The Juice Pack Universal delivers a compact and lightweight power solution specifically designed for Apple iPods and iPhones.

The next-generation boost and reserve raise the bar in the portable power category, as it features improved quality, increased battery capacity and new design elements, making these add-ons more efficient and convenient.

The boost has the capability to fully recharge an iPhone with its 2000 mAh capacity. It also featres a pivoting connector that acts as a stand while the phone is charging. It is available for £44.95.

The reserve packs 700 mAh into a device. It has a flexible USB outer band that stay concealed until you decide to use it. It is available for £29.95.

The powerstation, the most powerfule of the three, boasts a whopping 4000 mAh and a super high-output charging that can charge all generations of the iPhone, iPod, iPad and USB devices. It has the capability to switch between 500 mAh, 1 A and 2.1 A charge. It is available for £64.95.

“The juice pack reserve, boost and powerstation deliver a range of recharging solutions to mobile device users who need additional battery power but don’t have the time or opportunity to plug into a wall or their laptop,” said mophie’s Senior Director of Product Marketing Ross Howe. “The first universal batteries were incredibly well received and we evolved the line to help consumer’s get the very most from their iOS devices at all times with easy and convenient portable power solutions.”

For more information about the products, visit mophie.com.

Mophie announces its next-gen Juice Pack for iOS devices is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

This upgrade to the award-winning USB device will enable a bigger audience to access their files from anywhere.

The iTwin provides plug-and-play simplicity while protecting your files by using “End-to-End military-grade encryption” and “2-Factor Authentication.” Its users no not have to pay monthly fees and it is only limited by your computer’s hard disk space.

“We have been working to improve iTwin, for both consumers and small businesses,” said iTwin co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Lux Anantharaman. “Now with OS X support, iTwin users will be able to use iTwin with their Macs too. We have acted on our users’ feedback and are equally excited about this much-requested upgrade.”

The iTwin is now used by people around the world. Phillip Schaffman, a veteran sales professional who travel for business, said that he doesn’t trust USB flash drives and cloud storage to keep his sensitive files. He uses the iTwin to access what he needs when he needs it, “and with the peace of mind that it is safe from prying eyes.”

The iTwin is now available for $99 at www.iTwin.com/buy_iTwin. Existing iTwin users can get the new upgrade from its website.

iTwin plug-and-play USB device now supports Mac OS X is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

This means that it can be used to power an LCD monitor, laptops, printers, and other bigger devices. The group also announced that the new USB 3.0 would remain backwards compatible with old USB 2.0 devices.

A technical demonstration is expected by the end of the year and specification should be codified in early 2012. In other words, original equipment manufacturers and developers will be able to get on cheap USB parts just as the distribution rights of Apple for Thunderbolt dry up.

USB 3.0 ports can transfer data to compatible components with speeds of up to 5 Gbps, and can maintain currents and voltages of up to 900 mA at 5 V, for a max power output of 4.5 Watts. This is about twice the max power output of its predecessor, but a normal USB 3.0 port still struggles to power most external hard disk drives.

“Building on the rapidly increasing industry momentum for using USB bus power to charge a broad range of mobile devices, the new USB Power Delivery specification extends USB’s cable power delivery capabilities beyond simple battery charging,” said USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman Brad Saunders in a statement. He added that a laptop can solely rely on a USB connection for its power source.

via: Engadget

New USB 3.0 could provide 100 Watts of power is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Design

The USB Clip was designed by Armin Emami and actually won the Red Dot Best of the Best award in 2010 which Freecom claim makes it one of the most recognised USB sticks on the market today. In that respect we’d have to agree as we’ve not come across such an eye catching design before.

The clip can hold around 5-10 pieces of paper and offers a robust design that takes a lot of punishment, the USB Clip comes in a number of different capacities starting at 2GB topping out at a very handy 32GB. Prices start at £9.99 for the 2GB version, although this isn’t the cheapest USB stick on the block it is one of the coolest and could provide the extra touch you need to grab a clients’ attention when presenting documents or just to have something stylish and different for personal use.

Our Verdict

We really like the Freecom USB Clip; its modern design may not be for everyone but offers a great way to blend paperwork with digital documents. It secures itself to documents with ease and is surprisingly sturdy so you won’t lose it like a normal paperclip (it really holds on to the paper). You could get a cheaper USB drive but it won’t look as fresh as this one or create the same impact when you slide those documents across the table.

Freecom USB Clip Review: Combines Paper and Data is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Like last weeks PC case this TARDIS USB hub has been given the nod by the BBC, despite looking cool with a flashing beacon on top of the police box it actually serves a practical purpose too by adding four additional USB slots (well three really as you have to plug it into an existing port to link it to your PC, laptop or Mac).

When you plug in a USB device the T.A.R.D.I.S lights up and omits the traditional sounds, if aesthetics are your preference you can simply switch off the sounds via a strategically placed on/off switch. The whole thing measures a space friendly 11cm x 6cm x 6cm meaning it lives up to being smaller on the outside than inside.

The only problem we can see with this Dr. Who gizmo is that you would waste a lot of the day plugging and unplugging USB devices so you could make the TARDIS work. It’s available from Amazon, Firebox and Play.com.

What do you think of this official Doctor Who USB hub?

Doctor Who USB Hub – BBC Approved Tardis with 4 USB Ports is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

As if by magic news of this mini figure USB stick popped into our email inbox and on closer inspection is indeed fully licensed by Lego and is available from their website for $24.99. The listing on the UK site currently shows as unavailable but it’s surely only a matter of time before it rolls out for British Lego lovers.

The 2GB storage is fairly small by modern standards but more than man enough for transporting documents, music and a fair few photos too but that’s not where its strength lies. People (I say people because kids of all ages will love it) will buy this cool mini fig because it looks great and comes on a key ring – very handy indeed.

The USB is housed in the Lego mans legs so when not in use looks like a standard mini figure which is pretty stealthy. When using the stick the man actually appears to be enveloped in your laptop or pc, struggling madly to try and escape – it’s a great visual joke and we love it.

People in the US can grab one now for $24.99, the rest of us will have to wait a little longer. Hopefully by that time there will also be Star Wars themed ones too!

Source: Brickset

Official Lego USB Memory Sticks Now Available is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

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.

Supertalent Pico Mini Memory Card Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

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

Yuuwaa USB Flash Drive Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

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.

Swiss Army USB drive is hack-proof is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

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.

Samsung to create iPad rival is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos