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Native Union made a USB hub that blends into your home
If you're reading this, chances are you're a gadget freak and may need to recharge multiple devices on a daily basis. That's when you're greeted by a pile of messy cables plugged into a dull-looking and maybe under-powered USB hub. Cable boxes may hide the ugliness, but they're bulky and don't actually solve the issue. Not one to admit defeat, Native Union -- the mad folks behind the marble iPhone case -- came up with the ultimate solution: a stylish, cylindrical USB hub dubbed Eclipse. On the outside, it looks like a piece of home decor thanks to its wooden top, but it's really the inside that got our attention: as you touch the top gently, the main body slowly rises up to let you uncoil the cables tucked inside, while the base emits a subtle halo for night-time usage. It's rather mesmerizing to watch.
Quick Charge 2.0 is coming to USB charging stations
Isn't it annoying when some smartphones boast Quick Charge 2.0 but only come with a regular USB charger? Given the option, we'd rather spend the money on something more practical, like a multi-port USB charging station that supports Quick Charge. And yes, we managed to stumble upon one at Computex, courtesy of Hong Kong's Magic-Pro. The Power Station Super 4 comes with -- you guessed it -- four USB ports, two of which can automatically switch to either 9V or 12V for faster charging on compatible devices, while the third port offers the common 5V/2.4A output, and the last one does 5V/3A as the company anticipates a new wave of tablets that can take the higher current. Better yet, the hub comes with a car charger and a Quick Charge 2.0-friendly micro-USB data cable, so not bad at all for a $65 package. Expect this to hit the markets at around the end of this month.
Targus Ultralife accessories for Ultrabooks turn their noses up at lesser, non-ultrafied PC peripherals
If sales figures from earlier in the year are any indication, it would seem that Ultrabooks are gaining traction, so you can't really blame accessory makers for wanting to piggyback on their success. Targus just introduced a bunch of slim, lightweight peripherals, and while you don't have to use them with your skinny little ultraportable, the company's marketing team really hopes you do. All told, the Ultralife line includes almost a dozen items, all of which have the same anodized bronze aluminum design and peekhole accent (looks like you're out of luck if your laptop skews more gray). Included in the group are a 65W adapter ($70) and a $40 hub with three USB sockets and an Ethernet jack, the idea being that most Ultrabooks don't have a wired internet connection built in. Also on tap: a polishing cloth ($10), a stylus with a magnetic holder ($20) and a slew of cases and sleeves, ranging in price from $40 to $80 (the MSRP varies depending on the material, and whether you buy it in a 13.3- or 14-inch size). Finally, the company announced a trio of wireless mice, including a plain-Jane model ($50), one with a microSD reader ($60) and one that doubles as as presenter ($90). All of these are available now, if the heavy, pedestrian mouse and USB hub you currently own just won't do.
PowerPad 16 USB station charges your iPad and 15 others
So you've found the perfect solution for staying juiced up during your month-long African safari, but how are you possibly going to keep all 16 iPads powered until just before it's time to go? Why the Datamation Systems PowerPad 16 ES-IP-PP16 USB Charging Hub, of course! Sure, there's no practical household application for the PP16, even in the most gadget-obsessed of families, but it'd be more than welcome in an enterprise environment or even an airport (especially an airport). The PowerPad's maker claims that it was "designed for charging Apple devices," though there's no reason you wouldn't be able to put 16 2.1-amp USB ports to use with other battery-powered devices. And we do need to address the elephant in the room -- that rather beastly fan-sporting housing -- but as Datamation points out, the thing can always live under a counter and out of view. Hit up the source link for a closer look.
iConnectivity outs iConnectMUSE digital audio mixer for iOSers (video)
Some hot music tech for iDevices already dropped at CES, but the product announcement concerto plays on. The next act? The iConnectMUSE digital audio mixer from iConnectivity, featuring six stereo in / outs, headphone out, two USB ports, a "hub-able" USB host, Ethernet / network sharing and MIDI pass-thru. Maker iConnectivity claims studio-grade analog-to-digital conversion will make it a snap to record professional sounding mixes on tour, back at the hotel or even at home. Your garage band can get mixing from Q2 and iConnectivity is asking $230 for the privilege. Hit the PR and curiously silent video over the jump for more details.
mLogic mDock extends your MacBook ports, steals your Thunder(bolt)
If you're trying to make a name for yourself in the incredibly crowded portable storage space, you can innovate and create something totally awesome, or you can do this. The mDock from mLogic is an external hard drive, port extender and port blocker all rolled into one pricey coffin-like chamber of fail. $219 will net you an eternal resting place for 500 gigs of data, while $299 ups the ante to an entire terabyte. Plus, with a pair of front-facing USB ports, you can add a third-party portable storage yokel for the less-than-princely sum of 50 bucks. If you haven't already gathered, the mDock is designed for mMacbook Pros, but there's also the iMac-mountable mBack (curiously not the iBack), designed with Apple's familiar desktop flavor in mind. That variant is slightly more affordable, with pricing ranging from $169 for 1TB to $349 for 3TB, but you'll forgo the dock-like USB hub and headphone jack. There's no word on when to expect these life-changing devices in stores, but it's never too early to dust off the mChair iChair and park yourself on 5th Ave. Update: As pointed out by many in the comments most ports that are blocked by the mDock are replicated on the silver brick, including the Magsafe. The only restriction appears to be a lack of pass-through for Thunderbolt, but you do get a mini DisplayPort for hooking up external monitors. We've added one more pic after the break.
IOGEAR USB Sharing Station connects to WiFi, cuts the cord on four of your devices
You're so over corded gadgets, but you can't justify replacing every device in the house with a pricier wireless version just because being leashed to a USB printer or external hard drive is a slight inconvenience. We get it, and it looks like IOGEAR does too. The peripheral company's Wireless 4-port USB Sharing Station makes any connected gadget WiFi-enabled, letting you wander far away from those desktop devices without dropping your connection. The compact hub includes one USB 2.0 port on the front and three on the rear, along with an Ethernet port and wireless antenna, and it's compatible with a variety of USB gadgets, including printers, hard drives, memory card readers, scanners, and webcams. Oh, but why would you want to wander far from your webcam, you ask? A remote webcam can be used as an instant, inexpensive home security system, providing access from anywhere within your wireless network. Sure, $100 may seem like a lot to spend on a wireless USB hub, but considering the cost of WiFi-enabling four individual devices, it's probably the way to go.
Aviiq Portable Charging Station does kitsch-free USB juicing in small black bag
We've seen some rather inventive USB chargers in our time, but surprisingly few have managed to make charging while traveling a painless process. Aviiq's new Portable Charging Station, on the other hand, has threatened to make the outside world a more welcoming place when it comes to juicing up. Acting as a sort of USB hub in a bag, this little black travel sleeve lets you pack and power three USB devices -- even an iPad -- with one outlet. What's more, the station allows for easy syncing by way of a retractable USB port. So $80 ain't cheap, and it won't cook up pork and beans while you sing Camptown Races, but if you're willing to shell out a little extra scratch for a practical USB travel charger, you can get your hands on one at the source link below. Full PR after the break.
Ask Engadget: best USB 3.0 hub on the market?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Sam, who couldn't be more excited to hop onboard the SuperSpeed bandwagon. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I finally got a new laptop with a lone USB 3.0 port. I'm now looking at getting a USB 3.0 hub with a power adapter so I can use both of my USB 3.0 hard drives at faster speeds. I've read lots of horror stories where some hubs either don't come with power adapters -- and as a consequence the portable drives don't work with them properly -- or they are designed poorly which results in USB 2.0 speeds. Or, the hard drives keep getting disconnected. Do your readers have any suggestions or experience using USB 3.0 hubs? Thanks!" A timely question, indeed. We too have seen USB 3.0 hubs act awfully finicky -- particularly when mixing USB 3.0 and 2.0 HDDs -- so we'd love to hear what one(s) are working out for folks. Shout it out in comments below!
iHub gets shut down by the iPolice
What happens when you decide to sell a device that brazenly features an apple logo you're not allowed to use? Well, not much actually, the robocops don't come busting through your door or anything, but evidently the Cupertino lawyers are on top of their game (they've certainly had enough practice lately) and have shot out a kindly note to the M.I.C. Store guys to ask them to halt sales of the iHub. That's exactly what's happened with the $10 USB hub, and before we get in a huff about Apple acting all totalitarian again, let's remember that a trademark is only as good as the enforcement you attach to it, so this pretty much had to happen. Strangely, M.I.C. still promises to complete delivery for those who've already placed an order, and this latest development should make it feel that much more special if and when it does arrive. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
USB iHub is the perfect knockoff accessory for your Apple-centric existence
So, you waited in line for an iPad 2, snatched up an iPhone 4, and even bought one of those unofficial white conversion kits. You work all day on a MacBook Air with a Steve Jobs figurine sitting next to it on your desk -- you're exactly the person that the $9.99 iHub was created for. It's not an official Apple product but, as far as knockoffs go, this is one of the more accurate facsimiles we've ever seen. This four-port USB hub looks quite a bit like an Apple TV, has a glowing logo up top, and comes in your choice of white or black. Even the packaging is convincingly Apple thanks to the clear plastic lid that lets you peek the wares within. Glimpse the glamor shots and the video below -- we promise they're 100-percent authentic, even if the iHub is not. %Gallery-121579%
M.I.C Gadget's iHub 2 looks like Apple lawsuit bait
M.I.C Gadget, the same website that brought the world the Steve Jobs action figure that was quickly given a cease and desist notice, is back for more potential legal fun. This time, they've come up with a very cool 4-port USB 2.0 hub. It doesn't matter how many USB ports you have on your Mac -- it always seems like you can use a few more. So the M.I.C Gadget guys decided that a small black or white 4-port hub that features a glowing white Apple logo would be a popular product. They're calling it the iHub 2 (US$9.90), which of course sounds suspiciously close to any number of Apple products. Yep, they're probably right about the iHub being a potentially popular product. Heck, if I could get one before the next cease and desist notice is delivered to M.I.C Gadget, I'd probably buy one. However, Apple's lawyers have probably already downloaded the legal boilerplate for their C&D notice and are feverishly filling it out at this point. Considering that the Apple logo is one of the most recognizable trademarks in the world, and the company protects its trademarks with the same enthusiasm as a mother grizzly bear protecting her cubs, the iHub will be shut down faster than the Steve Jobs action figure was. This product supersedes the previous iHub, which apparently didn't catch Apple's attention. That was most likely before they made the Steve Jobs mini-me. M.I.C Gadget has even made a nice promo video, which you can watch on the next page. Enjoy it while it lasts. [via 9to5Mac]
Thanko's monitor hub takes all your desk clutter and hangs it from your LCD
Your desk is a mess. Didn't your mother teach you anything? I mean, really, wouldn't that pen be better off in a drawer or something instead of tossed haphazardly behind your keyboard? And how long are you going to keep those empty soda bottles there? Maybe you should organize yourself a little, and maybe Thanko can help with its LCD monitor hub. It attaches to the sides and bottom of your LCD, giving you a four-port USB replicator below to help reduce cable-clutter and a series of tilt-out drawers on either side of your display where you can stuff the pens, pencils, cables, candies, thumb drives, screwdrivers, utility knives, digital cameras, toy cars, Gorillapods, memory cards, stickers, scissors, headphones, Wiimote wrists straps, and everything else that might not otherwise have a home. Or maybe that's our desks and we're just projecting.
LaCie's Hub4 quadruples your USB 3.0 pleasure
Even in their prime, USB hubs were never the sexiest part of a tech geek's shopping trip -- people would typically grab the most functional (or crazy) looking option and move on to picking out their next set of "future-proof" RAM sticks. We're not convinced LaCie's really going to change all that with its Hub4, but it sure is trying hard by giving it a curvaceous exterior and those oh-so-desirable blue USB jacks. Yes, the USB 3.0 color coding is large and in charge here, highlighting a full quartet of ports for all that SuperSpeed gear you've been stashing. Of course, you'll still need at least one 3.0 connector on your computer to make the most of this USB peripheral (otherwise you'll have a very curvy and very standard USB 2.0 hub), but if that's already accounted for, you'll just need $59.99 and the source link to get yourself connected to the future.
Quirky Contort contorts around your excess cabling, doubles as 4-port USB hub
Quirky's community has just outed another nifty peripheral that might just come in handy when looking for a few stocking stuffers later this year. Or, you know, right now if you can't make heads or tails of your USB peripheral collection. The Contort is a plug-in 4-port USB hub, and the cord management roll enables users to keep an iPod Dock Connector cable, micro-USB cable and mini-USB cable neatly spooled for charging just about anything. It's up for pre-sale as we speak at $29.99, and we can only offer you the best of luck in resisting. %Gallery-106188%
iMONO 13-port USB hub with independent power switches kills vampires en masse
USB hubs with independently switchable ports to disable vampire power draw are nothing new, but this unit from iMONO takes things to the next delightfully absurd level, with a full complement of 13 ports -- enough for an entire army of undead novelty flash drives. Of course, you could also just unplug your devices after you're done using them to save power, but come on -- like you're gonna say no to an array of switches and blue LEDs. Next step: combining this with the 49-port hub we saw last year.
Apple iPad charging woes: USB hubs, non-Macs and weak ports not rejuvenating
Heads-up, iPad owners (or to-be owners, as it were) -- the same devices you currently use to juice up your iPod touch or iPhone may not work on your fancy new tablet. Consumer Reports, TUAW and our own Chris Ziegler have confirmed that their powered USB hubs wouldn't charge the iPad, and we're even seeing reports that some Wintel rigs won't either. The only sure bets right now are Apple computers and your nearby AC outlet, leaving iPad owners with fewer options when it comes to topping off that battery when away from your abode. We're pretty certain this all boils down to the iPad requiring more power than most powered USB ports are designed to give, but it's still something to keep in mind. So, any of you early adopters finding that your own powered USB hub or non-Mac does rejuvenate the iPad? Let us know in comments below. Update: Macworld has a nice explaination of the whole situation. Looks like tablets just require more power to charge than smartphones -- who woulda thunk it? Update 2: And now Apple has come right out with a support article -- head on over to see what it recommends.
Crapgadget: 'Just because you can doesn't mean you should' edition
To be quite frank, CES this year was so tame that we kinda thought our beloved Crapgadget series would have to go on hiatus. We needn't have worried. This latest batch of technological breakthroughs includes the regular team starters we know and love -- a mangled animal-emulating USB hub and a heart-shaped Bluetooth dongle -- but also some new recruits from way out of left field. We've got those crazy awesome finger lights above and a starfish-shaped quad-band cellphone that apparently manages to fit in a camera and space for dual SIMs, but the true winner has to be the camera-shaped spy camera. Working off the classic spy trick of double- and triple-bluffing, this pinhole camera is embedded inside what looks like a poor (really poor) man's point and shoot compact camera, which we suppose is the last place anyone would look for a spy cam. Hey, maybe there's something to this idea after all. Anyhow, get clicking then come back here and vote, won't ya? Read - Party rats finger lights Read - Heart-shaped USB Bluetooth dongle Read - Doggie 4-port USB hub Read - Starfish GSM cellphone Read - Camera-shaped spy camera %Poll-42906%
Buffalo Kokuyo reveals 4-port USB 3.0 hub, leaves you little choice but to upgrade
Oh c'mon, that 80-port USB 2.0 hub served you well, and frankly, it owes you nothing. With USB 3.0 upon us, it's only a matter of time before every last external HDD, scanner and printer you own is cruising along the SuperSpeed highway, and while that's obviously a gross exaggeration, we've always been one for proactiveness. If you're worried about having the bandwidth to handle the next generation of USB, Japan's own Buffalo Kokuyo has just the thing: a 4-port USB 3.0 hub. The BSH4A03U3 supports Windows and Mac platforms and promises to handle speeds up to 5Gbps, though the ￥8,000 ($89) asking price does feel a wee bit steep.
The Space Bar sleekly covers up your grimy keyboard, adds a few USB ports to boot
Let's face it -- there's at least an 89.4 percent chance that you'd be utterly embarrassed to let your mother, SO or inner neat-freak inspect your keyboard. Years of wear and tear have cleared the way for minuscule portions of delicacies, follicles and all manners of foreign objects to make their home just beneath the vowels you smash on a daily basis, and considering that cleaning said keyboard or buying a new one is far too difficult, the Quirky community has a better solution. The Space Bar ($42 in a 3-pack) is an aluminum keyboard cover that can slip right over 'boards that measure 18-inches wide and 1.5-inches deep; aside from covering things up, it also provides six easily accessible USB 2.0 ports. Too bad there's no germ-nixing UV light on the underside, but there's always hope for v2.0. Update: The pricing has since been updated -- it's $42 for each. %Gallery-83455%
