Your laptop is probably a vitally important piece of gear for you. And there are some cool gadgets out there that can maximize the potential of your vaunted notebook. I've written about USB Internet Sticks already on the Yahoo Tech Guide, and one particular method to keep your laptop safe in case it's ever lost or stolen.
This group of gadgets will meet different needs if you want to add more to your laptop.
Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick
Most laptops don't come with a TV tuner built-in, but you can connect one through USB with the Pinnacle PCTV Pro Stick HD. The beauty of this product is that you can watch live TV from your cable, satellite or even pick up free over-the-air signals with the included antenna in both standard-definition and high-definition. With the included software, you can also record and store your favourite shows by saving them to your hard drive or burning them directly to a DVD. You even have options for file formats. It's a cool piece of gear and the website has a short video that runs through the set of features. Pinnacle offers a model that works with Macs, and in an added benefit, the USB tuner can actually work with other non-Pinnacle tuner software as well.
Belkin Cooling Lounge
The thing about laptops is that they can get pretty hot underneath with fans working hard to keep the processor cool. But that doesn't help your legs all that much, where the excessive heat can cause some discomfort. The Belkin Cooling Lounge is a neat product that solves that problem for you and adds a level of comfort and functionality in the process. There isn't much to it, really. Connect the included USB cable to your laptop and the fan in the middle will blow air underneath, so that your legs don't heat up and the processor has an extra fan working to help cool it down.
Belkin USB 2.0 4-Port Swivel Hub
Laptops usually average about two or three USB ports, but sometimes that isn't enough. You can raise that level by another four with Belkin's USB 4-Port Swivel Hub. One of the best things about it is that you can swivel it out of the way of the other ports on your laptop. And because it's USB 2.0, you can plug in just about anything into its ports and have it work for you.
Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless
A wireless headset is always a nice accessory, especially when it can do more than a few things for you. The Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless can act as a headset for calls using VoIP applications like Skype, Vonage, MagicJack or Instant Messenger with voice and webcam on Yahoo! and Windows Live. Listening to music should also be an improvement, thanks to its uncompressed stereo audio. Same goes for watching movies or playing video games. And all this doesn't require any software installation — just plug in the USB transmitter and the ClearChat is ready when you are.
Clickfree Portable Backup
Having all those important files on your laptop is great for enjoying them when mobile, but what about protecting them? Clickfree's external hard drives are a good way to backup all that data with just one click. Plug it in and it immediately scans your laptop's contents and saves them automatically. There's no software to install or set up, it just works as soon as you plug it in. You can even backup other laptops or desktops without affecting the data already on the Clickfree drive. And best of all, Clickfree's drives are pocket-sized, and only require a USB connection to draw power. There are models with capacity as low as 120GB to as high as 500GB