Some PC enthusiasts find it hard to believe that it's actually possible to run a monitor using just an USB cable. In our daily lives, we have gotten used to using USB cables to connect to almost any other external device - printers, digital cameras, mobile phones, speakers, keyboards, etc. But it is just amazing how this tiny cable has evolved to providing support for mini monitors.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that this is made possible due to the evolution of both USB and monitor technology. Nobody really paid much attention to this possibility until someone mentioned that it would be nice to have an LCD monitor that is also a photo frame. So ASUS came up with the UFOTO.

The UFOTO is an LCD photo frame with multiple features. When unplugged, it is capable of storing hundreds of photos with its in-built 128MB memory. 128MB is not much to boast about, by today's standards. But the UFOTO was never meant to be a standalone mini PC. The in-built memory is just good enough for storing photos so that you can play back image slide shows on the device, without depending on the PC. If the built-in memory is not enough, you can always add additional memory by adding an external memory card. The UFOTO supports almost all external memory cards, and these include CF, FD, MMC, MS and XD cards. As the slide show is playing, you can even program some MP3 music to play in the background.

If you decide to plug the UFOTO into your PC, the UFOTO becomes a secondary LCD monitor. This is useful if you want to display a second desktop while you work, or if you want to display some information in another location. For example, you can program the LCD monitor to display information such as weather, time, calendar, etc. and place the gadget in the living room.

At this stage, most USB LCD monitors are mostly good for display functions. They are mostly small (about 7 inches), and support a resolution of 800 x 480. While it is a leap from traditional USB devices, one should not expect it to perform like a full-sized LCD monitor. That means you can't play sophisticated games with it, and you can't run advanced applications on the tiny monitor.

In the hope of capturing market, manufacturers have chosen to create fanciful looking LCD monitors. You can find USB LCD monitors in a variety of colors, and these are mostly bright and attractive colors. The exterior of the monitors also resemble lifestyle gadgets more than old fashion monitors. You can place it on the table as a digital photo frame, or hang it on a wall. You may even twist and rotate the monitor so that it displays in landscape or portrait.

Packaged as a mass consumer product, USB LCD monitors are usually affordable. You should be able to buy one within the range of $150 to $400 - a small price to pay for a cool gadget.