San Mateo

There are plenty of places to watch online video, but still no easy way to find a particular clip without suffering through a lot of trial and error.

Now a startup led by a former Yahoo Inc. engineer is promising to simplify Internet video search with a complex technology that enables computers to recognize images, such as actors' faces, and index them scene-by-scene.

Fabrik has introduced what it claims is the world's most environmentally friendly, energy-efficient USB hard drive, called SimpleTech [re]drive.

The San Mateo, Calif.-based Fabrik said Monday that its external drive with fast "Turbo USB 2.0" port can transfer data 25 percent faster than products with a standard USB 2.0 port. The drive, for Mac or PC, comes with the company's automated backup software and is available in sizes of 250GB, 320GB and 500GB.

In a move that could give a welcome, if short-lived, boost to consumer electronics makers and retailers, consumers up and down the West Coast are snapping up headsets that let them talk on cell phones while driving -- and stay in compliance with a law that took effect in California and Washington state on July 1.