Supertalent Pico Mini Memory Card Review

This tiny and extremely light memory card comes in various sizes according to your storage needs; 4BG, 8GB and 16GB, to be exact. It also comes in very bright colours which really make it stand out from most other memory cards on the market.

Design

The Pico Mini A 4GB memory card weights in at under a couple of grams and is so small and light that the little keychain which it comes attached will come in very handy in order for you avoid losing it or seeing it blown away on a strong gust of wind. It is shock proof and water resistant, so if you can avoid losing it then it should solve your portable storage needs for some time to come

Notable Specifications

It reads at speeds up to 30MB per second and while it is principally a USB 2.0 drive it also have compatibility with 1.1 inputs.

Summary

This is a memory card which provides good storage capability with a pretty nifty speed and all the compatibility you would expect. The areas in which the Pico Mini A 4GN memory card comes into its own are size, design and price. It is surely the easiest memory card to carry about with you and quite possibly the most interestingly coloured as well. Online prices for all three capacities are excellent. This would most likely appeal to some who uses their memory card unexpectedly and often at short notice. I can imagine someone out jogging with this little storage device or perhaps tucking it discreetly into a pocket while going on a romantic dinner in which they promised that there would be no work interruptions. It could be a good “just in case something pops up” option.

The different models are available at memory card zoo with the 4gb version costing a very reasonable £9.45.

Yuuwaa USB Flash Drive Review

If you think back a few years you would probably remember USB storage as a new fangled technology that was fairly expensive that provided a limited amount of storage. Thankfully those days are dead and buried and affordable mass USB storage is now readily available. The problem you have now though is that the variety of USB memory to choose from is vast, which is why you can get quality at an amazing price and sometimes a few added extras.

Yuuwaa description

The YuuWaa Go and Plus USB flash drive is a memory stick with a difference; it offers data storage, efficient backup, online space for files and a way to share your files. YuuWaa combines a password protected USB stick with online storage; this comes in a number of options. The Yuuwaa Go comes with a 4 GB memory stick with 20 GB of free storage and the plus version offers double of both. The online storage solution is free for six months and then if you like the product can be upgraded to another six months, a year or even longer (the longer you opt for the smaller the annual fee).

 

In the box

The Yuu Waa Go is an attractive blue and the Plus comes in aluminium colour. You get a variety of things in the box including a lanyard to secure your Yuuwaa from getting lost. You also get a start up guide and a registration card for your stick and your online storage. The first thing you will encounter when you plug in your Yuuwaa USB stick for the first time is a simple sign up form where you have to enter your preferred email address, a password and your registration number.

Yuuwaa in action

On subsequent connections a small icon will appear in your system tray.  This can be used to backup your memory stick to your online storage space, to access files on the move or to restore lost files if you lose your Yuuwaa. You can also schedule a handy backup to run at an interval of your choosing (either 1, 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes) which means your files are safe should your computer or memory stick crashes or fails. Another nifty feature is that you can choose to share files or selected folders with approved friends or family by adding them to a simple to use contacts list. You can choose to add a personalised message before files are shared too – ideal for work, life or play.

The Yuuwaa flash drive will work on any computer running windows XP (with service pack2) onwards so long as it has a USB  2.0 port free. They have also launched a beta service for Mac’s with OS X or newer.

Summary

If you want an inexpensive way to keep your files safe both on your USB stick and backed up online then the YuuWaa is a pretty good product. It looks nice, works well and is pretty robust. Keep an eye on the lid though as this does not attach to the lanyard. The Yuuwaa go retails at £19.99 and the plus at £29.99. Both are available from pc world with free delivery.

Yuuwaa demo video

Swiss Army USB drive is hack-proof

The Swiss army knife is a highly regarded all-round implement and manufacturer Victorinox has produced knives that also have integrated USB storage in the past, but now a new edition claims to be completely safe from prying eyes.

Victorinox proved that it was not joking about the security systems in place within the Knife/Drive by hiring a team of alleged computer hackers to attempt to break into the device during a promotional demonstration. The firm was offering £100,000 of its own money to the team if they could succeed. They didn’t and the reputation of the device remained intact.

According to Victorinox, the USB memory Knife relies on multiple layers of security to keep hackers out, including fingerprinting and advanced encryption. The device will also self-destruct if anyone attempts to illicitly access its storage, rendering it inoperable as the processing chip and the memory is fried.

As well as a USB memory stick, the knife has a nail file and a small pair of retractable scissors and it can be attached to a key ring to make sure that it stays with you at all times. All of the knife’s functions flip out in the standard manner and the whole thing is finished in a pleasingly see-through red.

Victorinox has released the ultimate gadget-lovers Swiss army knife in the UK with a variety of storage capacities. The 8GB drive will set you back about £50, but if you want the top of the line 32GB drive, you will need to find £180.

Samsung to create iPad rival

Samsung is planning a brand new tablet computer that will be built to compete directly with the Apple iPad. According to reports, Samsung is looking to trump the iPad in terms of technological clout, with a faster processor and a slicker operating system.

Samsung has so far said that it will be using Microsoft’s Windows 7 platform as the base operating system for its tablet computer. However, new rumours suggest that it will be ditching this in favour of Google’s Android.

Tech site Tweakers has reported that Samsung is dissatisfied with the performance levels of the tablet using Windows 7 and is considering Android as the ideal replacement.

Other rumours that surfaced online have implied that the Samsung tablet computer will feature some kind of mobile broadband connectivity, with 4G potential alluded to in a forum post from Samsung’s Philip Newton.

Mr Newton, who heads up Samsung’s Australian IT division, also said that an Intel Atom processor was probably going to be chosen as the CPU for the tablet computer.

Using an Atop CPU makes a lot of sense, as Samsung is already familiar with this family of processors through its own line of netbooks. The inclusion of 4G connectivity will allegedly allow the Samsung tablet computer to make voice calls as well as providing data access.

Mr Newton said that the tablet will offer greater physical connections than its major rival from Apple, which observers have taken to mean that there will be the option to attach USB peripherals and storage.

The USB Ashtray Predicts When You’ll Die

You can buy USB gadgets to perform any number of useful and entirely useless functions. Some are designed merely to look good sat on your desktop while others actually have a genuine purpose. The USB ashtray kind of falls under the category of serving a genuine purpose while serving a purpose that probably doesn’t really work and scaring you half to death. Yes, it’s an ash tray and yes it’s supposed to cut down on the smell and vapour of nicotine that’s hanging around in the air but it also monitors your smoking habit and will predict roughly when you’re going to die from lung cancer.

Is it accurate? We don’t know because nobody’s around to ask unfortunately, but the egg shaped USB ashtray is definitely a unique USB gadget that serves more purpose than the average USB George Foreman grill or the USB Noodle Strainer; although we do question why it’s egg shaped but perhaps we’re missing a glaringly obvious link here. The USB ashtray isn’t going to be much use at work or in any Internet cafes or WiFi hotspots, of course, but it could be useful at home should you wish to reduce the amount of smoke and the smell of nicotine.

As far as USB gadgets go, the ashtray is actually a pretty useful one. The powered fan essentially sucks the smoke through a deodoriser although it does have to be plugged in to the PC to work because it doesn’t run off separate batteries which is a bit of a shame but then we are talking about a USB ashtray so it does kinda make sense.

USB chess game hits the market

While some gadgets never seem to catch on that is not an accusation which can be aimed at this excellent USB chess game. However, don’t worry if you are new to the game, have played before or you are an expert – it literally has something for everyone. Simply plug in the USB chess board, arrange the pieces and away you go!

But this is no simple chess set as it allows you to save each game you play, time your moves and much more. It even has an option which will help you when you are stuck for your next move, so whether you want to play a friend or the computer, the options are there. While you move the pieces on the roll up board the device has sensors which allow the data to be passed to the computer for a virtual view of the game. There are also options to email the game play to your friends, take screen shots and restart again if the going gets too tough!

This USB chess game will also help take away the stresses and strains of everyday life and you might even be able to polish up your chess skills!

VCR To PC

If you’re anything like me then you’ve probably still got a pile of old videos lying around. Copies of The Breakfast Club recorded off television and old series of Red Dwarf. The problem is that while deep down we love them, equally deep down we also know that the video collection is never going to get a dusting down and a good watching. Video’s just don’t offer the convenience we’ve come to expect.

The VCR To PC is a convenient little tool designed primarily at sad people like you and I. You simply plug it into your PC, whack the video in and start copying. In no time at al all you could have your entire back copy of Neighbours copied onto the hard drive of your XP or Vista based PC (not Mac though). The Portable Video Files can then be copied from your PC to any compatible mobile or other device.

It costs just under £150 at IWOOT and you’ll need to bag yourself a USB cable because it’s one of those annoying gadgets that you pay £150 for and then you need to shell out another couple of quid to buy a necessary lead.

USB Necktie Cooler

And here we are again relying on our esteemed Japanese counterparts to provide us with some of the world’s most bizarre gadgets and technology you could ever dream. Although, if we’re honest, we find it reasonably unlikely that you’ve ever dreamed of owning a USB necktie cooler. Why carry a fan and wear a tie separately when you can combine the two, right?

The USB necktie cooler obviously plugs into the USB port on your computer and hidden behind the knot of the tie is a small fan. When activated, the fan will blow cool and refreshing air into your face in order to keep you cool. For those occasions when you just have to sit in meetings with the same glazed expression as the model on the left you can use the provided AAA battery pack for power.

It seems a crying shame that, like the Fujitus phone that enables you to watch TV and media files at depths of up to 6m underwater, the USB necktie cooler is only available in Japan although if you look around I feel fairly certain you’ll be able to get one shipped over here or find a supplier that has taken the initiative.

You’ll probably notice from the picture that this is the 2nd version of the necktie cooler. The first incarnation rather foolishly used a full sized desk fan and was causing some serious neck strain.

Capsule Shaped USB Drive

This post is for those that don’t feel particularly comfortable in the crafting of their very own, unique “sawed” off USB drive (I know, I know, but that’s what the creator called it). Fortunately, there’s still plenty of weird, crazy, and simply pointless flash drives available for those that are disinclined to get busy with a craft knife and super glue.

The capsule USB flash drive certainly makes a statement, although it’s not necessarily a positive one. Shaped like a medicine capsule, drives are available in capacity ranging from a meagre 128MB to a reasonably substantial 4GB. Hopefully you won’t find this too difficult to swallow (sorry) but they’re only really available from China so you’ll have to get on Ebay if you’re that desperate for one.

There’s numerous other alternatives out there if you don’t want the capsule. Flash drives have been created to mimic sushi, fish fingers, burgers, saki bottles, and a swiss army knife to name a but a few. It seems that if it can reasonably be hollowed out or a mimic can be created out of vacuum formed plastic then there’s somebody willing to take the plunge and get busy making it – what would the world do without such innovation?

Easily The Coolest Looking USB Drive You’ll Ever Make

First, a cautionary tale – while this is easily the coolest USB drive you’ll ever see, it’s also not in production yet and was created by a home modder of the kind you’ll probably never meet; and if you did I doubt you’d want them round to look at your home set up. However, if you’ve got the time, the patience, and a spare bit of USB cable it is a great way to waste a few minutes.

USB drives already come in a huge variety of disguises but whether you’re wanting a unique approach to personal data security (who exactly is going to think of stealing the torn, burnt, or otherwise decimated USB cable from your PC?) or a completely unique looking USB flash drive this has to be one of the better options available to you.

Check out the Evil Mad Scientist blog to see detailed instructions on how to get your own although we do suggest that you go with a bit of old cable that’s lying around rather than a brand new one. We’ll likely be featuring a few more madcap mods from their website because there’s some incredible stuff on there.

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