5 USB extremely must-have USB gadgets

Who knew USB would be such a hit that creative minds invented weird/geeky/useful USB gadgets that are very interesting. I just wish there would be a shop where they sell all kinds of USB parephernalias.

Hey waittaminit... why don't I open one?

Well, if I do, here are some of the first few USB stuffs I would sell because for me, these are must haves USB gadgets!!!


1) USB Battery
USBCELL is a product line by Moxia Energy that features USB rechargeable batteries. Right now the company only has AAs for sale, but 9Vs are coming soon, along with cell phone and device batteries. The AAs are $17.49 for a two pack, or $160 for twenty.

Looks cool and I'm sure that this is one of the most unique yet useful USBs around.


2)USB Basketball Arcade
This mini USB-powered basketball game is based on the hoop-shooting thingamajigs found in fairgrounds and arcades across the globe. The difference is you won't win an oversized teddy bear or a goldfish if you're bang on target.

It will keep you occupied for awhile in those oh-not-so-beautiful-day-I-want-to-go-home times. Really. You can even hold department competitions. Just don't let the boss know about this.


3) USB Panic Button
This interweb thingy is brilliant, isn't it? Work, on the other hand, is not. Unfortunately the internet is accessed via the very machine you're supposed to be using for work.

Get ready to launch...
a spreadsheet!

If you think this isn't discreet enough, maybe you should try this one...

Same function, just stealthier. Use your foot to step on it and, voila! spreadsheet-cadabra!


4)USB Zen set
If you either want to feel like a Japanese, want to relax or can't think of gadgets to buy your boss, this might be it!

Seeing a USB powered light is nothing new, you could easily find one in pretty much any shape or size. What’s odd about this one is that it uses an actual light bulb. It actually claims to be the world’s first USB powered light that utilizes a light bulb. Typically a USB light has an LED light, which works just as well. However, if you’re tired of everything being LED, this would be a refreshing change.


5) Solar USB charger
Now, this is unique! Who said you need a computer or electricity just to charge your gadgets via USB?

This is the ultimate solution! I found this here and this guy can charge your mobile phone or whathavewenots even in the middle of nowhere any time of the day (yea, literaaly. As long as the sun exists).

Buying an External Hard Disk?

Well, I bought one earlier and I think I got a nice deal from Gilmore.


I was scouting for one ever since those Western Digital My Book 1TBs proliferated in the city. Yes, 1TB hard drives are extremely tempting gadgets to get so you can have the ultimate collection of files in one place. What stopped me from buying it was the "immovable" issues.

One, it's not USB powered therefore, you need to plug it in and get power from another source WHILE the smaller external hard drives uses the same wire to transfer files and get power from the USB port.

I am not making a review here and I did this blog post to update you guys with the current External Hard drive prices.

Here is what I got so far:

Authorized Dealer Prices:


WD Passport
500gb @ P 6,480 pesos
P12.96 pesos / gig


WD Elements
320gb @ 3,730 pesos
P11.66 pesos / gig

WD Elements
500gb @ 5,200 pesos
P10.40 pesos / gig

WD 3.5" Elements
1TB @ 5,720 pesos
P5.72 pesos / gig


Fujitsu Handy
500gb @ P5,620 pesos
P11.24 pesos / gig

Online Sellers:

WD Elements
320gb @ 2,500
P7.80 pesos / gig
*no stock

WD Passport Essential
320gb @ 3,450 pesos
P10.78 pesos / gig

WD Passport Essential
500gb @ 5,550 pesos
P11.10 pesos / gig

Seagate Free Agent
320gb @ 4,500 pesos
P14.06 pesos / gig


Seagate Free Agent
500gb @ 6,200 pesos
P12.40 pesos / gig


Seagate Desktop
1TB @ 4,600
P4.60 pesos / gig


There you go. Those are the prices I canvassed today.

Finally, I bought the:

WD Elements
500gb @ 5,200 pesos
P10.40 pesos / gig


My reason:
-I like the rubber edge enclosure of this hard drive
-Smaller than the WD Passport Essential
-Shape is also better than the Passport Essential
-P10.40 pesos/ gig of storage is a fair price in my opinion

last but not the least, this is the hardest one to find! Of the 10 stores I went to, only 1 store had it and they had 1 stock left. That made me decide to get it right away. 2 things. It's either this model is highly in demand or, no one buys it that's why stores don't stock it.

Ciao for now as I transfer my photographs to my new Hard Drive :)

The Real Deal: Silicon KeyBoard Protector from CDr-King

Living in a 3rd world country has it's own advantages.

Companies compete and us consumers get the advantage of low-priced goods but as expected, some are already sub-standard BUT, you can still find good deals like this Real Deal that I am talking about.

The Silicon Keyboard Protector.


I had mine (yes, that is my trusty ol' laptop) for more than a year now. Had I discovered it earlier, it would have prevented fades on my Twinhead H12 laptop.

What I did was I bought the 15" version of it and just trimmed it to fit (even on the touch pad). Now, I am so used to typing on it that I don't type as fast without the silicon cover on. There are of course 2 sides on this.

Advantages:
-Prevents Fading
-Type easier and faster (lessens the gap between keys via the thin silicon skin)
-Prevents water from directly entering upon water spillage. (Applicable to chips also)
-Easier to wash rather than dusting your keyboard

Disadvantages:
-Prevents heat from going out thru the keyboard
-Unless you cover the entire keyboard area + the sides of it, the color will not be uniform as those not covered by this silicon case would get a different color tone after a while.

Cost of this? Just P80 pesos! Converting it, it's less than $2 US Dollars!

Mac has branded keyboard silicon protectors but it costs a lot. I saw one a few months back with a price tag of 2,000 pesos! It's around $42 US Dollars.

I'd rather buy myself other gadgets with the $40 US dollars I can save by buying the generic keyboard silicon cover!

Now, this is The Real Deal!

The Real Deal: Laptop Balls

Gadgets have balls too!

Remember the guy from Sector 7 in Transformers 2? He said he was directly under the robots balls!

These neat balls are attached via velcro to elevate your laptop. This way, the heat won't be trapped underneath. It's as simple as that. If you find it bulky, you can remove them and put them back when needed.



I purchased this last year for only... you wouldn't believe it! -- Php 99.00 pesos (less than $2 US Dollars!)!!!! I got it from a store named S.O.S. (Save on Surplus)

Had I known that they would increase the price because of the demand, I would have bought everything there. You know why? MAC stores have them too. At around Php 999.00 pesos,or roughly $20 US Dollars.

I saved $18 bucks and now, this is The Real Deal!

Gadget Review: LiveSpeakR Portable iPod/iPhone Speaker System (video)

There are companies that render hardware review for example the: LiveSpeakR. They are producing one product: an iPod/iPhone compatible portable speaker system. The two grilled speakers flank the dock on either side and tucked neatly at the center is a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery and flip out stand. At first place, the LiveSpeakR doesn’t warrant a double take but after plugging in my Gen 1 iPhone I can honestly say I’m a convert.

Don’t be misled by the LiveSpeakR’s tiny size, this thing can produce some serious sound. But before we get there let me tell you a bit about its feature set.

Front and center of the LiveSpeakR is an unusual docking system that smoothly accepts my iPhone into its clutches and works surprisingly well given its odd aesthetic. Rotating the dock 90 degrees into landscape mode resulted in the speakers automatically extending beyond the iPhones length allowing the speakers to continue to emit sound unobstructed. A little odd but smart as this allows the LiveSpeakR to be used in both orientations: landscape for movies or portrait mode for music. Instead of utilizing the standard ‘made for iPod’ 30-pin dock, LiveSpeakR opted for a simple headphone jack, which not only works with the Gen 1 iPhone and iPod Touch, but makes it compatible with other MP3 players on the market. The rechargeable Lithium battery placed squarely behind the dock, that not only centers the device’s weight but doubles as a stand thanks to the included flip out, height adjustable mount.

To charge the device I used the included A/C USB adapter that features an LED light that goes from red to green when charging is complete. Because of this, you can charge the LiveSpeakr via your PC or the wall, which ever you prefer, but charging via a USB means no indicator light since that is built-in to the wall adapter. LiveSpeakR specs the battery at a 16 hours and during my testing I achieved nothing shy of this. A small and some what recessed switch powers the device on and off, and a small green LED light indicates when it’s powered up. It’s pretty easy to leave the LiveSpeakR on when not in use due to the small size of the LED power light, but a some what moot point considering it can be charged up in just over 2 hours time.

Here are the Pros and Cons of this Product

Pros:

• Great sound quality for the size
• Built-in rechargeable battery
• Headphone plug so works with any MP3 player
• Flip out stand

Cons:

• Rotating dock seems a bit fragile
• Fiddly power switch
• Expensive

Source: http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/03/gadget-review-livespeakr-portable-ipodiphone-speaker-system-video.html

Ramon Bautista rocks ! Check out his youtube vids at http://youtube.com/user/alyssapo5