thumbs

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I was emotionally invested in a film that largely focuses on teenagers rapidly tapping keys on their phone.

That speaks to the quality of "Thumbs," a surprisingly entertaining documentary that follows a dozen or so competitors through a grueling national texting championship.

The key to its enjoyment came from the attachments you formed with the various competitors. "Thumbs" spends a good chunk of time building an emotional core with several of the teenagers around the country who have formed bonds with each other through … Read more

Via Labs announced today its latest USB 3.0 controller, the VL751 SuperSpeed USB to NAND flash controller. This is the company's second-generation single-chip solution for USB 3.0 flash-based portable storage devices.

Via Labs says that the new VL751 controller features a four-channel NAND interface, capable of doubling or even quadrupling maximum throughput over single- or dual-channel designs. It offers improved parallelization and higher efficiency by means of integrated preread and prewrite buffers. And it boasts better support for flash memory. These enhancements translate into a nearly 100 percent performance boost over the previous model without increased power … Read more

Regular Cheapskate readers know that I'm a sucker for three things: Wi-Fi printers, big monitors, and flash drives. I can't explain why; it's all part of the giant enigma that is Rick Broida.

If you share my bizarre love for flash drives (or, more likely, you just need extra mobile storage), here's one mighty fine deal: Newegg has the Corsair CMFVY3 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive for $14.29 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCKCHH22 at checkout and redeeming a $10 mail-in rebate (which comes in the form of a prepaid VISA card).… Read more

Green Lantern fans, there's no need to freeze yourself! It's just another 30 days until the movie comes out, and in the meantime I have something that may ease the pain of waiting.

Mimoco, a maker of quirky designer USB thumbdrives, has teamed with DC Entertainment to announce a new line of drives based on Green Lantern Corps characters. Basically, they're little action figures of Hal Jordan, Tomar-Re, Kilowog, and Sinestro that can also work as USB flash drives.

The USB 2.0 drives come in capacities ranging from 2GB to 16GB. Apart from the figures themselves, which will be enough for most of you comics fanboys to adore for a month, there's also character-specific content preloaded on the drives, including wallpapers, avatars, screensavers, and other digital extras.

The Mimoco Green Lantern USB thumbdrives are available now starting at $23 for the 2GB version. The 16GB version costs around $60. Go get a couple and make yourself and your nerdy friends happy.… Read more

If you are an iPhone detractor due to its lack of a physical keyboard, 4iConcepts has a product for you. 4iThumbs 2 is a screen protector that adds tactile functionality for users looking to feel what they're typing.

I received a test unit last week from 4iConcepts and, as they state, the screen protector adds a BlackBerry-esque keyboard feel to your iPhone 4. Simply apply the plastic screen to your iPhone in the proper direction and next time you pop the virtual keyboard, little bumps will be on each key.

Though the cover has the bumps, pressing any icons, … Read more

If you are the type of person who tends to misplace those little USB thumbdrives, you might want to consider this.

LaCie introduced today a new USB thumbdrive that in no way resembles the look of a thumb; instead, the Galet USB drive looks like a pebble. "Galet," by the way, is the French way to say "pebble." But that's not the coolest thing about the drive.

According to LaCie, the Galet is hand-crafted in France. Each unit is individually plated with silver through Christofle's 150-year-old silvering process. After that, the company claims, the … Read more

LAS VEGAS--While much of the focus on pointing devices went to Microsoft this year for its Touch Mouse, the less profiled accessory company Genius is also here at the show unveiling its own unique mousing solution: the Ring Mouse.

As the name implies, the ring mouse slips right onto your finger. It features a wireless 2.4GHz receiver inside. Using just your thumb, you can control slideshows, PowerPoint slides, and more using two small buttons that act as the left and right clickers on a traditional mouse. For the actual mousing, you simply use the small optical trackpad on top … Read more

So you've gotten yourself the sleek new MacBook Air and your first thought is to install Windows 7 on it. OK, that's my first thought. The problem is the laptop has no optical drive, meaning you'll probably have to buy an accessory that costs around $80 to do the job.

Well, unless you're reading this. Yes, it's totally possible to install Windows 7 (or Vista) on the MacBook Air without a DVD drive. All you'll need is a computer running Windows 7 (that has a DVD drive), a 4GB or larger USB thumbdrive, a Windows 7 installation DVD, and about an hour of free time.

Note: make sure you back up the contents of the thumbdrive as they will be completely erased during this process. Also, the actual work is a lot shorter and less intimidating than the look of this article.

Here are the detailed steps.… Read more

Nyko had another solid showing at last month's E3 2010 expo in Los Angeles, but we're really intrigued by its debut of a wireless controller with an analog stick configuration similar to that found on the Xbox 360 controller.

The Raven wireless PS3 controller will come in two styles. The first will emulate the PS3's conventional side-by-side thumbstick design, while the other swaps the D-pad with the left stick--just like Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller layout.

While the never-ending debate over which system has the superior input device will go on forever, this will be the best chance PS3 owners will have to get an idea of what it's like using the Xbox's configuration on their own console. We'll be sure to update this post with a price tag when we get one.

A deeper look at the Nyko fall lineup includes a few PlayStation Move charging solutions and an inexpensive wired PS3 "core" controller. We've got pictures of the rest of these products after the jump.… Read more