Gear Diary » USB Devices http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 ioSafe Shocks Us Again at CES 2012http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/iosafe-shocks-us-again-at-ces-2012/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/iosafe-shocks-us-again-at-ces-2012/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:00:51 +0000 Thomas R. Hall http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181374   ioSafe is known for keeping your data SAFE. How safe? Well, first we took the initiative to burn and water-soak a drive, and the data was still recoverable. Then, starting with CES 2010, ioSafe decided to show everyone that their drives are capable of withstanding burning, soaking, dropping, and crushing. In 2011, we upped the ante again and took shots (yes, using a gun) at an ioSafe drive, and the data saved on the ioSafe drive came out unscathed. Well, we wondered what they would do next and, at CES 2012,  we found out. Honestly, what we saw shocked us ... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/iosafe-shocks-us-again-at-ces-2012/feed/ 0 Mimoco Announces Einstein x and Legends of MIMOBOT USB Thumbdrive Collectionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/mimoco-announces-einstein-x-and-legends-of-mimobot-usb-thumbdrive-collection/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/mimoco-announces-einstein-x-and-legends-of-mimobot-usb-thumbdrive-collection/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:03 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180898 My thumb drives are functional and dull, to tell you the truth.  I use Corsairs, the ones that are hardened against the X-Ray scanners they use at the airport.  I had a cheap flash drive and, sure enough, it got zeroed out on one my b'zillion airport trips, so I went to a Corsair.  But it's not exactly cute or attractive; it looks like one of those cylinders you put waterproof matches in when you go camping. But not everyone is under quite as much necessity to go with function over form.  And even I, were I less paranoid about data loss, would consider a drive that looked like Unagi Nigiri sushi, or a figure from Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/mimoco-announces-einstein-x-and-legends-of-mimobot-usb-thumbdrive-collection/feed/ 0 Hands on with a Mimoco Han Solo 4GB Mimobot Thumb Drive; Carbonite Includedhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/17/hands-on-with-a-mimoco-han-solo-4gb-mimobot-thumb-drive-carbonite-included/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/17/hands-on-with-a-mimoco-han-solo-4gb-mimobot-thumb-drive-carbonite-included/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:00:07 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179314

Image Courtesy of Mimoco (yes, this wallpaper is included)

Everyone has a few flash drives lying around these days but unless you have a Han Solo mimobot with a Carbonite case key chain then you have no shot at defeating the Dark Side. One of my favorite stops at CES was the mimobot booth and certainly for good reason. If you are a fan of Star Wars or any comic book heroes then mimobot probably has something for you. Thomas an I had a nice conversation with Evan who was working the booth that day and he hooked us up with a review unit of the Han Solo 4GB flash drive. There were plenty Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/17/hands-on-with-a-mimoco-han-solo-4gb-mimobot-thumb-drive-carbonite-included/feed/ 4 First Look at the myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/first-look-at-the-mycharge-portable-power-bank-6000/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/first-look-at-the-mycharge-portable-power-bank-6000/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:59:22 +0000 Thomas R. Hall http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178954

Things are winding down at CES 2012, which was nice for Francis and me, as we were able to walk around more freely due to less traffic and spend more quality time with some vendors. Luckily for us, we were able to stop by and visit our friends from myCharge and PowerBag. We have reviewed the PowerBag Messenger and PowerBag Backpack in the past, and Dan mentioned how useful a PowerBag can be. They also have a great brand called myCharge, which is a set of portable batteries for recharging mobile devices, including iOS and Android devices.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The team at myCharge was nice enough to provide Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/first-look-at-the-mycharge-portable-power-bank-6000/feed/ 0 Victorinox Puts 1 TB of Swiss Storage in Your Pockethttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/victorinox-puts-1-tb-of-swiss-storage-in-your-pocket/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/victorinox-puts-1-tb-of-swiss-storage-in-your-pocket/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:45:53 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178961

This past week I did not see too much earth shattering news regarding USB flash drives at CES. I had a chance to swing by the Victorinox booth to check out their 2012 product offerings. The only real highlight on their storage front was their Swiss Army-inspired USB stick. This was the first USB 3.0 flash device that I've seen built into a small thumb stick form factor, and who better to build it than Victorinox. They had a few prototypes on display with a "later this year" promised release date and price. The build quality,  high capacity, and speed put this drive right on my 2012 "want list". In usual Victorinox
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/victorinox-puts-1-tb-of-swiss-storage-in-your-pocket/feed/ 0 Mimoco Announces Mimomicro USB Readershttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/mimoco-announces-mimomicro-usb-readers/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/mimoco-announces-mimomicro-usb-readers/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:30:15 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178665 Try saying Mimoco announces Mimomicro five times fast, and when you're done admire how cute these are! Sure, you can use a boring USB card reader, but how much better is it to transfer data from your microSD through Darth Vader, Wonder Woman or Batman? From Mimoco:
(Las Vegas, January 10, 2012) — Mimoco (www.mimoco.com), renowned makers of the MIMOBOT® line of character-based designer USB flash drives, has unveiled a new product line of fashionable personal data storage devices called MIMOMICRO™. The MIMOMICRO™ product line can best be described as a smaller, more versatile evolution of the MIMOBOT® collection. Not only can MIMOMICRO™ be used as a USB flash drive with interchangeable microSD memory
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/mimoco-announces-mimomicro-usb-readers/feed/ 0 Lexar Introduces USB 3.0 Flash Driveshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/lexar-introduces-usb-3-0-flash-drives/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/lexar-introduces-usb-3-0-flash-drives/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:00:59 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178360

First up is the new JumpDrive Triton model which boasts itself as one of the fastest USB 3.o flash drives available.
The new JumpDrive Triton is more than 20 times faster than standard USB 2.0 flash drives based on benchmark tests, offering 155MB per second read and 150MB per second write speeds for exceptionally fast and reliable downloading and transferring of content. Available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, JumpDrive Triton is the premier, high-performance offering in the Lexar line of USB 3.0 flash drives.
The JumpDrive Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/lexar-introduces-usb-3-0-flash-drives/feed/ 0 JLab b-Flex X-Bass USB Laptop Speaker Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/24/jlab-b-flex-x-bass-usb-laptop-speaker-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/24/jlab-b-flex-x-bass-usb-laptop-speaker-review/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:00:59 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175809

I practically live on my MacBook Pro. All of my Gear Diary posts are done using it, most all of my internet browsing and I even use it full time at work instead of my supplied Windows machine. Some would say I love this computer since it is with me everywhere I go. There is one problem with the MacBook Pro. The speaker is terrible! It is too small and provides thin, weak audio quality. The machine is so beautiful, it is a shame that the audio quality is so poor. I have tried several options to improve the audio, all of which are not exactly mobile. As luck would have it, the folks

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/24/jlab-b-flex-x-bass-usb-laptop-speaker-review/feed/ 0 USBFever’s Releases o’ the Week Include a Retro Mac iPad 2 Coverhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/usbfevers-releases-o-the-week-include-a-retro-mac-ipad-2-cover/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/usbfevers-releases-o-the-week-include-a-retro-mac-ipad-2-cover/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:27:16 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173950 You know, it's stuff like this that makes me feel old. I was in college--college!--when the Mac was released.  As a nerd, I've kept up with the multiple waves of new tech.  Heck, I post articles for a tech web site, and work on cloud computing for my "day job"!--but something deep inside will always consider the first real personal computer "modern".  I'll be 70 and still feel that way, I bet.  So to put it on a cover for an iPad 2 and call it "retro", well . . . old.  Old.  OLD! But you don't have to feel that way; you can just buy it and appreciate the irony.  Because you're young, and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/usbfevers-releases-o-the-week-include-a-retro-mac-ipad-2-cover/feed/ 1 Kingston DataTraveler 109 with urDrive Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/01/kingston-datatraveler-109-with-urdrive-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/01/kingston-datatraveler-109-with-urdrive-review/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:00:04 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168912

When it comes to USB drives I tend to be fairly utilitarian - I want something fast, portable, durable, and reliable. The top brand drives all offer that stuff, so what makes you choose one $20 8GB drive over another? Kingston is hoping that their urDrive software embedded in the DataTraveler 109 will offer users a differentiating factor that will be a deciding factor for a purchase. Let's take a quick look! The Hype: Kingston's DataTraveler® 109 is a fashionable USB Flash drive available in seven colors that make it fun to connect and share photos, music, videos and more with friends and family. Its small, capless design easily attaches to a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/01/kingston-datatraveler-109-with-urdrive-review/feed/ 2 Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/digital-innovations-allterrain-wired-3-button-mouse-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/digital-innovations-allterrain-wired-3-button-mouse-review/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:29 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=170809

Mice seem to be ubiquitous.  Everyone has one.  Not many people even consider buying one that didn't come with their computer while some are fanatical about the mice they use.  I tend to be one of the former.  As long as it has a scroll wheel I am usually happy, but now I have a new favorite wired mouse in the Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse. What makes this mouse All Terrain?  Well anyone who has used an optical mouse and tried to use it on a glass surfaces knows that they usually will not work on glass table top or glass blotter like you find in a hotel room.   The Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/digital-innovations-allterrain-wired-3-button-mouse-review/feed/ 0 Tired of Plastic? Brinell Gives You Drives with Wood, Leather and Carbon!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/03/tired-of-plastic-brinell-gives-you-drives-with-wood-leather-and-carbon/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/03/tired-of-plastic-brinell-gives-you-drives-with-wood-leather-and-carbon/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:45:50 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167123 I'm old enough to remember the days when, unless you got a Mac (and even the early Macs!), you could get any color you liked, so long as it was beige plastic.  Nowadays we're seeing more colors and materials, but believe me, for a while there it was lots and lots of beige plastic, and man was it dull. Brinell feels that they don't want that dullness to extend to peripherals, either, so they've taken some time and expended some effort to makes stuff that looks--let's face it--pretty!  Now, I don't have a generic thumb drive myself:  I use a rather pricy one by Corsair called The Survivor, which has a case that looks like Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/03/tired-of-plastic-brinell-gives-you-drives-with-wood-leather-and-carbon/feed/ 0 USBFever Releases o’ the Week Include Multiple iPhone 4/4S Lens Combohttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/01/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-include-multiple-iphone-44s-lens-combo/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/01/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-include-multiple-iphone-44s-lens-combo/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:00:46 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=166728 Sometimes, the sheer variety of things that USBFever puts out kind of amazes me.  I mean, I expect them to do cases and chargers and mounts and stuff like that, but camera lenses?  Optical mice?  Keychain speakers?  Really, these guys just don't sit still.  I have this mental image of a bunch of nerds all meeting twice a week, and the Head Nerd says, "Okay; what 5 new products are we going to develop this week?  Charlie?  Jane?  Sudheer?"  This week, yeah, it's a set of lenses for your iPhone, but next week, who knows?  But keep your eyes peeled to this space, pilgrims, and you'll find out. This week's list of USBFever releases:
    Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>     http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/01/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-include-multiple-iphone-44s-lens-combo/feed/ 0     USBFever Launches o’ the Week Include the “iWrench”http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/18/usbfever-launches-o-the-week-include-the-iwrench/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/18/usbfever-launches-o-the-week-include-the-iwrench/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:00:48 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=164985 One of the things that's always kinda interested me is the difference between the Queen's English, and American English.  For example, we here in the U.S. call potato chips "chips", while in the U.K. they call them "crisps" (both equally valid, in my opinion).  U.S.:  Cookies; U.K.:  Biscuits.  Etc. So it makes me wonder; if USBFever is offering their latest product, pictured above, in the U.K., are they calling it the iSpanner, instead of the iWrench?  The fact that I even ask myself these questions is a good indicator that I am a nerd's nerd.  In any event, it's one of this week's new USBFever launches. This week's list o' USBFever releases is:
      Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>       http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/18/usbfever-launches-o-the-week-include-the-iwrench/feed/ 0       USBFever’s Launches o’ the Week Include TUNEPENCIL DrawPro Stylus Pen for iPhone/iPad/Smart Phoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/10/usbfevers-launches-o-the-week-include-tunepencil-drawpro-stylus-pen-for-iphoneipadsmart-phones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/10/usbfevers-launches-o-the-week-include-tunepencil-drawpro-stylus-pen-for-iphoneipadsmart-phones/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:00:57 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=164072 I'm not much of an artist--which is a polite way of saying that my drawing abilities totally stink--but even I think that stylus that you can see above is pretty durn cool.  And of course given that it's from USBFever, it's hardly the only thing that they've released this week, because that's just the kind of bunch they are.  So without further ado, the full list of USBFever launches for this week includes: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/10/usbfevers-launches-o-the-week-include-tunepencil-drawpro-stylus-pen-for-iphoneipadsmart-phones/feed/ 0 USBFever Releases o’ the Week: Smiley Hamburger Bun iPhone 4 Case and More!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/26/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-smiley-hamburger-bun-iphone-4-case-and-more/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/26/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-smiley-hamburger-bun-iphone-4-case-and-more/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:45:35 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=162193 Okay, yes, I agree:  an iPhone 4 case that looks like a smiley hamburger bun looks kinda ridiculous.  Yes.  Can't argue.  But you know what?  I respect a company that's at least trying to be interesting and fun.  USBFever cranks out a simply unbelievable amount of new releases every year--heck, every week!--and I give them props for going the extra mile, as it were.  Do you need some of their products?  Well, take a look at the list, and then surf accordingly. The full list of USBFever releases for this week is: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/26/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-smiley-hamburger-bun-iphone-4-case-and-more/feed/ 0 USBFever’s Releases o’ the Week: iPhone 4 Magnetic Wide Angle Lens Among Other Thingshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/15/usbfevers-releases-o-the-week-iphone-4-magnetic-wide-angle-lens-among-other-things/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/15/usbfevers-releases-o-the-week-iphone-4-magnetic-wide-angle-lens-among-other-things/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:45:19 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=157164 In spite of the fact that I probably won't get one meself, I love the concept of attaching a zoom lens to my iPhone camera lens.  It gives it kind of a steampunk flavor, it seems to me, and for me that's a durn good thing.  And this week, that's one of USBFever's new items, a "super magnetically attaching wide angle lens".  And of course, they've got a whole plethora of other new stuff; take a look. This week's full list of USBFever releases: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/15/usbfevers-releases-o-the-week-iphone-4-magnetic-wide-angle-lens-among-other-things/feed/ 0 USBFever Release o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/09/usbfever-release-o-the-week-4/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/09/usbfever-release-o-the-week-4/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:15:18 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156378 It's a challenge, you know.  Every week, USBFever puts out something like a dozen new products, and it's a challenge for me as a professional writer (I do actual tech writing for a tech company, believe it or not!) to introduce these weekly lists imaginatively.  But you know, they're so . . . relentless!  Every week!  New stuff!  It just keeps coming!  They just won't stop!  They're like, I dunno, RoboSanta from Futurama, except not evil.  THEY JUST DON'T STOP! Ahem!  Sorry about that; didn't get enough sleep last night.  And I had a weird recursive dream in which I dreamed about Uma Thurman, and then met her in another dream in "real life", and tried to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/09/usbfever-release-o-the-week-4/feed/ 0 USBFever Releases o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/27/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-9/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/27/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-9/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:51 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=154880 Oh, those busy little beavers over at USBFever!  Looking for a new case for your iPad?  Or how about your Macbook Air?  Or perhaps a bike mount for you new HTC gadget?  Yup, they got all that, and that's only on this week's list.  If you're looking for accessories, they've probably got something close to what you're looking for, at least.  So if you have a need that way, surf on over and see if they can help you fill it.  Judie didn't name this site "Gear Diary" for nothin', after all! Full list of USBFever releases for this week: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/27/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-9/feed/ 0 USBFever Releases o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-8/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-8/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:00:57 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=153170 So just the other day I was driving with my fam' (including the dawgs) out to the 'rents-in-law in Louisiana.  I killed our battery a while ago and had to install a new one, which means our GPS system in the van doesn't work.  No problem: I use the trusty iPhone.  Unfortunately, I can't mount the durn thing on the windshield without some kind of aid.  The kind of thing that USBFever puts out regular-like, not just for the iPhone, but for a whole host of devices, just like you see in this here post.  Among other stuff. And the full list of USBFever's releases for this week is: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-8/feed/ 0 Office Gear Review: Sennheiser OfficeRunner Headsethttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/office-gear-review-sennheiser-officerunner-headset/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/office-gear-review-sennheiser-officerunner-headset/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:00:45 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=152858 I spend a lot of time on the phone and have long thought about getting a good headset to use. I was close to buying the OfficeRunner some time back but did not. Why? In part because I read a fairly scathing review of it.The "review" that turned me off to a great extent and prompted me to not purchase the headset talked about the fact that this headset doesn't work with cordless phones and that the volume that was so low that the person on the other end couldn't hear the conversation. Both criticisms were, as I discovered, unfair. (I won't link to it here because it was such a poorly researched and unfair critique.) Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/office-gear-review-sennheiser-officerunner-headset/feed/ 0 USBFever Releases o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/05/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-7/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/05/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-7/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:45:09 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=152167 Austin advertises itself as (aside from being weird) the "Live Music Capital of the World."  Which is probably true, honestly; almost every restaurant and bar in the city has at least a tiny stage and a place for an audience.  Seriously, you can drive down any street with a bar or restaurant or, for all I know, an ice-cream shop, in the evenings and hear music coming out. But another thing that Austin--the home stomping grounds of Lance Armstrong--has is bicyclists.  An ungodly number of bicyclists, frankly, zipped up into their spandex, shaving their legs, making left turns into the right lane because they didn't bloody pay attention, blasting through stop signs, riding three abreast down Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/05/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-7/feed/ 0 Review: Blue Microphone Yeti Prohttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/28/review-blue-microphone-yeti-pro/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/28/review-blue-microphone-yeti-pro/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:25:06 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=150397

      Blue Microphone has consistently impressed me with their line up of microphones.  From consumer USB microphones to professional units that plug into existing sound systems, the company puts out quality devices.  This time, Blue Microphone took my favorite USB offering, the Yeti, and added a professional twist thanks to an option that now lets you plug it into professional audio equipment.

      Yeti Pro on Left, Yeti on Right

        As you can see, the new Yeti Pro looks almost the same as the original with two exceptions.  The first is a very obvious color and texture change that yields a textured black Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>       http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/28/review-blue-microphone-yeti-pro/feed/ 3       Actually, Your iPad *Does* Charge on that USB Port!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/25/actually-your-ipad-does-charge-on-that-usb-port/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/25/actually-your-ipad-does-charge-on-that-usb-port/#comments Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:15:04 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=150935 I hardly think that I was the only person in the world to be disappointed to find out that, unlike the iPhone, the iPad would not charge when plugged in to the USB port on my PC.  I didn't believe it, honestly, and like probably a bunch of people, I tried it anyway, only to see the "Not Charging" indicator up next to the battery icon in the upper-right corner of my iPad  A funny thing happened the other day, though . . . I bring my iPad to work with me regularly.  My work station, in fact, is a plethora of screens of Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/25/actually-your-ipad-does-charge-on-that-usb-port/feed/ 16 USBFever Release o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/22/usbfever-release-o-the-week-3/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/22/usbfever-release-o-the-week-3/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:00:12 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=150431 When I was a wee laddie, back in the 70s, a friend of mine had one of those spy cameras.  Not one of the cheap ones that you get by answering an ad in the back of the latest issue of "Legion of Super Heroes" (by a much, much younger Mike Grell), but a real one that used 110 film and was made out of metal, and slid into a tiny little package that you could slip into your sleeve. How cool is that? Well, this isn't quite that cool, but among USBFever's releases this week they have a device that Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/22/usbfever-release-o-the-week-3/feed/ 0 Verbatim’s Itty-Bitty Store ‘n’ Go Car Audio USB Drivehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/09/verbatims-itty-bitty-store-%e2%80%98n%e2%80%99-go-car-audio-usb-drive/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/09/verbatims-itty-bitty-store-%e2%80%98n%e2%80%99-go-car-audio-usb-drive/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:30:52 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=148610

        Kev gave me his "old" white iPod to use in my car, because its stereo has an integrated auxiliary jack. Every time I pull up at my destination, I have a routine of unplugging and storing the iPod so that would-be thieves won't see it as a reason to smash & grab. If my car had an integrated USB port in its stereo, then I would totally pick up a Verbatim Store 'n' Go Car Audio USB Drive. This little drive is so tiny that it should be virtually unnoticeable when someone is peeking in my lightly tinted windows. And yes, you could load just about any other thumb-drive Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>       http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/09/verbatims-itty-bitty-store-%e2%80%98n%e2%80%99-go-car-audio-usb-drive/feed/ 0       USBFever Release o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/08/usbfever-release-o-the-week-2/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/08/usbfever-release-o-the-week-2/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:00:46 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=148248

      Maybe it seems silly, but one of my favorite bits of low-tech gear that enables high tech life ease is the windshield mount I have for my iPhone.  I use Bluetooth headphones for my iPhone, both because I get so ^%()*&#@!! sick of wires, and because in California they have very strict hands-free phone driving laws.  So the question becomes, where the heck do you put your iPhone?  The dash?  The cup holder?  The passenger seat?  The map slot?  Breast pocket?  Honestly, there is no good solution without the old windshield mount.  Plus it gives me easy access for things like mapping. Well, just because you have a Samsung Tab is no reason why Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>       http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/08/usbfever-release-o-the-week-2/feed/ 0       StarTech Announces a Duo of Highly Connected 4-Bay Hard Drive Docking Stationshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/31/startech-announces-a-duo-of-highly-connected-4-bay-hard-drive-docking-stations/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/31/startech-announces-a-duo-of-highly-connected-4-bay-hard-drive-docking-stations/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 14:45:58 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=147112

      Image courtesy of StarTech

      As a Systems Administrator, I'm always looking for new tools to help me get my job done faster and more efficiently. I spend a lot of time at work creating operating system builds and imaging in preparation for mass deployment. During the process I have to build an image, distribute it to a few machines, start and then test for any issues. I have some great hardware and software to help me with that, but the latest offering from StarTech could make my life all that much easier. The new SATDOCK4U2E Hard Drive Docking station from StarTech is an industry first -- a 4 bay hard drive dock that allows for both SATA and IDE drives Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>       http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/31/startech-announces-a-duo-of-highly-connected-4-bay-hard-drive-docking-stations/feed/ 0       USBfever Releases o’ the Weekhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/16/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-5/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/16/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-5/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 21:45:35 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=144662 Now, if you read this feature regularly, you can be forgiven for thinking that USBfever only puts out stuff for Apple products.  But they don't, my good friends!  No indeedy; while yes, I post a lot of iPad and iPhone and iPod gear items from them, it's not all Apple, I promise you. This week is a good example.  Yup, there are a couple of Apple items, but you also have your Galaxy Tab items, as well as something--no, I'm not kidding--that checks your scalp.  I don't know why they call it the "scaloupe checker"; I suspect it's a portmanteau of "scalp" and "loupe" (like a jewelry loupe, you know?).  But there it is. And Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/16/usbfever-releases-o-the-week-5/feed/ 0 Review: Belkin Conserve Valethttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/05/review-belkin-conserve-valet/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/05/review-belkin-conserve-valet/#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 20:00:22 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=142639

      As time goes on I seem to gain more and more devices that charge off of a USB port.  My phone, my iPod, Bluetooth Headphones, Kindle and even the Zi8 that  I recently reviewed all charge off of a USB port.  So it just makes sense to start to see devices like the Super Travel A/C USB Wall Charger I reviewed a while back.  That's fine for travel and works well.  However, it sure would be nice to actually have a place to manage the cables as well as to hold the devices as they charge.  That's why I was glad when Belkin offered to send me a Conserve Valet that charges my devices and looks Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]>       http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/05/review-belkin-conserve-valet/feed/ 0