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TRENDnet USB 3.0 external hard drive enclosures

Want to use an old hard drive…or have more storage available…and take advantage of the new, faster USB speeds?

The TRENDnet TU3-S35 3.5” USB 3.0 External Enclosure supports all current USB speeds: USB 3.0, USB 2.0, USB 1.1, and USB 1.0.  Many factors must be taken into consideration for the possibility of data to be transferred at up to 5 Gbps.  As is posted on their website:

“Data is transferred over USB 3.0 connections at up to 5Gbps. However actual data throughput may be significantly affected by choice of hard drive, computer system architecture, CPU loading, and other factors.

“USB 3.0 super speeds are based on compatible operating systems.”

(So far, I have not had an opportunity to configure the proper combination of hardware and software to get anywhere near 5 Gbps throughput.)

The enclosure is 5.25 x 1.5 x 7.75 inches (133.35 x 38.1 x 196.85mm).  SATA I and II drives of up to 2 TB are compatible.

To my surprise, I found that…to open the enclosure…a small Philips screwdriver is needed.  There is no notice on the packaging of this, but it does state that “hard drive mounting screws” are included (which need a larger Philips screwdriver).

The housing is made of aluminum, and there are large vents are on the front and rear.

Included is a 110 volt AC to 12 volt DC (2 amperes) power adapter, a 6 foot (1.8 meter) long USB 3.0 Type A to Type B cable, and a stand that will allow for the drive to sit vertical.

It’ll work with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

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TRENDnet also has a USB 3.0 enclosure for 2.5-inch drives:  the TU3-S25 2.5” USB 3.0 External Enclosure.

A 2.5-inch SATA I or II hard drive, or a Solid State Drive (SSD), can be used.  Drives up to 2 TB are supported.

The enclosure can be used with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

(Again:  “Data is transferred over USB3.0 connections at up to 5Gbps. However actual data throughput may be significantly affected by choice of hard drive, computer system architecture, CPU loading, and other factors.”)

It uses a USB 3.0 Type Micro-B port.  A 1.5 foot (0.5 meter) USB 3.0 Type Micro-B cable to Type A cable is supplied.

Note that a power supply is not included…it is expected that the drive will be powered by the USB port.  In the past, I have had problems with external hard drives, and enclosures, that…because the USB port did not supply enough power…an external power supply was needed.  A power port is available on the device, and I checked the support section of the TRENDnet website for more information, but did not find any about using external power supplies with this enclosure.  I searched the internet, and also did not find any information.  If a situation arises where one is needed, I assume their support division and/or Helpdesk might be able to assist with locating a compatible power supply.

A Philips screwdriver (smaller than those needed for the TU3-S35) will be necessary to complete assembly.

 

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Mother’s Day is May 8th! A couple of ideas…

 

May 8th is Mother’s Day!  (You’re welcome…)

Is your mother into tech?  Well, we have a couple of ideas for you.  OK…chicBuds does…

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The chicBuds RockBuds DJ Sport Headphones are black, fold for carrying and storage, and have an adjustable headband.  They use a 44 mm driver.  The length of the cord is 1.5 meters.  A 3.5 milimeter stereo plug is at the end of it, and a 1/4-inch adapter is included.

 

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The chicKiss Bluetooth Wireless Headsets are decorated with Swarovski Crystals for that classy, sassy look.

It comes in two colors:  white, and pink.  An over the ear hook is included, as is three silicon gel tips (XS, S, and M).

A wall adpater charger is supplied for the rechargeable headset.  The standby time can be as long as 200 hours, and talk time up to 6 hours.  The cord for the charger had a plug on it so it can be charged via a USB port, also.

Though intended for use with a wireless telephone, I was able to use it with my computer.

 

 

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Chargers to provide power for your devices

Innergie sent a couple of products for us to take a look at…

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The mCube Slim is a power adapter for laptop computers.  Using AC Input from 100 to 240 volts of alternating current (AC), it can deliver direct current (DC) at:  between 15 to 17 volts (at 4.06 amps), 18 to 21 (at 3.3 amps), and 5 volts at 1 amp for USB devices.

It’s 100x57x18 mm (3.9″x2.2″x0.7″), and only weighs 150 grams (5.2 ounces).  Though it will fit in a pocket, a travel pouch is provided for:  the unit, the AC Input Cable, and the DC Output Cable with it’s assortment of adapter tips for connection to devices.  If one of the tips included with the unit doesn’t work for a device, “…we will arrange for a free compatible tip to be sent to you…”  You can check to see if a particular unit is compatible with the mCube Slim by going to their website and clicking on the “Check compatibility” link.

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The mMini DC 10 is a power adapter for use in vehicles with 12 volt outputs…

It has two USB ports that deliver 10 watts of power at 2 amps.  (At 69mm x 23mm x 25mm, and weighing only 22 grams) It’s another item that can be put in your pocket to keep your power hungry mobile devices fully charged and ready to use!

 

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Jigsaw Puzzle Game, The M, Coming to iPhone (April 14th)

I recieved a press release about a new game for iPhones…

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Jigsaw Puzzle Game, The M, Coming to iPhone April 14th

…you get to choose from a 16-piece or 25 piece puzzle…you can choose a jigsaw mode or a slider puzzle mode…you can choose the difficulty level of the game. With the difficulty level increasing, other challenges are added to make the puzzling more fun. The rotation option was added to the jigsaw mode which allows you to change the direction of the puzzle pieces making the puzzle a little more complicated to solve.  You may have to try a few spots, rotating the pieces a couple of times, until you find where the puzzle piece fits.

 

…You just slide the puzzle pieces around the board.  When the puzzle is finished, you’ll be able to see how long it took to solve it…

 

 

The M will be available in the App Store for 99 cents.  Though there is also a FREE version, this version does have ads that pop up each time you play a puzzle.  When this happens, you have to touch the ad, then touch skip…

The game comes complete with OpenFeint and the ability to log into Facebook and brag about your scores…a series of major updates are in the queue to keep your gaming fresh and fun in the future.

 

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Tax Procrastinators According to Intuit

Taxes can be an incredibly easy task to accomplish yet many of us put it off like a visit to the dentist. The Reasons can be assorted but we like to think that many that put off the filing till the date due just want to wait till the last possible minute to cut a check to the feds or it could be in fact to stem the flow of tears from the possibly diminished income from previous years.

Regardless, One of the companies to make it easy to file for both federal and state taxes and in some cases even file for free is the folks at Quicken. The have done some research and put together the Biggest Tax Procrastinators and surprisingly for the 5th straight year Houston is ranked the Biggest Procrastinator! In fact the state of Texas rules the list!

In the Study that Intuit put together they discovered that 27 percent of tax filers wait until the final two weeks before submitting thier tax documents. This year those filing are even granted an extra three days to file! April 18th 2011. Here is the list of those procratinators courtesy of Intuit,

1. Houston: Houston, we have a problem! Locals landed in the top spot in five of the last 10 years.

2. Chicago : Windy City residents are unable to move from No. 2 for the second year running, possibly due to food comas induced by all the deep dish pizza-eating.

3. New York : For the third year running in the No. 3 spot, New Yorkers in the City that Never Sleeps take a nap until tax time.

4. Austin : Busy Austinites, so burned out from festival-hopping, put off their tax duties – landing in the top five again.

5. San Antonio : It seems one of the biggest military centers in the U.S. needs more soldierly discipline this time around, popping into the top 10 for the first time since 2008.

6. San Francisco : Known as innovators for all things tech, San Franciscans are doing their taxes only a bit quicker, moving down one spot from No. 5 despite their connected reputations.

7. Seattle: It looks like all that rain is washing out more than mail routes for 7th place Washingtonians. Despite their commitment to java hot spots, filing taxes online before the tax deadline clearly isn’t a top priority.

8. San Diego : When you’re wearing sunglasses 24/7, it’s hard to even see your taxes, let alone file them. San Diegans file just a bit faster due to peer pressure this year with TurboTax headquarters right down the street.

9. Los Angeles : Starving actors hanging out in this town are too busy looking for some nosh. It’s no wonder they dread filing their taxes!

10. Dallas : They say cowboys ride alone, but Texans managed to lasso in four cities on this list — including No. 10, Dallas.

Dropping off the top 10 list this year: Las Vegas

The Wannabes

Extended List 11-20:

11. Las Vegas, Nev.

12. Washington, D.C.

13. Portland, Ore.

14. Atlanta, Ga.

15. Phoenix, Ariz.

16. Philadelphia, Pa.

17. Orlando, Fla.

18. Jacksonville, Fla.

19. Tampa, Fla.

20. San Jose, Calif.

The Makers of TurboTax reported that the the list was determined by the number of tax returns electronically filed via the TurboTax Online service between April 14 – 17, 2010. Thanks Intuit for the study, I was going to wait to read it but decided not to procrastinate!