Alas, the news was apparently bogus. While that particular Mumbai-based company has indeed closed shop, one can still find typewriters made by other companies. In fact, a quick search on Google will tell you where to get one of those old machines!

If you are not among those who got needlessly worried that not a single typewriter would be produced anymore, simply because you have a unit or two sitting unused somewhere in the house, then you’d be delighted to know that there is something that you can do with that relic of a machine.

Jack Zylkin. Remember that name, for it will go down in history as the guy who made a conversion kit that allows users to connect the good old typewriter to a computer or even an iPad. With the kit, you can connect a typewriter via the USB and pound away on the keys to your heart’s content!

Isn’t that a beauty? Dubbed the Sunburst Royal Deluxe, this setup really catches one’s eye. You can use the typewriter as you would a “normal” computer keyboard. Even better, if you feel like typing directly on paper, it will still work!

The Remington has been part of writing history, and you can continue to use one with your modern device.

Looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions of the setups, one does not have to worry about the wiring. It looks like Zylkin has done an excellent job with connections. It does come at a price, though. Depending on the specs, you can get a USB Typewriter from $699. The more expensive ones come at $899. If you are feeling “inventor-y”, you can buy the DIY kit for $74.

When the XBox 360 first came out, the hard drive that came standard – at least on the higher up model – just seemed like it wouldn’t be enough. After all, with all the DLC that Microsoft was planning for the console, there was no way that 20GB would be enough. The upgrades kept coming along, Netflix was added, DLC got bigger and bigger … Well, you know the result.

So Microsoft decides a little while back to offer a 250GB drive for the 360, and decided to price it at $129. Even the most expensive 250GB drive on NewEgg is still $30 cheaper, and the pricey drive just feels like a slap in the face. Why not just allow people to plug in their own USB drives and do whatever they want with storage? Well, now you can, per Major Nelson.

We’ve just released a system update for the Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE.

As previously announced, this system update contains support for USB Memory storage devices.

Sometime over the next few hours when you sign in to Xbox LIVE you’ll receive a prompt to accept this mandatory update. If you are signed into LIVE already, you may be signed out and asked to accept the update and you’ll be back online in a few moments.

So what was previously announced? Here’s the good stuff:

On April 6th, we will be releasing a system update over Xbox LIVE for your Xbox 360 that will allow USB flash drives to be used for storing profiles, game saves, demos and more.  I’ve been testing this feature out for a few weeks, and I have to say it’s really great. Once you take the system update on April 6th, you’ll be able to connect your USB flash drives to your console and head over to the memory section to configure your new storage device. Once you do that, the system will conduct a one time performance and integrity check to confirm the drive is working properly. You will then be able to configure how much storage to use on the device, up to 16 GB. The remaining space on the flash drive will be accessible by your PC or Mac. USB Hard drives may work, but like flash memory, you’ll only be able to use up to 16GB of space. Since performance on flash based USB storage is usually better, I highly recommend using flash based instead of spinning media like a hard drive…it’s just going to give you a MUCH better experience.

Nice. I will say that the 16GB limit sucks pretty hard, but hopefully they’ll start upping the limits soon. That way the 360 can become a true home media server, without any extra hacks.

Got a storage problem? I know I do. That’s why when I first head about these new portable hard drives by Toshiba, I got a little excited. They come in four different flavors: 500GB, 640GB, 750GB, and 1TB, all for under $200. These are USB 2.0 drives, with no eSata or Firewire options. Right now the suggested list prices start at $119.99 for the 500, and move up to $199 for the 1TB, but Toshiba Direct has the 1TB now for $189, thanks to a $10 instant-savings deal. If black isn’t your thing, they also come in silver, blue, green and red, so you’ve got some options there as well.

This isn’t the cheapest drive on the market, though. Western Digital has a 1TB model up on NewEgg for $149, and it comes with a free case. They also have a Seagate FreeAgent model for $149 and it comes with a dock and a case. My theory is that once these things hit the streets that the Toshiba will come down in price, but that’s never a guarantee. Frankly, for the difference  you could step up to a bigger model instead, assuming you’re OK with a larger footprint for the device.

PR Newswire via Geek.com

I imagine that a lot of our readers have a USB hub somewhere on their desks, just like I do. I also imagine that they don’t often wear pants, but maybe that’s just me. Literally. Anyways, my USB hub has cords going all over the place from it, and it’s gotten to the point where I have one stacked on top of the other just to gain some extra space. It’s a little frustrating at times.

That’s why when I see designs like this, I get a little excited. It’s from Yanko Design, and although it’s just a concept right now, I certainly hope someone figures out how to make it reality. Here’s what they say about it:

So here’s the Infinite USB – an alternative plug on devices that kinda acts like a tag team. The design speaks for itself, so no point elaborating, however what we can do is talk about its effectiveness and limitations. For starters I don’t think we may be able to tag too many devices one behind the other. I reckon max 3 or 4 before the tag starts to look awkward, but the color coding on plugs will make it easy to identify which plug belongs to which device.

Brilliant. Just damned brilliant. Now I’m not a technical guy or an engineer, so I don’t know if this is physically possible. If it is however, someone get on it. Seriously. Go build it now so I can buy lots of them and have a 4-foot long USB chain hanging off my laptop.

How annoying is it when you don’t want to charge up your electronic items from your laptop’s USB ports, but you also don’t want a load of bricks sticking out of regular power sockets?

Enter Fastmac’s U-Socket wall outlet. Pictured is a US version, though I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to install it on international power sockets either.

Yes, it has two USB ports: one on each side of the power sockets. It costs $19.95 and is available to pre-order, though it sounds as if it still needs to pass various regulations, which is just as it should be for power-related products.

Now, two is not nearly enough for my liking, and I think some manufacturer should take things a stage further and provide a nice little ledge on which you could place the gadgets you’re charging. I don’t particularly want to have my iPhone and camera dangling from a wall socket.

Hey, how about integrating it with the home’s Ethernet network and allowing remote syncing of your iPod without having to be near your computer?

Via

While newer technologies are constantly surpassing older ones in terms of quality and features, vinyl records do have some novelty in them. There’s this certain sense of nostalgia with going old school. And in some cases, you might have no other choice than vinyl records, especially for long-forgotten artists whose works weren’t re-mastered in digital or other newer format.

A good in-between is how gadgets like this briefcase USB turntable from ThinkGeek can successfully marry old technology with new.

Pop-open the latches and take a look inside to find a high-quality belt driven turntable. The built in speakers allow self contained playback of all the vinyl you can shake a stick at… and that’s quite a bit. What’s more however is the integrated USB port, which allows you to plug the turntable directly into your laptop and convert your oldfangled vinyl into newfangled digital audio files perfect for burning on CD or transferring to your iPod or iPhone.

The turntable works well enough on its own. I guess this would a hit at parties with like-minded geeks who might be audiophiles as well. Or perhaps you want to preserve your collection of old tracks by ripping these into MP3s. Don’t count on IDv3 tags being automatically imported, though!

First up, it’s a stand for your mobile phone. It uses a high-tech rubber sticky surface that holds your cellphone in place yet leaves no marks on the handset.

It comes with multiple charger tips so, no matter what brand of cellphone you have, you can recharge the battery.

There are also two USB ports and four card reader slots, so you can transfer data and charge or use all your USB gadgets as well.

It’s all powered via USB, and if you want to use it on mains power instead you simply need to use a USB mains adapter.

At just £14.99 (about $25) it’s a decent little gizmo for keeping things tidy on your desk.

Product page

Those days have all but gone, though there are still a lot of laptops that only have the 802.11g wireless standard. Not a pushover when it comes to speed, but not as fast as the latest 802.11n standard.

Enter D-Link, offering what they claim is the smallest 802.11n USB stick currently available.

The DWA-131 Wireless N Nano USB Adapter offers a one-click secure connection to a WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) access point using WPA2 encryption.

It won’t break the bank, either, coming in at £34.99 in the UK — that’s about $50. All you have to worry about is freeing up a USB port.

D-Link

The USB Aromatherapy Oil Burner works just like any other USB flash disk in that you only have to plug it into a slot. The cool thing is that it comes with aromatherapy oil, which you have to put into the X mark (no one can miss the big white X). The instructions say that a single drop is good enough. You do have to be careful, though, that you do not tilt the burner too much as the oil might spill. As the USB Oil Burner warms up, the scent of your choice will fill the air.

And that’s when you get a LOT of work done.

Seriously, aromatherapy unbelievers should try this. Different scents work different ways. I am a self-proclaimed aromatherapy addict. I have tons of bottles of various scents at home, and I use the traditional oil burning lamp – fire hazard! The scent that pervades the air really works wonders, though, and with a USB burner, I can bring those scents to the office!

Guys, trust me on this: get your geek girlfriends this toy and she will love you for it.

No, it doesn’t sound like me, either, but if you are, or know someone who is, the Gboard might be what’s needed.

It’s a 19-key preprogrammed USB keyboard which has a number of GMail’s important features available, so you no longer have to worry about what keyboard shortcut does what.

I’ll be honest, I’d much prefer to get a programmable external keypad that could be used with a variety of different applications. Though email is important to me, it’s not so vital that I want separate hardware for it.

I can imagine most geeks who use the web interface (exclusively or from time to time) will already know most of the shortcut keys, while others probably continue to use the mouse for all operations.

I’m sure it will fit someone’s need, and at $19.99 it’s not a huge investment. It adds a bit of colour to your desktop if nothing else, though if your computer is anything like mine, USB ports are at a premium and this may not be a welcome addition.

It’s not Google endorsed, so there’s no Google logo on it. Not the most attractive bit of kit going, but it’ll do.

Product page (Via)

For those who aren’t scratching their vinyl (in a DJ kinda way, not in a careless way), but do have a record collection worth playing or converting to digital, the Linos USB record player could be the most portable solution.

Interestingly, the designer reckons you shouldn’t use the device if you don’t like music OR if you’re an audiophile. Either that’s an incorrect use of the word, or the sound quality isn’t actually good enough for those who absolutely revere the analogue platter format.

I don’t own any records but I can see this being a useful addition for those who don’t want the bulk of a hi-fi component but still want to dust off the old collection from time to time.

Not quite sure where you can get it from, or how much it costs.

Pyott Design (Via)

So now we know what Mario looks like with different moustaches, it’s time to combine our love for the Italian-American plumber and USB with these Mario themed memory sticks.

All with 4GB storage, we have Mario, Shroom, Goomba, Koopa, and the Mario question mark (which is actually a USB extender). There used to be a Luigi too, but perhaps he got sold.

The USB sticks are all $55 and the extender is $19.

For good measure, there’s also a Mech USB thumb drive for $49.

If so, the not-so-compact Transforming Tigatron Flash Drive is for you.

I’m not convinced it looks a whole lot like the original Tigatron, but there you go.

It’s not arriving until September, and will set you back around $50. Not cheap but then what other USB drives come with their own robotic disguise?

Click over for more images.

Product page

Anyhow, I think that I have found the perfect solution in this USB Fragrance Burner. You know how we have all sorts of USB-powered stuff? USB mini vacuum cleaner, USB hot plate, USB mug warmer, and so on….

Well this USB thingamajig beats them all! It has a circular hot tray where you put the oil (this measures at 4 cm in diameter). You just put a few drops of oil into this hot tray, plug the wire into the nearest USB port (my work laptop has 4!), push the power button, and voila, you will have a nice smelling workspace in minutes. As for fire safety concerns, the burner has a fire free design which includes a see through safety cover. It also has an LED indicator to let you know if it is on.

While it only comes with one scent, there really is no shortage of oils in the market. You can buy these online or at your nearest department store. Guys, trust me. Spending $22.95 on this baby will get you a long way with your girl. ;)

This one doesn’t even have a fancy name – it’s just a watch-style USB 4-port hub. Let’s face it (err, sorry) this gadget definitely does exactly what its product description says.

Oh, except it’s totally useless as a watch. Take a closer look at that picture and you’ll see the roman numerals I, II, III and IV simply mark out each USB port.

And the wording on the fake hands? It says “USB 2.0 HUB” and “HIGH SPEED”, which I would have thought was pretty self-explanatory, but there you go.

What does it do besides transporting your data around at up to 480Mbps speeds? It lights up in fluorescent blue when it’s plugged in, that’s what. Wow… you know for $14 you really want one so badly now, I can tell.

Now if they just did a FireWire one too…

USB Fever (via TechChee)

I’ve seen a lot of multi-function gadgets lately and by far this may be the oddest of the bunch. I couldn’t imagine why I wouldn’t have pen and paper handy when I’m on my desk, but then again, I can’t really tell what you keep on yours now could I? So if you are always at a loss when you need to write down something then this may be a good pal for you.

You use USB hubs anyway, so why not give your current to a colleague or friend so you can “upgrade” to this one… it’s got pretty lights :) And for the price of US$13 each, I think it’s a steal. I’ve recently passed Radio Shack and the lowest-priced USB hub sells for about US$16.

You can get yours online right here.

Product Specifications:

- 3 ports USB hub
- USB 2.0 interface
- Erasable memo pad
- Colourful moody light
- Convenient to write down telephone number or something important at once
- Environmental friendly, use erasable memo pad instead of using papers
- Support Windows 95/98SE/ME/2000/XP/VISTA
- Size: 113*94*28mm
- Weight: 100g

If you like your USB thumb drives weird and crazy, this mobile phone USB thumb drive is another _winner_.

Best thing about this 2GB drive is probably the metal box it comes in and its cheap price of $9.99.

There are no other special specs about this drive other than its ugliness thus making it the latest addition to our Dept. of WTF.

• Hot plug & play Novelty Memory Stick, no driver required
• Supports USB specification version 2.0, also USB 1.1 compatible
• Capacity: 2GB
• Operating System Compatibility: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
• Color: black
• Size: 60mm x 24mm x 10mm (L x W x T)
• Weight: 80g

The CVSB-K22 cup/mug warmer has black tone insulation material around the metal heating plate for safety along with a red status light to let you know when the heating plate is active. After warmed, the warmer keeps your coffee/tea at a constantly warmed temperature for your continued enjoyment. Also useful for small mugs of soup, oatmeal and congee (we tested it here). Simple on/off switch lets you turn it on and off without having to unplug any cables. All that is needed is a simple USB port to plug into and you are ready for the long workday or night ahead.

What makes pleasing sense here is the availability of 4 extra USB hub ports… yeah it also works as a USB hub!

Great to gift the geekiest of geeks in the building!

Grab one right here for US$43.65 for a set of 5.

The UFO speaker from USB Geek is an awesomely cool, and rechargeable, gadget for all Sci-fi and geeks.

The built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion battery can be recharged via USB, but the speaker can also be used for portable media players. Full specs after the jump.

• Recharged by USB ports
• Built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
• 3cm speaker with 2.2W high quality sounds output
• SNR >= 89db
• Simple, just plug-in, no driver install
• On/Off switch with Blue LED power indicator
• Standard 3.5mm audio plug apply with music player and digital products, e.g. PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, PDA, MP3 player, CD player … etc.
• Dimension: 73mm dia x 35mm
• Weight: 45g

Get it for $15 from USBGeek.

Yeah, the new high definition TVs, camcorders and sleek hard drives are all very well, but if you’re anything like me, it’s USB ports that disappear and have to be hot-swapped.

The Dynadock U10 is a self-powered USB video docking station that handles most of the cables you need, including video, Ethernet, microphone and digital audio, as well as having seven USB 2.0 connections (USB 3.0 is still a way off yet), connecting to your PC or laptop via a single USB connection.

The video part is that it can output high definition video content at full 32-bit, 1080p format. It’s also pretty small and sleek so should fit on your desk without problem.

In the UK, it’s out this month and will cost around £110. Not the cheapest peripheral around but it sounds like a real workhorse.

More pictures in Ziv’s post at Prestone.

And wouldn’t this be a great addition to a dull cubicle? If your boss is too tight to your designer tastes, maybe this subtle hue will change his mind. It is equally functional anyway.

It’s priced at US$22 right here. A tad overpriced, I know, for a USB hub.

It’s available “on-request” right here. I haven’t seen it listed there at all, so who knows if this is just a sting or something projected as funny.? It seems that the curious cat stuck her head in too far though, now that’s a laugh.

Seriously, I could see our fur-loving geeks and geekettes who’d probably “snag” one. If it ever came with a key-chain pendant or a necklace… it may work our the cool factor.

See that? And you thought I meant “thumb drive” in the usual sense of the word! Also known as the Yakuza finger, this removable storage device is literally in the form of a thumb. Can anyone guess why?

I was just wondering why they chose “Yakuza” when they could very well have named the flash drive from any other group with similar (supposed) activities. Maybe because it was conceptualized and made in Japan?

Anyhow, the Yakuza finger looks so lifelike that I do not know if I would enjoy looking at it on a daily basis. It would be so cool to surprise someone with it, though. You know what I mean?

As for the specs, the Yakuza finger can hold up to 1 GB worth of data. It can be used on USB 1.1 or 2.0. It measures in at 25 x 45 x 20 mm – small enough to put in a n ice little box and give as a surprise gift to your geeky friend who gets easily scared. It’s a bit expensive, though, at USD67 (about 6600 yen). Still, I am sure you’d have to pay more for a real finger from the black market – and that wouldn’t even function as a USB!

For other quirky USBs, you can look more up at the Geek Stuff 4 U web site.

I usually am no fan of ‘fancy’ gadgets and accessories for my computers, I prefer mine slick and puristic like Macs, but somehow I must admit that I like the idea and looks of this Fishbone USB hub.

It has 4 ports and the usual specs (works with all the major operating systems), plus the eye is a blue LED.

Get yours from USB Geek for $10.