Best computer news

Korean manufacturer SoundGraph has expanded the idea of the USB monitor and made it more of a touchscreen dashboard as the FingerVU 706 & 436. You can set shortcut controls for applications without moving the mouse over to the touchscreen USB sub-monitor. All of the unique functions of the two FingerVU models can be isolated from your other monitors. More of a collection of widgets with touch and media capabilities the FingerUI makes the tiny monitors much more useful despite their size. Dubbed the FingerUI, the software makes the 7″ ($179) or 4.3″ ($129) version into a video based controller similar to the functions of the Art Lebedev Optimus series keyboards.

The nicest thing about the FingerVU is the price, even with the special software they are priced in the range of other USB monitors. The FingerVU-series USB monitors are also based on the same DisplayLink hardware that is powering most of the Mimo styled monitors that are coming out. The DisplayLink drivers have become very stable with recent releases, and are very convenient to use needing no power cables. Video demo after the jump.
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There’s just not enough noise makers in the world and here’s Creative to ruin the quiet. Coming out in China shortly, this USB drum kit is fun for the whole family near the computer or on the go. The included software makes it a breeze to start up your own drum solo with just about any kind of percussion instrument you can imagine. The software with an as yet untranslated name can synthesize traditional Chinese drums, rock drums and cymbals, bongo drums and more. All this can be captured and recorded for your own personal Stomp (the performance group, not the fetish) style masterpiece. There’s also a guitar hero-esque set of games you can plan on the USB connected drum for fun and even a little fitness. The drum’s skin flexes and feels like real for comfort and extended play sessions.

The USB drum also works as a speaker. You can select up to three sound types and play them along with your music or more with hot keys. Aesthetically, you can just leave it on your desk as a simple PC speaker to complement your other trinkets of pan-Asian flare. Price and release date are unknown as of yet, but Creative doesn’t usually make us wait long after their announcements. Unfortunately, this might not be released outside the Central Kingdom.
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It’s definitely a landmark for a technology to have hit the mark where bleeding edge gives way to fun. Hardbox has released another external hard drive in the shape of a book. It may not be a true novelty drive, but it’s the coolest we’ve got so far, comparing to some commodity drive. The Hardbox would fit in just fine on any book shelf except for the fact that we’re not really racking up books on our shelves like we used to. So this may stand out like a sore thumb next to your junk mail and gum wrappers but it still looks good. That’s ignoring the USB 3.0 sweetness in sizes from 1TB to 3TB.

Sarotech has been making this particular style drive for awhile and knows the external harddrive game. If you are thinking about storing data at anywhere near those capacities, you definitely need to be putting some money into USB 3.0. Anything else would just be ridiculously time consuming. Sarotech should be shipping the Hardbox drives in February.
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