Long time no hear from Tokyo-based USB gadget maker Thanko. The company today announced foot switch pedals [JP] for use with Windows XP, 7 or Vista machines (I am aware this isn’t a world’s first, but the last Thanko post was too long ago). Just assign any key on your keyboard to one of the pedals, and you won’t need your fingers to press that key ever again. → Read More
As you know, we here at CrunchGear pride ourselves on bringing you the latest and hottest information on novelty USB drives. Nicholas is particularly a fan. But more to the point, we know you are too. Which is why I’m here to tell you that MIMIBOT just announced their latest, the series 5 Star Wars line. There’s even a Stormtrooper that just might be a little shorter then normal. → Read More
Willing to spend $300+ on a fancy motherboard just so you can get USB 3.0 support? Yeah, that might not be such a good idea, if only because Intel is in no hurry to integrate the spec into its chipsets. That means companies have to go out of their way to offer USB 3.0 on their systems. The odds of seeing USB 3.0 on a cheap-o netbook, then, are pretty much non-existent. → Read More
I understand the desire to have your computer stuff look good, really I do. But things like this are just silly to me. They are obviously pointed at a market that doesn’t know any better, and buy things based on the appearance rather then the functionality. Brinell, the company that makes these fancy veneer clad drives, has even won a couple of design awards for their form over function. → Read More
Long time no hear from Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko. About for weeks ago, the USB specialist released a mouse with a built-in speaker, only to follow up today with the Nikukyu Mouse [JP], a mouse that looks like a cat paw for some reason. → Read More
Corsair just announced the latest in their line of USB drives, the Flash Voyager Mini. Smaller then a quarter, the mini is just the right size to lose when you really need them, and come sizes ranging from 4 to 32 GB. → Read More
Are you a woman? Are you sick of seeing all those manly USB sticks around you every day? Then these four new models announced [JP] by Buffalo in Japan today might be right for you. → Read More
The Humping USB Dogs became so popular 2 or 3 years ago that the maker, Japan-based Cube, not only started selling the silly things internationally but also added a plethora of other animals to the line-up. And now, the same company has another USB-powered gadget ready, the so-called Dodobongo USB dog. → Read More
It’s not the first device of its kind, but it’s pretty cheap and compact: Japan-based Novac announced [JP] the NV-CR001U today, a player for both LPs and cassettes that helps to digitize music stored on those media (almost) hassle-free. → Read More
Here’s a rather unique DIY project for you: a russian builder created a USB key design using a block of wood, a switch, and a fan. Why do you need a fan for a USB key you ask? Well, I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is the glowing LED lights inside the glowing logo need cooling? Honestly, no clue. → Read More
Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko continues to amaze. The company today announced [JP] a mouse with an integrated speaker, believe it or not (Thanko already gave us the “mid-air” mouse, the USB cooler mouse, a heated mouse, and a liquid mouse). → Read More
JVC in Japan today announced [JP] the NC-SP1, an ultra-slim active speaker that’s just 34mm thick and can be connected to your computer via USB. Marketed as a device that’s particularly suitable for presentations, it supports Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS X 10.4 machines and requires just one USB port. → Read More
Tokyo-based crazy USB gadget maker Thanko has done it again. The company today announced [JP] not one but two “Hot Lunch Bags”, special cases that are supposed to warm up lunch boxes you brought to the office from home via USB. Thanko offered a first version of the “Hot Lunch Bag” back in winter 2008. → Read More
In an age when standard USB 2.0 cables can be purchased for next to nothing, the $40 price tag on Belkin’s 4-foot USB 3.0 cable ought to be enough to keep most of us out of the early adopter demographic for a while. → Read More
Initially I was like, “Why am I writing about a USB cable?” Then I read the little description and was like, “Oh, neat.” Yes, I used the word “neat” like a schoolgirl in 1954. Anyhow, the cable blocks data synchronization. Why would you ever want that? → Read More
USB 3.0 is poised to become mainstream soon, and more and more compatible devices have been cropping up in the last few months. Today computer equipment maker Buffalo in Japan has announced [JP] what it claims to be the world’s first 4-port USB 3.0. This comes five weeks after VIA (based out of Taiwan) has unveiled the first USB 3.0 hub controller in the industry. → Read More
It looks like Tokyo-based acessory maker Thanko is trying to carve out a new niche for themselves, spy gadgets (apart from insane USB gadgets). The newest addition to their spy equipment lineup is the LED Spy Light HD [JP], an LED flashlight that records video in HD. Needless to say, the device lets you shoot photos, too. → Read More
When I first saw the picture of this USB drive, I immediately thought, “Why am I being assigned to write about a pregnancy test?” Then I actually realized that it’s not a pee test, but rather a really bad idea for a secure USB drive. → Read More
For some reason, Tokyo-based USB accessory maker Thanko has rolled out a slew of spy gadgets in the past weeks and months. About four weeks ago, Thanko gave us a spy pen that shoots video in HD, and today we are getting the Motion Sensor Spy Pen [JP]. The device looks like a regular ballpen, but it detects people moving in its vicinity and starts recording them on video automatically. → Read More
Most of Tokyo-based Thanko’s USB accesories are utterly useless, but I don’t know what to think of their latest creation, a 80-port USB board [JP]. Yes, they put 80 USB ports on one board. You can’t transfer data over the ports but only charge your gadgets though, it’s not a USB hub. → Read More
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