USB device may upgrade sound without hassle

Being obsessed with gadgets doesn't equate to hardware handiness. In fact, some of us at Crave are loath to remove the back of a computer for fear of the havoc we might wreak--a sorry state for upgrades.

Creative Technology has a solution in at least one category, sound cards. It has just released its "Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1," which allows dolts like us to upgrade audio quality by just plugging the device into a USB port. The small box, which goes for $60, could be a good solution for casual gamers and music lovers who don't want to mess with the innards of their desktop or laptop.