USB Upgrade: SuperSpeed USB 3.0
The most impressive feature of this new USB upgrade is its bi-directional data interface, which means that the new USB standard will be able to send and receive data at the same time. Yes, absolutely! Every device connected to your PC through USB 3.0 will boast a high data transfer rates compared to current USB 2.0.
The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 specification promises to transfer data 10 times faster than the current USB 2.0 standard. If you want a bits and bytes comparison, USB 3.0 comes in at 5 Gigabits per second (Gbps), while USB 2.0 has a top data transfer rate of just 480 megabits per second. That’s what makes this stuff SuperSpeed!
Talking about power…well it’s another nifty feature of USB 3.0 since it has the ability to provide more power- up to 50 per cent more power – to connected peripherals and devices. That will mean fewer additional power bricks will be required by peripherals that can get all of their power through the USB cable… Read More…
Innovating through Tough Times
by: Eric Starkloff
What do Hewlett-Packard, FedEx, and CNN have in common? 
Believe it or not, these companies were founded during difficult economic times (1939, 1973, and 1980, respectively). What about product innovations like nylon and the iPod? You guessed it. They were also developed and released in weak economies (1935 and 2001). It turns out that these examples aren’t anomalies. Adversity can help spur innovation.
I have been researching this phenomenon to understand what lessons it may hold for us facing the challenges of the current global recession. It is clear that innovation is the lifeblood of high-tech companies. And when I refer to innovation, I don’t just mean lightning-bolt ideas that only happen in a research lab. I mean the ideas that all of us—test engineers, design engineers, and researchers alike—apply to improving the processes and products that we work on every day. In these tough economic times, innovation is important not just to keep your companies competitive but to keep you competitive as well.
But how do you innovate in a time when resources are scarce and the business world has collectively become risk averse? I use the term “lean innovation” to describe the type of innovation that is most effective with these constraints. I believe there are three key attributes of successful lean innovation: doing more with less, proving it, and leveraging networks.
Power It Up – The Best Batteries for Electronics Gadgets
There’s nothing worse than getting a great gift only to
have the battery conk out after just a few hours, or minutes. Some batteries do a great job powering up some of your electronics but are all wrong for the stuff. To see which ones were the best in different situations, three types of non-rechargeable AA batteries were tested: alkalines, lithium, and nickel oxy hydroxide. The test was designed to mimicked a typical digital camera’s operation to find batteries that will keep your camera clicking. For CD players and toys – not to mention clocks, flashlights, and remote controls – that you want to keep going and going, a test was designed t
o check the lower battery draws typical of these devices. Lithium batteries were bit pricey, but their ability to keep digital cameras going might take them economical in the long run.
