hub

As impressive as the "ITC One" media system may be, some have observed that its design doesn't live up to its extensive functions. It's understandable that appearance wasn't a priority, though, given that it's one of the few compact all-in-one systems of its kind.

All that will change, however, if they catch on--and a company called DVico is trying to get ahead of the pack with a multimedia hub of its own. "TViX," as it's known, is an HD multimedia system that plays 1080p video, DVDs, and MPs while storing files … Read more

Acknowledging our generational biases, we've noted our partiality to the lava lamp in its original form, or at least as close as possible. Although we've tried to keep an open mind about more contemporary equivalents, few can even approach the volcanic icon of our wasted youth (so to speak).

But Discovery has managed to come close with a USB swirling vortex that looks good enough to keep us mesmerized even without artificial enhancements. This LED-illuminated item has a practical use beyond its entertainment value as well, housing four USB ports in a 180-degree revolving hub. With any luck, … Read more

Three more companies making new micro-applications that track and deliver media preferences.

Matchmine allows consumers to figure out what kind of media they like by creating a MatchKey, or a visualization of their preferences.

Just give a ZIP code, date of birth and rate some movies, blogs, etc. with a star system a la Netflix. Users can share their MatchKey with friends and/or advertisers, but not any personal information. The Facebook widget version show what the person has in common with his or her friends--like Flixster, but not in list form. Matchmine has an API online for developers to … Read more

As promised, more gadgets have been approved as official Wireless USB devices. D-Link and IOGEAR both announced Wireless USB hub and adapter kits Monday.

D-Link's Wireless USB Adapter & 4-Port Wireless USB Hub and IOGEAR'S Wireless USB Hub & Adapter Kit are both backward compatible with wired USB and have bandwidth capabilities of up to 480 Mbps at a distance of 10 feet, and 110 Mbps at 30 feet. While Wireless USB does free you from using cables, the signal does not go through walls, so make sure your laptop and the peripherals you want to connect have … Read more

Most desktop and laptop PCs have, at most, four USB ports for peripherals such as cameras, hard drives, and printers, but most of us have more than four peripherals to connect to our PCs. So we're all familiar with the USB hokey-pokey: you put your camera USB in, you take the printer USB out, your put the thumbdrive USB in, and your cords get tangled about. So not fun. Today, Belkin announced four new USB hubs that let you keep all your peripherals connected and that don't block adjacent USB ports.

The $30 Swivel Hub is a 4-to-1 … Read more

Browsing through the gadget world sometimes feels like a tour of '50s horror movies. It's bad enough that we've been invaded by alien eyeballs and speakerphones with lips that are reminiscent of Audrey in The Little Shop of Horrors. The latest trend seems to be tentacled monsters.

The "Chargepod" is a hub that can charge six devices at once, in between attacks on major coastal cities. We think that if you really need to use all the plugs at once, as described by Coolest-Gadgets, some serious gadget-addiction counseling is in order. But if could be a … Read more

Next to the mythical Internet toaster, one of the most parodied digital appliances has been the wired refrigerator. But that's precisely what this item is about--a wireless one, actually--and it comes from a decidedly un-dot-com brand: Whirlpool.

Gearlog says the "Centralpark Connection" can control MP3 devices, DVD players, cell phones, digital photo albums and other gadgetry from a hub built into its door. Why the fridge? Because, as anyone in the housing industry will tell you, the kitchen has increasingly become the focal point for entertaining and family gathering alike, especially in newer homes. That means you, … Read more

Forgoing the recently purchased StubHub, there are very few ways to find good Web deals on event tickets without doing some legwork or dealing with cluttered interfaces. Oyaka, which launched last year, draws from several ticket vendors to help you find the best deal on seats. In the same way that Kayak pulls plane tickets, Oyaka grabs all the data, then gives you various tools to sort through it without inundating you with text. You can narrow the results by price, seat location, and number of tickets to quickly find what you're looking for.

Unlike other ticket services such … Read more