The large over the ear headset has a microphone boom for chat during gaming, virtual 7.1 surround sound, and it has vibration effects that can be turned on or off. The headset also has integrated volume control, and the mic can be muted. It connects to computers via USB. The microphone is uni-directional to capture the voice without grabbing background noise.

The headset drivers are 40 mm and have a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz with 32 ohm impedance. Sensitivity is 96 dB, and the USB cable is 2.5 m long. The headset will sell for $79.90 and should be available online soon.

The speaker is compact, and one of the more interesting things is that rather than using the typical floppy USB cable, this thing has an arm that is rigid and flexible. That means you can plug it and then adjust it to the angle you want. Inside the single enclosure is a pair of speakers for stereo sound.

The speaker has good bass apparently, and overall sound is nice. This looks like a nice alternative to a pair of speakers sitting on the desk if you have a USB hub on your desk. If you want to get some bass in your games and movies this might be the ticket. The caveat is that the speakers apparently lack in the mid-range focusing instead on highs and lows.

[via EverythingUSB]

All the USB controllers connect directly to a Mac, PC or iOS device with the correct adapter. The Q61 has 61-notes and will work with just about any software and hardware device. The device has velocity sensitive keys and a five-octave range and can be used at home or on stage. The QX25 is a 25-note offering, and the QX61 has 61-notes.

Both have pads for drumbeats; have filter knobs and volume adjustments. The keys are also velocity sensitive. All three of the keyboards will be available in Q2. Pricing is $149 for the Q61, $199 for the QX61, and $99 for the QX25.

Thanks to wirelessgoodness we recently learned that this neat and fun toy had cleared the FCC, and we can now happily tell you that it’s available right now. This nerf gun might be dumb, but I still want one and will probably be buying one for the shear amusement it will surely bring me.

Essentially what we have here is a USB-powered nerf gun with full aim controls via the free iOS application. Everything is done inside of the app and you can take control and aim with on-screen controls that work over Bluetooth. That isn’t all either. iLauncher also gives you the option to fire darts by simply shaking your iOS device. Awesome right?

If those pictures don’t have a few of you excited I don’t know what will. It might not be the coolest toy around but I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting hours of joy from this little device. It is available today via the link below and will run you about $100. Who wants one?

[via Brando]

So you take this little guy, you flip out the back and plug your microSD card in, taking the whole device then and plugging it in to your USB 2.0 port so you can see the contents of your card on your computer. MicroSD cards are the ones you pop into your smartphone, this device giving you a fun way to get media on or off your smartphone, essentially. And it’s Star Wars, so you can’t go wrong.

These little monsters will be out in March, 2012, and will cost you $12.95 each. There’s also DC comic book characters such as Superman, Batman, and the like, and they’ll cost the same as well. And you can pop em on your keychain just like the rest of the Mimobot line. Fun!

The dock has various ports that allow simultaneous connection to multiple devices. It has has three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, one HDMI port, one 3.5mm audio port, one gigabit Ethernet port, and two Thunderbolt ports that support daisy-chaining. Users can connect multiple USB devices, watch movies in Full HD 1080p, and transfer copious data in seconds.

And given the use of Thunderbolt technology, the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock offers data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps bi-directionally. It is expected to ship in September at select retailers worldwide as well as on Belkin.com. The device is priced at $299.

Still, even at reduced rates, the difference between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 on tablets and phones should be marked. “What takes 15 minutes will roughly take 1 minute and 10 seconds” USB Implementers Forum CTO Rahman Ismail claims. Meanwhile, the group is working on new tech that should reduce power draw but keep speed rates high; “we’re coming out with new specs, new areas where we will make it very power efficient, power friendly” Ismail says.

Next up is reducing the size of a regular USB 3.0 port, as that’s fast becoming a limiting factor on how thin ultraportables and ultrabooks can be. “We’re next in line” after VGA ports, Ismail admits.

Another benefit of USB 3.0 on tablets and phones will be faster recharging. They’ll of course be backward compatible with USB 2.0 connections, if you don’t have USB 3.0.

With Focus turned off, Blue Microphones says, you can expect “crisp, powerful audio with enhanced low frequency sensitivity for recordings with greater impact and definition.” Turn it on, and you get”greater clarity and detail for a tighter, more focused sound.” The company throws in a desk stand and anti-shock mount, along with a Y-cable for headphone monitoring, plus a 25GB cloud account for its Spark Digital editing tools.

Slightly more affordable, the Mikey Digital targets iPhone, iPad and iPod touch only, a posable mic plugging directly into the dock connector and pairing two custom-tuned condenser capsules for audio input in Garageband, the camcorder app and other software. Automatic and manual gain, an LED clipping indicator and 3.5mm aux-in, as well as a USB pass-through for charging, round out the main specs today, though Blue is keen to point out that the Mikey Digital is firmware-upgradable for new abilities down the line.

Finally, the Tiki is a USB-only microphone, said to be the first such USB model to “mimic the intelligence of human hearing by focusing on desired sounds, minimizing background noise and knowing when to mute altogether.” An array of noise cancellation and isolation tech – switchable between Intelligent Speech Mode and Natural Recording Mode – promises to highlight only the audio you really want, meaning keyboard sounds aren’t captured during conference calls, and background noise doesn’t interrupt your guitar solo. There’s a bundled docking station too.

The Blue Microphones Tiki will be priced at $59, the Spark Digital at $199, while Mikey Digital will be $99. All are listed as “coming soon.”

All you need, in fact, is a suitable emulator to actually load the games: in effect, the Retrode 2 is simply a hub for game cartridges, rather than a console in its own right. It’s also possible to use the adapter as simply a standalone gamepad adapter, though you’ll need to supply your own gamepads.

The Retrode 2 is available for preorder now, priced at $85/€65, and with deliveries expected to kick off from January 23. You can grab it from StoneAgeGamer in the US. Meanwhile, Retrode says it’s working on N64 and Sega Master System plug-ins for future release, though there’s no specific dates at present.

[via Engadget]

The MS-100 is a compact stereo speaker powered completely by a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port. It features a minimalist cone design that houses large 54mm speaker drivers that can generate up to 93 dB of sound with less than 3% distortion, providing rich highs and full low tones. It works right out of the box without additional software when used with a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine.

The HS-W1 is a wireless USB headset offers natural comfort through large 70mm leather earpads and provides crisp clear sound through 40mm tuned drivers with a built-in equalizer. The 2.4 GHz wireless technology transmits CD quality sound from a small USB dongle to the headset. It also allows up to twice the distance compared to Bluetooth wireless technology.

The headset also comes with a noise filtering microphone, on-ear volume controls, and a folding design that fits into a touring case for easy traveling. The build-in rechargeable battery is rated for 8 hours. Pricing and availability for the two new USB audio devices have not been announced yet.

[via TweakTown]

You’ll be able to send and receive data simultaneously with USB 3.0, each through different data lanes, all while requiring less power than ever before. As IOGEAR notes, you’ll be able to move a 25-30GB HD movie to a media device in 60-70 seconds where the same transfer might have taken more than 15 minutes with USB 2.0. Each of these bits of gear available from IOGEAR works with USB 3.0 and is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices and connectors – no worries!

The IOGEAR SuperSpeed USB 3.0 4-Port Hub (GUH374) allows you to transfer data between your computer and up to four devices. You’ll be able to hot-swap between devices of your choice here, devices such as high-resolution webcams, hard-drives, storage devices of all kinds, docks, and USB 3.0 Multi-card readers. This device runs for $49.95 and is the most expensive of the three devices being announced today.

The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Multi-Card Reader/Writer (GFR381) costs $37.95 and is able to transfer data from 59 different memomry card formats to your computer at the ever so classic “blazing speeds” of 5Gbps. That’s fast! You’ll be able to insert multiple memory cards into this device at the same time. Finally there’s the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 SD/Micro SD Card Reader/Writer (GFR304SD) which at $16.95 allows you to work with SD, SDHC, SDXC, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, MicroSDXC, MMC II, RS MMC, Ultra II SD, Extreme SD and Extreme III SD at ultra low-profile portability. The size of a USB thumb drive and completely backwards compatible.

The massive supported media list for these devices reads as follows:

• Compact Flash/Micro Drive: CF-Type I, CF-Type II, CF-Ultra II, Microdrive, CF-Pro II, CF-Extreme, CFExtreme III, CF-PSP II, CF-Supper, CF-Ultra X

• SD/SDHC: SD, SDHC, SDXC, MicroSDXC, SD-Pro, SD-Pleomax, SD-Pro C, Ultra II SD, Ultra II Plus SD, SD-Extreme III, SD-Ultra X, SD-Turbo, SD-Supper, SD Max, Mini SD, Mini SD-Pro, Mini SD-Pleomax, MMC, MMC-Pleomax, MMC Pro, HS-MMC, MMC Plus, MMC-Plus Turbo, RS MMC, RS MMC-Pleomax, RS MMCSpeed, RS MMC-Max, MMC Mobile, MMC Mobile-ProC, MMC Mobile-Pocketnet, MMC Micro (adapter required)

• Olympus DC Card: Olympus DC Card, Olympus DC Card(M), Olympus DC Card(H)

• MicroSD / microSDHC: microSD / microSDHC, T-Flash

• Memory Stick: MS, MS-Magic Gate, MS-PRO Magic Gate, HS-MS-PRO Magic Gate, MS-DUO, MS DUO Magic Gate, MS-PRO Duo, HS-MS-PRO Duo, HS- / MS-PRO Duo Magic Gate, MS-PRO Duo-PSP, MS-PRO Duo-Gaming Memory Stick

• M2: Memory Stick Micro (M2)

Sound like the speed solutions for you in the very near future?

The monitor will sell for a reasonable price of $139 and it has a resolution of 1366 x 768 at 60Hz. It is very power efficient with a draw of only eight watts of power and it has an integrated stand. That stand can support the monitor in portrait or landscape mode. It lacks integrated speakers and sports a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The brightness rating for the screen is 200 cd/m2 and the contrast ratio is 500:1. It supports 16 million colors and is energy star compliant. You can pick one up from several online sources and retail stores right now.

The silver colored enclosure is one single piece of billet-machined aluminum, and again, it’s fully bulletproof. You can also dunk it in a bucket of water or toss it down a flight of stairs without damaging it, and should you want to crush it with a truck, you can, just so long as its under 5000 lbs. You can hold it under water for a while, too just so long as you’re above 30 feet and inside 3 days. UV rays wont hurt this drive, blowing dust and sand, rain, salt fog, and both icing and freezing rain wont damage this drive so long as you bring it back to safety in under 24 hours.

You can drop hydraulic fluid, aircraft fuel, and diesel fuel, oils and a bunch of other chemicals on the drive, just so long as you stop dumping cups of the junk on it after an hour and dont put it in a vat of the stuff deeper than 12 feet. And if you plan on getting your data messed up through NORMAL means, you’ve got a built-in Kensington security slot and guaranteed “any reason” data recovery, this including if you accidentally deleted your hundreds of gigabytes of photos of cats without malicious intent, if you know what I mean.

This drive is being picked up by the US Navy because of its awesome protective capabilities, but they don’t come cheap. We’re talking about prices comparable to what this amount of space would have cost 5 years ago, namely US$299.99 with 12 months warranty/data recovery service for the 1 TB version, the 500 GB model ringing in at $199.99. You’ll be able to pick one or the other up at the online Apple Store or the ioSafe online store directly right this moment. Oh and it comes in black as well, if you like.

Pre-orders for this little set of beasts starts tomorrow (Tuesday, the 21st of November), and will be available with shipping guaranteed for pre-Christmas delivery. There’s the Mimo Magic Touch and the Mimo Magic Touch Deluxe, the latter adding a 2 port mini-USB hub as well as separate AC power adapter to recharge separate devices whenever you want. What you’ll almost certainly want to do with this little superstar is to plug it in to your PC and load up something like iTunes, controlling that application on this extension of your normal monitor for easy access.

The Mimo Magic Touch is less than 1-inch thick and weighs in at under a pound, its display a cool 1024 x 600 pixel resolution for all your relatively HD needs. You’ll be able to use this device with Windows 7 fully touch-sensitive or can use it as a display-only monitor with Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Mac OS. The standard unit rings in at $299 while the Touch Deluxe will cost you a total of $329.99. Scoop em up!

The screen needs a single USB port to connect and get power to operate. It will work with Mac or Windows machines. The screen has a 1280 x 720 resolution and it will support 720p HD content. The screen will rotate the video on it to landscape or portrait depending on how the screen is rotated.

The contrast ratio is 500:1 and the screen supports 262k colors. The display weighs 15 ounces. The display also has a SD card reader and comes with a cleaning cloth. It comes in white, black, or orange and they ship free and sell for $249.

Hardware

What you get in the box is a zipped-up portfolio case a little smaller than one of your old CD-holding portfolios from the past. The zipper is high quality and the only marking on the entire product is a single AVIIQ label sewn into the rim. Open it up and you’ve got a mesh pocket and a large pocket on the right and several velcro-held panels on the left along with two pieces of hardware held down by straps. The first is a wall-charger that’s got a 124cm cable attached, this cable then able to plug into the second piece of hardware, a four-port USB hub which is also able to plug into a separate USB port with a extendable USB cord upstream host.

What’s all that mean? Go watch the video, you’ll understand instantly. Basically what you’ve got here is everything you need to charge your multiple devices except the cords – the cords of course coming with your devices anyway. Charge up all your junk at once, then roll up your cords and hold them in the case like a pro, leaving only the single piece of equipment, all zipped up nice, easy to then toss in your backpack, suitcase, or briefcase. No problem.

Usability

I literally put this product in my backpack without reading any sort of help material and understood how to use it basically instantly upon opening it up once I got to Texas. My trips to various places around the United States and abroad from my home base in Minnesota make for interesting packs of gadgets, and certainly cords and charging are an issue no matter where I end up staying for an event. With this case, it’s simple. One piece of equipment. No hassle.

Wrap-up

Again, watch the video, check out the photos below. It’s simple, and either you’re going to have no use for this product simply because you only bring a single device along with you on a trip, or you’re going to be an average everyday tech maniac like the rest of the readers on SlashGear and you’re going to have a heart attack over how cool and helpful this product is.

You can purchase the AVIIQ Portable Charging Station straight from AVIIQ online for $79.99 USD right this minute, and there’s even a 30 day money-back guarantee attached. Fabulous.

For instance, Blue LEDs on the jog wheels show how close the mix phase is, pulsing more strongly when you’re closer in pitch. The channel fader lighting, meanwhile, match track beat with their flashing as well as showing output levels by their brightness. There are also dedicated controls for loops, filters and sample playback, while ports include a MIDI output, microphone input and line-out. The angled physical design means you can slide your laptop keyboard underneath and keep the overall footprint low.

The Pioneer DDJ-ERGO-V DJ Controller is available now, priced at £429 ($671). Buyers get a copy of Atomix Productions Virtual DJ Limited Edition in the box, though the controller should support other apps as well.

This keyboard comes in three light color combinations with a blue, pink, or green top, or a slightly darker silver covering most of the face with a black accent at the top, or a fully black option. As you’ll see in the video, each color combo is live in effect except for the all-black version. In addition to the keyboard itself, you’ll be working with a USB stick (or tiny USB dongle) to connect to your Mac – a MacBook Air here, for example. Each keyboard, they say, for up to three months in total darkness – in the video we see our helpful rep note “three hours”, but we’re going to guess that this is a mis-spoken factoid since all of the press on this device says three months otherwise.

The entire keyboard is only 1/3-inch thick, the keys are set up in a familiar Mac fashion, and all of the keys have a Logitech-specific concave key-cap design. There’s also a Logitech Solar App that you can download along with the keyboard that lets you know what your current battery power is and how much power you’re getting from your sunlight source or desktop lamp at any given time – yes, that’s correct, you don’t need direct sunlight to make this device work. The keyboard can grab power from indoor lighting as well!

You get a 3-year warrantee with purchase, the entire 432 x 157 x 7.5 milimeter keyboard weighs in at only 750 grams, and you can grab one right this second from http://logitech.com/ for $59.99.

Sound good?

You can also check out the rest of the awesome Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 action by hitting the [Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 portal] – hands-on videos and photos of awesome gadgets, gizmos, and tech-tacular items galore!

Back at CES 2011, we got a very brief look at this Central Station device as it existed pre-final shipped edition. Now we see that the display, available in both 23 and 27-inch versions, is ready and out on the market, working with essentially any device that’s able to have a full-sized USB dongle plugged into it. What the Samsung Central Station offers you is more than just a mirroring-capable monitor right out of the box, it allows you to do so with as little hassle on your part as physically possible. Just plug the USB bit in your device, activate it once, and have the display instantly pick up your host device’s presence whenever its near.

It’s magic! Have a look at the video here:

Now this monitor is out on the market right this second wherever fine electronics are sold, but the futuristic Windows 8 is not yet implemented on the tablet as you might expect following the massive amount of coverage that OS / device combo has received over the past week specifically. What we’ve learned, on the other hand, is that because of the versatility of both the monitor and Windows 8′s ability to run every bit of software that Windows 7 was able to, you’ll have no problem in the future with your various Windows 8- laden bits of hardware. Go for it instantly.

ALSO note that you can check out the rest of our hands-on videos from the event in our Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 portal!

The Zphono USB uses RIAA equalization capability for the USB output providing precise software-based equalization in the preferred recording software. The device also has two pair of line level inputs. Other features include an analog-to-digital converter with a USB port for shooting the tunes over to the computer with the best quality. The Zphono USB is packed with features for low noise levels and distortion.

The Zphono USB has a stereo input for MC or MM phono cartridges and the two line-level inputs to transferring tunes for analog sources like CD players or tape decks. When transferring from records there are settings on the rear of the preamp for MM-47 k, MC-47 k, or MC-100 phono cartridges. The preamp also has a headphone output so you can listen while transferring the tunes to your computer. The Parasound Zphono USB will ship the first week of September for $350.

You can make the OS X Lion Recovery Drive for free by following the directions that Apple offers. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own recovery USB drive Apple is getting set to offer them through AppleCare. The flash drives with the recovery software installed are expected to sell for $69. A 9to5mac source has told the publication that the recovery drives will start selling to the public this week.

The recovery drives have reportedly shown up in the Apple internal system slated for launch on August 15, which is today for those that are having problems keeping track of time on a Monday. There has been no official confirmation that the drives will launch today though. I think most people that are reasonably proficient with a Mac will simply make their own discs. Those that aren’t that tech inclined will like the option of buying one already made. The official recovery drive appears to have the Apple logo on it and that is enough to get some fans to buy.

[via 9to5mac]

The Raspberry Pi foundation is confirming this weekend that Dom (another Raspberry Pi official) has been able to access an SD card, a network, and boot Linux from the alpha boards without a hitch. At the moment we’re only able to see a video of Upton speaking about the board and the hardware on it, but later this week we should be able to see demos of the board working in full action. Only a few images of the full working board have been released, and the video is filmed quickly, yet remains as informative as the foundation wishes it to be at the moment.

*NOTE: Raspberry Pi official and official blog poster Liz notes the following about the video itself:

The background howling is Mooncake, the Raspberry Pi Cat, and the horrible grinding sounds during the closeups are signals that I need a new video camera.

If you’d like to see this board in action via Debian booting and pinging the BBC website, you’ll be able to do so by checking out the Raspberry Pi Blog – lots of numbers and letters that all ad up to the system working clearly. Now all we’ve got to do is continue to wait for this awesomely inexpensive board to be released. Will such a sweet situation actually change the commonality of computer science classes around the world? Turn an item inexpensive and it’s got two possible paths: death at the hands of those who take such a marker as low quality in the build, or a complete cornering of either a specific or broad market as all competition struggles to catch up.

Which is it gonna be?

The toothbrush is crazy fast with 31,000 brush strokes per minute and it has two DiamondClean brush heads. Philips claims that the toothbrush removes 100% more plaque than a normal toothbrush. Philips also claims that you can see improvements in gum health in only two weeks. The toothbrush also whitens teeth and has five modes to choose from.

The battery inside the toothbrush is good for 42 two minute brushings and it has a glowing icon for indicating the battery life. The little display on the brush handle shows the mode you are using and is invisible when the power is off. The toothbrush isn’t cheap at around $220.

Intended to co-exist with the current v1.2 specification, rather than replace it, the new standard boosts voltage and current values to cater to higher-draw devices. However, it also allows gadgets to negotiate both factors, so that low-power peripherals don’t get overwhelmed by higher-rated ports.

In fact, the USB 3.0 Promoter group reckon the next step for the connection standard is powering your notebook with it, rather than using your notebook to recharge other devices. “Charging the battery of a notebook PC, or simply powering that notebook PC while actively using the USB data connection, would be possible” group chairman Brad Saunders suggestions. “Conceivably, a notebook PC could rely solely on a USB connection for its source of power.”

The final details are expected to be ironed out in time for Q4 2011, though it’s not clear when we might see high-power ports show up on notebooks and other devices.

IOGEAR has an interesting new four-port USB wireless sharing station that will make it easy to connect to your peripherals even if you turn your computer off. The four-port USB hub is called the Wireless 4-Port sharing Station and is part number GUWIP204. The device can be used to connect anything that has a USB cable on your WiFi network.

It will work with printers, external HDDs, memory card readers, webcams, speakers, and just about anything else you can think of. The device also supports USB 2.0 hub extension. The hub is available right now for $99.95.

Those purchasing this early version will be upgraded to the final version for free, while the full v1.0 will cost more than this $8.51 price spot. Before we go any further, it’s important to note the following requirements of this application: you must have an Android device with USB host support – this is not just ANY Android device mind you, and only the Samsung Galaxy S II with KG1 firmware and the Motorola XOOM have been tested thus far. Next you need a Canon EOS DSLR – such a sweet camera deserves such a sweet app to go along with it, yes? Finally you’ll need what’s called the OTG cable, aka On-The-Go cable for your device, this being a converter for USB full size down to microUSB for your Android device.

At the moment, there is only ONE handset with USB host capabilities, that being the Samsung Galaxy S II once its got its firmware upgraded to KG1 or newer. On the other hand, all tablets running Android 3.1 or higher have this capability built in. The USB cable you get is just as important as having the correct device to work with. You will need, specifically, the OTG cable, and as Chainfire says, “rolling your own cable” will not work. As stated earlier, the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Motorola XOOM are the only devices with which this app has been tested thus far, as far as the Canon EOS goes, the following versions have been confirmed to work: 550D, 50D, 7D, 5D mk II, and 1D mk IV. Check out the demo video here:

Find the app on the Android Market via Chainfire: [DSLR Controller] and once you’ve downloaded and tested it out, let us know how it goes!

[thanks for the tip Rawat!]

The HDD comes in 2TB or 3TB versions and comes bundled with an Iomega Protection Suite with Mac specific software inside. The charge port on the front has 2.1A of power output so you can charge your iPad from the port. It has a single USB 2.0 port and it has an integrated two-port hub for connecting things like printers or more storage.

The drive is formatted with HFS+ file system so it is ready for your Mac right out of the box. The software suite includes backup software and security software. The 2TB version for the drive sells for $195 with the 3TB version selling for $295. Both of the drives will hit the Apple store and other retailers later this month.

The charger is called simply the Dual USB charger and it is one of the chargers that almost completely hides in your car DC outlet. The front of the charger has a 1A USB port and a 2.1A USB port for the iPad. Both of the ports are clearly marked so you know which one you are plugging into. The charger measures 2.25″ x 1″ and has a LED on it to show when it is plugged in.

Those LEDs are a pet peeve of mine since they can be glaring at night. The charger will work with any USB charging device like cameras, GPS devices, smartphones, and tablets. You can put devices other than the iPad into the 2.1A port as well. The Dual USB Charger is on Bracketron right now for $24.95 and will come to other retail stores soon.

The travel case for the battery measures 10″ x 5″ x 1.5″ and weighs under a pound. The charger part is a sort of USB hub for charging that also has a data port for connecting to your computer for the synchronization of your gear while it charges. There is no internal battery. The charger has 10W of power so it will charge your iPad too.

The charger can power up your gear and needs only one AC outlet. The case is made from nylon and the charger is made from APS plastic. The charger will charge items will less power needs as well. The AViiQ Portable Charging Station sells for $79.99.

There’s also a USB port, to plug in MP3 players and directly play back WMA and MP3 files stored on them. The idea is that you can play music without necessarily turning on your computer, though we think it would’ve also been a nice touch if the SD card reader would also show up as a drive on whatever computer you’ve got the Pioneer kit plugged into.

As for the S-MM301 speakers, they’re USB powered and, while the image below may be deceptive, are apparently only a little larger than a smartphone. The metal grills make for more resilience in your bag, and there are front-panel controls for handling volume and mute.

Both sets of speakers are on sale now, with the S-MM301 coming in at $49 and the S-MM751RU at $129.

The USBConnect Force 4G modem will be offered for free on a new two-year data plan starting on July 17. If you don’t want a contract, the modem works on the AT&T pay-as-you go data network as well. With no contract, the modem is $89.99 and the user can choose their data plan via integrated activation procedures.

The modem also includes unlimited WiFi access to AT&T Hotspots with a domestic plan and can roam in more than 200 countries. The modem is built by Huawei and operates on the HSPA/HSPA+ and EDGE/GPRS networks AT&T runs. That means the data speeds aren’t true 4G. This thing will work on Windows and Mac machines.

The speakers are the Olasonic TW-S7 and they are shaped like eggs. You can get the speakers in black or white colors and they only need a single USB port for power and connectivity with the computer. The interesting thing is that the TW-S7 speakers are able to deliver 10W+10W power to the speakers using only that USB plug.

The power boost to the speakers comes by way of a new Super Charged Drive System digital amp inside the speakers. The drivers also use a large 60mm ferrite magnet driver, a passive radiator, and a high-frequency diffuser for high-fi sound. The speakers are able to get the high power from the 2.5W that the USB port offers. The speakers hit Japan in April and will be on Amazon on August 1 for $129.99 for everyone to buy.

Unlike most wireless photo frames, which generally use WiFi, Isabella’s Vizit has a built in 3G modem and as such doesn’t demand a nearby WiFi router. That means it’s ideal for applications where broadband isn’t available or financially feasible (grandparents’ houses, perhaps); instead, there’s a monthly or yearly service plan which includes a set number of wirelessly-delivered images.

The Vizit has a 10.4-inch touchscreen display, while the Mini looks like a USB modem; plugged into a regular digital photo frame, or indeed the USB port offered on various TVs, and it offers the same functionality as the Vizit. It was initially expected to launch in the US before the end of June, though we’re waiting to hear back from Isabella Products as to whether that’s still accurate.

No word on how much the European versions will cost, nor what monthly/yearly subscription fees will be involved.

The controller is made to connect to your computer via USB and allows the user to DJ with their iTunes and other music libraries. The device has touch sensitive jog wheels that can be used to change the pitch of a track. The device also has a sync feature.

That sync feature allows the DJ to combine two separate tracks and match the beat temps for a professional sounding mix. The device comes with the Cross LE DJ software and the price is $99.99 or about $20 more than we expected it’s still one of the cheaper controllers out there.

The WOWkeys has 15 hot-keys that can be used to control your iPhone or iPod touch while its docked. They include a home button, display power on/off, a shortcut to album photos, and multimedia control buttons such as pause, play, and skip tracks. The WOWkeys can also switch over to be a keyboard for your Mac or PC with your docked iPhone or iPod touch acting as a multi-touch pad. A dedicated button switches the keyboards functionality between the two modes of use.

The WOWkeys works with both the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 and connects to your Mac or PC via USB. The keyboard dock is available and shipping now. However, it’s a bit pricey at $100. Would you get one?

[via Electronista]

The design of PQI’s Intelligent Drive U819V follows Apple’s aesthetic of sleek and simple with a slight curving trim. It comes in three different colors: a brushed aluminum model as well as a glossy piano white and black. There is an LED at the tip that flickers to indicate when data is being read.

Now if you’re thinking the cap on that thing is bound to be lost, then worry not. PQI has thought about that and implemented a cap retention design involving a soft rubber contraption that attaches to the end of the disk, but can also be used to hang the device as a cellphone ornament.

Although only half as fast as the recent Apple exclusive Thunderbolt connector, this USB 3.0 is still 10 times faster than good old USB 2.0. The Intelligent Drive comes in capacities ranging from 4GB to 32GB.

[via PQI]

The Airpiano has 8 infrared proximity sensors that create up to 24 virtual keys and 8 virtual faders. Plus, 40 LEDs are embedded for easy orientation and visual feedback. The overall body is built from walnut wood and the lights and sensors sit below a dark red acrylic glass. The Airpiano itself doesn’t actually produce any sounds. It must be used in conjunction with the accompanying software, which allows you to program each key to trigger any sound, fader, or preset arrangement. Hence, the instrument must be connected to a computer via USB.

Although, the Airpiano isn’t something you can simply plug in and start playing away at, it will certainly make for a neat artistic performance once you get it all programmed up. The first limited offering is available now via their online order page, but will cost you €1,099 (about $1,607) if you live in Europe, and €1,149 (about $1,680) if you live elsewhere. But it does make me wonder whether any Kinect hacks out there already do the same thing?

Jo Hamilton – Alive, Alive from Poseidon on Vimeo.

A New Instrument – how it works from Poseidon on Vimeo.

[via Airpiano]

In addition, there’s support for USB keyboard and mouse, which should make content creation on the GTab more straightforward. ViewSonic has also added a couple of new languages, an energy-saving lock screen and support for an external docking station.

The GTab update is being delivered OTA, and owners of the tablet should get a notification in the top bar that the new software is available when they next power-cycle or turn on.

[Thanks n900mixalot!]

On the bottom of the lock where you would find the keyhole is a USB connector. The innards of the lock hide flash storage in three different capacities. You can get the USB Lock Flash Drive in 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB capacities.

The flash drive is available right now and it will cost you $21 to $34 depending on the capacity you choose. The drive measures 36 x 66 x 10mm and weighs 69g. The only downside I see to the drive other than it is expensive for the storage capacity is that the lock body is wide and will probably block the USB port next to it.

First Impressions

When I was first taking a peek at this device, I wasn’t sure if it was a projector, a Bluetooth headset, a laser pistol – or what. This immediately drew me in. I love oddities though, and I’m not entirely sure of my fashion sense – so trust me when I say that you’ll have to make sure you’re comfortable wearing this bit a headgear for yourself. I’ll get a bit further on how it’s going to fit you in a moment, but for now, keep in mind that this isn’t an invisible piece of equipment.

That said, it’s a completely lovely looking piece of industrial design, and I do consider myself to be a bit better than a novice at judging that. The placement of the buttons, the fact that there’s a total of 4 buttons, two lights, one earpiece, one miniUSB, and one camera all on this little J, that’s amazing. It all seems as one, as it should. White and charcoal coloring with accents of red – that’s also tops.

All you’ve got to do is charge this device by plugging it in by the base, let it sit, and press the earpiece button to turn it on. That’s it. Once you’re there, you can either choose to record using the record button, OR – and this is what we’ve done in this entire review – you can use your mobile device to control the camera. Spoiler: it works very, very well, and is totally slick.

Ear Placement

When you first bust this device out, you’re going to wonder how you’re going to make it fit around your ear. As it turns out, the area between the earpiece and the back bit is not rigid, it’s maneuverable. Once you’ve pulled it open, you can place it on your hear and sort of clamp it tight again so it wont go anywhere once you’re wailing your head from side to side (don’t do this, but know that you can.) There’s certainly ways to apply this device to your head that will make you have an earache by the end of the day, but it’s just as easy or easier to make it fit the correct way, the way that’ll have you forgetting that it’s there 5 minutes after you’ve put it on.

Activation

When I use the title “Activation” I don’t mean with your wireless company – this isn’t the sort of device where you’ve got to pay for it by the month, it’s a one-time purchase and that’s it. What I mean is that you’ve got to turn the thing on. This can get a little confusing if you just take it out of the box and start pressing things since there’s no screen to tell you if you’re doing things right or wrong. What you’ve got to do first is make sure the thing is charged up. Press the bottom button or the earpiece button to see. Once you see the tiny green light blink from the bottom of the device, you’re pretty much ready to go – at least for power.

Next what you’ve got to do is hold the bottom button, the top button, and the back button all at once until the green light is blinking slowly. This means that your device is sending out a discoverable Bluetooth signal. You won’t have to do this if you don’t plan on using the device with your mobile phone. We did though, so this is the process. The Looxcie device popped up immediately inside our Bluetooth options screen on the HTC ThunderBolt, our device of choice, and connection occurred basically instantly. Once it was connected, it’s placed upon the ear and left for a few moments while you download one or two Looxcie apps for free.

There’s LooxcieMoments and LooxcieCam App. To start, you’ll probably want the camcorder as it allows you sort of a “live viewer” so you can adjust the camera on your head so that it’s straight. Once you’ve got the app open, it’ll take just a moment to connect, again, to the device. Once it’s connected, you wont have to connect again at all unless you shut one of two devices off. Looking into your screen on your phone now will show you exactly what your Looxcie device is seeing. More than likely you’ll have to adjust a tiny bit (left or right, twisting the camera as it’s still attached to your ear) to make sure it’s level.

Then you’re ready to go!

Recording

You’ve got two options for recording, the first being LooxcieCam App, which records at your full size options, we’ll get back to this in a moment, or LooxcieMoments, which records slightly smaller and at a smaller frame rate, the videos is produces supposedly better optimized for sharing via the social networks it can easily connect to like Facebook or YouTube. Note: Facebook was a little bit spotty with us because we kept wanting to record giant videos, but YouTube never gave an error at all. LooxcieMoments is fun for if you’d like to show people moments of your life that you’re not going to really want to keep for later reference. It might also be a very viable option for if you just NEED some head-based video and audio and you’re running low on space in the device.

Also note: you can use the device as a Bluetooth headset – aka you can answer calls and make calls. Handy!

Information Storage

When you’re using your device strictly with the LooxcieMoments taking videos at HVGA, 15 fps, 800 kbps, the folks at Looxcie say you’ll be able to grab up to 5 hours of video on your 2 GB device. This 2 GB is inside the camera, but you’ll also be able to access these clips on your smartphone device. With LooxcieCam App or with the camera used by itself with no app assistance, you’ll be able to record 1 hour. This is all INSIDE the device itself. When you’re using your phone, you’ll be able to access your videos and watch or share them, but only if you’re connected via Bluetooth to the device. If you’d like these videos on your computer, all you need to do is download the free desktop app that’ll transfer all the videos over. Otherwise what you’ll be doing is moving them to your YouTube or Facebook with the data plan on your phone.

Apps User Interface

The two apps you’ll be using on your mobile device (the phone, in this instance,) are exceedingly simple and basically impossible to not understand. You’ll be recording, viewing, and even editing in no time! Editing is limited to clipping bits out of videos, for example if you’ve got a few moments of prep time after you’ve pressed record but before you’ve started speaking, but what more could you ask for? The only limit we can see here is that once Looxcie gets working on tablet computers, they’re going to have to make it simpler to transfer video from the Looxcie device to the tablet itself – people WILL be wanting to use things like iMovie and Video Editor to work further with the clips they’ve made.

See a few of the interface bits here:

The two main differences between the apps is your ability to view what your camera is seeing outside record mode, this feature only available on the LooxcieCam App, and the video size. This will change soon, as they’re activating the large size clips on LooxcieMoments soon.

Video Quality

Have a peek here at several different environments and instances of use you might encounter or try out when you’ve got the camera in your possession:

A couple of notes: I have hair that reaches down to my shoulders in all three of these videos – keep an eye out for whooshes of beautiful brown flowing wafts. Second, the dog you see in one of the videos is Susi, your humble narrator’s friend – her name means “wolf” in Finnish. Finally, each of these videos were filmed at 480p at 30fps and transferred onto the computer via USB directly from the Looxcie device – aka this is the highest quality video options and transfer.

Wrap-Up and Final Verdict

This device costs $200. While I would judge the perfect price point for this device to be right around $150, the full $200 is fair, especially since the Looxcie group appears to be sending out pretty regular updates / bug fixes / etc for free. The device is heavy-duty enough that you wont have to worry about handing it over to your child to play with. Not that you’d let a tiny child use technological doodads without supervision, but it’s comforting to know that this isn’t like a smartphone where they’re almost certainly going to bash the screen in the first chance they get.

It doesn’t have the best video quality I’ve ever seen on a device this size, in fact one of its taglines is “It’s not HD, it’s ASAP,” but depending on what you plan on using the camera for, it could be very, very useful and eventually essential. Think of all the sweet spy stuff you could accomplish! You’d have to tape over the red record light, of course… But speaking from experience, having used this camera over a period of a couple weeks, noone thinks you’re recording them – or if they do, they certainly don’t act as though they do. The two aunts of mine you see in the Verizon store in the video above had very different reactions to the camera when they first saw it on my head, but neither of them acted odd when I had it recording. One said nothing of it, the other said “what in the heck do you have on your head now?!”

Be brave! Pick one of these little things up. They allow you to record things in a way you’d only otherwise be able to by holding a big fat camera up to your face, and this is much lighter and less obtrusive. And it comes with a little black bag you can use when people realize that the device isn’t implanted into your head. It’s all the headcam action you could want, in a cute little package!