Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping its high-capacity 64GB DataTraveler(R) 150 (DT150) USB Flash drive. DT150 offers the largest capacity in Kingston’s entire line of DataTraveler USB drives and allows users the room and flexibility to backup important hard drive contents, and transport and share complete collections of music, videos, photos and documents in one convenient device.

“The new 64GB DataTraveler 150 takes transportable storage to the next level with big capacity in a small package,” said Jaja Lin, Flash business development manager, Kingston(R). “As file sizes increase with digital media content such as music and photos, the need for USB Flash drives with high capacities will continue to rise. The DT150 certainly addresses those needs today.”

Kingston’s DataTraveler 150 is fully compatible with Windows Vista, XP and Windows 2000 as well as Mac OS X 10.3 (and above) and Linux 2.6 (and above). The DT150 carries a fully guaranteed five-year warranty and 24/7 tech support.

Kingston DataTraveler 150
Part Number MSRP (U.S. only. Prices subject to change.)

• DT150/64GB $177.00
• DT150/32GB $116.00

DataTraveler 150 Product Features and Specifications:

• Capacities*: 64GB, 32GB
• Dimensions: 3.06″ x 0.9″ x 0.47″ (77.9mm x 22mm x 12.05mm)
• Operating Temperature: 32 degrees F to 140 degrees F (0 degrees C to 60 degrees C)
• Storage Temperature: -4 degrees F to 185 degrees F (-20 degrees C to 85 degrees C)
• Simple: Just plug into a USB port
• Convenient: Pocket-sized for easy transportability
• Guaranteed: Five-year warranty
• Compatible Operating Systems: Windows Vista (Windows ReadyBoost(TM) not supported), Windows XP (SP1, SP2), Windows 2000 (SP4), Mac OS X v.10.3.x and higher, Linux v.2.6.x and higher

*Please note: Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. For more information, please consult Kingston’s Flash Memory Guide at http://kingston.com/Flash_Memory_Guide.

For more information on Kingston or its products visit the Web site at: http://www.kingston.com/.

Arbella Enterprises, Inc. (www.mycooltable.com) has announced the availability of their new laptop table called the “Laptop Cool Table.” It is a unique product that combines a cooling pad with a laptop table. It quickly turns a laptop in to a portable desktop by raising the computer to a comfortable level.

The most unique feature of the Laptop Cool Table is its cooling ability. Laptop batteries can get very hot during use. The table houses two built-in USB fans which help to cool the laptop’s battery for optimal performance and prolonged life. The table’s USB cord easily connects to the laptop USB port which powers the table’s fans. The user has the option of using the table as a flat cooling pad by leaving the legs folded.

The flexible design enables users to easily place their laptop in the most comfortable position. Raising the laptop reduces sore wrists/back and keeps the hot battery from burning the user’s legs. The unit requires no assembly and adjusts in seconds. The legs extend vertically and horizontally and work independently. This enables the user to adjust the unit, regardless of the surface, i.e. the desk, the bed, the couch or the floor.

Lightweight and compact construction makes the table ideal for traveling wherever you take your laptop. Unlike many other laptop tables that have lengthy assembly steps, the Laptop Cool Table sets up and folds down quickly. Also with no parts to assemble there are never missing or lost pieces. This versatile table is ready for the indoors, outdoors, home or office. It is constructed of sturdy tubular aluminum and plexiglass that will last for many years.

Arbella Enterprises has produced many unique inventions and does not compromise on quality. The company’s focus is to provide the highest quality of products at affordable prices. They are located in Los Angeles, CA and they have been in business for 15 years.

More information: http://www.mycooltable.com/.

ExpressCard technology (www.expresscard.org) is the next-generation PC Card technology for  high-performance expansion of desktop and mobile systems. ExpressCard and PC Card slots can be found in more than 95 percent of notebook computers.

“ExpressCard technology is closely tied to the PCI Express® and USB specifications, and the 2.0 release of our standard takes full advantage of recent advancements in both interface technologies,” said Brad Saunders, chairman, PCMCIA.  “Now that the new SuperSpeed USB specification is ready, PCMCIA can move forward to finalize the ExpressCard 2.0 release and make it available to members in early 2009. Consumers can expect to see new, innovative products that take advantage of the enhancements offered by the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard starting in 2010.”

“SuperSpeed USB brings a whole new level of performance enhancements that will drive the next generation of consumer electronics,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chairman.  “Having SuperSpeed USB support in the latest ExpressCard Standard gives developers an additional form factor to take advantage of these new features. ExpressCard technology is a natural extension of USB.”   The new ExpressCard Standard will support transfer rates ranging from two to 10 times faster than ExpressCard Standard 1.2, depending on the data protocol used.

Some of the applications that benefit from the improved performance are:

• Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) 2.0 adapters supporting large file transfers between computers and various storage devices;

• USB 3.0 adapters supporting large file transfers between computers and peripheral devices;

• Very high-performance streaming media and video adapters; and

• Very high-performance storage modules based on flash memory technologies, e.g. solid-state drive applications.

The ExpressCard Standard is based on the advanced serial I/O technologies, PCI Express® and USB. The Standard is being updated to comply with the recent release of the PCI Express specification, Version 2.0, which offers transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, two times faster than its previous version.  The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard also supports the new USB 3.0 specification released today.  SuperSpeed USB will support speeds of up to 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB.

The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard supports backward compatibility with products compliant with any previous versions of the Standard.  Any compliant ExpressCard product will work in any ExpressCard slot, regardless of which version of the Standard the product complies with. A new product compliance and logo program will be phased in once the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard is released.

Current ExpressCard “plug ‘n’ play” applications include memory, local area network (LAN), wireless broadband (WWAN), WiFi, memory adapters, parallel adapters, serial adapters, TV tuners, smart card readers, instrumentation, 1394A&B adapters, serial ATA (SATA) adapters and USB adapters.

Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Lexar Media, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Sony, Texas Instruments and Toshiba are among those supporting development of the ExpressCard Standard.

Late last year, Mimoco began the Vimobot Design Contest, a Do-It-Yourself vinyl art toy challenge which sought the best and most innovative character designs. The entries were hand-created by the entrants, using Mimoco’s oversized blank Vimobot vinyl toy as a canvas. After the hundreds of entries from unknown, emerging, and amateur artists in the MIMOBOT community were narrowed to twenty finalists, MIMOBOT forum denizens chose their six favorite designs to become MIMOBOT flash drives. The winning VDC creations represent a wide variety of artistic styles, from traditional character design to the semi-abstract.

“Our community is what drives our success as a company,” says Dan Ruby, Mimoco’s Minister of Information. “We tried to take the idea that a company’s brand doesn’t belong to the company, but rather to the consumers, to a new level with this contest. Using a DIY vinyl art toy as a platform to solicit artwork for a series of flash drives had never been done, and we’re thrilled with the results.”

The six winning designs represent the beginning of a strong collection of community-created characters that Mimoco will add to their portfolio of nearly 100 limited edition MIMOBOT designs, ranging from incredibly detailed to iconic to super cute, all of which lean towards contemporary. The VDC Series designers hail from the US, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates and each winner receives a cash prize and shipment of their design in MIMOBOT flash drive form.

The VDC MIMOBOT series also continues Mimoco’s devotion to the creation of original, rich, and engaging content, with the release of mimoZine Issue 4. MimoZine is Mimoco’s quarterly digital magazine, focusing on topics like music, tech, entertainment, and art. Issue 4, releasing on the VDC MIMOBOT Series, features a profile of the ROTHBURY Enviro-Music Festival, a tour of pop-culture’s meeting grounds - San Diego Comic Con, and an exploration of the James Brown estate collection on Christie’s auction block. With the release of mimoZine Issue 4, Mimoco is happy to announce all previous mimoZine issues are now archived and can be viewed at mimozine.com.

If you haven’t seen the slightly NSFW USB Humping Dogs… you may have a hard time understanding USB Crunching Dogs. But then you can say to yourself “ahh… these are imported from Japan” and suddenly everything becomes more clear. While the Humping Dogs… er… hump… these Crunching Dogs do endless sit-ups when you plug them into your USB port. Do they ever stop? No. Is there an off switch? Nope. However there is some kind of satisfaction to be had at watching a tiny dog tirelessly exercising on your behalf. It almost makes us want to leap from our desks, forgo electronics and computers and start doing jumping jacks… but then again that’s where the trouble started with the Humping Dogs.

Product Features

• Small dogs do sit-ups when plugged into any USB port
• Imported from Japan
• 2.25″ inches high

Price:$9.99 Buy here: ThinkGeek.com

IronKey, maker of the world’s most secure flash drive, today announced its IronKey Silver Bullet Service, which enables enterprise security professionals to remotely manage hundreds or thousands of IronKey secure flash drives over the Internet. As a key component of the IronKey managed service, the IronKey Silver Bullet Service provides the ability to remotely track, deny access or destroy IronKey USB secure storage devices.

A recent study by the Ponemon Institute showed that 26 percent of enterprises have experienced breaches caused by malicious insiders. Building on the company’s expertise with military grade, always-on encryption as well as password management in its tamper resistant USB drives, IronKey is now extending its capabilities to allow administrators to set policies that define actions to be taken when a device is lost or stolen, or when an employee leaves and does not return a device. The Silver Bullet Service also provides comprehensive tracking and rich reporting capabilities to deliver provable confirmation about the data stored on the devices for auditing and compliance purposes.

The IronKey Silver Bullet Service provides a variety of options that prevent access to data on the device when it is lost, stolen or in the possession of a user who has been terminated or otherwise deemed an insider threat. Administrators may deny access to the device until its status is verified through the management server. They may disable the device, so the next time the device connects to an internal or external network, the Silver Bullet Service locks out the user completely (which cannot be undone unless the administrator manually makes a change to the state). Or, they may remotely instruct the device to initiate its self-destruct sequence, which actually destroys the internal circuitry so that even the administrator cannot recover the data.

With more and more enterprises going mobile, businesses will see a rapid increase in the number of mobile devices introduced, and according to Forrester Research, growing numbers of employees are not waiting for IT, but instead are going mobile themselves. This introduces major support, management, and security pains to the corporate environment, and IT operations must take steps to control this.

“Encryption provides a first line of defense against data loss from flash drives, but it is not enough, especially for larger organizations that require an enterprise approach to deploying devices and protecting proprietary systems and information,” said IronKey CEO David Jevans. “The IronKey Silver Bullet Service provides the management component required for IT organizations to gain visibility into USB drive usage, and ensures protection throughout the lifecycle of the drives.”

IronKey Silver Bullet Service is available now. For more information, please visit http://www.ironkey.com/.

Source: IronKey

Denali Software, Inc., a world-leading provider of electronic design automation (EDA) software and intellectual property (IP), today announced that its PureSpec(TM) verification intellectual property (VIP) product now supports the USB 3.0 specification from the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, allowing device and system designers to begin advanced USB 3.0 development. Denali’s PureSpec USB VIP product provides both design and verification engineers with a high-quality solution for modeling, simulating, and verifying designs that utilize the latest USB interface specification, enabling them to accelerate the design and verification of USB devices and systems.

“Denali has been a long-time supporter of USB technology and provider of verification IP solutions,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chairman. “We are pleased to see this announcement from Denali, supporting the USB 3.0 specification, as it will help developers bring SuperSpeed USB products to market quickly and support compliance to the USB 3.0 specification with their USB VIP solutions.”

Denali’s PureSpec VIP software for the USB interface supports the next-generation USB technology and specification as it continues to evolve. The USB 3.0 specification offers over 10x performance improvement and is fully backwards compatible with USB 2.0.

“Our customers are thrilled that we have enabled USB VIP for the next generation of USB, and thus can leverage Denali’s tools, experience and support with PCI Express and USB 2.0 to take advantage of the new SuperSpeed USB protocol,” states Sanjiv Kumar, director, Verification Products at Denali Software. “Our verification IP products not only support the next-generation interface requirements for design and verification of SuperSpeed USB devices and systems, but accelerate our customers’ design cycles time to market.”

PureSpec USB 3.0 Verification IP

Denali’s PureSpec is the most widely-used verification IP product for verifying compliance and compatibility of USB designs. All PureSpec products are directly integrated into all popular EDA languages and verification environments including: Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL, C/C++, SystemC, ‘e’, OpenVERA. Quality, completeness and seamless integration with all modern verification environments, e.g., OVM, VMM, eRM, etc., make PureSpec the solution of choice for functional verification and interoperability validation of USB designs. A solid product platform, dedicated customer support, and unmatched EDA modeling and verification expertise make PureSpec USB the best-in-class verification IP solution. For more information about PureSpec USB, visit: http://www.denali.com/usb3.

Source: Denali Software, Inc.

Cables Unlimited, a leading manufacturer and value-added distributor of computer cables and accessories, and Wisair, a leading provider of single-chip based Wireless USB solutions, today announced the availability of a Wireless USB Adapter Set. The Cables Unlimited Wireless USB Adapter Set (#USB-WIRELESS / UPC #724580321620), featuring Wisair’s single-chip, allows users to enable USB devices with Wireless USB. The kit is available through multiple online retailers, including Amazon.com, Buy.com, TigerDirect.com, Staples.com, and retailers Fry’s Electronics and CompUSA.

The newly available adapter set consists of a pair of Wireless USB dongles, one for the notebook or PC and another for the device. The device-side adapter enables moving existing USB peripherals such as external hard drive, printer, digital still camera, camcorder cradles, and CD/DVD writers up to thirty feet away from the crowded desktop to more convenient locations in the room, eliminating the USB cable distance restrictions. With this easy-to-use adapter set, users can economically upgrade their existing wired USB devices with Wireless USB, including turning a USB hub into a Wireless USB hub.

“It is exciting how much demand the Wireless USB Kit has already generated, since our launch several weeks ago. Many consumers are compelled to purchase this product as it brings them a true value priced solution to an innovative new technology, which is cable-free USB connectivity,” noted Ben Hunter, Cables Unlimited CEO. “We chose Wisair’s Wireless USB technology as the basis of our offering due to its superior wireless coverage and low cost. We will soon expand our offering to include single device adapters sold separately, so consumers can wirelessly connect additional USB peripherals to the same PC.”

“Wireless USB adapters are a key transition product in the move to embedded Wireless USB,” said Brian O’Rourke, principal analyst at high-tech market research firm In-Stat. “The partnership between Cables Unlimited and Wisair will be important in the development of the Wireless USB market, in addition to helping promote consumer acceptance of the technology.”

“Cables Unlimited and Wisair have provided consumers an affordable Wireless USB solution that is available at many popular retailers,” commented Jeff Ravencraft, president and chairman of the USB-IF. “We are pleased at the continued advancement and availability of Wireless USB solutions in the marketplace.”

David Yaish, Wisair president and CEO noted, “The inclusion of Wisair’s WSR601 in the Cables Unlimited Wireless USB adapter set is a testament to the superior capabilities offered in Wisair’s Wireless USB single chip and reference designs. We are excited that U.S. customers can now readily gain access to Wisair Wireless USB based offerings through some of the most widely recognized retailers.”

About the Wireless USB Adapter Set

The Wireless USB adapter set allows users to wirelessly connect from their laptop/desktop to a range of USB devices, which can be placed anywhere in the room up to 30 feet away from the computer. Wireless USB connectivity is enabled by attaching the PC adapter to the PC/notebook and connecting the device adapter to the USB port of the device. Following a simple, standard- Windows setup, USB devices are identified without any physical connection, providing the freedom of wirelessly backing up data, printing, or transferring data. The device adapter can also be attached to a USB hub, turning it into a Wireless USB hub. Pricing for the adapter set, available by multiple retailers, ranges between $79-$99 USD.

Source: Wisair

Fulfilling a promise of delivering high-speed, wireless broadband while on the go, Motorola, Inc.  unveiled its first WiMAX USB adaptor, the USBw 100. This thumb-drive-sized device is available in three versions to connect to WiMAX networks in each of the three bands approved for use around the world - 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz and 3.5 GHz. The Motorola USBw 100 plugs directly into laptop computers to provide mobile and nomadic wireless broadband connectivity, both indoors and out. It is expected to be available in Q4 2008.

Motorola’s wi4 WiMAX USB adaptor has been designed with multiple antenna technology to provide reliable, high-speed connectivity in the various and unpredictable environments where users expect service, especially indoor home, business and coffee shop environments, as well as on-the-go in a mobile world. The USBw 100 delivers increased range and higher throughput when compared with single-antenna solutions. When used with Motorola’s dual antenna Diversity Access Point (DAP) /Wireless Access Point (WAP) 400 Series, both uplink and downlink performance are significantly enhanced.

The device, which easily plugs into the USB port, seamlessly connects the laptop computer to a WIMAX broadband network for reliable, easy, high-speed connection for e-mail, web surfing, video and audio streaming, GPS services, Internet phone calls and other uses.

“Our new USBw 100 adaptor will let people enjoy desktop-like performance while on the go with their laptop computers by giving them wireless connectivity to a WiMAX service provider’s broadband wireless network,” said Charles Riggle, senior director of strategy and business development, WiMAX devices, Home & Networks Mobility. “With hundreds of thousands of commercial WiMAX CPEs shipped to date, the USBw 100 is the latest addition to our portfolio of award-winning devices that are providing fixed, nomadic and mobile connectivity to our WiMAX customers around the world.”

The USBw 100 will be on display in Motorola’s booth, #601, at WiMAX World 2008. For more information on Motorola’s WiMAX solutions, please visit: http://www.motorola.com/wimax

These days, if you want to play those old games, and your old systems aren’t in working order, you’ve got two choices: eBay and emulators. eBay can be expensive, and emulators lack the tactile response you got from those old joysticks. Remember those old black joysticks? Eight-directions, cherry-red fire button. They just don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

One enterprising geek out there figured out how to retrofit a standard USB joystick with a DB-9 connector, and wired it up so you can take one of those old Atari 2600 joysticks and plug it in. Now you can have a joystick for your more modern emulated games, as well as a port so you can play those old Atari games properly. You’ll need to supply your own Atari joystick, but once you’ve got that, you’re all set!

Features

• USB Joystick, OS X and Windows compatible
• Works with most software emulation packages
• Added DB-9 port for Atari joystick capability!

Price: $39.99 Buy here: ThinkGeek.com