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iPad Camera Kit ships with USB headset and keyboard support
Reports are coming in that the iPad Camera Connection Kit has finally shown up on a couple buyer doorsteps, and that the pair of white dongles may actually have been worth the wait. While one is a simple SD card adapter that adds one-touch image and video import (including RAW, complete with EXIF data) to the iPad, the second provides a USB port with some exciting new functionality. TUAW reports one reader could type on an iPad via USB keyboard, and those rumors about USB audio were true, too: TidBITS was actually able to make a Skype call after connecting a USB headset. Before you get too excited, however, please note that the USB and SD image transfers are one-way, and not all peripherals are supported -- for instance, TidBITS' iPad sneezed at an external hard drive. Also, according to the Apple Store, Camera Connection Kit shipments are still two to three weeks out, so don't be surprised if it still takes some time to get yours. For now you can make do with the video after the break.
iPad Camera Connection Kit finally surfaces for pre-order, still absurdly overpriced
If you'll recall, Apple had no qualms revealing the iPad Camera Connection Kit at its 'Latest Creation' event back in January, but the solution seemingly dropped from the face of the Earth shortly thereafter. Even as cases, keyboards and all sorts of other iPad accessories surfaced for pre-order, the camera kit remained nowhere to be found. Over the weekend, the $29 adapter bundle finally found a home at the outfit's website (with a "late April" ship date), offering users a pair of dongles to support USB and SD cards. Of course, one could easily argue that the iPad should have native support for both of these widely used formats without forcing users to lug around two extra peripherals, but if that were the case, this thing just wouldn't be an Apple, now would it? %Gallery-89227%
SanDisk ships 32GB microSDHC card for $200
Our 16GB microSDHC card has been treating us well since shipping early last year, but obviously no capacity is capacious enough. SanDisk has just announced that a Class 2, 32GB version of its microSDHC card is now shipping (remember that "something big" thing?), bringing gobs and gobs (and gobs) of storage space to whatever phones still support it. SanDisk claims that this is the first of its kind, but you can bet that other memory outfits won't be far behind in matching it. It should be hitting e-tailers momentarily for $199.99 (and around £200 if you're in the UK, we're told), which is almost certainly more than the (subsidized) price of the phone you'll be sliding it into.
SanDisk ships 64GB Ultra SDXC card for $350
Here's hoping you didn't pull the trigger on of the world's first SDXC cards to ship, 'cause if so, you just paid a painful premium. Nary two months after Panasonic served up the first 32GB and 64GB SDXC cards to the masses, SanDisk has stepped in to ship its highest capacity Secure Digital card ever in the 64GB Ultra SDXC. Said device boasts a 15MB/sec read speed, a Class 4 speed rating and an exFAT file structure that helps you capture 1080p clips without any glitches or hangups. It's also based around the minty fresh SD 3.0 specification, so make sure that you pick up an SDXC reader or a device that specifically supports the format (you know, like ASUS' Eee PC T101MT). If you're finally ready to leap, this one's available now for the not-quite-reasonable price of $349.99, though if we were you, we'd wait for the rest of the competition to hit the ship button and drive down the MSRP.
Kingston whips out speedy Class 10 16GB microSDHC card
While some camps are pumping out larger microSDHC cards, Kingston's done the world a favor by working on speed instead. The result is this Class 10 16GB microSDHC card -- possibly the world's fastest of its kind (at a minimum data transfer rate of 10MB/s). Who would need this, you ask? Well, there's the speed freak in your own self that you're trying to suppress, for starters, and don't forget all those snazzy phones that can do 1080p video recording. As with most nice things in life, this blistering card will cost you a fair bit -- $138 for the card sans adapters. Oh, go on, it's totally worth your liver.
Lockheed Martin introduces 'PC on a stick' flash drive -- yes, Lockheed Martin
Our coverage of Lockheed Martin here on Engadget normally focus on things like laser weapons or futuristic airships, but it looks like the mega-defense company is now trying its hand as something a little closer to home for us: an ultra-secure USB flash drive. As you can see above, that's done with a little help from the folks at IronKey, but Lockheed Martin does seem to have made its new IronClad its own, and included some custom software that promises to let you carry your entire computer with you and securely use it on any public computer. Of course, exact details are a bit hard to come by, but the drive is available with "at least" 8GB of storage, and includes 256-bit encryption, built-in virus protection, and a variety of networking features that will let organizations keep watch on individual drives and control what can or cannot be installed on them. No word on pricing, but Lockheed Martin is apparently ready to talk with any companies that are interested in using the drives.
Panasonic shipping first SDXC cards next month for ungodly amounts of cash
Here we go, folks. Nearly a year to the day after the term "SDXC" cemented itself into our vernacular, Panasonic has announced the first two that'll ever ship to end users. Unless a competitor jumps in and steals the thunder before then, of course. Announced here in the desert, the outfit has proclaimed that a 48GB and 64GB SDXC card will begin shipping to fat-walleted consumers in February, bringing with it a Class 10 speed rating and maximum data transfer rates of 22MB/sec. You know what else they'll be bringing? Price tags that are guaranteed to make you simultaneously weep and hoot -- the 48GB model will list for $449.95, while the 64 gigger will go for $599.95. Tissues, anyone?
Clickfree busts out automatic backup solutions: C2N HDD, Transformer and Traveler SD
Last year was a relatively quiet one for Clickfree after it showed its cards at CES 2009, but it's clear the company is looking to start 2010 off with a bang here in the desert. The recently updated C2 backup drive is seeing a significant overhaul at CES, with the C2N acting as a portable backup drive for any computer on your home network. The C2N drive is the company's first to boast its BackupLink technology, which enables all of your networked machines (Macs and PCs) to be backed up automatically; of course, you'll only be backing up between 250GB and 640GB of information, but we're told that larger models are expected later in the year. Next up is the Network Edition of the Transformer, which is apt to be entirely more useful for those of you with capacious USB hard drives already looking for work. Essentially, this touts the same functionality as the aforementioned C2N, but it connects to any USB hard drive rather than providing a drive of its own. Finally, the Traveler SD is a 32GB Secure Digital card with the Clickfree backup software baked in; as you might imagine, this enables computer backups to take place on a card reader, which just might be the perfect solution for travelers who haven't any room for a spare HDD. You can expect to find all three on store shelves between March and April, with pricing set for $159.99 (250GB) $179.99 (320GB), $199.99 (500GB and $219.99 (640GB) for the C2N, $99.99 for the Transformer Networ Edition and $89.99 (16GB) / $149.99 (32GB) for the Traveler SD card. %Gallery-81230%
Next-generation SD specification comes to light, 300MBps just around the corner
Believe it or not, we first heard of SDXC nearly a year ago. Aside from a highly guarded chip spotted at CeBIT, though, we've yet to see any of those cards in the flesh. Thankfully for the impatient among us, it seems as if the SD Specification 4.0 is well on its way to being hammered out, with the maximum data transfer rate scooting up from 104MB/sec to 300MB/sec. The actual scheme will also be changing from parallel to serial, with an unspecified amount of pins (more than 9, though) assisting in the speed increase. We're also told that the external dimensions of the cards will remain the same, and that backwards compatibility is of the utmost importance. We're guessing that newer cards will be able to rely on parallel transfers when used on older readers, while newer readers will accept data via the serial scheme; unfortunately, the nitty-gritty details have yet to be made public, but we're hoping for a serious coming-out party at next year's CES.
Blockbuster kiosks to offer movies on SD cards, you some candy as you checkout
Blockbuster's been trying all sorts of, um, innovative things to get more foot traffic in its stores, but thanks to a dastardly invention known only as "Netflix," that very task has proven exceptionally difficult. Now, it seems the flagging movie rental company is giving one more far-flung idea a whirl: movies on SD cards. Around six Blockbuster and Hollywood Video stores will soon begin offering titles on SD cards, though the included DRM only allows customers 30 days from the purchase date to view it, and once it's fired up, you've just 48 hours before it vanishes completely. Each rental will cost $1.99, and while we definitely see the benefit of renting something that you don't have to return, we're still skeptical that folks will be more willing to make even one trek for a card when Netflix brings it all to one's mailbox (and PC, etc.) for just $8.99 per month.
SanDisk ships world's first X4-based flash memory cards, humans wait for capacity increases
SanDisk was busy trumpeting the benefits of X4 technology way back in February, and now the company's tooting its own horn once more by shipping the planet's first memory cards based on the new tech. For those who've forgotten, X4 can hold four bits of data in each memory cell, which is twice as many as the cells in traditional MLC NAND memory chips. In theory, this stuff will allow for bigger capacities in the flash memory that we so dearly love, but for whatever reason (read: cost concerns), the first X4-based SDHC and Memory Stick PRO cards top out at just 16GB. Wake us up when we can slam a sub-$50 256GB SDHC card into our D90, okay?
Eye-Fi bringing trio of WiFi-enabled SD cards to UK
If you're an US-based company, you'd be kidding yourself if you said you didn't want to take advantage of the pound-to-dollar exchange rate. We can't say for certain that the current Forex ratings on currency is why Eye-Fi is suddenly barging into the British market place, but whatever the case, UKers can look forward to slapping a WiFi-enabled SD card into their digicam starting on October 19th. The Eye-Fi Home Video, Eye-Fi Share Video and Eye-Fi Pro will all be splashing down in 4GB flavors, with prices set for £49.99, £69.99 and £199.99 in order of mention. Got it, chum?
Toshiba's capacious 64GB SDXC card sampling this December, thrilling next Spring
Mmm, storage. With megapixels on the rise and the storage ceiling nowhere in sight, Toshiba has joined the likes of Panasonic and Pretec in announcing an SDXC card of its very own. The 64GB device is expected to begin sampling this December, and if all goes well, it should begin pulling in 35MBps write and 60MBps read rates en masse early next year. In related news, a 16GB and 32GB SDHC card from the company should also hit store shelves early in 2010, but really, who's interested in that?
2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day
Check it, wireless uploaders -- Eye-Fi has just outed its latest WiFi-enabled Secure Digital card, and this one promises to disclose your every move to anyone who'll bother to follow your image feed. Announced today, the Eye-Fi Geo is a 2GB card that will enable users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera while geotagging them as they hit the 'net. The geotagging service is included for life, and for whatever reason, this one's being made exclusively available through Apple stores and online. Of course, it could have something to do with that "seamless integration" with iPhoto and MobileMe, but we're guessing it ought to play nice with other applications and image portals as well. If you're suddenly unable to move on with your life until you've got one of these in your hands, you can snag one today for $59.99. Full release is after the break.
Disney to offer films on microSD cards, consumers to pass on by
We've never seen a shred of evidence adumbrating that movies loaded onto flash cards move the proverbial meter, but evidently they're moving well enough in Japan for Walt Disney to dive into the madness. Just today, the outfit responsible for classics that filled your childhood with innocence is announcing plans to offer pre-recorded microSD cards together with DVDs in the Land of the Rising Sun. The dual-format package will supposedly give DVD viewers the ability to easily watch their favorite films on the go, but that's assuming you can even find a portable media player that accepts microSD cards. The bundles are expected to ship in November for around ¥4,935 ($52), or ¥1,000 ($11) more than the DVD alone. Eager to hear what titles will get this special treatment first? The "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "National Treasure" series -- huzzah![Via HotHardware]
SanDisk designs "netbook-specific" SDHC card, grossly overcharges for it
SanDisk, the company famous for making device-specific SD cards that are actually just regular SD cards with stupidly high prices tags, is back again -- and this time, things are just too offensive to laugh off. Designed to provide "extra storage" to netbooks with a multicard reader, these Netbook SDHC cards are priced at $39.99 for 8GB and $79.99 for 16GB. Isn't this kind of stuff criminal in some countries?
Panasonic's Class 10 SDHC cards make the wait for SDXC easier
A full 15 months after Panasonic dropped jaws with its 32GB Class 6 SDHC card, the company is hitting us up with another world's first. Announced today over in Europe, the outfit has revealed a new line of SDHC memory cards that boast a Class 10 speed rating. Said spec was recently given the green light as part of the SD Card Specification v3.0, and as you could likely surmise, the increase in transfer rates should enable the cards to better handle all that HD video your DSLR seems to be capturing these days. Still, the boost is relatively minimal (particularly compared to the forthcoming SDXC format), with Class 10 promising maximum speeds of 22MB/sec and Class 6 cards already offering top-end rates of 20MB/sec. Mum's the word on price, but Panny expects these to ship next month in the UK before heading to other markets sometime later.
SanDisk releases 2GB Rock Band 2 SD card for all your downloadable content
Okay, so we were actually pretty stoked about SanDisk's 16GB Ultra microSDHC / M2 cards, but this is just laughable. In fact, we just had to pass it along for the image alone. For those who don't understand that any SD card will work in your Wii, the 2GB Rock Band 2 Secure Digital card will reportedly hold up to 75 downloadable songs -- or 2GB of anything, actually. For those in love with the logo (yes, we're talking to you), it'll ship this Spring for the low, low price of $12.99. Full release is after the break.
Synchrotech's CFMulti adapter brings Eye-Fi support to CF cameras
Been longing for Eye-Fi support in your Sony a350? Or any CompactFlash-lovin' camera, for that matter? Meet Synchrotech, your new best friend. The company famous for making incredibly useful adapters has just pumped out its latest stroke of genius, the CFMulti. As you'd expect, this card fits into traditional CF slots but enables Secure Digital cards to be read, including Eye-Fi's range of wireless SD cards. In addition to that, the device accepts standard SD / SDHC and MMC / MMC+ cards. You know you'd pay $28 for all that functionality in one tight package, right?[Via MacsimumNews, thanks Robert]
Toshiba first to market with Class 6 SD cards?
Toshiba's got a new series of "high-speed" and "ultra high-speed" SD cards coming to market soon, and although the company claims to be the first manufacturer to introduce these so-called Class 6 cards, we think it may be exaggerating just a bit. You see, the SD Card Association recently adopted three different speed classes (2, 4, and 6), with the class number indicating the card's minimum transfer rate in megabytes per second (i.e. Class 2 cards will always transfer data at at least 2MB/s). So although Tosh's ultra-high speed cards sport a zippy transfer rate of 20MB/s -- categorizing them as Class 6 cards -- we've already seen products on the market from ADTec that boast similar speeds (and waterproofing to boot); therefore, how can Toshiba claim that its Class 6's will be the first to launch? Marketing hyperbole aside, both the high-speed Class 4 cards (with 5MB/s transfer rates) and ultra high-speed Class 6 cards will come in 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB varieties, and you can expect them to drop in Japan in October and worldwide in November.
