USB

Run portable apps and more from a USB drive with AutoRunnerX

Sometimes it takes a little effort to figure out even the simplest tools, at least when you go by the documentation. So it was with AutoRunnerX, a free tool that launches portable applications, folders, and other stuff stored on a USB drive or portable hard drive when you insert the drive in your system. That's simple enough and useful, too; but it took some mental translations calling upon high school German classes to figure it all out.

Installing AutoRunnerX requires a reboot. The program runs in the background, though it has a compact user interface for adding and removing … Read more

Get a 16GB Kingston flash drive for $10.95 shipped

Jumping jack flash-drives!

While supplies last (and they definitely won't last long), Buy.com has the Kingston DataTraveler 109 16GB flash drive for $10.95 shipped--the lowest price I've ever seen on a drive with that much storage space.

Update: Be sure to select the "budget shipping" option. Also, remove the CA security option that is automatically added to your cart.

Though it's hard to tell from the picture, this drive is tiny. I've got the 8GB version, and it's barely longer than the end of your pinky finger. Because it's … Read more

Sprint's 4G modem 'free' with 2-year contract, $50 monthly data

Offering this USB modem stick for free--if you factor out the 2-year contract and $50 mail-in-rebate--Sprint must be really trying to purge the 3G/4G Plug-in-Connect from its inventory. Perhaps it's because the modem likely only connects to the carrier's original WiMax 4G network and not its fancy LTE infrastructure in the works to enable 4G surfing. … Read more

Clear Stick Atlas offers true plug-and-play mobile Internet

Mobile USB modems are not new, and all of them generally require some software to start the cellular connection. But not the one Clear announced today.

The wireless carrier, known mostly for its unlimited 4G data plans, introduced the Stick Atlas, the first USB cellular modem on the market that doesn't require software at all.

The company says that the moment the device is plugged into a USB port, the computer will gain access to the Internet, much like when the computer is plugged into a network port.… Read more

Halide Design's tiny black boxes improve your computer's sound

If you think a lot of audio has become far too complex, check out the Halide Design digital-to analog converters (DACs). They're plain black boxes, without even a single LED, display, control, button, or connector jack (the DACs come with permanently attached USB and RCA cables).

The elegant simplicity of the Halide Design DACs is a brilliant alternative to most of today's overly complex gear. They have just one function--zeros and ones go in at one end--and analog signals come out the other end. The little Halide black boxes are the best-sounding DACs I've heard on my … Read more

Forget-USB-Not with Free USB Guard

Free USB Guard is an interesting little tool that prevents your system from shutting down if a USB drive or other type of removable drive is still attached. It gives you the opportunity to safely remove the drives or leave them attached and shut down anyway. You can also restart your system or cancel the shutdown. It's portable freeware that can autostart with Windows.

Free USB Guard checks for updates automatically the first time you run it and every time thereafter, unless you uncheck that option in the program's system tray menu, from which you can also check … Read more

Fire away: Hack lets you play Angry Birds with real slingshot

By now, you're probably a little bored of playing Angry Birds, but here's a new way to make it fun and challenging again.

Simon Ford over at Mbed has an awesome hack that lets you hurl your favorite fighting birds using a real slingshot. Inspired by a demo on how easy it is to build your own USB devices, the idea behind this DIY project is to turn the slingshot into a mouse.

The slingshot was actually handmade by Chris Jarratt using a branch he found in Epping Forest, London. Ford then hollowed out parts of the branch, … Read more

Thumbdrive-size computer now available for preorder

Cotton candy isn't just a sugary treat anymore; it's also a computer in a USB thumbdrive-sized package.

FXI Technologies' ARM-powered computer-in-a-stick, Cotton Candy, was on show at MWC, where the company announced that it is taking preorders for this tiny device.

We first saw this little computer last year when it was revealed to have an ARM Cortex-A9 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a Mali 400 GPU for high-definition video decoding, and support for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

One end of the device plugs into a USB port for power while the other end connects to a … Read more

Fiio's tiny and extraordinary-sounding headphone amplifiers

It seems like every time I write about a USB digital-to-analog converter or portable headphone amplifier I get a slew of reader e-mails requesting a review of one of Fiio's low-cost/high-performance audio components.

Pricing may be solidly in the affordable range, but don't for a second conclude Fiio's components aren't beautifully designed little gems.… Read more

Get a USB HDTV tuner for $14.99

I frequently get letters from readers who want to cut the cable-TV cord, but still watch and record shows using a DVR.

Solution: your Windows 7 PC and an ATSC tuner. Together, they let you tune in and record local channels that are broadcast over the airwaves (remember those?).

Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay has the Sabrent TV-USBHD dual-mode USB TV tuner for $14.99, plus $4.99 for shipping. It's new, not refurbished, and it might just be the cheapest DVR solution you'll ever see.

A tuner like this requires only an antenna to pull … Read more