Best computer news

While there are a few USB 3.0 flash drives available already, they are still too pricey for most people to consider. Via is here to help bring the price down with it’s new quad channel controller, the VL750. The new controller uses the 4 channels to beef up transfer using slower and cheaper memory. The VL750 controller is still awaiting certification from the USB-IF. They have yet to announce any distributors wanting to use the controller in their products but this should happen quickly after gaining their stamp of approval from the USB-IF.

This controller should start showing up soon if the published specifications are to be believed. The 100 MB/s effective transfer via USB 3.0 is coupled with a theoretical 35MB/s on USB 2.0. At that speed, the VIA drive would be able to compete with the fastest USB 2.0 drive available currently. Hopefully, this will make for a cheaper cost per megabyte. Once the larger capacity drives drop into the sweet spot for cost, we can expect a better adoption of USB 3.0, we hope.
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While I love to fly my geek flag, there’s a lot to be said for the little things. The small nods to your childhood and the kinds of goodies that, if spotted by another geek, will spark conversation almost immediately. I mean, think about it. Mario’s easy to recognize. But it takes that little extra [...]

An official Etch-a-Sketch case for the iPad. Could it be any more awesome? Well, yes—if it could actually control the pad itself. Still, the look is spot on. On the other hand, it does cost about twice as much as an actual Etch-a-Sketch. Product Page ($39 via TUAW)

As any enthusiast will tell you USB 2.0 is dead as disco, and USB 3.0 is where the future is! Everyone from Asus subsidiary ASMedia to Texas Instruments is hustling to get USB 3.0 controllers out the door and into the hot waiting hands of consumers. Well, it appears some one at Intel did NOT get the memo as one unnamed Intel Engineer let it slip within hearing range of a Techon reporter that it will not be until 2012 at the earliest before INTEL puts USB 3.0 support into their controllers. Although this self same “source” did acknowledge USB 3.0 market it about to explode in popularity, Intel will be for all intents and purposes ignoring it for full extra year.

This is of course is still only an unsubstantial rumor which goes counter to what they HAVE announced and implied in the past; but with Intel hot to push Light Peak over USB it does have enough creditability to almost sound like something an Intel Ivory Tower Suit would come up with! If it is true it does give not only all the other SuperSpeed USB chip makers some much needed breathing room to gain market dominance but might just offer a ray of hope to AMD. Interesting times indeed!
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Wireless media streaming is certainly gaining in popularity. After all, everyone want the power and flexibility a HTPC offers but not everyone wants to spend the kind of cash needed to have one. Recently Intel and their WiDi, have taken the limelight, but WiDi is a new standard with a relatively small market acceptance. Conversely, nearly everyone already own a fairly new laptop or computer that has enough horsepower for 1080p movies and have at least one free USB port!

Sadly, most previous Wireless USB options were capped at 720p. Veebeam understands this is a major weakness and as such has set out to over come it WITHOUT using WiDi. Their Veebeam HD streamer is not only capable of streaming in lower 720 “high definition” but can actually do 1080p over Certified Wireless USB. In fact, it can not only stream movies from your Mac or PC but also can literally your TV into a second monitor for it. With its HDMI port for high definition and its RCA ports and S/PDIF port for digital audio, no matter what standard your TV has you probably will be able to use this bad boy. More importantly where it is a USB based device it has an easy to use “plug and play” installation. With a price of $139, the Veebeam HD streamer certainly is cheaper then buying a new WiDi capable laptop and if you don’t need 1080p, the Veebeam SD at $99 is even more reasonably priced.
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No matter how good and how long your various electronics battery life is, there are times when you will need/want/desire MORE then the built in battery can provide and there is going to be times when a wall outlet to recharge the battery is simply going to be out of the question. For times like this an external battery pack is a godsend. Mophie knows this and has made quiet the reputation on providing exactly this: LONGER battery life through external battery packs. While Mophie has mainly concentrated in on device specific batteries, not everyone wants to buy a battery for each and everyone of their electronics.

Mophie knows this, and has wisely released their latest creation – the Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation, which is meant to be a universal battery station for all your recharging needs. With its built in 3600 mAh battery, you should be able to be get numerous charges out of it before it has to be recharged. With its built in LED status indicator you will KNOW when it has to be recharged. Add in an output of up to 2 amps and the ability to charge darn anything which can be plugged into a USB port and the end result does look like the ultimate universal charging station. The only potential negative to this svelte power house is sticker shock. With a MSRP of $99.95 it is not what you can call an “Impulse buy”! If you can justify it is available for purchase directly from Mophie’s website.
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In the Personal Media Player arena, one company certainly has quite the enviable reputation: Apple. Whether or not you drink the Apple flavored (and branded and trademarked) Kool-aid or not, they do have a tendency to produce highly polished user EXPERIENCES; and wrap them in some of the prettiest packages going. Is the all new Apple iPod touch 4 a continuation on the venerable iPod name or is it nothing but hype? Let’s find out! Read on for my full review.
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Microsoft has unveiled a mostly upgraded version of its Cinema, the full HD-capable LifeCam Studio. They’ve replaced the single megapixel sensor with a 2 megapixel for a max video output of up to 1080p. You’ll need a robust PC to make use of this level of video. While the webcam does support 1080p, you will need at least quad-core CPU running at 3Ghz or faster with 4GB RAM to handle the load.

Video conferencing software such as Skype 4 and the upcoming Windows Live Messenger 2011 will only support up to 720p at their highest. Having said that, this additionally assumes that you have the bandwidth available to you to support 1080p upload. MS recommends a dual core 3Ghz or better processor just to handle 720p recording. The truly glaring omission from this high bandwidth peripheral is that it’s limited to USB 2.0. Not making this webcam USB 3.0 is mind-boggling. One can only assume that they afraid of getting mistakenly overlooked due to misconceptions of USB 3.0 devices not being compatible with USB 2.0 computers. So please continue to tell your friends so we can get out from under the USB 2.0 yoke and start getting better toys.
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From CubicleBot… These new skins for your Notebook, iPhone and Blackberry will give your device the appearance of a stack of old VHS tapes rocking a collection of classic movies, like “Godfather II”, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and the 1966 “Batman” movie, which features what is probably the stupidest scene in film [...]

Ah, thank you Logitech, one of the few remaining benevolent manufacturers of trackballs. Today they bless us yet again with a new Wireless Trackball M570. There are still quite a few of us that have found wrist relief with this life saving input device. Similar to the endangered ergonomic keyboard, trackballs are religiously maintained by their owners as they are so are hard to come by these days. Logitech continues to put out a decent new model of both for those of us who have become addicted to the additional comfort they provide.

The M570 builds upon the previous model with subtle changes to form factor and migration to the Unifying wireless adapter. Logitech’s Unity is a one-adapter-serves-all nano wireless adapter. All of Logitech’s recent keyboards and mice can be share a single Unifying adapter. This makes the tiny adapter even smaller from a mathematical perspective. The M570 Trackballs also get the boost in battery life common to all of Logitech’s current stock of rodentia. They claim 18 months on a single AA, which we have confirmed with several personal observations of the aforementioned critters in their natural habitat. Catch and domesticate your own at the end of this month for only $59. Your wrists will thank you as you both work together to get your corporate food pellets.
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