Considering that Intel plans on integrating USB 3 alongside Thunderbolt into their next processor, Ivy Bridge, sometime in 2012, it was assumed that when Apple uses that processor they would use USB 3, as well. However, VR-Zone reports that Apple is looking at doing this before Ivy Bridge is available. But it begs the question, for what product?

Elgato is well known for their superb EyeTV software and hardware that goes along with it. Recording TV is what they do best, but it’s not all they do; Elgato also makes a great product called the Turbo.264. It’s a USB dongle that eats video for breakfast, and throws up compressed video just as soon as you look away. Seriously though, it kills just about anything else in a speed test.

Apple stated in their iPhone OS 3.0 preview special event that the OS update is fully compatible with tethering, or sharing your iPhone’s connection with a computer, on the client side. All that’s keeping you from tethering iPhone OS 3.0 is an agreement between you and your cell phone provider. Well, unless you’re a developer and don’t mind hacking a little bit. Steve Troughton-Smith, a developer, managed to do just that, and isn’t shy about letting the world know about it.

To preface this article, yes it has been several months since Apple gave us the thumbs-down on FireWire by axing it from the latest round of MacBook updates (it survives on the MacBook Pro, but only in the less popular Firewire 800 form). Much has been said, though little has been done—although there is an online petition to bring FireWire back to the MacBook. But a conversation with a client and an Apple Genius at my local Apple store recently brought the issue back for a while, and it is worth sharing.

One of the stranger signs of iPod ubiquity: two years ago when I bought a microwave oven, it came with a free gift. It was an AM/FM radio that also had an iPod dock. It’s been astonishingly useful gadget, both for music and as an iPod charger when I can’t find a USB cable.

No more. Connect my new iPod Touch this morning, I was greeted with a message that “Charging is not supported on this accessory.” A little bit of digging on the internet turned up the reason: newer iPods have lost the ability to charge via Firewire.

Apple reseller Small Dog Electronics details yet another example of the phasing out of Firewire.

Examples, frustration, and a lack of “green” after the break.

The MacBook Air’s single USB port is not suitable for all USB devices, because it is concealed in such a tight area. The AirQueue from Synchrotech hopes to solve this problem. It’s a $6 USB extender cable designed for the MacBook Air – it’s also designed to work with their MicroU2E USB ExpressCard reader. The more »

We all knew it was coming, we just had no idea when. Someone has developed a patch for the AppleTV that will allow you to connect an external hard drive to it via the extra USB port, thus expanding your storage. The hack gives you the ability to sync your whole iTunes library to an more »

Looking for a simple solution to sync, charge and attach your iPod to your TV or stereo? SendStation recently announced the new PocketDock AV, an ultra-compact iPod adapter that provides connections for Composite and S-Video, line out audio as well as USB. Because the PocketDock AV uses the dock instead of the headphone jack for more »