Best computer news

Buffalo is into all kinds of external storage, from Blu-ray burner to $900 100GB USB solid-state drive. It isn’t a surprise the company is interested in externalizing 1.8″ hard drives. Buffalo’s MiniStation Shinobi measures at a mere 5mm or 0.2″ and weighs at just 2 oz. We aren’t sure how the name of a ninja relates to the miniature USB drive, but the Buffalo’s Shinobi is arguably the smallest and thinnest of its kind. (But if you live in China, Samsung’s glossy drive looks almost identical.)

The MiniStation Shinobi features a unique, self-contained USB cable which is great except if you break it, you lose access to the data until you can get the 1.8″ drive to another enclosure. Also bundled are SecureLockWare software encryption, Memeo AutoBackup, portable FireFox and Thunderbird email client. You’ll find Turbo USB integrated, just like its 2.5″ HDD sibling. Both 30GB and 60GB model are due in October for $119 and $169 respectively.
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When the announcement came out that Samsung will provide a wireless upgrade using WUSB for its cameras under a different name called NaBee, our first thought was like the company is somehow ‘hijacking’ the UWB technology. NaBee basically entails plugging a USB dongle into both Samsung camera and PC. After doing that, you can wirelessly upload pictures without using a USB cable.

But after thinking it through, it doesn’t make much sense for Samsung to use “Certified Wireless USB” for the special dock and dongle when everything about NaBee – powered by Alereon’s AL5000 WUSB chipset – is actually proprietary. We also heard the PC-dongle actually bundles with the driver and software on the flash memory needed to install NaBee on any computers. Presumably, Nabee will stay with us for a while until Samsung fully embraces Wireless USB so we could forget all the add-ons with weird names. Look for NaBee to hit retail shelves in December.
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Following up on our coverage of the new Plantronics cans with their detachable Dolby decoder, we’ve found another USB headset that uses Dolby processing to bring the 5.1 surround experience to the surface of your ears. Made by Acoustic Research and known simply as the ARW200, this particular headset eschews software emulation for a system of three drivers (a 15.4 millimeter handing front and subwoofer, and two 12 millimeters for center and surround) per earcup, following in the footsteps of the Tritton Audio Xtreme PC.

Despite their USB connection and 5.1 capabilities, we suspect that Acoustic Research isn’t trying to grab the gaming market with the ARW200: the unit lacks a microphone common to its gaming competition and – thanks to its relatively small shape, folding ability, and carrying case – seems more appropriate for movie lovers on the go. The price ain’t bad – reportedly $100, so we’d be curious to see how good these babies sound.
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We have been waiting rather impatiently for WUSB solutions to show up so I can shed some of the cables running around my desk and office. WiQuest has announced a video contest being conducted on YouTube that challenges participants to create fun videos showing how they are freeing themselves from USB cables and enjoying Wireless USB products.

The contest started on September 8 and the top ten finalists will be posted on November 24 with the contest ending on December 5. The winner of the contest will be awarded a wireless workspace that includes a Dell XPS M1730 laptop with WUSB, a Kensington WUSB Docking station, and an Imation Apollo Pro WX Wireless USB HDD. You can find out more about the contest at WhyAreYouWired.com. Video after the jump.
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There comes a point when a keyboard is really too small to be of use for typing. I think that the Super Tiny Keyboard from Brando may have found that point. The keyboard is tiny (as its name implies) measuring in at 170 x 73 x 15mm. If you think a netbook has a keyboard that is too small, stay away from this thing.

Visually, it’s a dead ringer for the white Happy Hacking Lite keyboard, except for the black color and all. The Super Tiny Keyboard has 56 keys, Fn/Num lock change function, silent switch feeling (not sure what that means) and uses a retractable USB cable. I’m guessing that the silent switch feeling means the keys make no noise when in use. Brando should have made the thing wireless, at least then it would be an option for a media center keyboard. At least the price is tiny too at $25.
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A study, funded by Displaylink, has been released recently discussing the relationship between multi-display setup and power consumption. Displaylink engineers measured the power required for a PC to run from one to four LCD monitors. Two PCs of the same configuration were put to the test where one was equipped with Displaylink USB video products (eg. Samsung 940UX) and the other with dual-DVI graphics cards. The PCs were then checked for their power usage under different scenarios.

When the data came in, it wasn’t a surprise that the quad-display setup driven by Displaylink required less energy than the discrete graphics solution. This is mostly due to the addition of a dual-DVI card for the quad-display that ended up drawing 117W power compared to under 16W with USB. Therefore, the study came to the conclusion that USB multi-monitor setup – powered by none other than Displaylink solution – consumes up to 80% less power than that of discrete graphics. Video after the jump.
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If you need a way to get more distance on a USB device and you don’t want to run out and spend money an actual USB cable, you can make your own USB extension cable with a little bit of work. What you will need is a couple phone jacks and a phone cord extension. USB is good for 15-feet, so you won’t want to go over that distance.

The video describes the surprisingly easy process needed to set the system up. You cut a normal USB cable in half, strip the wires, and connect them to the correct posts inside the phone jacks. You then do the same thing for the other half of the USB cable and you are ready to go. You could do this with existing phone jacks assuming they aren’t more than 15-feet apart. After you are complete, the computer will recognize the USB device just like it would next to your computer. Video instructions after the jump.
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Those $999 full HD camcorders are going to be tough sell in the Christmas season. We think plenty of amateurs here don’t mind going back to 720p to save a couple hundred bucks for other gifts. RCA’s Small Wonder HD EZ300HD is a $159 mini camcorder – now marked down to a mere $129 by Circuit City – that attempts to combine the best of both Flip Mino and Kodak Zi6. It’s sorta in the between if you ask us. RCA mentioned “HD” twice, yet the camcorder is only able to record at 30fps while Zi6 does 60fps.

The EZ300HD has a 2.4″ LCD, matching the screen size of Zi6, but noticeably larger than the Mino. As for capacity, the RCA and Flip Mino both have 2GB while the Zi6 lets down with just 32MB internal memory despite of its SDHC slot. Only the Mino is USB rechargeable out of the three. Kodak Zi6 needs two AAs, and the EZ300HD has its own proprietary Li-ion battery. Unique to the Small Wonder are a flip-out lens for self-recording and a built-in HDMI connection. We aren’t sure though which one is optimized for low-lighting.
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Using a mouse and keyboard for hours on end each day can have some bad effects on the wrist and fingers for some people. Repetitive stress injuries can cause a lot of pain and once you get an injury, it takes some specialized gear to help make things less painful. You can get ergonomic mice like the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 from Microsoft, but for some users that may not be enough.

Humanscale has announced an adjustable ergonomic mouse called the Switch that can be used for right or left handed people. Many ergonomic mice are for right-handed users only. The Switch has a 45-degree angle to help minimize wrist pronation and a navigation dish helps prevent injury from constant scrolling. Also featured is palm rest and size adjustability. Sensitivity isn’t mentioned, but 800 dpi should be expected. Pricing is unknown at this time.
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This could be the largest recall of USB chargers ever for a 3G smartphone. Apple has issued a recall on the ultra-compact USB power adapter bundled with every iPhone 3G that is sold primarily in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico and several Latin American countries. (There are 6 million iPhones sold in total worldwide while most of them were sold in USA.)

Reports are that the metal prongs have a tendency to break off while remaining lodged in the power outlets, posing a safety risk of electric shock. Apple urged iPhone 3G users to stop using the faulty adapter until they can exchange for a free replacement of a redesigned USB charger from either the web or an Apple Retail Store. In the meantime, they should charge using the USB cable that came with the phone.

You’ll need your iPhone 3G’s serial number as part of the process for this exchange program starting on October 10th.
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