usb hub
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Sony says its USB hub is the world's fastest SD card reader
It's hard to spice up USB hubs when they're practically ubiquitous. Sony's solution? Make it indispensable to pro photographers. The company's newly announced MRW-W3 hub is billed as the "world's fastest" UHS-II SD (and microSD) card reader, supporting read rates up to 300MB/s. Whether or not it lives up to the boasts, it should easily transfer your camera's giant RAW photos and 4K videos. This isn't a one-trick brick, either -- it's meant to handle many of your laptop's other needs while you're on the road.
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.
Massively unboxes EVE Online's Collector's Edition
Sci-fi MMO EVE Online initially launched as a physical disc sold in stores back in 2003 and saw limited success in the fledgling MMO space. A decade of regular updates and digital distribution has seen EVE grow organically into the largest sci-fi sandbox on the planet with over half a million subscribers, but until now something has been missing: EVE has never had an actual collector's edition box. To celebrate 10 successful years of operation, last month CCP officially released the EVE Second Decade Collector's Edition box. I recently received a review copy of the Collector's Edition from CCP and have put together an unboxing video with my general impressions of the items within. The collection comes in a sturdy presentation box and contains a 192-page commemorative hardback book looking back on the first decade of EVE's history, along with an anniversary re-release edition of CCP's board game Danger Game and a physical Rifter model that doubles as a USB hub. The pack also comes with a new account key with 60 days of game time, a soundtrack CD of the EVE music played by the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, and keys to unlock billions of ISK worth of virtual collectables in-game. It's pretty expensive at around €150 or $150 US, but the virtual items can be sold in game to claw back some of the cost in the form of PLEX. Enjoy our look at the new CE!
Hands-on with the Google Chromecast
The backordered TUAW Chromecast finally arrived yesterday evening from Google. We apologize for the delay in this write-up, but we simply didn't have a unit to test with. I felt, that for the sake of celebrating our native blog culture, I had to give it a proper unboxing. The Chromecast ships in a rather nice box, with the cast unit on top and the power cord and "bits" underneath. An internal flap offered getting started directions, while a firm plastic insert held the dongle itself. While not quite Apple-level of packaging (and despite a rather odd smell that pervades the box), the packaging was clean and professional. Getting the $35 unit working involved several quick and easy steps. First, I plugged the dongle into a HDMI port. Google provides a small HDMI extension cord -- and I mean small, perhaps 3" long -- in the box. Use this if you need to keep plugging and unplugging your dongle on a regular basis, so you can travel with it. The cord provides an easier access point, especially when reaching around the back of large television sets. Next, I plugged the unit into power. You must supply that power through a micro-USB port, the standard these days for many devices especially in Europe. Google provided an in-box wall plug for this, but I tested as well with a USB hub and with a portable battery pack. In fact, the reason I ended up using these workarounds is that in the heavily tech area of my office, I experienced major interference when using the plug. Switching to battery or hub cleared up the reception immediately. Testing on our family TV, which is where I performed the initial setup and exploration, offered no similar charger issues. It was only when I brought the unit down to explore iOS development that I encountered problems. I'm using a standard USB 3 hub to power the now office-based Chromecast. You must, of course, switch your TV input to the dongle's active HDMI port to begin setup. There you're greeted by a screen prompting you to connect to google.com/chromecast/setup. I did this on my Mountain Lion Mac, downloading both a standalone Chromecast configuration app and a Chrome browser specific plugin. I had to confirm a 4-character connection code, as you might with a Bluetooth connection, provide my SSID and password details, and was quickly ready to rock and roll. I honestly am not quite sure how the unit was able to announce itself and connect without using my Wi-Fi network, which is password protected. The Wi-Fi setup was the last part of the setup and my upstairs TV was well out of what I consider normal Bluetooth range when communication first began. It's a mystery that I'd love to unravel. [Update: Commenter SaintNicster unpacks this process for us. "The Chromecast, when first initialized, creates an ad-hoc WiFi network with the device you're using for setup. The setup process breaks the current WiFi session temporarily and then connects to the Chromecast. The setup then copies the previous WiFi information and sends that to the device. Once it has this information, the ad-hoc network is disabled and it reconnects to the normal WiFi." Thanks!] In all, the entire setup process took maybe a few minutes. It was really quick and very easy to get through to the "ready to cast" screen that greets you. As an OS X user, you'll want to work in the Chrome browser, for which I installed a Cast extension. After adding this, a Cast button appears at the top-right of every browser page. This button lets you select a Chromecast unit (yes, ours is called "Maisy"; my son picked the name), choose playback options and reach a help menu. The in-browser options are pretty simple. This is where you choose a projection quality and enable or disable fullscreen zoom and browser resizing. As you cast, your active Chrome browser tab mirrors to the Chromecast unit, appearing on the connected TV. You switch tabs or end casting using the browser pop-up. I found this feature to be occasionally buggy (yes, it's a beta). I found that when Chrome is experiencing too many yellow warnings for this pop-up, you can try quitting and restarting the browser and unplugging/replugging the dongle. When working properly, the Stop casting and Cast buttons apply instantly. At times, you do want to stop casting to reduce the load on your local Wi-Fi network. The Stop casting button enables you to do this. The Cast this tab button lets you switch between tabs without closing them. To test, I loaded up a variety of media including movies, music, and PDF documents into Chrome. They all played over quickly without issue and minimal delay. That said, if you cast over text, I recommend using the Extreme 720p high bitrate option. Without it, text looks unacceptably jaggy, especially when displayed on large screens. Movies worked far better. My son happily watched Hotel Transylvania over Chromecast until bedtime. Since I casted a browser, the audio file I opened and played appeared as an embed. Similarly, when I visited Spotify, I had to watch the static web page. I'm pretty sure this isn't an ideal experience for my TV's screen health, assuming if I had kept listening over time as I did chores or used the treadmill. As I mentioned earlier, one of my first tasks involved creating a custom iOS app to play to my Chromecast. I initially assumed I could use the Elgato EyeTV as I do with my Apple TV. EyeTV enables me to place the HDTV input side-by-side on my desktop with my dev work. For whatever reason, I could not get it to work with the Chromecast. EyeTV went into an infinite "adjusting to new mode" loop, attempting to display 1080p at 60fps, and never synced to or displayed the cast data. Although I tried down-streaming to 480p and up-streaming to 720p, I just couldn't get this to work. Instead, I ended up using my second monitor in normal TV mode. Although prettier than a squeezed and delayed EyeTV, this made it impossible to take direct screenshots of the device in action. The final piece of the OS X-based Chromecast puzzle is the standalone app that enables you to manage your devices from a single place. Here, you can set up Wi-Fi, name your Chromecast, set a time zone, force a reboot, and factory reset a Chromecast (for return to Google or resale). It's also where you find one-button access to download the Google Cast browser extension. To my surprise and delight, I discovered my iPhone was already cast-ready. The latest version of the YouTube app easily found and transmitted to my Chromecast. I was able to set up a not-for-distribution sample app using Xcode and the developer API and start sending data that way as well. After finding my unit's MAC address, I quickly discovered (courtesy of OS X command line port scanning) that it communicates on port 8008. That discovery led me to the Chromecast hacks community on Google plus. With several weeks head start, these (mostly Java) developers have been pushing the Chromecast's capabilities, mostly on Android. They've reversed the Remote Application Media Protocol (RAMP) used by the device to the point where they have custom apps running: Sample Java source code for general device access is now available on github. Hopefully this will be quickly ported to standard C, enabling Mac-based casting. I'm particularly excited about potential VLC extensions. On the iOS side of things, now that I have an actual device to work with, it will be interesting to explore (time permitting!) how to push development beyond the grab-and-send-a-URL point I"m currently at. From a consumer-only point of view, for just 35 dollars, I found the Chromecast to be a really nice receiver solution for our family. I plan to use it extensively with my Mac/EyeTV setup. Instead of having to watch my recordings on the Mac in my office, I can now transmit those through the Chrome browser up to our (much nicer) HDTV. I can also see this being used for travel, as I mentioned in an earlier post. The video transmission quality was excellent, except when eldest daughter decided to start watching Crunchyroll episodes simultaneously over the same Wi-Fi network. A bit of shouting and bribery helped us negotiate those waters. Unlike Apple TV, Chromecast does not offer an Ethernet port. While we could watch and transmit Amazon Prime videos from Chrome (we're not Netflix subscribers, which offers its own iOS app with built-in support) with their somewhat dubious transmission quality, we could not get iTunes rentals to play over without extreme hackery. (I will spare you the details of the hackery. Suffice it to say that it involved Apple TV, Eye TV, and a lot of time.) In the end, was it worth the $35? Yes. Will I keep using this device past the review period? Yes. Is it as good as Apple TV? It's not a real competitor, and it fills its own niche quite nicely. The Chromecast extends desktop media playback to an external HDTV and it does that well.
EVE Fanfest 2013 final day: Trailers, EVE's TV show, and a vision for the future
We usually don't expect to see much from the final day of the EVE Fanfest, but for this year's tenth anniversary celebration, CCP isn't doing anything by half measures. The first two days of the event had a strong focus on DUST 514 and EVE Online, delving into the specific details of DUST's upcoming Uprising update and EVE's Odyssey expansion. I went into the convention centre today expecting a nice slow wind down with the usual CCP Presents keynote looking at the state of the company, but I left with several huge reveals that seemed to come out of nowhere. Not only did we find out that EVE Online is finally getting a collector's edition box full of goodies, but CCP revealed that a new EVE comic book and lore compendium are both on the way. As if that weren't enough, there's also an EVE TV series in the works based on player-submitted stories of true events inside the EVE universe. I couldn't help escaping the feeling, though, that this year's CCP Presents talk was more than a little marketing-oriented. As one of the press put it to me after the talk, it felt at times like watching an infomercial. On the plus side, we did get to see more of CCP's future vision for the EVE universe and an amazing new trailer showing the game's core storyline. Read on to check out the incredible EVE Universe Origins trailer and my summary of the final day of Fanfest 2013.
EVE Online Second Decade collector's edition revealed
Moments ago at EVE Online's tenth anniversary Fanfest, CCP revealed plans for its Second Decade Collector's Edition box. EVE never really had a proper collector's edition, and the tenth anniversary of the game is the perfect opportunity to release one. The box will come with an awesome physical Rifter model that doubles as a USB hub, a CD of the tenth anniversary EVE symphony from this year's Fanfest, and a series of codes to redeem to cosmetic items in EVE Online and DUST 514. The box is due for release in October 2013 and on the EVE store and Amazon and can be pre-purhased right now for $149.99 (€149.99 for those in Europe). Cosmetic upgrades for EVE include a new golden pod skin that applies permanently to one character, some new bloodline-based in-game clothing, and several collector's edition ships. Players will get a five-run blueprint copy of the tenth anniversary Gnosis battlecruiser and a re-skinned red Tash-Murkon Magnate, and pre-purchasers will get a bonus Nefnatar Thrasher. DUST 514 items include a set of permanant Amarr templar drop suits and weapons with the same stats as normal items but lower skill requirements.
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.
Friday Favorite: Satechi 12-port USB Hub
It's rare to come up with a Friday Favorite for something as seemingly ho-hum as a USB hub, but this particular model caught my eye a while ago when a colleague brought it with him on a project. "What is that?" I asked, wonderingly. The blue glow of the ports was so hypnotic that I nearly missed his explanation, "It's my favorite USB hub; I bring it with me everywhere." The Satechi 12-port hub wouldn't look out of place on the control deck of the Death Star. It comes in one color -- black -- and features two banks of ports that glow enticingly when switched on for power via the twin rocker switches at the back end of the unit. One bank includes six ports atop the hub; the second bank has five on top and one front-facing port. You can use the hub with or without the power adapter, but with it connected you can support self-powered devices; you can charge an iPhone (or multiple iPhones) with ease. iPads will trickle-charge ("No Charging" indicator on screen) but, like most hubs, the Satechi unit doesn't support the double-wattage port spec that the iPads need for rapid charge. You may not think you need twelve USB ports, but if you're dealing with flash drives or other peripherals, or if you have a MacBook Air and want to maximize your expansion options, the Satechi hub is a perfect fit. The hub currently retails for US$27.99 and comes with a power adapter and a one-meter extension cable. You can check out our other Friday Favorites, hardware and software alike, here.
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]
Certain USB hubs could cause system instability on Macs
Stumble up to your Mac first thing in the morning, tap the keyboard to wake it up and -- what? I incorrectly disconnected my Time Machine backup drive? I never touched it, I swear! Turns out, this is not my fault for once. Apple has just released a support note explaining how, in a certain combination of circumstances, third-party USB hubs may incorrectly disconnect after wake from sleep, causing system instability. Basically, if you have a third-party USB hub that doesn't wake properly, is connected via another USB hub, and you wake your computer with an external USB mouse or keyboard, voilà, system instability. So waking my MacBook Pro by tapping the Space bar on my Microsoft USB keyboard (wait... OK, I see the problem here) is enough, sometimes, to make my Time Machine drive choke. The solution Apple offers: connect all USB input devices directly to a USB port on the computer, wake it by pressing the power button instead of waggling the mouse or tapping the USB keyboard connected via a third-party USB hub, and connect USB storage devices directly to a USB port on the computer to prevent third-party USB hubs from affecting them. All I need now is for the next version of the MacBook Pro to have about 17 USB ports. [via ZDNet]
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.
