I received the following email from G. Hutchinson this morning: 'I was reading another PC magazine the other day, and found an article on the USB specs. The item mentions that USB 1.1 has now been re-named 2.0 and there are now three USB 2.0 'specs'. There are USB standard (old USB 1.1), USB Hi-speed and USB Flat Out -- my son read the article and said it was not true. Are you aware of the situation?'

The time for gift giving is almost upon us, and whether you celebrate Christmas or not, Australia will be shutting down over the Christmas break.

Do you have a business or are in charge of a business’ tech security? Get some tips from PC Authority’s experts.

Store it in your pocket. PC Authority takes fifteen USB drives for a spin around the block.

Whether you are a busy commuter or a frequent flyer or maybe you prefer to just travel for business or pleasure, there's a selection of kit that can simpify your life.

Price: $ 79.95 As the USB standard gains in popularity, you may find that you run short of USB ports on your PC or notebook. Supporting up to 127 simultaneously daisy-chained USB applian

Gauging a USB memory key's value is a fairly simple procedure, right? They plug into any available USB 2.0 port and off you go, however it isn't as clear-cut as that.

Just a couple of years ago, the PC speech recognition and dictation market saw four key players jostling for position, but today the contest is just between IBM and one other player, Dragon.

This ancient warrior-themed stick from Kingston Technology looks unlike anything we've ever stuck our spreadsheet files on.

Right up there with the best of the USB keys, the Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive represents excellent value for money for the 256MB capacity.

Price: $ 159.00 Its easy to get on-line with this external modem - just attach it to a spare USB port, install the software and connect to the Web. The SwannSmart USB modem uses the fast

Will a beefed-up firewall, User Account Control and disk encryption make Vista a safer choice than XP?

MSI's MegaCache is not the fastest performer on test but is a standout product in this roundup for many reasons, but one in particular above all: it's got a whopping -- absolutely whopping -- 1.5GB storage capacity for a portable USB disk.

Despite worrying reports about network congestion, Optus performed well in our tests. Top-notch speed, balanced with keen pricing - if you value network performance above all else this is the mobile broadband to get

Are you a Linux user longing for iTunes? A bit of time and a little custom software can bring music to your ears.

Your photos, music and data are just a virus or hard disk failure away from oblivion. Build a triple-layer defence using PC Authority's practical guide.

Tiny, lightweight and rugged, this USB thumb drive 802.11b adaptor features 64- and 128-bit WEP security making it ideal for frequent travellers and notebook users without a free PCMCIA slot.

A quiet and efficient device, but expensive at 48p per gigabyte

The Cruzer Titanium from SanDisk is the second most expensive USB key we tested, and is beaten only by the MSI MegaCache.

good speed, good features and plenty of flexibility make this a winner