Griffin sent a pair of nifty gadgets our way that are of special interest to you PowerBook
users who can't get enough multimedia from your Mac. Whether you're in the market for a gift
for someone else or a new toy for yourself, check out these offerings, available direct from
the Griffin Website.
PowerMate USB Multimedia Controller 
The PowerMate is a snappy-
looking controller knob made from machined aluminum that attaches to your PowerBook via
USB. Mindful of the old Atari 2600 "Paddle" controllers, but updated for the new millenium, the
PowerMate is a simple device -- the knob spins like a dial and can be pushed down like a button.
Griffin touts the PowerMate as "the coolest volume knob your computer has ever seen -- and so much
more." It's true -- the controller has a very pleasant heft to it, is finished in a lovely silver
color, and when plugged in, its translucent plastic base lights up and glows a very nice, soft
shade of neon blue. Even cooler, when I put my computer to sleep, the PowerMate's blue light pulses
gently.
The PowerMate does, in fact, make a very cool volume control for iTunes or any other application.
The included software -- which installs a new preference pane under OS X (and is OS 9 compatible) --
is programmed to interface the controller with Final Cut Pro and iMovie right out of the box, turning
the knob into a Jog/Shuttle wheel for video editing purposes. I found this very handy for
fine cutting of footage in FCP, as it's much easier to move frame-by-frame with the wheel than a
standard mouse. The software is also fully customizable for use in most any application: scrolling
through Word documents or Web pages, controlling/muting volume in Real Player, and playing that
old school arcade hit "Tempest" come immediately to mind.
Personally I found the PowerMate to be a handy, functional addition to my video editing setup
and something of a novelty beyond that. If you edit a lot of video, use your PowerBook as a home
stereo, or just like the feel of cool aluminum under your hand, you may well find the uber-chic
PowerMate's $45 price tag well worth the money.
 
USB Audio Hub 
The USB Audio Hub is a four-port USB hub designed specifically for use with USB audio devices. The hub
draws power either directly from your PowerBook's bus or via the supplied AC adaptor, and Griffin claims
that it's "the first Hub designed with Audio recording and playback in mind." (capitals theirs) Specifically, the
Griffin Website quotes the makers of a Macintosh speech recognition application who tout the Hub's
ability to support microphones, claiming that with the Griffin Hub users don't have trouble with their
system not recognizing mic's, as was the case with other hubs.
Well, I can't say that the Griffin Hub outperforms other hubs I've tried (I also have two mini
hubs made by Elecom and Dr. Bott) in terms of Audio
performance from my Mac, but I can say that it works. OS X has actually cured my USB hot swap
problems more than the addition or removal of any hub, and my iMic audio adapter (also by Griffin)
talks to my system and my $39 Altec Lansing speakers just fine with any of the hubs. One problem I do sometimes have is with
mysterious humming and popping noises when recording audio through the iMic device. This seems to
be an OS X compatibility issue with the iMic itself, and the USB Audio Hub does nothing to correct
it.
At $39, the Griffin USB Audio Hub is roughly twice as expensive as other three- and four-port hubs on the market.
As a PowerBook owner, I'd be more interested in buying a mini hub like the Dr. Bott T3 (which snaps right into
the PB's USB port) than the bigger Griffin model (which connects via an included USB cable). But serious
audiophiles with better audio equipment than I may notice an improvement in audio performance
with this hub compared to cheaper models. Then again, they may not -- like I said, the hub works
for me, but no better or worse than any other hub. Feel free to
email me with your findings. The hub is black with a
nice semi-clear top designed for stacking of additional hubs, and features four green indicator
lights on the front. One would think they
correspond to each of the four ports on the back, but on my model they all light up no matter
how many of the ports are in use. No matter -- I keep the hub turned around backwards so I can get
to the ports, anyway.