by Patrick Curran, Online Editor

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – igus® Inc. has published a new 2009 catalog for its Chainflex® continuous-flex cables, which are specifically designed for demanding high-flex applications on all types of automated machinery. The continuous-flex cable book features an easy-to-use quick reference guide, application examples from a wide range of industries and details on the latest Chainflex cables. The new catalog’s reference guide makes it easy to select a continuous-flex cable by highlighting key features, such as jacket types, temperatures limits, price indexes, and maximum bending radii.

The catalog also offers information about new Chainflex cables, including CF Robot, a shielded cable for applications involving high levels of torsion, Firewire cables for long distance machine vision applications, and cables specifically designed for USB applications.

In addition to its line of continuous-flex cables, igus offers Energy Chain® cable carriers to guide and protect moving cables and hoses on automated machinery. Both the company’s cable carriers and Chainflex cables are specially developed to work together to increase cable service life and maximize uptime due to cable failure.

By Chip Chick
Monster Unveils Super Thin HDMI Cable & MC AV50 Tabletop Universal Remote

Today Monster unveiled their new “Powered” SuperThin Cables for HDMI. These cables are the result of a collaboration of Monster with RedMere, a company involved in silicon chip development. These new cables featured RedMere MagnifEye Active technology which boosts HD signals directly in the cable itself without the need for an external power supply or heavy-gauge copper. The SuperThin Cables will be available in several lengths ranging from 4 to 16 feet. Pricing is listed below.
Digital Life™ SuperThin High Speed Powered Cable for HDMI (SRP) 4ft. $89.95, 8ft. $99.95 and 16ft $119.95
Digital Life SuperThin High Speed Powered Cable for camcorder; Mini HDMI to HDMI 8ft (SRP) $99.95
Monster’s Core Line of SuperThin Powered Cables for HDMI 1m $79.95, 2m $89.95 4m $99.95, 5m $119.95.
Monster also showed released the MC AV50, an affordable Universal Home Theater Controller for $49.95. The MC AV50 is essentially a super sized universal remote with a tabletop structure and ergonomic design. The device has an assortment of large buttons with simple descriptions that can be operated with one hand. For example, there is “Play a DVD” and Listen to Satellite Radio”.av50 300×138 Monster Unveils Super Thin HDMI Cable & MC AV50 Tabletop Universal Remote
The AV50 shares many of the same unique operational qualities as other Monster advanced controllers, in that it makes individual home entertainment components work together rather than separately. They all share a host of powerful features, including advanced options for setup, customization and maintenance that elevate them far beyond ordinary remotes.
Activity-Based Control sends intelligent commands to all necessary components withthe touch of a single button. Users choose simple, plain-English Activities like “Play a DVD” and “Listen to Satellite Radio.” The remotes then automatically power the right components, set all the correct inputs, and adjust themselves to the user’s preferences – all from a one–button control!

Web-Based Setup and Configuration is user-friendly and available 24-7. Consumers access an online wizard at Monster Central® Control and enter the brand and model numbers of their equipment. Next, the wizard asks them a few simple questions. Based on the answers, the Monster Configurator downloads the proper control codes for all their gear into the MCC AV50 over a USB cable that comes with the product. No “teaching” or “learning” is involved and users can add or subtract components at their convenience. Likewise, they can create new Activities at any time.

Extensive Personalization and Customization enables users to create custom “palettes” for easy access to their favorite picture and sound functions. Users can also personalize their Monster Controller with custom graphics, photos and slide shows.

By: Joel Evans

Review: Short USB Data Sync and Charging Cable for iPhone

I’m not one for reviewing cables but when the Mini USB Data Sync and Charging Cable for Apple’s iPhone and iPods came across my desk, I had to give it a run.

The unique part about the cable is its size. At just 6 inches it doesn’t get cluttered with the rest of your cables and it’s immediately portable. Other than that, it looks just like a standard iPhone charging and syncing cable with the dock connector on one end and a USB connector on the other.
So, how do you test a charging and syncing cable? You unwrap it, plug it into your computer and then hook it up to your iPhone. I did just that and seconds later my iPhone was syncing and charging.

The Mini USB Data Sync and Charging Cable works with the iPhone 3G, original iPhone, iPod Classic, both generations of iPod touch, and all generations of iPod Nano. Unfortunately, there’s no support for the shuffle, but otherwise it covers a wide variety of Apple accessories.

The only negative I found is the name. The company might want to change the name since it could confuse people and make them think that it’s actually mini USB and not just a “short” USB cable.
You can pick up the Mini USB Data Sync and Charging Cable at USBFever.com for US$6.99.

By- Macworld staff, Macworld.com

Other World Computing unveiled a faster, higher-capacity line of Mercury On-The-Go Pro bus-powered portable hard drives Wednesday. The trio of 500GB, 7,200-rpm Mercury On-The-Go Pro models feature different interface options.

The triple-interface Mercury On-The-Go Pro drive features two FireWire 800 ports, a USB 2.0 Mini-B port, and FireWire 800/800-to-400 and USB 2.0 connecting cables. Featuring an Oxford 934 chipset, this model costs US$240.

A Combo Interface option offers a FireWire 400 port and USB 2.0 Mini-B port, along with the Oxford 934 chipset; it costs $220. The third model, priced at $190, features a USB 2.0 interface and a JMicron 20339 chipset.

All three Mercury On-The-Go Pro models are 3.5-by-5.5-by-1 inches and fit in a shirt pocket. Bundled software for Mac users includes Carbon Copy Cloner and Prosoft Engineering Data Backup 3.

The latest drives complement OWC’s existing line of 5,400-rpm Mercury On-The-Go Pro models, which come in capacities of 80GB to 500GB, and the 250GB and 320GB versions of its 7,200-rpm drives.–Philip Michaels

SendStation releases three Mini DisplayPort adapters

SendStation Systems on Wednesday released a trio of adapters for connecting external displays to Mini DisplayPort-enabled Macs.

The company is offering adapters for DVI (the company doesn’t specific whether it’s dual-link DVI or not), HDMI, and VGA. The VGA model costs $23–the others cost $25. All three adapters are built under license from Apple and work with all Macs with Mini Display Port connectors (including the most recent models of all Macs other than the white MacBook).

Apple sells VGA and DVI adapters for $29 each, and a dual-link DVI adapter for $99, but doesn’t offer an HDMI adapter. Other companies also sell Mini DisplayPort adapters.–Jonathan Seff

Cover Stream users now have access to a pop-up control panel in the desktop status bar. The new addition is part of the version 2.6 update to the iTunes controller that developer Snarb.tk announced Wednesday.

Cover Stream lets users control, browse, and search their music without having to leave whatever other application they’re working in. The software costs €15–about $21 for us here in the States–with the 2.6 update free to existing customers.

The pop-up panel added in Cover Stream 2.6, which provides full control over iTunes playback, appears when the mouse hovers over Cover Stream’s status bar icon; previously, player controls were available from the actual status bar menu. The new control panel displays the current track’s artwork and lets you rate the track. Clicking on the artwork or jewel case toggles the visibility of the browser window.

Other changes in Cover Stream 2.6 include improved podcast support with full episode descriptions displayed when your mouse hovers over a podcast in the songs browser, a feedback reporter for sending troubleshooting reports from within the application, and an improved launcher utility.

NEC has announced the world’s first controller chip for USB 3.0. It is also known as SuperSpeed USB and it has a blistering peak data-transfer of 5 Gbps. The new technology will put a new generation of data transfer into the hands of consumers. Sample quantities are expected to arrive in June with volume production in Q3. It might be possible for USB 3.0 to make it into computers in time for the holiday season.

Of course, I would not expect to see too many USB 3.0 peripherals until sometime next year. With USB 3.0 literally within reach, what are some things we can expect from this new technology?

First of all, slim, unshielded USB cables reminiscent of USB 2.0 will not work with USB 3.0. The technologies required to pump 5 Gbps of throughput means that shielded cables are required to reduce electromagnetic interference to a minimum. Compared to USB 2.0, SuperSpeed USB also offers full duplex transfer, thanks to additional pins recessed within the slightly longer connector, according to Register Hardware.

In addition, USB-powered devices will be able to draw 900mA of power compared to the 500mA under USB 2.0. This works out at about 80 percent more, which is no trivial amount. Hopefully, this means I will be able to charge smartphones from a laptop faster.

What about operating system support? Well, Microsoft is certainly interested in supporting it, though Register Hardware suggests that it will probably appear in Service Pack 1 of Windows 7. It is unlikely that the venerable Windows XP will ever see support for USB 3.0.