IpadCameraConnectionKit
Latest
iOS 4.2 said to be blocking iPad Camera Kit from supporting some USB devices
It seems that folks hoping for the Apple's Camera Connection Kit to solve all their USB-related iPad problems just can't catch a break. First the kit was nearly impossible to find, and now we're seeing a slew of user reports saying that iOS 4.2 has made the USB portion of the camera kit nearly useless for many USB devices that were previously supported. As 9 to 5 Mac reports, the problem seems to boil down to the amount of power that can be emitted from the iPad's 30-pin connector -- it used to be 100mA, but iOS 4.2 appears to have cut that down to just 20mA, presumably in an attempt to conserve battery life. The big issue there, of course, is that everything from USB keyboards to microphones and even some cameras no longer work, and there isn't much for users left to do other than to hope that Apple brings back support in a future update. Feel free to share your own tales of woe in comments, or let us know if you're having problems with the iPad camera kit.
iPad Camera Connection Kit a commodity item, now fetches $100+ on eBay
Now that the USB-wielding cat's out of the bag, it's looking like supplies of the iPad Camera Connection Kit aren't keeping up with demand -- one Engadget reader tipped us off to the fact that the $30 attachments are worth up to $180 on eBay. A quick bit of sleuthing showed that Apple's actually still selling the things -- they're simply backordered, with a three to four week shipping delay -- but sure enough, niche e-tailers currently list the dongles for as much as $150, and eBay auctioneers are finding the kits sell for two to five times the original MSRP. If your external HDD experiments didn't work out the way you'd liked, at least you can be sure you'll get your money back. [Thanks, Paul P.]
iPad Spirit jailbreak + Camera Connection Kit = external HDD support
Looks like that iPad Camera Connection Kit isn't as overpriced as we thought; not only does it have USB headset and keyboard support, but one enterprising user has hooked up an external hard drive using the dongle as well. Max Shay has an exhaustive walkthrough at his personal website, but the gist of the matter is that you'll need a jailbroken iPad, a split-USB cable to give that drive some extra juice, and a terminal of some sort (Max used his MacBook) to trick the iPad into mounting your external storage, after you use SSH to tunnel through. The result is an unwieldy wired assembly we wouldn't be caught dead with in public, but perhaps useful in a pinch -- or as the latest proof of what the iPad could do if only Apple would let it. Video after the break.
iPad Camera Connection Kit available for order, shipping in late April
Many people making pre-orders or reservations for iPads were concerned when the iPad Camera Connection Kit didn't show up on the Apple site as available for order. Never fear, for the the US$29 kit is now listed on Apple's website as shipping in late April. No explanation was given for the absence of the Camera Connection Kit in the original list of iPad accessories, although the company may have held back the SD and USB connectors that make up the kit for component quality testing. Among the other accessories for the iPad, the VGA Adapter and Standard Dock will be available on April 3rd and the iPad case is scheduled for mid-April. The Keyboard Dock is showing late April availability, while the iPad 10W USB Power Adapters won't make it to your home or office until sometime in May. [via MacRumors]
