Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

I’ve got portable chargers for my cell phone, portable chargers for my iPod, portable chargers for my little video recorder, portable chargers for my AA batteries… The only thing I don’t have a portable charger for (besides my laptop) is my DSLR, because it takes those annoyingly square 7.4 volt battery packs that require their own special charger. Energizer is about to solve this problem with a little clip that has teeth to attach to the contacts of battery packs of any size. The other end can be plugged into a USB port, and if I may say, props to Energizer for not making it some kind of proprietary plug.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure that you can’t charge a 7.4 volt DSLR battery out of a 5 volt USB port, which means that you’ll have to instead use one of Energizer’s new line of XPAL universal power packs (out next month) that come with 8.4 volt outputs. Nothing wrong with that, though… The battery packs looks pretty useful, and some of them even come with solar chargers. We should be seeing a review unit sometime in the near future, and we’ll keep you updated.

[ Energizer XPAL Power ] VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Well this one’s pretty self-explanatory. Elecom’s horribly named ‘U2H-TC410B’ USB hub is designed to mount to the side of your desk or a nearby wall, thanks to its magnetic backing or a set of included hooks, so that you always have easy access to a set of 4 USB ports. And the ports are generously spread out to accommodate thicker USB cables or larger flash drives. $39.99 from AudioCubes in your choice of black or white.

[ Elecom U2H-TC410B Wall Socket USB Hub ]

By Evan Ackerman

Now that wireless routers are cheap and ubiquitous, there’s one way that a router can separate itself from the rest of the pack: features. The D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router takes this concept to the Xtreme (okay, sorry, no more of that) by including a 3.2″ LCD, room for a hard drive, and a whole bunch more. We’ve got a full review for you, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Chris Scott Barr

I honestly can’t remember the number of different cell phone chargers I’ve had over the years. I would imagine that it’s only slightly less than the number of phones I have owned. This is because almost every phone manufacturer has decided to develop their own proprietary connectors. While we’ve started seeing the microUSB port used for charging more lately, several manufacturers have agreed to use the microUSB port as the standard connector for all future phones in the UK.

The companies involved include Apple, Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola and RIM, each of which has promised to offer the new standard connector on their phones starting next year. The agreement only includes data-enabled phones, which means that some basic handsets may still be allowed to use a proprietary connector. The biggest question this is going to raise is how this will affect future iPhones. Apple has continued to use the same universal connector as the iPod. Will they continue to support the universal connector while adding a microUSB port, or will they remove it altogether, thus making most iPod docks useless?

Note: We have heard this before, however, now there are more companies on-board. They’re also making this happen two years earlier than previously announced.

[ Reuters ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Evan Ackerman

As much as I love my netbook, the tiny size and convenience does come with drawbacks, not the least of which is the lack of screen real estate. Taking out my netbook after working on a pair of 30″ HD monitors at the office can be a shock, to say the least. The Mimo mini USB monitor provides an extra 800 x 480 pixels, which is a significant addition to the screen of any netbook, and it runs purely off of USB: no batteries or power cords and there’s a video card inside. It has reasonably decent brightness and contrast and can be used in either horizontal or vertical orientation. At 1.3 pounds, it’s light enough to carry around with your netbook, but the $130 pricetag is a bit steep… Especially considering that you can get a second netbook for about twice that much, or a full size external monitor for less. Oh well, that’s the price you pay for convenience and portability, I suppose.

It’s rather remarkable just how much the Mimo USB monitor looks like the D-Link SideStage USB monitor, which is supposed to come out at the end of the year for about the same price. It’s got pretty much the same specs, down to the weight. Not sure what’s up with that, but the most relevant point I guess is that the Mimo is available now. Or, at least sooner than the end of the year, at ThinkGeek.

[ ThinkGeek ]

By Shane McGlaun

I used to try to carry a flash drive with me when I had a real job and actually left the house on occasion. More often than not, I left it at home because I forgot to pick it up and put it in my pocket. I tried a small flash drive that could fit in my wallet once, but it was too thick and made sitting uncomfortable.

A company called TopTech Products has announced a new flash drive that is shaped like a credit card and appears thin enough to not be a pain in the rear when sitting. The drive measures 3.4-inches x 2.1-inches x 0.11-inches.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

When it comes to charging gadgets, the most important criteria has to be versatility. Maybe you’ll find yourself near an outlet. Maybe you’ll find yourself with some AA batteries. Maybe you’ll find yourself drunk. Or maybe you’ll find yourself out in the sun, in which case a solar panel would be just what you need.

This solar panel comes in the form of a 4 port USB hub. Yes, USB ports generally provide their own power, so most of the time, this thing will be under a pile of stuff on your desk and plugged in and the solar panel will be useless. But there’s also a 700 mAh battery in there which charges up from your computer, sun or no sun, and you can then disconnect the hub and carry it around to charge anything with a USB interface. When the battery runs out, you can leave the hub in the sun to recharge it.

The idea of fusing a solar panel with a battery is certainly not a new one, but it’s a great combination… Solar charging is slow and restricted to midday, but adding a battery means you can store up the power and use it anytime. And why the heck not make it into a USB hub? For only $22, there’s pretty much no reason not to get one of these if you’re in need of a couple extra USB ports and a portable charger for your gadgets.

[ USB Fever ] VIA [ Techchee ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve discovered that having a mini fridge in my office is about as essential as having a chair. Sure, the kitchen isn’t terribly far away, but when I do get up and wander off to another room, it usually breaks my concentration. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but if I’m really trying to churn out a lot of work, I prefer to stop as little as possible. Oh, and I’m lazy.

I’ve been tempted in the past to add a microwave to the office, since it would require me to leave my desk even less. Well it looks like Heinz may have the perfect solution, the Beanzawave. It’s a USB-powered microwave that was designed to work with their own single-serving cans of Chef Boyardee foods.

There aren’t a lot of details listed, like the all-important wattage of the device. Since it’s USB-powered, I’m going to guess that it’s probably not very high, which would mean long cook times. Not to mention that Heinz is only testing the waters with this right now, if there is enough interest they might put them into production. Honestly, I’d probably just go with a full-size microwave. This thing looks like it’d be a bit small to reheat leftover pizza and such.

[ DailyMail ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Evan Ackerman

Unlike the ambiguously betentacled USB sea creatures we’ve seen before, this is most definitely a USB squid, and not a cuttlefish. Nifer Fahrion makes each DataSquid by hand out of wool, and endows them with USB data storage which is accessible by removing the two long tentacles. 8 gigs worth of squid is $95.

[ NifNaks ]