After releasing a compact USB 3.0 hard drive enclosure earlier this month, PC accessory maker Brando has introduced a new USB 3.0 accessory called the Y-1034 Unitek USB 3.0 to SATA Adapter. Its handiness stems from its simplicity; the Y-1034 simply plugs straight into a SATA hard drive without having to set up an external enclosure. It connects to a computer with a standard USB 3.0 connection for a theoretical transfer speed that tops out at 5Gb/s while still supporting the older USB 2.0 interface. Available now for $48, it comes packaged with its own AC adapter for power, and up to 2TB drives are supported.
Lenovo has launched a wireless remote designed to control media center PCs from the couch (or any plush, comfortable office chair, for that matter). Simply called the Multimedia Remote, the device is built for full wireless control from up to 33 feet away with a full QWERTY keyboard and trackball (with two mouse buttons). The remote works with Windows XP, Vista and 7, and is available now for $60.
Yamaha has just launched the YHT-S400, a compact home theater audio system designed for small spaces. It’s a simple two piece kit that includes a soundbar and the receiver that integrates the subwoofer, but features Yamaha’s Air Surround Xtreme technology that achieves 7.1-channel surround sound.
While everyone else seems to have shown their first Pine Trail Atom-based netbooks within a week after the processor’s launch, Lenovo is holding their cards close. A Lenovo-branded netbook has been spotted during FCC testing though, and it looks like it’s going to be more than the usual netbook.
A lot of rumors talk about Apple coming out with a 10-inch tablet PC—which may or may not be called the iSlate–next year, but a new report has surfaced that a 7-inch model might also be due. It’s unknown if both a 10-incher and a 7-incher will be released, or if it’s going to be one or the other, but the buzz is heating up to the point that an iTablet (or iWhateveritscalled) will be introduced during an Apple event next month (most probably on the 26th). Speculations for the tablet’s OS is also split, with some thinking that it’s going to be a full-on porta-PC running Mac OS X, while newer rumors expect the new device to run on a tweaked version of the iPod Touch’s OS for a larger screen.
