USB

​There's no denying that some synthesizers can be very pricey monsters, but there are quite a few that you can carry around in your pocket. Now the UK's WS Audio has developed a synth in a USB stick, which is claimed to be the world's smallest analog synthesizer.​

​You might think that wired connections are the way to go if you want to keep the data flowing between peripherals and your computer secure. But researchers have found that USB connections are prone to data "leakage" that can compromise data security.

​They may be modeled on the human brain, but neural networks are better at sorting through huge amounts of data and identifying patterns. Now to make them more accessible to smaller developers, Intel has launched the Movidius Neural Compute Stick, packing deep learning into a USB thumb drive.

​Tascam has released two USB interfaces designed to help podcasters focus on the content rather than complicated equipment. The Ministudio series is made up of a Personal edition stocked with essential podcasting tools and a Creator edition that adds advanced audio and video production features.

Irish power solutions provider myVolts has developed the Ripcord, a cable that allows musicians on the move to power their gear from a smartphone, tablet or USB battery bank.

A few months after creating what was claimed to be the world's smallest MIDI synth, which was smaller than the capsule at the end of a 5-pin DIN cable, a self-confessed MIDI lover and prolific electronics tinkerer has managed to cram a tone generator into the black plastic inside the USB plug.

Having discovered it's very easy to buy a USB-C cable that will fry your shiny new phone or Chromebook, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group is fighting back with a new protocol to let you know whether your new cable is certified or not.

New Macbook owners accustomed to having ports for HDMI, USB, and/or video, may find a single USB-C port to be rather limiting. Cusby is a compact, modular and expandable adapter designed to make the transition to a USB-C future a bit easier.

Almost everyone has a device that needs to be charged. Whether it's a phone, tablet, or otherwise, the need for USB power is always looming. A new device called the Couchlet aims to take put USB power in the places where people spend a lot of time – their furniture.

Five years ago we saw a clever take on USB splitter accessories, with the chainable Infinite USB. Today the company is back to try to tackle the problems created by Apple's extreme minimalism in the new Retina MacBook.

The Twiddler3 is a combination keyboard and mouse held in just one hand and relying on chorded movements similar to holding and playing a guitar. I was initially impressed by its natural feel in my hand and was curious how it would fit into work, play, and on both mobile and desktop.

Not everyone wants to leave their computer powered up, every time they need to charge a device via USB. The new SnapPower Charger, however, offers an alternative. It's a wall outlet cover plate that provides 1 amp of USB power, with no rewiring or extra hardware necessary.