This one has been around the block a time or two, but considering you have absolutely nothing else to do on a Sunday, you might as well dust off that DIY kit and get to work. What you're looking at above is a genuine (albeit modified) NES controller playing a bona fide classic on a laptop. Amazingly, all of the software required for such a marvelously good time is stuffed tight within the controller itself. Take a step back and digest that -- your very own NES emulator (with ROMs), shoved inside a Nintendo Entertainment System controller. Does it get any more awesome than that? Hit the read link to start building your own and let us know. Video of the action after the jump.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

Okay, so you understand the concept of a scrolling LED belt buckle, correct? Good. Brando has taken the novelty found in the aforementioned waist adornment and shoved it into yet another zany USB-powered gizmo. The USB LED Message Board can store up to eight phrases and supports five scrolling modes, sound effects and animated messages. Just make sure your boss' dirty little secret doesn't mysteriously end up on the new office ticker.

We'll go ahead and squash your hopes before you waste time pulling out the plastic -- this thing's just a concept, at least for now. From what we can glean, the HEAT ME is a fantastic device just waiting to be snapped up by Brando (or similar) and turned into the next must-have USB-powered gizmo. Put simply, the metal ends of this here stick warm up when plugged into your USB port, thus giving you a toasty wand to keep your hot tea / coffee at the proper temperature even when colleagues pull you away momentarily. Really though, is there any doubt this won't go commercial within the next six months?

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

This one goes out to the same folks who buy bullet hole stickers for their whip, hang stuffed arms from their tailgates and have those half-baseballs suctioned to their windshield -- all in the name of garnering attention. HACKED! is a user creation-gone-commercial that features a severed USB cable with 2GB of internal capacity. For those not in the know, it looks as if you had a nasty encounter with a vicious canine (or a hacksaw), but in reality, it's simply a 2GB flash drive in disguise. This has success written all over it.

[Via MAKE]

Attention all trinket lovers, your next must-buy piece of garbage has just arrived. For years, mom 'n pop stores (not to mention Cracker Barrel Country Stores) have raked in serious profits selling wooden animals with round knobs for feet, but now those manual farm-derived masseurs are likely out of a job. The USB Animal Massager ups the ante in a serious way by getting powered by USB, meaning that you won't even have to lift a finger as you watch that dog, panda or pig go to town on your toes or aching back. $10 spells relief (and embarrassment, but whatever).

[Thanks, Fanny]

Put down that Lego nerd, it's time to give your (only?) other interest a poke. Meet the $68 animatronic Darth Vader and R2D2 USB hubs. Just stuff a USB Princess Leia into Darth's neck and watch the dark lord's eyes glow red as he scans side-to-side for the pretentious scowls of your contemptuous co-workers. Sounds effects? Oh you betcha, listen in after the break.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Consider yourselves fortunate. You've had well over two whole months without an episode of Crapgadget, but today, that grace period ends. The most recent laughable load includes an absolutely vile wristwatch that supposedly plays MP3s / MP4s if you can manage to glance away from the bezel and band. Furthermore, we've got a TV tuner and webcam -- in one -- alongside a way-too-expensive WiFi sniffing pen that doesn't do 802.11n. Bringing up the rear is Connectland's 180° X2 Revolving USB Hub, which clearly raises the bar in USB hub design stupidity. Per usual, we're begging for your vote on the crappiest below, but we'll understand if you just can't bear the thought of spending another moment thinking about these pitiful creations.

Admit it, you've spent a good many sweat-drenched months waiting for this moment, when the USB necktie would come into its own. Sure, last year's model was great and all, but it lacked a certain amount of class that you find necessary in any USB-based fashion accessory. So you played the waiting game, and this time it paid off big. Thanko's second-gen USB tie fan has a slip cover, which hides the fan completely when you're going about your day, and slides down to reveal that powerful fan when it's most needed. Also, this year's model is made out of fabric, a huge win over the chunky plastic of last year's version, making this tie the true must-have accessory of the summer. Thanko's selling this in Japan for 2,980 Yen, about $28 US. What a steal.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Though there are plenty of whatever-to-USB adapters out there, this critter just tickles our fancy with its extraordinary utility. The SATA / CF / IDE to USB 2.0 Bridge Adapter enables owners to connect CompactFlash cards, SATA drives and even IDE drives to any computer with a spare USB 2.0 port. Which is like, every computer made since forever ago. Usually, we'd suggest that practically every travel pack should possess one of these, but the cheapskate in us still feels the $22 price tag is a few notches too high.

Korg really wants you to downsize your studio with its new lineup of miniature controllers, dubbed the nanoSeries. The diminutive set includes the nanoKEY (a 25-note, velocity sensitive keyboard), the nanoPAD (12 trigger pads and a touch-sensitive X/Y touchpad), and the nanoKONTROL (a mini-mixer with nine faders, nine knobs, 18 switches, and playback controls). The modular, lilliputian gear connects via USB and are all bus-powered, though we're hoping they've got other power options so the devices can be daisy-chained. No word on pricing or availability, but you'll know when we do.

[Thanks, Tom]

Update: Looks like the Nano Pad, Nano Key, and Nano Kontrol should be available by this October, starting at somewhere around $100-120 US. Thanks, Tosse.

Nothing captures the public's attention faster than a sensational accusation. Pit industry heavyweights like AMD and NVIDIA against Intel and you've got yourself an LA-style courtroom drama. On one side of the bench we see AMD and NVIDIA, stamping their feet and insisting that Intel is keeping the USB 3.0 spec under wraps in order to lock vendors into Intel chipsets. On the other, Intel, tonguing a bittersweet no we're not raspberry right back at the pair. In a lengthy retort, Intel claims, (1) it's not its spec to hide -- it's owned by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group consisting of HP, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, NXP, and TI; and (2) the "gazillions of dollars and bazillions of man hours" Intel has spent developing the royalty-free USB 3.0 controller spec (a 3.0 "dummies guide") is meant to ensure that the industry can start building the USB 3.0 spec into their silicon as quickly as possible after its release later this year. Of course, Intel offers plenty of verbiage to support its claims. But in a case of he-said, she-said, the truth may never be known to the titillated outsiders who've likely made up their minds anyway.

[Via PCWorld]

We've seen some early USB 3.0 gear here and there, but it looks like the successor to everyone's favorite serial bus is off to a rocky start, with AMD and NVIDIA claiming that Intel is withholding crucial specifications necessary to develop an open host controller. Although Intel apparently already has working silicon, it's not willing to share -- so AMD and NVIDIA are working on a competing spec that will be introduced alongside Intel's. The first meeting of the alternate spec group is scheduled for next week, according to sources, but there could be problems with this diverging roadmap down the line: sources close to Intel say that the only reason the specs haven't been released is that they're not done, and that Intel doesn't want incompatible chipsets based on different versions of the spec out there. Sure, sure, but we're certain both sides are playing a little fast and loose with reality here -- good thing all these fools have until 2010 to get this sorted.

[Via Everything USB]

Apparently ASUS thinks that people will want a tiny computer which they can delicately slip into their back pocket, but would also be interested in carrying around a slew of cabled peripherals. Hence the creation of this USB "handwriting pad" for the Eee -- not to be confused with a steam-rolled Dreamcast controller (VMU included, of course). Honestly, when the plastic takes up more space than the screen, things might not be as "handy" as you suspect. Guys, Sega and 1998 called, they want their design back.

[Via Pocket-lint]

DisplayLink monitors are fine and dandy, but what if you're looking to get that PowerPoint presentation even bigger? Enter InFocus' IN3100 / IN1100 series of multimedia projectors, both of which claim to be the first of their kind with DisplayLink embedded. With a simple USB-to-PC connection, the beamers blast whatever totally boring and equally insignificant chart you're being forced to speak on upside the wall. As for specs, we're left in the dark with regard to resolution (hint: don't set your expectations too high), but the IN3100 series boasts 3,000 to 3,500 lumens and a 2,000:1 contrast ratio while the IN1100 series offers up 2,000 lumens and an 1,800:1 contrast ratio. You can slap the former (starting at $1,499) on your corporate card later this month, but you'll be waiting until early August before nabbing the $1,099 and up IN1100.

Some wily web browsers have found a job listing at Nintendo of America that suggests the game company is finally getting serious about USB support for the Wii. The job search, found a few days ago, was for a "Software/Hardware Tester" who can execute a "test plan for Wii's USB devices." Some think this could mean compatibility for external USB storage devices like hard drives and flash drives given the Wii's limited 512MB internal memory. We, however, hope this means some sort of support for USB keyboards. It's about time, isn't it, Nintendo?