usb 3.0

Need a mammoth backup drive to connect to your router, Pogoplug, or PC? No, really, I mean mammoth, as in the highest capacity you can buy.

While supplies last, Newegg has the Toshiba Canvio Desk 3TB USB hard drive for $127.49 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCJNNF79 at checkout.

Update: This code is now producing a "not valid" message, and the info on Newegg's product page indicating it was valid until Oct. 6 is gone. I've reached out to Newegg to get some explanation for this and will update the post if and … Read more

As regular Cheapskate readers know, flash-drive prices have plummeted in recent months. But hard-drive prices? They've been very slow to return to where they were a year ago.

Consequently, I'm liking this deal from Staples: the Seagate GoFlex Desk 1.5-terabyte USB hard drive for $79.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). Note that you may have to choose the drive from the drop-down menu on the right side of the product page.

Though it looks fairly sizable in the photos, the black, monolithic GoFlex stands a mere 6.2 inches tall and measures 1.7 … Read more

Greetings from 34,000 feet! Even while hurtling through the sky, I'm on the lookout for cheap deals. (They're easier to spot from up here.) Isn't technology amazing?

USB 3.0 is finally starting to take hold, with at least one compatible port appearing on the latest laptops and desktops. Of course, that high-speed interface is no good if you don't have devices that can take advantage of it.

Like this one: for a limited time, and while supplies last, Dell Home has the 1-terabyte Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex USB 3.0 external hard drive for $82.99 shipped. … Read more

In one sense, Microsoft has succeeded already, by demonstrating that there is a third paradigm: a transformable tablet.

That alone strikes me as a very intentional rebuttal of the Apple argument that a laptop and tablet is a "forced" convergence. (Tim Cook).

And Steve Jobs knocked the idea before that, saying it was "ergonomically terrible" and "we've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work."

Well, Microsoft showed us Monday that it could work. That's all I (and consumers) need to see. (I had been … Read more

Microsoft did not skimp on specs for its new tablets.

More than any single feature, the 3mm-thick Touch Cover (see photos below) stands out. Using pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, allowing faster touch typing than is possible with on-screen keyboards, Microsoft claims.

The Touch Cover attaches to the tablet with a built-in magnetic connector, "forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover," Microsoft said.

There is also an option for a slightly thicker 5 mm Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing experience. … Read more

Ever wonder why USB 3.0 hasn't really caught on? Most flash drives and external hard drives are still chugging along on USB 2.0, and most of the latest laptops have just one USB 3.0 port. Some have none at all. (I'm looking at you, brand-new Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5511.)

That's a shame, because in real-world tests, USB 3.0 has proven to be around 3.5 times faster than USB 2.0. That means a full-system backup that previously took an hour should get done in less than 20 minutes.

Maybe things will change now … Read more

What's in the next spin of the MacBook Pro? 0ne answer is obvious, others are guesswork.

The obvious? Intel's newest Ivy Bridge chip. The guesswork? A thinner MBP made possible by ripping out the optical drive, a la the MacBook Air. And here's some more wishful thinking:

Retina display: A Pro (or maybe a new Air at some point?) with a 2,560x1,600 resolution display? That's the resolution that Intel's Kirk Skaugen mentioned this week at an Intel conference in Beijing in connection with the upcoming Ivy Bridge chip. And he specifically used the … Read more

If you've been wondering when Thunderbolt is available for Windows, the answer is now.

LaCie, one of the two storage companies that participated in the introduction of the Thunderbolt standard, told me today that it will be showing off two Thunderbolt devices, the Little Big Disk SSD and the 2big Thunderbolt, at NAB Show 2012.

While these two devices are not new, this is going to be the first time they are demoed on both platforms: Mac and Windows. Up to now, Thunderbolt has been available only to Macs, exclusively. LaCie also revealed that the support for Thunderbolt in … Read more

In Silicon Valley time, it's been eons but USB 3.0 support has finally landed in Intel chips.

Intel -- somewhat stealthily -- announced today that its 7-series chipset family is now available and "shipping in mobile and desktop OEM systems and motherboards worldwide...[and] they also integrate USB 3.0."

The new chipsets -- companion silicon to the main processor -- support both 2nd Generation Intel Core processors, aka Sandy Bridge, and 3rd Generation Intel Core chips, aka Ivy Bridge.

With today's announcement of availability, it's been roughly ten years since Intel announced support … Read more