The Microsoft Sidewinder range was presented in 1996, and grew to include all kinds of gaming devices, from gaming pads to the innovative Sidewinder Strategic Commander, aimed at strategy players.

Until the first gaming pads based on the “Dual Shock” design by Sony appeared for personal computers, the Sidewinder Gaming pad, with its 10 buttons and pass-through connection which allowed up to four controllers connected with only one game port was the premier gaming pad for sports games on the platform, and most games between 1998 and 2002 were developed on the basis of being used with the Sidewinder.

Webcam

A webcam is a real-time camera in which images can be accessed or transmitted via the internet, instant messaging, or a PC video calling application.

Webcams typically involve a digital camera which uploads images to a web server, either continuously or at regular intervals. This may be achieved by the webcam being attached to a PC.

Videoconferencing cameras typically take the form of a small camera connected directly to a PC. Analog cameras are also sometimes used (often of the sort used for closed-circuit television), connected to a video capture card and then directly or indirectly to the internet.

USB HUB

A USB hub is a device that allows other USB devices to be connected to a single USB port. Separate USB hubs come in a wide variety of forms from boxes that look similar to a network hub intended to be plugged directly into the USB port on a computer.

A bus-powered hub is a device that draws all its power from the host computer's USB interface. It does not need a separate power connection. However, many devices require more power than this method can provide, and will not work in this type of hub.

In contrast a self-powered hub is one that takes its power from an external power supply unit and can therefore provide full power to every port. Many hubs can operate as either bus powered or self powered hubs.

However, there are many non compliant hubs on the market which announce themselves to the host as self powered despite really being bus powered. Equally there are plenty of noncompliant devices that use more than 100mA without announcing this fact. These hubs and devices do allow more flexibility in the use of power but they are likely to make power problems harder to diagnose.