usb
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Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro get routine processor and SSD boost
Apple gave its MacBook and MacBook Pro lineup a small boost today at WWDC — the machines are getting new Kaby Lake processors and faster solid-state drives across the board. Apple’s 15-inch Pro is getting faster standard graphics, and an upgraded entry-level 13-inch Pro will retail for $1,299, sans Touch Bar, of course. You’ll be able to order all of the upgraded laptops… Read More
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Kado wants to make the world’s thinnest charger
What can you wrap up in ribbons? Stick in your sock? And what can you take out in public and not get thrown in the dock? The Kado phone charger, of course. This new product by Itay Hasid and Daniel Assis is making the rounds at MWC and is essentially the “world’s thinnest wall charger for smartphones.” Obviously a wall charger isn’t that exciting but the pair raised… Read More
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Pokémon Go drives a surge in smartphone backup battery sales
Early on in the Pokémon Go hype cycle, there were signs that players were driving a significant uptick in sales of backup batteries, like the Mophie units you may be familiar with that offer USB connections for topping up mobile devices while you’re away from an outlet. Now, research from analytics firm NPD Group goes beyond early anecdotal evidence to show that in fact, unit sales… Read More
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On painful Apple rumors
Several photos have surfaced showing what is supposed to be the next iPhone and MacBook Pro over the last few days. These leaked photos themselves are not surprising. Apple spy photos are big business and a staple in tech journalism. But if these photos are to be believed, radical changes are about to hit two of Apple’s flagship products. And it’s about damn time. The iPhone shots… Read More
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Voltus Gives The 12-Inch MacBook A Battery Boost, Two New USB Ports
The new 12-inch MacBook from Apple is packed with cool tech, and its USB-C port is a prime example. The port allows for charging as well as data connectivity, meaning you can draw power from things like USB power banks, which are traditionally designed for phones and tablets. The Voltus, a new project launching today on Kickstarter, will charge your MacBook at the same rate as if you were… Read More
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Crunch Network
Notes From Crazytown, Day Three: Black Hat Breakdown
So far this week, at Black Hat, I have learned to deeply mistrust: passwords, chip-and-PIN cards, USB devices, HTTPS connections, more than two billion phones, governments worldwide, all human societies, and my sense of the ridiculous. You should mistrust all those too! Sorry. What follows is a summary of the most eyebrow-raising talks I attended or heard about: Read More
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Paper USB Business Card Lets You Track Usage
The humble business card still hasn’t been killed off by digital alternatives. Being handed a piece of dead tree with contact details printed on it in ink arguably increasingly stands out in an age when digital data is so cheap and mutable. Read More
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iMacompanion Adds An Accessible USB 3.0 Port To Your iMac
iMacompanion already ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of their USB extender for iMacs, which brings a port to the front where it’s useful instead of hidden around back where it’s beautiful but not exactly accessible. Now, they’re going back to the crowdfunding well to fund the creation of a USB 3.0 version. This time, the campaign is on Indiegogo, and… Read More
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Snakable’s New USB Charging Cable Will Never Need Duct Tape
If you’ve ever owned a USB charging cable (and if you’re reading TechCrunch, odds are you have), then you’ve encountered the problem that Snakable wants to solve. That is, after repeated use, the cable breaks, the wires are exposed, and then, more often that not, the cable itself becomes unreliable, requiring you to jiggle it in order to get your device to start charging. Read More
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Meet The Reversible USB Cable, Coming This Summer
Before Apple’s Lightning cable, I never even dreamed of a life where input/output cables could be reversible. Now, however, it’s hard to go back to standard and micro USB, because I got so lazy. Soon enough, however, USB is getting a new reversible standard called “Type-C” which is around the size of microUSB, and which replaces USB 3 cables entirely, on both sides. We… Read More
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Review: Squier By Fender Strat Guitar With USB Connection
The Squier Strat by Fender (or Squier by Fender Strat or however they want to name this thing) is one of the first guitars with a built-in digital signal processor. The guitar plugs right into any computer or 30-pin iOS device (Lightning cables are not yet available) so you can play directly into any sound editor including GarageBand and Logic Pro. It’s a $200 guitar that’s… Read More
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Meet Phorce, A Smart Bag That Charges Your Gadgets And Provides Power Management Via Bluetooth
I like gadgets, and almost out of necessity I also like bags. The Phorce, a new project hitting Kickstarter today, knows that there are many out there like me, and wants to provide a bag-based charging solution to help you keep your gadgets protected and topped off, with the added benefit of additional power management options communicated via Bluetooth to an iPhone app. Read More
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New USB Spec Calls For Up To 100W Of Power, Thinks “Thunderbolt” Is A Cute Name
I’m sure many of our readers have come across a situation where they’d have liked USB to carry a bit more power to their devices. Your phone or iPod, charging ever-so-slowly, or perhaps an external drive that only works on “powered” USB ports — or must be plugged into a wall socket. A wall socket, in this day and age! I ask you! Fortunately, the SuperSpeed USB… Read More
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USB-Powered Necktie Clip Cooler
This is a bit silly, but OK. Tokyo-based accessory maker Thanko has developed a very special gadget that’s supposed to help you fight the summer heat: a necktie clip [JP] that’s attached to a mini fan, which is powered via USB. Read More
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Thanko Sells Underwater Video Camera Goggles
Have you ever wanted to shoot video while you were out diving in the ocean? But using a waterproof video camera isn’t for you? Then you should consider Thanko‘s newest product, underwater video camera goggles [JP], which is waterproof to a depth of 5m. Read More
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BG-BL01: Panasonic's Portable Solar Light Doubles As A USB Charger
We will see more of these devices coming in the next few years, I am sure: Panasonic today announced [JP] the BG-BL01, a portable and solar-powered LED light that doubles as a charger for USB gadgets. The device is sized at just 152×104×24mm, weighs 150g, can house two AA batteries and is splash proof. Read More
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Hot Cool Box: Thanko's USB Mini Fridge Doubles As Heater
Do you like your beverages cool in the summer and warm in the winter? Are you one of those computer users who think it’s too cumbersome to walk to the fridge whenever you’re in need for a drink? Then the so-called USB Hot Cool Box [JP] from Thanko might be the right thing for you. Read More
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Thanko Starts Selling The USB Butt Cooler Cushion (Ver. 2)
Temperatures neared the 40 degree Celsius mark around Tokyo over the weekend – reason enough for Thanko to start selling the so-called USB Hinyari Cushion Ver. 2 [JP], which essentially is a USB-powered cooler/cushion for your butt. The Tokyo-based crap gadget maker has offered a very similar item last summer, and apparently that cushion sold well enough to be updated this year. Read More
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