These drives look pretty good, thanks to their stylish orange rubber protective case. They are safe to drop up to 4 feet, so it’s a good bet that your data will remain intact if you’re in the habit of dropping things. They are also 1-ton pressure resistant in case you (or your pet grizzly bear) ever step or sit on your drive after you drop it.

They’re also USB 3.0 compatible, so they won’t be slow when it comes to transferring your data.

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The Rugged Mini comes in 500GB ($99.99) and 1TB ($159.99) sizes. A 500 GB 7,200 RPM version will cost $119.99. They will be available soon over at LaCie.

Both models are compatible with USB 3.0, meaning that they’ll not just look spiffy, but be quite speedy. Also, the housing looks minimal and elegant, since it’s mostly made out of brushed aluminum. The aluminum is scratch-proof, so you won’t have to worry about scuffing it up too quickly. As I’ve learned from my own MacBook Pro, aluminum works great for dissipating heat too.

The mobile version comes in 500GB and 1TB capacities, while the desktop version is available in 1TB or 2TB sizes. The mobile version starts at $109.99 (USD), while the desktop ranges from $119.99 to $159.99.

[via LaCie]

This card-reader is USB 3.0 compatible, so it’s speedy and it works with all of the usual suspects, from CompactFlash cards to SD cards. The pop-up mechanism is definitely unique, and it’s not just there for show – it’s supposed to keep dust and debris out of the slots when not in user. If you’re worried about the mechanism breaking down, don’t because it comes with a 5-year warranty from the manufacturer.

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It will cost you $49.99 (USD) and Lexar wants to target prosumer to professional photographers and videographers with this.

[via FarEastGizmos]

As you can see, the hubs are fairly widely-spaced, so you should be able to use all 12 ports at once. Now you can finally set up the one tablet, two printers, two mice, three external monitors and four keyboard rig you’ve been dreaming of!

You can order the Warp Speed 12-port from Chinavision for appx. $41 (USD); you’ll get a discount if you buy multiple units (in case you have 24, 36 or some other multiple of 12 gadgets you need to connect). It’s temporarily sold out right now though. Better round up your USB gadgets while waiting for it to be available.

[via GeekAlerts]

The latest offering from Brando is the USB 3.0 SATA HDD Dock with 3-Port Hub. As you can gather from the name of the product it will dock the HDDs like you expect, but it also gains a three-port USB 3.0 hub. The hub is a welcome addition since you will need more USB 3.0 ports eventually with many boards and machines today only offering a single USB 3.0 port.

The dock ships with the USB 3.0 cable you need as well as the power adapter for running the docking station and the HDD. You can pick one up for $140 (USD) and versions with plugs for the US and all other counties are offered.

Thankfully, NewerTech has introduced a new drive adapter that will make accessing the data on any SSD, HDD, or optical drive a snap. The adapter is called the USB 3.0 Universal Drive Adapter. As you can gather, the thing uses a USB 3.0 (or 2.0) port to connect to the computer. It will work with any SATA drive or optical drive.

It also has older IDE ribbon cable connectors on it as well to let you use those old DVD burners you might have lying around on your new USB 3.0 computer. The adapter is available right now for $39.99 (USD). I can only imagine how handy this would be for computer repair techs to have in their bag of tricks.

Although to be honest, I don’t think that the USB update is true, if only because USB 3.0 isn’t prevalent yet. Apple can just as easily add that in a year or two. An HDMI port would be more likely. And if anything, it’s the processors and GPU on the iMacs that need an update.

In the end, if you’re planning on buying an iMac in the coming weeks, keep these rumors in mind. Not necessarily what they say, but their timing. These two combined with the touchscreen iMac rumor are indicating that the iMac line will soon be refreshed, perhaps within a month or two. If you can hold off on purchasing an iMac then do so.

[via MacRumors]

The enclosure still works with USB 2.0 ports, so you don’t have to worry if you’re still saving up for a USB 3.0-equipped computer. The enclosure also has a neat screw-less design, so you can assemble your own external hard drive in a snap.

You can pre-order the Century USB 3.0 2.5″ HDD/SSD enclosure at Geek Stuff 4 U for about $48 (USD). Shipping starts April 10.

I wonder what USB 3.0 products will Brando be selling. A USB-hub-terabyte drive-lamp-wrist rest shaped like an angler fish?

[via Everything USB]