When the SATA HDD Stage Rack launched last October, we figured it would just be a one-off gizmo that all of four or five people would pick up. A year later, we're staring at a smattering of iterations from a number of companies. Sharkoon's own attempt at beefing up this apparent product category looks to be a pretty solid product, as the SATA QuickPort Duo gives owners the ability to slam in two 2.5- / 3.5-inch internal SATA hard drives and connect them up to a PC via USB 2.0 or eSATA. Unfortunately, the €47 ($64) price tag is a touch on the high side, but it is the Cadillac of the bunch, you know.

The reams and reams of spam found with every check of our inboxes here at Engadget HQ have quashed the surge of emotions we used to experience when that new-mail notifier started blinking. So, we went looking for something to help get our e-mail groove back, and we've found it: the USB webmail notifier. It's a little box with the iconic envelope design on the front that lights up in green, blue, or red when you receive mail. The color indicates either the location of the received message, for those of you who rock Outlook for work and Gmail for personal, or the volume, for those who need some encouragement to clean out that inbox. It is somewhat less useful than other multi-purpose USB indicators we've seen, but its simplicity, and its $17 price tag, make it our choice to bring back that lovin' feeling.

We know this here device is real, but excuse us while we share our skepticism of ASUS' ability to deliver -- after all, we're still waiting patiently for that ROG XG Station to actually find a price and release date. That aside, this here motherboard companion was recently demonstrated by ASUS, and apparently, it gives users the ability to monitor their PC internals, overclock devices in real time and check out widgets on the side. The OC Palm is one of the very few devices we've seen of late to actually take advantage of SideShow-like functionality, though it's only compatible with the high(er)-end P6T DELUXE mobo right now. ASUS has yet to disclose a sticker / launch date, but it's not like you didn't see that coming, right? Check the read link for lots more hands-on shots.

We know, the minuscule magnets adorned on this 4-port USB hub aren't technically strong enough to have any severe effect on your data, but seriously, why would you chance it? In what has to be one of the worst ideas in low-end technology to ever grace our eyes, the magnetic 4-port USB hub enables users to stick their hub on any nearby file cabinet, metal plate or refrigerator door, though we can't figure out why that's such an awesome benefit. If you can, however, feel feel to show off your carefree side by handing over $13.99.

Another month, another ergonomic mouse. Somehow, against all odds, we've found ourselves believing that this one may actually make a difference. Who knows -- maybe it's the fact that Hippus' HandshoeMouse was developed at two medical universities in Holland and not in someone's basement. Or maybe it's because "extensive medical studies support the concept." At any rate, the critter -- which enables the user to "place the whole palm of their hand on the mouse without having to cling on to it" -- comes in a trio of sizes based on how humongous / diminutive your gripper is and can be purchased now in black or white for €120 ($166). For ultimate carpal tunnel shielding, we'd recommend use of it with the LapWorks Gamers Desk... but only if you're okay with being single forever.

[Via HotHardware]

Imagine this -- you, sitting in a dingy airport terminal waiting on your flight with a lifeless laptop and just 10 minutes to spare. You've got oodles of spreadsheet work to do before 8:00AM tomorrow, and unless you get it done on this flight, you're fubared. Toshiba is looking to make said scenario seem like one that's not so grim, as its prototype SCIB (Super Charge Ion Battery) purportedly has the potential to get 90% full in just 10 minutes. The battery was unveiled at CEATEC 2008 in Japan, though little was known about its eventual availability. Shame development cycles can't be fast tracked in a similar manner, huh?

[Via UberReview]

We've seen a boatload of wireless keyboards shuffle past, but we've gotta hand it to you Brando, the itty bitty factor joined with an array of useful features reminds us your heart is in the right place. The USB 2.4Ghz RF Wireless Multimedia Tiny Keyboard is around half the size of an ordinary keyboard and features a 33-foot range, 1000dpi trackball and media player hot keys. This tight little number can be had for $48 -- throw in an ice cream cone and we're sold.

Remember that Wii Speak microphone that Nintendo announced at E3 for Animal Crossing socialization, and then everyone promptly forgot about? Well, shuffled in with its other announcements yesterday, Nintendo announced the Wii Speak channel, that will allow for up to four people to voice chat directly without all that pesky fishing and digging and tea sipping and cute getting in the way. Unfortunately, literally nothing else is known about the feature -- we're curious if we can use that USB mic we got for karaoke, and we're sure you have burning questions of your own, but Nintendo's clearly going to debut this feature and the related hardware in its own sweet time.

[Via Joystiq]

Remember that PlayStation Eye you purchased way back when? You know, that PS peripheral you used for all of 12 minutes before shelving indefinitely? It's time to break that bad boy back out, as a detailed hack from the NUI Group shows how to convert it into a working webcam within Windows. Make no mistake, this isn't the simplest hack in the whole wide world, but the long-winded instructions ought to guide you right through. What are you waiting for? Head on down and get to work!

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Here's an interesting one. That red / black Xbox 360 controller that was showcased back in July is now available to any ole consumer in the US, Canada, Latin America New Zealand and Asia, and it comes bundled with a Play & Charge Kit and red rechargeable battery for $64.99. For whatever reason, Microsoft's totally missing a golden opportunity to cash in on the holiday shopping season by reserving the green counterpart as some "promotional item." C'mon guys, is it really that hard to understand how irresistible a red and green gamepad tandem would be in late December?

[Via IGN]

Targus is making a big deal about how it's launching its first-ever line of Mac accessories, but we're not seeing much here that's particularly platform-dependent -- just a lot of gray and white plastic. The $70 Bluetooth Laser Mouse, $50 Wireless Mouse, and $80 Bluetooth Presenter all feature an interesting touch-sensitive scroll nub that switches to cursor control on the presenter and offers four-way scrolling on the mice. There's also a $50 USB file-transfer cable that offers direct file transfers between PCs and Macs, a $30 four-port compact USB hub with wraparound cable, MacBook and MacBook Pro privacy screens that range from $50 to $80, and a $50 dual-fan cooling pad with a slight ergonomic tilt. All this should be available now -- PC owners, you'll just have to find something else to do with your useless, useless money.

Bad / good news, folks: Nintendo is / isn't working on a pedometer peripheral that will / won't integrate with its Wii / DS console. The company has famously stated that it doesn't plan to release "a whole lot more" accessories for the Wii, which means we've got at least one or two to look forward to, and this could be one of 'em. The images surfaced on a European trademark registry site with very little supplemental info, but we do know it's a pedometer of sorts. If we're lucky, this is something that'll integrate into the existing Wii Fit setup, perhaps alongside a software update to manage more info about our unhealthiness than just how far we can jump on a pair of imaginary skis, but it's probably just as likely that we're looking at a Wii Fit sequel, or perhaps a DS version (a handy companion to that new DS?) designed to lure us out of the house. No telling, really, but the peripheral does appear to be wireless... and wholly evil.

[Via Joystiq]

Up until now, the words "Zink" and "Polaroid" were all but married together, but a breakup fit for The Hills is about to go down courtesy of the all-too-promiscuous Dell. Over in the deep waters of the FCC, we're seeing a new Dell printer that utilizes the ink-free Zink technology. The PZ310 WASABI is yet another handheld printer that comes bundled with a single stack of printing paper, Bluetooth technology for printing from your mobile / BT-enabled PC, a USB port for traditionalists and a Reprint button for obvious reasons. As with everything in the FCC, the agency is never kind enough to hand over any preliminary pricing / release information, but it ought not be long now before Dell starts shipping these things without even telling anyone.

Way back in December of 2006, NVIDIA and AMD were both pegged for potential price fixing, and nearly two years later it seems it'll finally be paying the piper. A settlement agreement is detailed in a recently filed 8-K form, which asserts that NVIDIA would pay $850,000 into a total fund of up to $1.7 million, with AMD / ATI probably left to make up the rest. Of note, the 8-K filing does mention that all of this is still "subject to court approval," but it's likely that the green light will eventually be given. Outside of that, we're also informed that NVIDIA will be handing over $112,500 to the individual plaintiffs who brought the case to court. Well, we're glad that's settled.

[Via CustomPC]

Come on, the picture tells the whole story, does it not? The $14 Super Kid 4-port USB hub gives you four of the funnest USB 2.0 ports you'll ever have, and the arms / legs are totally pliable, too. Just don't overload him with USB-powered lamps and cooling devices -- a boy can only handle so much.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]