Tag: PC accessories

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Tech Accessories

InfiniteUSB lets your USB cables live out their Lego dreams

Laptop users with a limited number of USB ports often run into problems when they want to connect several devices to their computer.

patent-claimedInfiniteUSB solves this problem with a daisy-chainable connector solution which allows users to connect a theoretically infinite number of devices to a laptop with just one USB port.  As a result, InfiniteUSB can ably charge multiple mobile devices while still keeping other USB ports open for important peripherals like a mouse. InfiniteUSB is compatible with iOS, Android and any other device that offers USB connectivity support. Each unit costs $21 with an expected shipment date in June. Its maker is hoping to raise $10,000 via Kickstarter by April 22.

Infinite USB holds a tremendous amount of promise, solving a problem that many computer users are all too familiar with. Its small form factor and magnetized ends allow it to be folded over, thereby making it extremely portable. One possible negative is that it’s arriving just as the industry is starting to transition to USB-C cables which allow, among other things, greater charging capability (up to 100 watts) than current USB cables. As it stands today, InfiniteUSB doesn’t support USB-C though a USB-C compatible version is in the works with a working prototype expected by April.

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Tech Accessories

PC Daddy converts your computer into a multiband radio receiver

There is still a contingent of traditional radio enthusiasts out there. No doubt some of them would love to get access to a much wider offering of traditional radio stations on their PCs than is currently possible now.

PC Daddy is a USB AM/FM/shortwave radio device that can transform a Windows-based computer into a multi-band radio receiver without spending a lot of money. Once connected to a computer, the small (3.5″x4.5″) box enables users to completely control all functions of the radio from a PC screen and hear the sound through the computer’s speakers. Backers who pledge $185 will get a PC Daddy when it ships in December.  This product is looking to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

The product has promise, albeit for a very niche audience. DXing enthusiasts who like to receive distant radio stations will probably like the fact that PC Daddy displays the location, city, and distance from the user of the possible stations tuned on AM and shortwave modes. That feature gives them the ability to have a good idea of what station they are listening to without relying on the station to announce its call letters, especially if the announcement is made in a foreign language. PC Daddy is comparable to Winradio products, but cheaper.

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Health and Wellness

Stealth Rising Desktop rises to your challenge of sitting

Stealth Rising DesktopTired of sitting in front of a computer screen all day?  Now it’s possible to stand up for a while and keep on working. Stealth Rising Desktop raises the user’s desktop at the press of a button. For those who are counting calories, it’s even possible to hook up a PC to the Stealth and schedule regular times of standing and track the extra calories burned from standing rather than sitting. While this might be a nice way to change up the workday, the claims that it actually improves health seem like they may be a bit on the exaggerated side although there’s lots of evidence in favor of at least getting out of the seated position once in a while. Expected delivery is February 2014.