ports

Space-saving keyboard clears the deck

As evidenced by the "Isole" power strip only a few minutes ago, some of the most mundane devices can prove to be the most convenient. So at the risk of inducing narcolepsy among our readers, we herewith offer another boring but (possibly) useful item as a public service.

Kensington's Ci70 keyboard has been outfitted with two USB ports above the keys rather than on the sides or back, which may seem like a small thing but really makes a lot of sense. The position will keep the plugs accessible without having to turn the keyboard around while … Read more

A USB hub for San Francisco Giants fans

Being a native of the wasteland that is Southern California, fellow Craver Erica Ogg will take any opportunity to take a cheap shot at a San Francisco sports franchise. We won't lower ourselves to that kind of sniping (other than to say the Dodgers suck) in offering this alternative to the product she used as an excuse to sully the name of Barry Bonds.

Like its "asterisk" counterpart, Brando's "Star Hub II" is designed to avoid the dreaded Port Blocking Syndrome by contorting into different positions and angles as needed. It also doesn't … Read more

Apple's AirPort Express gets extra juice with 802.11n upgrade

Apple has updated its AirPort Express portable wireless base station to make it compatible with the speedy 802.11n wireless standard, the company announced Monday.

802.11n, the latest iteration of the wireless networking standard, more than quadruples wireless-data rates to 248 megabits per second from the current 54 megabits per second offered by the 802.11g wireless standard; there are also some security improvements over 802.11g.

Apple's current lineup of laptops, iMac desktops, Apple TV set-top boxes, and Time Capsule backup devices already come with 802.11n.

An AirPort Express allows up to 10 Wi-Fi users to … Read more

Connection crazy: Dell's new 30-inch LCD

Following on the heels of yesterday's Crystal LCD release, Dell is at it again today with a new 30-inch LCD monitor, the UltraSharp 3008WFP. Compared to last year's 3007WFP model, which we liked, the 3008WFP features a new look and loads more connections. The image here doesn't do it justice, but the 3008WFP has a brushed aluminum housing that sits atop a glossy, flat base (say goodbye to the Flying V stand of last year's model). And the cantilever arm allows for more flexible positioning.

Our biggest complaint with last year's model was the limited … Read more

Add a port replicator via ExpressCard

If you have an ExpressCard slot in your laptop, here's one way to make better use of it. Targus has a nifty device called the ExpressCard Docking Station that works somewhat like a port replicator. But instead of proprietary connectors, it utilizes the ExpressCard slot.

In addition to four USB 2.0, Ethernet (10/100/1000) and serial ports, the dock comes with standard VGA and DVI connectors that are useful to hook up to an external display to a laptop. According to the specifications, the dock supports up to 1,600x1,200 video resolution. The presence of audio … Read more

Gamespot: Japanese PSP to get TV tuner

Gamespot is reporting that when the new, slimmer PSP is released in Japan on September 20, buyers there will also be able to pick up a new TV tuner accessory, the PSP-S310, which will attach to the new PSP's USB port.

The article says that, "The peripheral weighs in at only 17 grams and is very portable, but is compatible only with the new PSP model. Also, since it's a 1seg digital TV tuner (ISDB-T broadcasting format), its use is limited to the Japan airwaves. The TV tuner will be released at the same time as the … Read more