Somewhere in a dark corner at CeBIT, PCMCIA managed to let out a whisper that informed a few flies on a nearby wall that ExpressCard Standard 2.0 was on the way. Today, however, we've received confirmation that said update is on track for a "second-half 2008 / early 2009" delivery. Put simply, v2.0 is "being developed to accommodate the significantly faster speeds increasingly demanded by today's high-performance mobile technologies," and we're also told that it will comply with PCI-Express 2.0 and SuperSpeed USB, which is "planned for release later this year as part of the USB 3.0 specification." For the paranoid, you can rest assured that the new release will be very backwards compatible, though we aren't told when to expect hardware that will reflect the changes.

If you've ever wondered just how much functionality could be crammed into a single PC Card, it seems that Onda and Siano are out to give you an answer. Deemed the "world's first combined DVB-H / HSDPA card" for Italy's TIM, the DT501HS enables users to suck down mobile TV and internet content in one fell swoop, but we've no idea if / when this thing will be made available on any other carrier(s). Notably, this device relies on Siano's wee PCB-mounted SMS8021 antenna, which means that you won't find any external protrusions here. As for pricing, we weren't able to locate any hard figures, but those parked in Italy should be able to snap one up anytime now in TIM stores.

[Image courtesy of Cellular]

The latest saviour of wireless broadband is at hand. Clearwire is finally shedding those clunky external modems, and is launching its very first pre-WiMAX data card to bring what it deems "True Broadband" to laptops. The PC card uses Motorola's pre-WiMAX OFDM tech, and doesn't require any extra power sources beyond your laptop's own precious juice. If you're luckily enough to be living in some random part of Clearwire's primarily-podunk US coverage area, you can be getting some 1.5Mbps wireless internets for $59.99 a month, plus a $6.99 a month fee to lease the PC card. You can buy the card straight up for $230, but that seems a bit excessive given the "pre" nature of the thing at the moment.w

Going over two months without releasing yet another router is quite a feat for Buffalo, but the firm is yet again giving the wireless crowd something to cheer about with its WZR-AMPG300NH. Part of the ever-growing AirStation NFINITI lineup, this draft-N device purportedly plays nice with 802.11a/b/g as well, boasts throughput of around 153Mbps, and includes MIMO technology to make full use of the trio of antennas. You'll also find the typical WPA2 certification, and if you need a WiFi adapter in order to make use of it, the WLI-CB-AMG300N PCMCIA network card fits the bill perfectly. Look for both devices to land in Japan next month (well, we hope) for ¥40,200 ($328), or pick up the router by its lonesome for ¥31,700 ($258).

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Here's an interesting find. Upon initial inspection, the SNCA-CFW5 CompactFlash wireless card (uncovered after the jump) doesn't seem all that special, but after perusing the owner's manual a bit, it's evident that this here 802.11b/g card has some very specific intentions. Apparently designed to operate exclusively in "Sony Network Cameras" (presumably of the surveillance variety), this unit has found its way into the FCC and looks to be green lit for operation on the 2.4GHz band. Moreover, the SNCA-AN1 external antenna can be added on to extend the range even further. Unsurprisingly, there's no hints of whether or not this here device will eventually be tweaked for use in other wares, but it's only a matter of time before someone shoves this thing in a laptop or digicam and tests lady luck.

At long last, the wait for Sierra Wireless' AirCard 875U on AT&T is over, as the USB WWAN modem has just popped up on the firm's Premier webstore. Unsurprisingly, this 2.2-ounce portal to the world connects via USB 2.0 and provides interoperable service between BroadbandConnect and EDGE networks. You'll find all the quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA love you could ever need here, and while Windows 2000, XP, and Vista users are all taken care of, it looks like the OS X crowd will have to sit this one out for awhile. So if you're interested in hopping on the 3.6Mbps mobile internet highway, head on over to AT&T Premier with $379.99 (or $149.99 with a new two-year contract) ready to hand over.

P.S. -Macs can get their 3G on with Sierra's Mac driver support here.

[Thanks, Jake]

Yeah, it's all fine and good that the world is moving to ExpressCard, but you have to admit that it can be mighty frustrating when you can't use any of your old PC cards (like that EV-DO card you've had for a couple of years now) with your brand new ExpressCard-only laptop. Anyway, if you're looking for something to help you manage the transition, Duel Systems is coming out with the DuelAdapter, a PC Card-to-ExpressCard adapter that works with both Windows XP and OS X machines and is said to work with most types of PC cards.

While the Wintel crowd has been enjoying that Rev. A speediness for some time now (in certain locales, at least), the Mac faithful have been fairly well shut out up until now. Thanks to Sprint and Sierra Wireless, all that changes today, as the Seirra AirCard 595 PC Card now works in OS X 10.4 or later. The free Watcher Lite 1.0 software is currently available from Sierra's website, but before you go dashing out to pick up a card, you will still need a Windows-based machine to activate the device or have it pre-activated before heading into your Mac. Furthermore, don't plan on utilizing that ExpressCard slot either, as the only supported card thus far rocks a PCMCIA interface. Nah, Macworld hasn't hit full swing just yet, but this news is a real fine way to get things rolling.

If the promise of 3.6Mbps downstream data (eventually, anyway) on the wings of Cingular's HSDPA network gets you out of bed every morning, but the AirCard 875's bulbous antenna is enough to make you want to cry, just feast your eyes on this little number. Option's Globetrotter GT MAX is the latest (and only second) data card to hit Cingular with support for the higher HSDPA data rate, while still preserving a veritable who's who of backward compatibility (GPRS, EDGE, and plain ol' UMTS) on four GSM and three WCDMA bands. Unlike the aforementioned AirCard from Sierra Wireless, the Globetrotter has a nifty little retractable antenna that'll likely be a hit with road warriors weary of removing modems from their slots when trying to pack the PC away. Look for the Globetrotter GT MAX to be available today from Cingular for a nice, round $49.99 after rebate on a two year agreement.

[Via PHONE Magazine]

Nothing much to see here, just Corega doing its thing with a no-frills 802.11n router and PC card. The CG-WLBARGE router and CG-WLCB144GE card both sport XSPAN technology for multiplex usage of the MIMO antennas, resulting in some fancy "3x3 communication," which sounds no different than what you'll be getting from any other recent 802.11n offering. What is lacking is that fancy guarantee ASUS has for its new draft-n products, meaning late-in-the-game IEEE revisions could render your setup obsolete in a few months. But with looks like these, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

[Via Akihabara]

Their EV-DO Revision A network might not be ready for prime time until Q4 at the earliest, but no one can fault Sprint for not having modems in the pipeline when they do eventually flip the switch. The just-launched S720 from Novatel Wireless offers glorious downstream speeds of up to 850Kbps in a PC Card form factor -- sad news for MacBook Pro users needing an ExpressCard, but we have to believe Sprint will have you guys covered before too terribly long. Look for the S720 at your friendly local Sprint retailer for $99.99 on a 2-year contract, though without much live Rev A infrastructure, there's no rush to upgrade from your trusty Rev 0 equipment just yet.

[Via phoneArena]

Panasonic's introduced a pair of SDHC card readers, one PC Card-based and one USB 2.0, which are set to become available at about the same time as Panasonic's recently announced 4G SDHC card towards the end of July. Both card readers are Windows-only (XP or 2000) and, if Google's translation can be trusted, will each go for 5,000 Yen, or about $43 USD. The USB-based card reader also comes with a handy USB cable for anyone without ready access to a USB port.

All of the controversy, delays, and performance concerns surrounding the IEEE's notorious pre-802.11n wireless networking spec haven't deterred TRENDnet from being the latest to announce a new family of products based on the non-final version of the MIMO-powered, next-gen WiFi standard. As you'll recall, there's been no small amount of concern that pre-n gear won't play nicely with legacy 802.11a/b/g equipment, which is why TRENDnet goes it out of its way to stress the "good neighbor behavior" exhibited by its WPA and SPI-protected TEW-631BRP router and TEW-621PC PC card -- both of which use Atheros' XSPAN technology to supposedly ensure interoperability in mixed-network environments. TRENDnet promises real-world speeds of between 150Mbps and 180Mbps , which in theory should be enough to stream around a little HD content and download some torrents while you're chatting on your wireless VoIP handset about that great post you're reading on Engadget. Both new products, along with a $150 access point and a $100 PCI adapter, are scheduled to ship on July 25th, with the router priced at $130 and the card going for an even $100.

Not afraid of the big bad (somewhat uncertain) upgrade path? More 802.11n-draft wireless networking gear, coming through today, this time from Belkin. Say hello to their N1 line of gear based on Atheros XSPAN chipsets, which come in the form of a $99.99 PC card (sorry, no ExpressCard yet), $119.99 PCI card with antennae (F5D8001), USB adapter (F5D8051) later this year, and pleasantly affordable $149.99 router (F5D8231-4). Of course, we're making no claims whatsoever that you should run out and grab these if it's 300Mbps wireless you're after; but if you're ready to take the plunge these could be as good as any, and seem to stand an equal chance of actually being compliant with 802.11n when it's approved by the IEEE some time in 2015.