USB Server Shares Peripherals

Keyspan's unique USB Server.
Buy a network-ready printer, and you'll pay hundreds more than you would for a simple USB-connected one. But less-expensive USB printers and the vast variety of other USB peripherals function solely as single-computer devices.

Keyspan's USB Server is unique because it lets you share several such devices among multiple networked PCs--and without leaving any of your PCs turned on.

You connect the $130 USB Server to your network via its ethernet port. The USB Server has four USB 1.1 ports, and allows you to share multifunction devices, printers, scanners, and even input devices (mice and keyboards). External hard drives may work too, but the company says they'll perform more slowly than if attached directly to the PC.

When you connect a peripheral to the server, a small application on each networked PC will show that it's available. Click a button to connect to the server, and if the device isn't already installed, you'll receive a Windows prompt to set it up, just as if you had plugged it into the back of the PC.

I looked at a shipping USB Server and found using peripherals through it almost as easy as if they were connected to a USB port on my computer. I tried it with two PCs, a printer, and a scanner; I could print and scan at the same time, with no apparent slowdown. However, the server will not allow two systems to access the same peripheral simultaneously, so I could not queue print jobs. Keyspan says it's working on that, but most of these devices weren't meant to be shared.

If you have a stable of USB 1.1 peripherals, especially devices that aren't printers, using the USB Server can help avoid sharing conflicts.

Keyspan USB Server

Simple device is great for sharing USB peripherals in a multiple-PC home office. Price when reviewed: $130 Current prices (if available).

HARDWARE

Section 5 — Other Potential Sources of Digital Evidence

Description: First responders should be aware of and consider as potential evidence other elements of the crime scene that are related to digital information, such as electronic devices, equipment, software, hardware, or other technology that can function independently, in conjunction with, or attached to computer systems. These items may be used to enhance the user’s access of and expand the functionality of the computer system, the device itself, or other equipment.

Diagnostic

If you computer is not working properly, we will run your computer through several tests to figure out why. We also will suggest minor upgrades that will make your computer faster.

Virus/Adware/Spyware Removal

This service can be preformed in-house or at our facility. Your system is scanned by three independent anti-virus packages. We will also install a free version of anti-virus software to prevent future virus infections.

Hardware Repair

We will replace any faulty computer hardware as well as troubleshoot why the hardware may have failed. This also includes a thorough cleaning of the computer case. All faulty hardware will be returned to the customer unless it is more convenient for us to dispose of it properly for you.

Alienware Further Teases Us With Powerful Area-51 Notebooks

All that pre-release hype from Alienware we heard last week led up to even more pre-release hype today, with the company unveiling its two new laptops, the Area-51 m15x and m17x. It’s calling the radical PCs “the most powerful notebooks ever created.” There’s still an air of mystery around the two laptops, but we do know that both the 15.4″ Area-51 m15x and the 17″ Area-51 m17x will be using Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme processors at 2.8GHz, and will have enough graphics mojo to play 1080p video and beaucoups games. Pricing and availability still weren’t announced, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on the pretty pics of these highly capable baubles from the extraterrestrials. [Alienware, via Electronista]

The Slim PC By Dell

At Dell’s launch of its “Hybrid Business” strategy today, the company spent a few minutes talking about its history of developing new standards, and forcing them on the industry. One of the standards discussed: Display Port. This new interconnect, according to Dell CTO Kevin Kettler, will redefine what an LCD monitor looks like.

Future Internet

Future Internet: Duncan Campbell examines the technology that will one day bring about the “thinking Web”.

I liked the picture that is featured at the top of this article by Duncan Cambell on the future of the Internet so I republished it at the top of this post. It shows an artists conception of what our computer interface will look like in the year 2018.

Freud said a century ago that humans have an unconscious instinctual desire to return to womb. As a psychologist trained a long time ago in old school psychology, I would have to say that the woman in the picture looks like she has done exactly that. Her fetal position is also similar to that imagined for the "enslaved" humans in the movie, the Matrix immersed in their virtual reality pods. Except that the woman looks alert and working rather than vegetative.

She looks extremely comfortable. The only thing that looks like it might not be needed is her fingers at the keyboard. Hopefully by 2018 that speech recognition or even brainwave recognition will have advanced far enough to the need for repeated pressing of fingers.