Chris Pirillo » usb

World’s Shortest USB Cable

Chris — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:07:46 +0000

World’s Shortest USB Cable is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I hate having super-long USB cables when all I really need is one that’s an inch or two long. It’s such a waste of space, especially when I’m traveling. Thank goodness the folks at ThinkGeek have the iStubz to charge my iPhone with!

The iStubz is only 3 inches long, and I promise that those three inches will satisfy you! It works with any USB-compatible iPod or iPhone, and is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. You don’t need cables strung all over Hell and half of Georgia. Using a nice short cable keeps things de-cluttered and organized.

If you’re interested in grabbing the iStubz for yourself – or anything from ThinkGeek for that matter – make sure you take advantage of the ThinkGeek coupons that I have for you. Why pay full price for anything?!

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How to Transfer Files from PC to Mac

Chris — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:29:12 +0000

How to Transfer Files from PC to Mac is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’m sure you’ve had to transfer files from one computer to another at some point. It can be a nightmare, at best. However, you may be interested in looking at the new ezSHARE cable by Vantec.

Transferring and copying files from one computer to another has never been so easy. It doesn’t matter if you’re using two Macs, two PCs, or one of each! Simply plug the ezSHARE in and you’re good to go. There’s nothing to install, no drivers to download. It’s totally plug and play! The ezSHARE Adapter seamlessly links two computers together using the specially designed USB cable. It will only take a few mouse clicks to transfer and share all of your files – from music to photos and documents.

This hasn’t been released to the market yet. But if you want the lowest price, keep your eye on TagJag. As soon as it’s on the market, we’ll get you the best prices to be found!

Most people will just use their home network to transfer files. But it’s even easier to use ezSHARE. Go USB!

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How to Use FireWire 400 Devices in 800 Ports

Chris — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:21:41 +0000

How to Use FireWire 400 Devices in 800 Ports is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I don’t know if you remember the battle between USB and FireWire, but USB won of course. I still have a few devices that use FireWire, including the camera I use to record my videos. FireWire has less overhead than you do with a USB connection.

You probably still have devices that connect via FireWire 400 ports, I’m sure. I know I do. But now I need to connect this camera to a FireWire 800 port. Instead of buying all new cable, I’m just going to use a Sonnet FireWire 400-to-800 Adapter.

Just use your existing FireWire 400 cables with this simple adapter from Sonnet to connect devices to a FireWire 800 port. Just plug it in between a FireWire 800 port and a standard FireWire 400 cable’s 6-pin male connector. It can’t get any simpler.

Make sure you keep the Sonnet Adapters in mind, instead of going out and buying all new cable!

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Austin Airport USB Ports!

Chris — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:29:01 +0000

Austin Airport USB Ports! is a post from Chris Pirillo

How to Piss off a Nerd

Chris — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:28:25 +0000

How to Piss off a Nerd is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I finally had enough of the Windows PC in my room. I can’t take it anymore. This is just too much for me to handle. The haunted USB connect / disconnect problem has been officially fixed. Too bad I forgot I had a mute feature!

Chris Pirillo USB Flash Drive

Chris — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:23:06 +0000

Chris Pirillo USB Flash Drive is a post from Chris Pirillo

Someone who goes by the handle “Wet Pixels” sent me this image today. I had to do a double-take. Seems he’s designed the world’s first (and likely only) Chris Pirillo Flash Drive. Not sure how practical it is, or if it’d work in real life – but dang, it certainly looks better than 90% of the USB flash drives I’ve seen.

Does Every Mad Scientist Need a USB Plasma Ball?

Chris — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:31:35 +0000

Does Every Mad Scientist Need a USB Plasma Ball? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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This plasma ball may not look like much at first, but that’s because it needs to be plugged in to a USB port! Once you turn it on, you’ll be amazed by how fricken cool this thing is! The USB Plasma Ball is something that every mad scientist – or Geek! – needs to have in their arsenal.

Powered by an included USB cable, this desktop Plasma Ball is about stands about 6 inches high and includes an on/off switch. While it emits a very low current, it does so at a relatively high-voltage and so it does produce some EMF. Respect your plasma ball and it will respect you!

I’ve always wanted one of these, ever since I was a kid. Growing up, they were a lot larger. I used to wonder what I would do with it. The truth is, you don’t “do” anything with it. You simply touch it! I found the perfect place for it. It’s going to be on a small shelf right in the entryway to my office. People will see it, and immediately want to touch it! It will have them excited to enter the office. At least – I hope so!

Alan Davison submitted a plasma ball tip:

If you want something to do with your little plasma globe, you could.. burn things? I accidentally discovered years ago with mine, that if you put a metal on it (such as covering all or part of it with tin foil, or aluminum foil, the more, the larger the arc), and bring something conductive up to that metal, it’ll arc. Even to your finger, so, urm, watch out for burns, which it does actually do.
And if you decide to try that, keep it away from anything sensitive, be it magnetic, or anything. Sometimes when I was touching the metal covering it, the TV would change channels. That’s bad. Just a side-note, covering the globe with metal does draw the little arcs inside to the glass, so of course, it heats up.

Since I’m definitely no scientist, does this mean I’m a Mad Geek?

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Audio Technica AT2020USB Condenser USB Microphone Coupons

coupons — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:07:09 +0000

Audio Technica AT2020USB Condenser USB Microphone Coupons is a post from Chris Pirillo

From: T-Rave
Date: December 12, 2008 11:54:34 AM PST
To: Chris Pirillo
Subject: Audio Technica USB Microphone Coupon
I was wondering if I could get a coupon for the Audio Technica AT2020 USB mic. Looks and sounds fantastic. Thanks.
T-Rave

Here are the best deals on the Audio Technica AT2020USB Condenser USB Microphone:

Rainbow Appliance - 10% off Audio Technica AT2020USB Condenser USB Microphone, only $125.10 + $9.99 Shipping using coupon code 25OFF - Posted on 6/16/09 and Expires on 12/31/15
Amazon - Audio Technica AT2020USB Condenser USB Microphone only $139.99 + Free Shipping - Posted on 12/12/08 and Expires on 12/31/15

Find More Coupons

Am I the Only One in Love with Retractable Cables?

Chris — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:46:18 +0000

Am I the Only One in Love with Retractable Cables? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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When I got my laptop cooler, I quickly realized I needed a specific type of USB cable… one that had a male adapter on both ends. I had a difficult time finding the exact model I needed. It got me to thinking, I have a few smaller retractable kits, but I stumbled upon this one. It’s the best I’ve found, by far. The CablesToGo USB 2.0 Retractable Cable Kit is the most comprehensive kit I’ve seen, for only around $35.00.

When you’re on the road the last thing you want is to be missing the cable that you need. That’s why the USB 2.0 Retractable Cable Kit is the ideal solution for anyone that is always on the go. It’s compact for convenient packing, yet contains the connectors and cables needed to get the job done. It includes everything needed to make RJ45 network connections, RJ11 phone connections, and any USB or FireWire 1394a configuration. Besides the cables, it also includes a stereo headset with microphone so you can listen to your favorite tunes or dictate a note.
This kit is ideal for home and office use, too. With so many technologies out there, it’s hard to know what type of cable may be needed at any given moment. With this kit, you can rest assured you’ll always have the cable needed for your digital camera and camcorder, card reader, MP3 player and more!

The kit includes:

3.5ft USB 2.0 A Male to A Female Cable
4ft Stereo Earphone & Microphone
3ft FireWire 6-Pin Male to 6-Pin Male Cable
3.5ft USB 2.0 A Male to A Male Cable
USB A Male to USB 5-Pin Mini B Male Connector
USB A Male to USB A Male Connector
USB A Male to USB B Male Connector
USB A Male to 4-Pin Mini B Male Connector
FireWire 6-Pin Male to 4-Pin Male Connector
USB A Female to RJ45 Crossover Connector
Two USB A Female to RJ45 Male Connectors
Two USB A Female to RJ11 Male Connectors

If you’re ever in need of extra USB cables or connectors, this is the kit you need to have on hand. Let me know what other Geeky kits you have that I can’t live without! I’m always looking for things that will make my life easier, and more organized.

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What Happens When You Run out of USB Ports?

Chris — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:10:10 +0000

What Happens When You Run out of USB Ports? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I have a USB hub hidden behind my monitors. It’s a 7-port hub, but I inevitably always need yet another port. I could add another hub, sure. But that wouldn’t be as fun as attaching a Squid, now would it? This isn’t a living, breathing thing… it’s a USB Squid. You can see there’s a USB cable that can hook into any USB port or hub. From that, dangle four other USB ports that can be used for virtually any USB device.

Ok, you caught us: we lied to you all. The USB Squid is not a real squid, as squids have 8 legs and 2 tentacles. Heck, it’s not even an octopus – they have 8 arms. The USB Squid has four arms, so it’s sort of more a quadropus. But it more than makes up for its name with the special function of its arms. Just plug the USB Squid into your last USB port, and now you have four USB ports.
The biggest difference between the USB Squid and other USB Hubs is the USB Squid’s arms can bend in any direction (so all your USB cords don’t have to be coming from the same place!) Also, they have ridges on one side and the top – and indents on the bottom and other side. You can actually connect the USB ports using these ridges in many different configurations. Maybe you need 4 vertical ports or 4 horizontal or the end two free and the middle stacked or maybe a zig zag hub. The choice is yours. Let’s see a real squid do that!

You know I had to plug the USB Humping Dog into it. If you know of other USB extender-type devices, let me know about them. I have tons of cool USB gadgets I need to plug in!

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Has a Wrist Strap Ever Saved Your Camera?

Chris — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:58:23 +0000

Has a Wrist Strap Ever Saved Your Camera? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Picture this: you’re out and about and take the picture of a lifetime. Then, you need to transfer that picture to a computer. The problem is, you left your USB cord at home, so there’s no easy way to get that photo off of your camera. You could wait until you get home, or you could use this cool wrist strap. Not only is it a wrist strap, it also is a USB cable that will connect your camera to a computer (or anything else, like a photo printer). The USB Camera Lanyard and Wrist Strap is only $7.99 on Amazon, so why not pick one up?

You’ll always have your USB transfer cable right with your digital camera with this unique wrist strap. The strap has a small sliding compartment that hides compact USB type ‘A’ and USB mini type ‘B’ (5-pin) connectors and the cable is easily long enough to connect to a USB port on your PC. No more searching in your camera bag for a cable or memory card reader. Camera not included.

Make sure that your camera connects via USB, of course, and not some proprietary cable like mine does. For that reason, I’m planning to switch cameras. What point-and-shoot camera (that connects via USB) do you recommend?

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Which USB / Firewire Car Charger do You Use?

Chris — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:21:44 +0000

Which USB / Firewire Car Charger do You Use? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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How many of you out there have an iPod? How many of you leave the house? What about having a car? Even if you don’t have an iPod, you may have a device that requires a charger of some type. I’m sure you have a mobile power adapter. Today, I picked up the ultimate charger. The Emerge Tech Retractable 5-in-1 iPod Charger is an awesome little travel option. The features include:

Compatibility: This accessory is compatible with iPod, iPod mini and iPod nano.
Versatile charger: A car power adapter, wall power adapter, USB and Firewire charge plug are all included, so no matter where you are you’ll be able to stay powered up.
USB and sync cables: Sync with your Mac or PC, or use the USB cable to transfer music, pictures and video to your iPod.
High-quality: Durable ABS housing means this accessory will be particularly hard to break in any situation.
Retractable components: The cords retract into the shell for protection and to save space.

Even if you don’t own an iPod, I still recommend this gadget. It’s well worth the $20 I paid for it, even if only to have the USB and Firewire charging capability. What other travel devices do you use and cannot live without?

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What’s in a USB Adapter Travel Kit?

Chris — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:42:07 +0000

What’s in a USB Adapter Travel Kit? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Just about the only bus I’ve ever enjoyed riding happens to be the Universal Serial Bus. You know me, I love everything USB. When I was out shopping today, I just happened to find a very cool USB adapter travel kit. This thing was only $20, and came with 9 different adapters for USB devices. The travel kit from Emerge Technologies is a definite must for any Geek who has to travel. The kit includes:

2 USB 2.0 cables
Network cable with RJ-45 connectors
Phone cable with RJ-11 connectors
9 interchangeable adapters allow for easy configuration of multiple cable types
Configure as USB-A, USB-B, Male/Female, Mini A 4-pin, Mini A 5-pin & Mini B

For only $20, this was a definite steal. I’m sorry Ponzi doesn’t have one of these with her while she’s traveling this week in the Caribbean. Isn’t that lovely? She’s on vacation for ten days… and I’m here at home, playing with my USB devices and adapters.

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Do You Want to Remove USB Flash Drive Software?

Chris — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:09:45 +0000

Do You Want to Remove USB Flash Drive Software? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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You probably have Flash drives lying around. My Dad recently bought a new Flash drive and plugged it into his computer, to find that a window popped up. The U3 software was installed on it. He wasn’t very happy about that, let me tell you. He didn’t want that on his drive, and he wanted me to fix it. No problem, thankfully. I just happened to be there at his house at the time, so I took care of it for him.

This is one of the biggest tips I have for you if you’re going to be buying a Flash drive these days, whether you’re a Geek or not. When you buy one, you want to check and find out whether or not U3 is installed on it. There is an advantage to having it on there, such as when you need to run portable apps like Skype on it. If you buy a Flash drive that comes with U3 installed and decide you no longer want it, you can run the uninstaller from U3. Yes, it really does work.

Back when U3 was first released, a lot of us were complaining that there was no uninstaller. We wanted a high capacity drive, and it was annoying to have the software pop up every time we plugged it in. There are drives that may not have U3 software on it, but they could have other software preinstalled. Often, the drives that are given away at trade shows will have data already on them that is near impossible to delete.

Have no fear! I found a program that will take care of these pesky programs and data files for you. It’s only for Mac OS X, but I’m looking for a Windows and Linux equivalent. Hidden Cleaner will wipe your Flash drive clean. It can also delete the hidden files OS X creates like .DS_Store.

How many Flash drives do you have? What’s the biggest one you have? Do you hold on to smaller ones even after you purchase a ginormous gargantuan-sized drive?

FirstRSS+ThunderIT AWS HMAC ERROR: "http://xml-us.amznxslt.com/onca/xml?AWSAccessKeyId=05G128QTRXN0J06J6PG2&ContentType=text%2Fxml&Keywords=flash%2Bdrive&Operation=ItemSearch&ResponseGroup=Large&SearchIndex=Blended&Service=AWSECommerceService&Signature=N5vkr5QkXcPB3tiC5apme5Oip%2F30ifahMxO7UZnSe%2Bg%3D&Style=http%3A%2F%2Ftagjag.com%2Fcss%2Famazon.xslt&Timestamp=2009-11-23T23%3A46%3A32Z&Version=2005-07-26" NOT FOUND!

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What do you Need to Know about USB?

Chris — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:25:22 +0000

What do you Need to Know about USB? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Ponzi called me while shopping with some questions about USB Hubs. I realized that many people may have the same questions, so I decided to try and answer some of those for you in this video. Her first question was “What is actually the difference between 1.0 and 2.0?” and the other one was “the price difference between 4 slots and 7 slots is only $10… so which one should I get?”

Basically, you don’t have to go with 2.0. However, if you’re going to want to plug high-speed devices into the hub, you will want to go with 2.0. What’s the difference? Speed. That’s pretty much it. USB 2.0 averages data rate of 480 Mbps, while 1.1 only gets 12Mbps. That’s approximately a difference of 40 times faster. You can’t argue with numbers like that. USB 2.0 is considered Hi-speed mode while 1.0 and 1.1 are known as full- speed USB modes.

You should also keep in mind that sometime in the near future, 2.0 will be old, and USB 3.0 will be upon us. It was gone over with a fine-toothed comb at CES 2008. USB 3.0 is rumored to have speeds of 4.8Gbits, if you can even imagine that! It also is purported to have a power system that will cut the juice when a device isn’t being used.

The 4-port USB hub may be $10.00 cheaper, but I would spend the extra money to buy the 7 port. You never hear someone saying that they have too many USB ports, do you? You’re always going to have devices that you need to connect. It’s better to have empty/open ports, than to have a need to connect something… only to find all your ports are full.

“Purple Owl” reminded me that looking for a powered USB hub is also important, to make sure you can support all USB devices (not just those that have their own power supply):

So often I have tried to use a USB hub, and found that it did not work because the hub was not powered. Why is it that almost nobody mentions that it’s SO important to have a powered USB hub? When buying my current hub online, I trudged through pages of specs, and found I simply couldn’t tell whether a hub I was interested in was powered or not.

True! Ponzi also asked me if USB will always work on both PCs and Macs. I assured her that yes, USB devices should always work on either system. The drivers may not always be the same. I’ve had an easier time getting OS X to recognize USB devices, than I ever did on a Windows platform. They usually work easier right out of the box with OS X.

Let’s also not forget that the future of USB lies in wireless. If you wander over to have a read at the USB ‘headquarters’ website, you’ll get the following description:

With more than 2 billion legacy wired USB connections in the world today, USB is the de facto standard in the personal computing industry. Soon, these same, fast, interoperable connections will become available in the wireless world, with the introduction of Wireless USB from the USB-IF. Wireless USB is the new wireless extension to USB that combines the speed and security of wired technology with the ease-of-use of wireless technology.

All in all, USB devices and gadgets are a part of every Geek’s life.

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.