Gone are the days when USB-C hubs and docks were unsightly bricks you wish you could hide in shame. Not only are some of them getting sleeker and more aesthetic, but some even masquerade as other objects that add a bit of visual interest to your desk. Of course, it’s one thing to be decorative and another thing to be actually useful while looking nice.
At first glance, this object looks more like a desk toy mimicking a 90s-era PC with a CRT monitor sitting on top of a wide box. Closer inspection reveals that it is, of course, a USB-C hub that can extend your laptop’s or even desktop’s port selection for improved productivity. Even better, that monitor isn’t just for display, no pun intended, but is actually a functional screen you can use to extend your laptop’s desktop real estate.
Designer:
Remember those beige monstrosities that sat on your parents’ or grandparents’ desks, blasting what you might have thought as radioactive green through hulking monitors? Or the numerous slots and holes in front of the low and wide boxes that almost tempted you to slip pieces of paper in, if not your finger? This tiny product tries to recreate that image and resurface those memories, but it’s doing more than just taking you on a trip down memory lane.
As the name so plainly points out, the “USB C Hub with Second Screen” pulls double duty as a hub for port expansion as well as display extension. On the front, you have a 5 Gbps USB-C 3.1 port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and slots for TF/SDHC and microSD cards. On the back, you have a 5V/2A supplementary USB-C port, a USB-C host port for connecting to a laptop, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone AUX port. It’s your typical assortment of connectivity options for keyboards, mice, and external storage.
Where this particular design shines is the 3.5-inch screen that, at least according to the spec sheet, could accommodate 2560×1600 resolutions, even though the native resolution is actually just 960×640. With a single USB-C cable or a combination of USB-C and HDMI, this hub can become your laptop’s sidekick for displaying less important information, including song lyrics, performance stats, or even videos. It’s definitely not an essential feature for a USB-C hub, but if you’ll be having a box sitting there anyway, you might as well utilize that spot for some additional function.
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