This week it seems everyone on twitter has been talking about the great new project by Aram Bartholl - Dead Drops.

'Dead Drops' is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public spaces. In other words Bartholl has been "injecting" USB flash drives into walls, buildings and curbs so that anyone in the public space can access them. So far there are 5 dead drops in NYC that you can go plug your laptop into and share your files. Bartholl wants to encourage participation in the project so has created a 'How to make your own dead drop' manual that you can check out at www.deaddrops.com.

Despite the obvious problems (viruses, porn etc) this is a great way of bringing together technology, art and information.

A USB is a USB, what's are you jabbering on about numbers for?
Well the USB that you are probably used to is USB 2.0, this is USB 3.0, a new type of USB connection first used at the end of 2008 and starting to get more mainstream now..

And..... why should I care?
Well, it's faster.

Much faster?
Yes.

How much faster?
Well, 10 times faster. This is where we turn to the usb specialists: USB 2.0 cables theoretically allow for the transfer of up to 480 megabytes of data per second, with speeds of 120 mb being more normal. USB 3.0 can hit transfer speeds of up to 4.8gbs a second - up to 10x faster.

Still, if I'm just just plugging my speakers into my laptop to power them up, then I don't really need super-fast data transfer..
Very true, this is going to be most useful for products where there's a heavy load of data travelling between devices and the computers, like when you back up your computer on a hard drive, or if say you want to burn films to blu-disks - that kind of thing.

But my computer has only got normal USB ports on it.
It works, it still works. One big advantage of USB 3.0 is that is backward-compatible with USB 2.0. You just need a USB 3.0 cable and a USB 3.0 capable device to get those top transfer speeds.

What sort of products use USB 3.0?
Hard drives - products that use USB 3.0 include hard drives like Buffalo's 1terabyte DriveStation which promises transfer speeds of 150 mb/s.
Blu-Ray disc burners also use USB 3.0 to allow for films etc to be burnt more quickly.

I don't know what we'll do when computer storage goes up into the cloud and people stop making novelty USB memory sticks. I for one will be highly distraught. Anyway, thankfully that apocalyptic day is still far off and people are still making novelty memory sticks designed to look like Obi Wan Kenobi.

This great range updates the classic Star Wars mimobots, featuring R2-D2, Jawa, multiple Stormtroopers and a fan-voted Obi-Wan Kenobi.

MimoBot tell us: "The completely redesigned Stormtrooper Unmasked MIMOBOT features a removable helmet revealing either Luke Skywalker or Han Solo beneath. Just as their "borrowed" uniforms provided perfect cover for the young heroes during the daring Death Star rescue, these Stormtrooper USB flash drives provide up to 16GB of "armored" protection for your digital life."

LOL.

StarWars MimoBot Series 5 range on MimoBot, $39.45

Since Alice in Wonderland chic is in vogue with the new Tim Burton film, this flash drive is definitely a good way to carry extra a few extra gigs of storage. USB stick du jour is this rakish King of Hearts card necklace flash drive. Sling it round your neck, and the top clips off to reveal the USB insert.

2GB US$22.00, 4GB US$25, 8GB US$36.00 from Brando

You can't get the Beatles on Spotify but you can - just in time for Christmas - get the Beatles back catalogue on an apple-shaped USB stick.

Apple Records, the label the Beatles set up, have packed 14 stereo albums, 13 mini-documentary films about the albums, album art and copies of rare photos on this novelty USB, based on the label's logo.

It's not cheap though... it's a cool £200 for the USB stick. Cutely-shaped though it is, this memorabilia won't go down a bomb with the free music streaming generation but for hard core fans, perhaps with a bit more money to slosh around, this may well prove popular at Christmas.

Though it's a far cry from vinyl, only 100 will be released (on 7th December) so the rarity of them might make them more desirable.

Limited Edition Beatles Stereo USB Apple, £200 from digitalstores

[via retrotogo]

Fed up eating lunch cold? Or having to trek all the way over to the microwave to warm up last night's risotto?

Well stop that right now - all you need is your computer and the amazing... USB Lunchbox Warmer (from Brando, a mere $17). Simply plug the USB on the back of the Lunchbox Warmer into your laptop, put your lunchbox inside and wait as it warms up your lunch. Truly, your computer is your best friend.

We've seen a number of novelty USB sticks in our time, but this one is pretty sweet. Remember those dinky little cast-metal toy cars your little brother/you had when you were five? You can get one now, but with a USB stick - so you have an excuse to own it.

Based on the famous Mini Cooper car, the Mini Cooper USB stick comes in different colours or with a snazzy Union Jack design. Minis are 50 years old this year, so it's a celebratory USB stick, as it were.

The USB flicks out the back and snaps back in when you're no longer using it. And - eek! - the headlights light up when you have it plugged into the computer.

When the Mini Cooper USB is not plugged into your laptop, you can skid it around your desk, playing toy cars with it, perhaps racing it against your other novelty USB sticks. Your co-workers will love it.

Available from 1gb to 4gb, on www.cooperusb.com for $45
(free international shipping, apparently).

Related: Shoot up that data with USB syringe

Ever battle with the office girls for who gets to use the microwave first at lunch? Frustrating isn't it? Research has shown that many people don't even eat lunch because they're too busy/lazy to go out and get some nosh. Well Heinz have decided that's not acceptable and have created the Micro Microwave so that no one need venture down the hall in search of a device. It measures in at 150 x 160 x 190mm, and works via the USB port on your computer. As yet there's no release date or price, but hopefully the day when we'll all have our own micro microwaves isn't too far away.

[via T3]

More USB gadgets here

When USB storage and syringes combine, you must expect certain references to illegal paraphernalia. Then again, you could contrast the heavy data flow people use with Internet addiction, leading onto.. yes, you get the puncture picture.

I you'd like a USB drive that will have your Mum straight on the phone to Talk To Frank be my guest, but it does have 8GB of storage...

$29 from Brando

See more USB weirdness here

Last week, the shiny tech team recently got the impressions of our ears taken, so we could each get our very own tailor made headphones which Zara equated to having a tampon stuffed in the ear. While the majority of us don't know what that feels like (I would hope) Zara was convinced. Oh, and speaking of tampons check this out. It's a USB flash drive shaped like those very horrible but very necessary little things. Whether you have a heavy or light data flow (sorry), the USB tampon has you covered, coming in regular (1GB), super (8GB) and Ultra (16GB) offerings.

USB keys disguised as keys? Who'd have thunk it eh? They may aesthetically fool you (and the person hoping to steal precious data from you) but their purpose isn't only concerned with stealthily concealing your USB drive amongst a bunch of keys. The LaCie keys are all about having a convenient and more importantly, a relatively safe way to keep a hold of your flash drive without ripping out clumps of hair when you can't locate it - that is if/until you lose your keys of course.

There's something very James Bond about a USB flash drive with a 4-digit password and concealment capabilities. And that's exactly what you'll get with the Locky USB drive. Its design is rather basic, but still, it makes a change from the novelty based USB drives that appear to be swarming the peripheral market.

But I'm guessing if you're the kind of person with a need to keep information locked away, you're probably no the type to opt for a cuddly/smelly/extravagant/plastic-y USB peripheral are you? It features a number pad on its outer shell to give you access to 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16GB of memory, which equally serves the purpose of bamboozlement should anyone attempt to break into it. Espionage equipment doesn't come cheap but you can feel every bit the spy here, for $61 USD.

[via DVICE]

More USB peripherals here

It may look like an oxidised piece of metal that'll make your hand smell, but if you can avert your eyes from its rusty outer shell for just a moment, you'll notice the little connector rearing its shiny head, moving its status from horrible rusty thing to USB drive.

But clearly you're looking because you have a thing for all things steampunk, unique USB sticks, or even rusty objects (you'll be surprised what does it for some people), right? The corroded USB drive is a handmade object with laser cut designs to boot. $40USD will get you 2GB of rusty memory from those purveyors of the handmade at Etsy.

[via Dvice]

More like this here

You wouldn't expect a cat shaped USB drive that appears to be cheerfully relieving itself in a USB port to retail for $81.75, but this one does. Does it do anything more than store data you ask? Does the tail automatically rise up when it senses it's about to be inserted in a USB port? Well, no. In fact, there's nothing special about the Kyoto Catbar, unless you deem handmade 'special'.

I appreciate handmade goods of all kinds cost more than your average factory produced stuff, but $81.75 is perhaps a little too extravagant for something that doesn't light up or feature kitty related sound effects. It's made of genuine chirimen material, which if you didn't know folks, is the material of the kimono. But, still... $81.75! It makes you wonder just how much an authentic kimono goes for?

You can get one here if you must

[via Boing Boing Gagdets]

Am I the only one who gets the reference to and reads the title in the voice of the Jalapeno pepper from the Reggae Reggae chicken sub Subway ad ("Oooh mama, too hot, too spicy - hot hot")? If I am indeed alone in doing that, I strongly suggest watching the ad, and then you can immaturely chuckle to yourself too.

So, this one doesn't exactly warrant much of an explanation - it's a USB drive, shaped like a red hot chilli. What isn't obvious from the picture however, is its ability to store 4GB of computer related stuff and its price tag, that'll cost you a mere £8.95 here.

And now for some chilli facts because you can never know too much about a chilli's history, right?:

It's only a USB hub, but for some of us, USB ports are imperative tool to the daily workings of our lives. If USB hubs weren't thrown at me on a regular basis, making me look like some kind of strange port obsessed hub hoarder, I'd be on the lookout for something like this. Yes, it's not aesthetically pleasing, but it fulfils those USB port providing duties well. And if you're one of those connectivity unfortunates with a laptop (let's say the Macbook Air) with only one USB port, which quite frankly just isn't good enough, it's clear you're going to need assistance.

The Revolving Hub does exactly what it says on the tin in the picture. There are four ports to make use of - one of which rotates up to 90 degrees to deliver that plug and play flexibility.

OK, tell me if this makes you angry, or if I'm being overly Monday morning, lack of coffee, wish it was still the weekend sensitive: these (quite attractive) Micro Attaches come in three sizes - 2GB, 4GB and 8GB. If you want the largest, you get a serious grey. The middle, a boyish blue. Don't have much data, and wouldn't really know what to do with more than 2GB? Pink for you, and don't you worry your pretty little head about it.

They are, apparently, the perfect Valentine's Day gift, although I'm not sure what face you're supposed to pull if your sweetheart gifts you the eternal gift of memory storage on the 14th. They start at £9.95 and go up to £19.90, so perhaps 'Cor, you are *really* cheap' would be appropriate.

Get yours here.

I'm not one for spending money on USB drives, but I would totally change my cheapskate ways for Sirtified's Hand USB Sticks (namely the rock horns version, appropriately named Rock). If this isn't classified as making technology cool for the kids, then I don't now what is?

These gesturing or rigor mortis style USB drives store 2GB of storage in their hands and are available in a variety of three different versions - the aforementioned Rock, the regularly thrown up West Si-eeede and I can't work out what the last model is trying to do, so I'm going to go with East-Sieeede (to rival the west) or Shadow Puppet.

Ahhh, the Volkswagen Beetle - the classic and iconic vehicle of the 60s. I used to want to be the proud owner of a Beetle so badly, but alas, had to settle for a more bank account friendly Fiat. But a Beetle USB hub, that's as close to the real thing right? Well no, but it does technically mean you'll finally own your very own Beetle. You may not be able to park yourself in it, but you can still marvel at the iconic design (even if it is the newer shape).

As you've probably gathered from the title, there are four USB ports. You can never have enough USB ports (just ask Susi) and sometimes a shortage can prove to be somewhat of an irksome issue. It's available in a classic, no door, with sun roof and eyes that lead me to believe these cute cars are distant relatives of Brum

$12.50 USD here

[via Coolest Gadgets]

Like cool USB hubs? Read this: Darth Vadar and R2D2 USB hubs for the Star Wars enthusiast in you

News of new technology in peripherals is like the sweet, sweet voices of angels to me. The Leyio is a 'Personal Sharing Device' (PSD) and it uses Ultra Wide Band (UWB) to transfer data between compatible devices. Woo! New acronyms!

Essentially, it's a 16GB USB stick, which will hold just about anything you ask it to. When you find a friend who also has a Leyio, you can transfer any folder or file you specify, with a flick of the wrist (a bit like the action of fanning out a deck of cards, apparently). And you can ensure you're only sharing the files you want, as there's a little screen on the device which allows you to pick the contents available.