I use windows; Dan's PC is Linux-based. And it's, um, chocolate-flavored? (I don't know.)

The first thing to do would be to try the rear USB ports and see if they work. If they do, then maybe you have a loose connection from the front ports to the motherboard. If you can't get the front ports working, then a cheap USB hub connected to a back port would take care of it.

After that, I'm sure Dan can burn a live Linux CD and boot the computer off of that. That way you can determine if the hardware has failed or if it's a software issue.

If it's a hardware failure, then the cheap solution would be a PCI card with USB ports, like this one.

[link]

It has an internal header so you can plug the front ports into the card instead of the motherboard.

If it's a software issue, then probably remove the USB drivers and install the chipset driver.

Here's what $200k speakers look like

Short answer: Pretty!

If you're in the Bill Gates tax bracket (and can avoid the proposed rescinding of the Bush tax breaks to pick up the extra dough you'll obviously need for these), act fast; there are only 100 pairs of the limited edition Muon, which KEF coyly calls "perhaps the most extraordinary audio speaker ever conceived." Perhaps? For nearly $200k, they'd better induce aural orgasms.

How do they sound? Got me. You don't actually drive a Rolls Royce Phantom in actual traffic, do you? As you can see in the picture, the Muon was actually roped off like a Michaelangelo sculpture. But there will be some folks with WAAAAAAY too much money who'll claim they can hear angels dancing on the heads of pins through them.

Here's my thing with insane audiophile speakers like that. They aren't used in the recording studios and mastering rooms that deal with the music that you are eventually buying. I've worked on systems with speakers that cost $5000-$10,000 each, and I can hear a difference there, and those professional grade speakers you will find in working recording studios. That's my benchmark. I'd love to have a set of JBL LSR series speakers for my surround system in my home or studio, but something like those things, have no appeal.

This is what I love about working for Drew - knowing what real high end audio equipment is. Not there was a lot of danger that I was about to go blow 200k on speakers and another 500k on cables and accessories. It is astonishing to me that anyone would ever even consider paying $60,000 for an audio cable (or a ceramic floor cable riser).

And, you know we all have our own aesthetic, but I think those things are hideous.

It is astonishing to me that anyone would ever even consider paying $60,000 for an audio cable

$60k for a cable suggests to me that someone's contractor knew they were loaded and wouldn't look to closely at the invoice. I can't imagine anyone paying for that in a store and not thinking they were getting ripped off.

My fave are the ultra-expensive cables for digital data. It's digital! Just a bunch of numbers! A cheap cable will give you the same numbers!

What are people's favorite ipad apps? Especially the free ones.

$60k for a cable suggests to me that someone's contractor knew they were loaded and wouldn't look to closely at the invoice. I can't imagine anyone paying for that in a store and not thinking they were getting ripped off.

I can't even begin to tell you how very wrong you are about that, sadly. There is, no kidding, and entire industry dedicated to fleecing really rich, really stupid people, and it's not a sneak-it-under-the-radar type industry. They do a lot of marketing to convince these really rich, really stupid people that what they are buying is worth it.

Jessica you would be amazed. There is a whole market for cables for audiophiles that cost thousands of dollars a foot. You can also buy multi thousand dollar IEC power cords and people do it knowing exactly what they are getting. There are companies that sell special knobs for tube components made from rare wood that is claimed to improve the sound. Those knobs cost thousands as well.