Hub-to-go 7-in-1

The age of the USB is well and truly upon us. Shed yourselves of those horrible floppy disks, they were never really floppy anyway, were they? Belkin has released a number of USB hub options, the big-daddy of which is the 7-in-1 USB hub with a detachable four port travel hub.

By now it's rare for any regular computer user to be without a Flash memory stick or USB key, whatever you want to call it, and many people will have actually have a few. Perhaps you use a USB attached external storage device for your computer, a USB printer or simply a USB connected digital camera or MP3 player. The list goes on.

Certainly, most computers will have a good number of USB ports and most thoughtful PC cases include at least two ports on the front or top of the enclosure, but reaching under the desk to plug in your USB device is a pain no matter how convenient they make it.

Belkin's USB hub provides a set of 4 permanent USB 2.0 ports for your stationary PC gear and another four port travel hub, which docks with the main hub (via one of its four ports), providing a total of seven easily accessible ports for all your devices. The travel hub connects via a rotating USB port, allowing you to keep other ports unobstructed when using it.

It's easy to set up. Two cables run from back of the main docking station; one connects to a single USB port on your PC, the other provides power from a power outlet. From there on in you simply plug and play like you would any USB port. The device itself looks reasonably elegant with a small tray that presumably doubles for small USB devices when they're not connected.