUS will be able to embed motion-sensing technology in laptops, notebooks, smartphones and tablet computers, much like webcams and front-facing cameras are being embedded into devices (which were previously separate peripherals).

The device will retail in Japan via Unity Corp at 19,800 yen, or about $238, which is close to the originally-announced price.

The Mobee Magic Bar is an aluminum sleeve with a USB cord. It has a section for you to slip your gear into, and then it plugs into your computer to recharge the batteries in your keyboard or, conversely, Magic Trackpad via induction using power from the USB port. Sounds pretty simple on the surface, and it actually is pretty simple, until you remember that we already showed you a way to turn your Magic Trackpad into a pure USB device already.

Frankly, I use a wireless keyboard myself–a Microsoft Wireless 6000 that’s nicely ergonomically sloped (not to mention my wireless Logitech mouse) and I would love it if they could recharge via USB port. Their transmitters already use the USB ports to receive their instructions, so why on earth can’t they use those same USB ports to get power instead of me replacing their batteries?

Admittedly, the number of times they require battery changes is almost as seldom as my smoke detectors, but still–it’s a fairly interesting idea that will keep your Mac gear humming. I’d love to see someone come up with a version for PC gear, but considering how many different versions there are out there, it may not be quite so easy.

And if you want to cut down on the number of times you change your batteries (you’ll likely still have to change them at some point anyway; you can only recharge a battery so many times), you’ll be able to pick these up around the end of June, and for $60 each.

We saw something like this get debuted out at the CeBIT show back last month, and it was generally regarded as an impressive tool–look at the part of the screen you want, and then from there click and drag and drop by using various eye movements instead of using your hands to pull a lump of plastic across your desk and slam your finger down on another part of said lump of plastic to interact with it. And now, it’s coming our way in the form of the Tobii PCEye.

Interestingly, the PCEye actually means it–it’s strictly for PC users only-but it will give you pretty much all the functions we saw it do with the Lenovo laptop back at CeBIT. It’s a simple USB device that hangs below LCD monitors (but it only works with monitors sized between 15 and 20 inches), and then, once you spend a little time getting the thing calibrated, you’re ready to point and click and scroll all with the power of your eyes.

It’s geared toward helping people who don’t have sufficient motor skills to work mice fully any more–and between strokes and similar issues, there are more of them out there than you might think–so it does have some health care issues in there, meaning that at least some of the massive price tag might get undercut by health insurance.

The folks out at Tobii, you see, want $6,900 for one of these with packages available that include software and monitors. That’s a pretty substantial price tag just to replace your mouse, though like I said, there might be some insurance issues here to undercut it. For the rest of us, though, we have mice aplenty until these start falling in price.

Nike announced its Nike+ SportWatch with GPS at CES 2011. The watch works in partnership with the Nike+ shoe accessory. The only difference here is that there’s no need for a compatible iPhone or iPod.

The Nike+ watch uses TomTom’s GPS, which helps keep track of your routes. The Nike+ watch also computes your runs’ time, distance, speed and calories burned. It will also keep track of your run history and will give you reminders when you haven’t been running for a while.

Plug in the watch to your computer via USB and you will be connected with the 4 million or so Nike+ community members.

This is probably good for those folks who don’t like having an extra gadget in their pocket or strapped on an armband, as this adds weight and might be cumbersome while running. It adds to that sporty, athletic image, too!

The Buffalo BRXL-PC6U2-BK is a shockingly slim BDXL burner that will let you burn those massive new discs (and, in all likelihood, read them as well, though there’s no confirmation as to whether it will or not), and do so in a nice looking package, as you can see above, which is something of a departure from the earlier BDXL drives that have all the aesthetic appeal of certain kinds of masonry.

But there are some fair-sized disadvantages to this unit as well. One, it’s set to run on a USB 2.0 port, which means burning speeds–especially given the sheer size of the discs to which you’ll be burning that information–are going to be pretty slow. In fact, burning at any speed at or above 4x is going to require you to plug in a second USB plug.

Frankly, BDXL probably should be geared toward a USB 3.0 environment to take advantage of the extra speed. And it’s not as though it would leave anybody out in the cold–most USB 3.0 stuff is backward compatible with USB 2.0 anyway, which is pretty much the only USB port anyone has any more. So those with USB 3.0 ports could have taken advantage of the increased speed and those without could still use the device as normal.

You’ll be able to get your hands on the BRXL-PC6U2-BK starting in about a week or so, though you’ll have to pay around $275 for one of these (or 22,100 yen if you’re paying for one of these in Japan). You can do better price-wise, though they won’t look that nice. Oh, and don’t forget to save some cash for the media you’ll need to run this thing–BDXL discs are still pretty pricey in their own right.

If there’s one thing preventing tablets from acting like full-fledged computers, it’s their lack of USB host functionality. This means that you can connect your tablet to a computer, and it will act as the attached peripheral. But attach a device to your Android tablet, and it won’t work as expected.

With the Motorola Xoom, though, you can simply activate USB host functionality with a hack. The process will require rooting the Xoom, and doing some kernel modifications. You will also need an “on the go” or OTG cable, which converts the Motorola Xoom’s micro USB port into a full-sized USB, for connecting peripherals.

A full discussion is posted at the Slatedroid forums, which includes copies of the files and commands necessary for patching the Xoom.

It’s been months since we last heard out of SteelSeries, and I certainly don’t catch much news about peripherals for console gamers, so putting the two together in one place is more than enough to catch some attention.

The SteelSeries Siberia V2 Livemix headphones, meanwhile, offer some pretty hefty capabilities of their own, including 50mm driver units and a retractable microphone system that stores in the left earcup when not in use. Perhaps the biggest thing to note is the in-line audio mixer built into the cord itself that will let you select various proprietary LiveMix settings that adjust settings according to need–for instance, setting to “low” reduces game sounds five decibels when your teammates are talking, and it goes up from there to “high”, which drops the sound fully 25 decibels.

You’ll hook the whole thing up via USB connection, which means that it not only works on your PS3, but also on your Xbox 360, PC and Mac, and will even offer RCA cable connectors to hook it into your television. The cord is twelve feet long, so you should have plenty of room to work with as long as you’re not gaming on some kind of projector system.

And if you want to get a set of these for your own gaming fun, you’ll have plenty of time to save up the cash required–you’ll need $119.99, though you’ll have until fall–third quarter 2011–to raise that kind of money. But once you do, you’ll have a pretty nice set of headphones ready to game with.

Apple has been working closely with Intel, Sony, and other companies to develop a technology that will support speeds up to 10 Gbps. While this has been in the works for more than a year now, sources say that Apple and Intel have probably finalized the design, and will include Light Peak in an upcoming MacBook Pro update (rumored to be announced this February 24th).

Apple might be using another name or branding for the technology, though, so expect something other than “Light Peak.” Still, Intel has previously predicted Light Peak to come out in devices in the first half of 2011, so Apple’s MacBooks are likely to be only the first wave.

The source also said that while the technology earlier involved fiber-optics, the initial version will likely be copper-based, to give way to practicality and current production limitations.

Light Peak was supposedly intended as a universal approach to device connectivity, which includes monitors, scanners, storage media, and the like. But Intel (and Apple) will likely limit the use to a few protocols and peripherals in the first release.

The RunCore ExpressCard plugs into the card slot on the side of many modern laptops–and reportedly, some desktops as well–and gives you two (well, more like three) things in return: you get a 64 gig solid state drive, which is nice enough by itself, until you discover that you also get a pair of USB 3.0 ports.

In exchange for a slot you probably weren’t using anyway, you get a pair of ultra-fast USB 3.0 ports (which in turn gives you access to some really fast read and write speeds), as well as a 64 gig storage space, which is none too shabby, especially as solid state drives go. As solid state drives go, that’s about the third biggest amount you usually see, just behind 128 and 256.

Frankly, I love this idea. Taking a port you almost never use and making it useful in three different ways (two USB 3.0 ports and a solid state drive) is an idea that never fails to make me happy. Now all we need is for someone to come up with a way to convert the serial port for old printers into a four USB 3.0 port hub with 128 gigs of storage and free wireless internet access at ten megs per second and I think the innovation train can pretty much stop for a while.

The bad news, though, is that no one has any idea yet in terms of price or release dates on this little miracle, so keep your eyes front because the RunCore ExpressCard may be coming your way sooner than you expect.

Naturally, they come only in black, which is the basic color for this sort of thing, and frankly, I kind of doubt anyone out there is really looking to color-coordinate their PC hardware. Sure, it’s nice to have color choices, but between style and function at the same price, I think most people would take the higher storage or faster access times over the candy apple red glossy casing.

Anyway, you’ll get a USB 3.0 connection here, which in turn will give you a transfer rate of 130 megs per second max. By way of comparison, that basically means you’ll be able to transfer the equivalent of about two full DVDs every minute, and I don’t have to tell you what that kind of thing will do for setting up a home theater PC, now do I? Aside from that, you’ll also get a One Touch auto-backup button, and even complies with the European Union’s standards for Energy Related Products, which means that it’s a great one for the green buffs out there. Even better, it’ll go into a power-saving sleep mode after ten minutes without anything going on, which in turn will give you a power savings of about 70 percent in some cases. And you’ll even get a three year warranty for added peace of mind.

Sounds pretty good by itself, right? But like I promised you in the lead-up, it’s all about the storage. And storage you will get–a one terabyte model runs $101.39 (75.74 in euros), a one and a half terabyte model takes $121.12(90.48 euro) and a whopping two terabyte version sets you back $165.40 (123.56). When can you get one? That’s as yet undisclosed, but I’d figure on the order of soon.

The GH-USD16K is a 15.6 inch monitor that works at 1366 x 768 resolution, offers 18 bit color depth, and only draws five watts of Serial Bus juice. It weighs just under three pounds and can even clone or extend the connected computer’s display.

I’ve seen portable keyboards, and portable mice…and you know we’ve all seen portable computers. But this may well be one of the first times I’ve seen a portable monitor. Considering that it’s under three pounds and slightly larger than a lot of laptop screens, I wonder how long it’ll be before road warriors (and of course, by that I mean people who take their work on the road) everywhere decide to give their laptop a little extra punch by hooking a new monitor to it even when they’re on the road. It’s almost getting to the point where everything’s so portable you can break down the equivalent of a desktop and take it with you most anywhere you go, setting up easily at your favorite coffee shop and doing all your computing then.

And for those of you who like the thought of a go most anywhere monitor, you’ll be putting in a call to your favorite importer soon. This will hit Japanese markets first and sell for about $214, though there’s no word on expansions to other markets.

The Mobile Drive MG measures fully one centimeter (just south of .4 inches) thick, and comes encased in a magnesium enclosure, and on the inside, it’s packing a USB 3.0 interface for the fastest file transfers possible, as well as your choice of three sizes, a 320 gig model, a 750 gig model and a second 750 gig model that also packs both USB 3.0 and FireWire 800.

Here’s the strange part, though–this is also being billed as “an ideal match for the Apple MacBook”, especially since it’s pre-formatted for the HFS+ file system. The problem here, of course, is that no Apple MacBook comes with a USB 3.0 jack, meaning that anyone who did buy one of these would be forced to use the USB 2.0 connectivity, basically hamstringing the drive out the door.

And odder still, the Mobile Drive MG can even be reformatted for Windows, because it comes with a software utility that will let you do the reformatting. Doing this will take the “ideal match for the Apple MacBook” and allow it to be used, fully, by the completely opposite platform.

It’s a strange development, but still–you can see from the picture that this is great on an aesthetic level, if nothing else, and you can pick these up later this month for $111 for the 320 gig, $174.45 for the 750 gig, and $206.20 for the 750 gig version with the FireWire 800 addition. They look good, they likely work well, and the prices aren’t the worst I’ve seen, so for high-speed storage that doesn’t need much space, take a look at the Mobile Drive MG series.

See what I mean? The Samson Meteor Mic is geared toward retro tech fans who like the thought of talking into something that looks like it was pulled whole and breathing from the early half of the 20th century. But it’s got plenty of early half of the 21st century capability–it’s a USB microphone, so you can patch it in directly to your computer and do all your talking from there. Because it’s USB driven, you won’t need to install any drivers or anything like that–it’s about as close to the ideal of plug and play as you can get.

It also boasts a stereo 1/8th inch headphone jack, as well as a microphone mute button so you can cut off the feed should you be using this for, say, teleconferencing and you’d rather no one hear you call the boss a putz to his, well, almost face.

It’s definitely the kind of thing a lot of people would be after, and not just retro tech buffs, but anyone who does a lot of voice chat or voice work online. Podcasters, folks who like voice dictation, transcription or recognition software, and so on are definitely going to have an interest in this.

The down side, of course, is that it packs a whopping $99 price tag and won’t even be available in stores–you can find this one specifically at Best Buy–until April 15th. But considering that’s Tax Day (not to mention the release date of Scream 4) you might well be almost looking forward to the deadline for United States tax filings this year.