USB

This year is the year of fingerprints for security - if it weren't already abundantly clear, here's another bit of proof. This is the VeriMark Fingerprint Key by Kensington. This device is just about as simple as a fingerprint scanner gets - or as simple as a fingerprint scanner gets when it's not already embedded into a device. This fingerprint scanner is a USB dongle - and it lets the user log in to their notebook.

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For something that has “universal” in its name, the USB standard is anything but. It is honestly all over the place. USB Type-C, a.k.a. USB-C, was supposed to become the end all and be all of USB connections but, that is only true in an ideal world. In the real world, devices still use non-reversible USB 3.0, even much older USB 2.0, connections. And to keep things moving forward, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group has just proudly revealed the existence of yet another one: USB 3.2.

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The folks at Satechi have revealed a couple of new USB-C accessories for those device users that wish to output video from small screens to big screens. Two devices were shown today, one a dongle, the other a cable. The cable has USB-C on one end, and a full-sized HDMI plug on the other. The smaller device is the adapter which has a full-sized HDMI port on one end and USB-C on the other.

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The LumiCharge LED Desk Lamp with Universal Phone Charger is an interesting proposition for desk-sitting gadget lovers. On one hand, it's a lamp - it's able to shine in several different hues, which is great - and it has the time, date, and temperature on it. It also has a multi-tipped phone dock on it for the charging of the user's phone. There's a motion sensor light on this device too - and a couple of USB ports on its back.

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ADATA has taken the wraps off a new sleek metal USB flash drive, one featuring a shiny and durable metal design with a large open loop on the end and dark, stamped branding on the top. The drive is long and looks well when paired with any device, including high-end and aluminum laptops. The style isn't unlike what we've seen from Samsung, though it does have its own small bits of uniqueness. This joins the company's array of other, mostly less attractive, flash drive offerings.

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Lexar brand announced this week that they’d be releasing a number of USB jump drives with resistance to impact, pressure, weather, and water. These jump drives will be able to roll with USB 3.1 ports, and will be backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports as well. These USB sticks are able to withstand heavy-duty action and have a loop to attach to a variety of keychains, carabiners, or other oddities.

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Razer has revealed a Power Bank charging device to take control of their own laptop charging destiny. To make this happen, the Razer Power Bank rolls with several USB ports to charge not only a laptop, but smartphones and tablets as well. Inside this power bank is a massive 12,800 mAh capacity battery, made for long rides on airplanes and in the back seats of cars.

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This relatively small box of metal can carry 2TB of data - well enough for your whole movie collection, not to mention your music files. Straight from Kingston, the makers of many sorts of high-capacity and super-swift bits of hardware, the DataTraveler Ultimate is extremely simple. It rolls with a size of 72mm x 26.9mm x 21mm and connects with USB 3.0.

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I'm not sure why you would want a flash drive style device that is capable of destroying some of the components inside a PC. The only use I can think of is vandalism at schools or work, which is what at least a few of the commenters on a YouTube video posted by Thomas Kim seem to be interested in. Kim posted a video showing the steps needed to build a DIY USB Killer that blasts voltage through the USB port of a PC to make it shut down.

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Today Apple cut prices of USB-C accessories of all sorts, citing a need for legacy connections to older devices by professionals. The MacBook Pro is meant to be a professional notebook, and as most accessories have not yet moved to USB-C, dongles are needed. Apple suggests today that they've seen the need for this, and are therefore cutting costs to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals throughout the Apple Store.

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Eclipse is a USB hub that is nothing like most of the USB hubs you have used before. This device is round and hides the connectors and all the cables away inside. The round design is meant to charge three of the gadgets that you use daily and can be placed on a nightstand, desk, or hung on the wall.

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Apple's MacBook Pro is long overdue a refresh, but the hotly-anticipated update could bring pain to those unready to embrace new connectors. It's been well over a year since Apple last revamped its high-end notebook, with the MacBook Pro released in May 2015 still holding out today with its Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.0 ports. Now, though a considerably changed new line-up is expected within a matter of weeks, not everybody is likely to be happy.

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