1. Seven USB gadgets that will make your computer smarter
Ashutosh Desai & Savio D’Souza, TNN
You are not fully using the USB port of your laptop’s capabilities if you use it to connect flash drives or portable hard drives.
These are some handy and quirky gadgets you can use with the ubiquitous port:
2. Wi-Fi range extenders
Sometimes the internal Wi-Fi antenna of your laptop is not strong enough to find or latch onto a wireless connection.
Well, don’t worry. You only need a Wi-Fi range extender. These tiny gadgets have small antennas that are awkwardly designed but very effective. They can be connected via your USB port to increase signal strength and fidelity.
You might consider investing in one of these if you require Wi-Fi in your home, office, airports, or coffee shops, as well as in your bedroom. They come with WPA/WPA2 encryption for security to protect your wireless connection from hackers.
You can choose between the TP-Link TL-WN821N (Rs 620), which has a single antenna, or the TP-Link TL-WN822N (1,200), which has two antennas. Both support the wireless ‘n standard at speeds up to 300Mbps.
The Asus USB AC56 is a high-end option if you are looking for something more. It supports the latest ‘ac’ standard with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz) and theoretical speeds up to 1200Mbps.
3. External sound cards
Many of us store all our music and videos on our laptops or desktop computers. However, almost all personal computers have poor sound processors that do not adequately reproduce music, movies, and other sounds.
External sound cards are the way to go! These tiny boxes draw power from your computer’s USB port and process audio using specialized software.
The Asus Xonar U7 (Rs 6.500) is a good option for 7.1 channel sound. For 5.1 sound, the Creative Sound Blaster Omni (8,500) or the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Pro (5,100) are options. These gizmos can replace the onboard audio processors in your computer and increase your audio connectivity options. You also get a volume control knob, microphone, and headphone inputs.
The Creative Sound Blaster E1 (Rs 5.400) and Asus Xonar U3 (2,800) are great options for personal sound. You can use the E1 with your portable MP3 players as well as a rechargeable battery.
4. Scan biometric fingerprints
You should increase the security of sensitive data by using your fingerprint scanner for access. You will need a portable USB fingerprint reader and the driver software to set it up.
The SecuGen Hamster Plus is priced at Rs 4,500 and features a sensor that’s scratch-, vibration-, and electrostatically shock-resistant. The sensor can detect if a finger has been placed on it and will automatically switch on when the finger is moved.
Similar devices include the Noctronique USB biometric fingerprint reader (Rs 3850), which allows you to scan files and folders using your finger. There are many generic scanners available in this price range. The main differences are in the speed of the sensor and the proprietary technology used.
5. Tablets with graphics
You might be a creative person and want to swap your keyboard, mouse, and touchpad for something that allows you to interact with your computer more naturally.
Explore the world of graphic tablets. These USB-powered devices include a stylus and digital slate that allow you to draw, color, and write just like on paper.
The software will display your sketching strokes on the monitor. They mimic the pressure that you put on the graphics tablet.
Wacom offers a wide range of tablets that can be used by both left- and right-handed users. You can start with the Wacom One Small (Rs 4.350) and Medium (Rs 7.725) due to their compact size. The diagonal area you can use is 5.7 inches and 7.4 inches, respectively. The stylus can sense up to 1024 pressure levels and works without batteries.
The Intuos series is a great option for professional photographers and designers. It starts at Rs 23,475 and boasts a touch-sensitive canvas and greater pressure sensitivity.
6. “Wireless” pen drives
What about a pen drive that can not only be connected to your laptop via USB but also lets you wirelessly share the contents with friends?
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick can be used with both mobile and desktop devices.
You just need to plug it into your USB port to charge it and maybe copy files.
You can stream music and videos to up to three smartphones, tablets, or computers from the pen drive, which is available in 16GB, 32, 64, and 128GB, respectively (Rs 1,800-Rs 6,400).
7. Lights
Backlit keyboards are not a common feature on many laptops. This can be a big advantage when working in low-light areas. You can now make sure that your keyboard and surrounding area are illuminated by USB-powered LED lights. These can be purchased for as low as Rs 100.
The lamps come in a rubberized flexible body that you can bend in any way you like to ensure illumination where you need it.
You might also consider USB-powered plasma lamps (Rs 1000 onwards), which are beautiful and fun to use.
8. Mobile hubs
There are so many USB accessories to choose from, and not just the ones that charge their batteries. You will run out of connections. Enter portable hubs.
These handy little gadgets allow you to add at least four USB ports to your computer so you can use pen drives and Wi-Fi dongles.
You can also consider devices such as the Belkin F4U021BT (Rs 555), iBall piano (Rs 5010), or Transcend TS–HUB3K (1,640) for its 4 USB3.0 ports.