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SanDisk's 32GB microSDHC card falls below $100, is actually in stock
Holding out on upgrading that paltry 2GB microSD card that shipped in your Android device of choice? Hold no longer. Amazon is now stocking SanDisk's oh-so-capacious 32GB microSDHC card for just $89.73, which is notably lower than what it retailed for at launch. It's also readily available elsewhere on the web for around the same amount, with the "readily available" part equally as impressive as the "for really cheap" part. Of course, it's slower than molasses crawling uphill on a winter day (read: Class 2), but it's not like you'll be throwing this in your D3S and firing off 11 shots per second. Right?
Elecom's 47-in-1 MR-A005 card reader gains SDXC support, speed boost
Frankly, we've our doubts that this planet is even home to 47 different useful types of flash cards, but if you're Boy Scout instincts simply won't let you leave the house unprepared, there's Elecom's MR-A005. It's a familiar design, sure, but what it lacks in ingenuity it makes up for in compatibility. This is one of the first mega-multi-card readers to support SDXC, and we're told that this model is around 20 percent faster than its predecessor when writing to CompactFlash (not to mention 10 percent faster when writing to SDHC). And hey, it's available in four triumphant colors. Check it later this month in Japan for around 30 bones.
Panasonic announces AF105 Micro Four Thirds camcorder, interchangeable lenses not included
The splicing of video and stills cameras continues unabated today, as Panasonic has just outed a serious-looking piece of photographic hardware. The AF105 (AF100 in Europe) is the world's first camcorder to offer a Four Thirds-sized sensor and provides 1080/60i or 1080/30p AVCHD video recording skills, while matching up to the growing selection of glassware for the company's Micro Four Thirds mount. SDHC and SDXC storage cards are accepted and there's a note that "cinema" lenses can also be fitted on via an extra adapter. The price is set at ¥837,900 (about $9,960) and launch is expected this December. Update: We've now got video of the AF100/105 and a tentative European price of €4,900. American pricing can probably be expected somewhere around the $6,000 range. Thanks, James!
Toshiba fulfills your need for speed with UHS-I SDHC and microSDHC cards
Panasonic must be mighty annoyed right about now, because Toshiba's seemingly got it trumped -- when the first batch of lightning-quick UHS-I cards ship in November, Toshiba's chips will be faster and larger on day one. As you can no doubt see immediately above, the latter company's fielding full-size SDHC UHS-I cards at up to 32GB that promise maximum read and write times of 95MB/s and 80MB/s respectively, not to mention tiny microSDHC units that still manage a very respectable 40MB/s and 20MB/s. As usual, these numbers are fast and loose, so don't be surprised if you get a good bit less in practice, but you should be able to rely on well above the quoted minimum transfer rate of 10MB/s. No ludicrous early-adopter memory prices quite yet, but we imagine your ego will write the necessary checks as soon Toshiba takes care of that. PR after the break.
SD Card Association: flash card speeds to triple by 2012
The SD Card Association (truth be told, one of our favorite card-related associations) has a new spec in the works that will almost triple the speed of its SDHC and SDXC cards, according to CNET. The specification, which should be complete Q1 next year, will achieve 300MB per second by adding a second row of electrical contacts on the bottom face of the card, and will be backward compatible with older, slower devices. Although being referred to internally as SD 4.0, brand names for the technology are still being considered -- with UHS-II (the successor to UHS-I ultra-high speed bus cards) as one possibility.
Panasonic announces speedy new 8GB, 16GB UHS-I SDHC cards
We've already heard some of the claims made about SHDC cards using the new UHS-I specification, and it looks like we'll now soon have our first actual cards based on the spec courtesy of Panasonic. The company has just announced some 8GB and 16GB UHS-I SDHC cards at IFA, which boast a Class 10 speed specification and promise to deliver a maximum data transfer speed of 60MB/s, or about twice that of Panasonic's current top-end cards. No word on pricing just yet, but Panasonic says they'll be out this November. Full press release is after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Tab gets video preview in Korea
It sees like we can't let a day pass without talking about Samsung's upcoming Froyo tablet. This time there's a whole video preview, courtesy of some of our Korean brethren. Android 2.2, WCDMA 3G, 802.11n WiFi, a 16:10 screen ratio, a front-facing camera "dedicated to video calling," SDHC memory expandability, and a DMB tuner for those TV-crazy Koreans are all listed on the spec sheet, but you'll be wanting to see the Galaxy Tab's UI in motion. It really looks silky smooth and should give the iPad cause for concern. Speaking of the iPad, there's a size comparison against Apple's slate and Samsung's own Galaxy S handset as well -- all yours after the break. Update: Fast-loading video embedded after the break. [Thanks, Eric]
Onkyo busts out HDMI-connected 10.1-inch picture frame
To cut a long story short, Onkyo's LPF10M01 is basically a netbook's screen sans (most of) the netbook. 10.1 inches of LED-backlit LCD get covered in a 1,024 x 600 pixel array and are backed up by 250 nits of brightness and a 500 to 1 contrast ratio. The big selling point here is the inclusion of an HDMI input -- still something of a rarity in picture frames -- which sidles up alongside a USB port, SDHC and Memory Stick card reader, and 512MB of integrated memory. We're fancying the flexibility of using it as a secondary display or as part of some truly minimalist desktop environment, but doubt many will be won over by the austere 140 degree horizontal viewing angle, which narrow down to a zany 110 on the vertical axis. Anyhow, it launches on August 6 in Japan for around ¥19,800 ($227).
Fujifilm shoots out five new cameras: F300EXR, Z800EXR, Z80, JX280 and S2800HD
What you just heard was the sound of five new FinePix cameras popping out of Fujifilm's doors. Yippie! If all goes well, we'll be seeing these SDHC-loving / xD-hating babies from late August. Let's start working through the list: the 12 megapixel, 720p-video (24fps) F300EXR boasts auto-focus speeds that are "as good as" DSLRs, all thanks to the camera's hybrid auto-focus system -- a combination of Contrast AF (as used on most compacts) and Phase Detection AF (as found on most DSLRs). Other goodies include a wide 15x (24-360mm equivalent) "low noise" zoom lens, 3-inch high contrast 460k-dot LCD on the back, ISO settings up to a staggering 12,800, face detection and recognition (the latter lets you store optimum exposure and focus settings for up to eight faces), 360˚ panorama shooting mode, HDMI output, and image stabilization on the second-gen Super CCD EXR sensor. The price? You'll have to cough up $329.95 for this bad boy. Read on for the rest of the family.
Pandigital PhotoLink portable scanner review
If you're anything like us, you may find yourself in need of scanning in a few last-minute receipts for reimbursement. Or maybe your oldest youngster left his essay sitting on the kitchen table, and you need to shoot him / her over a PDF on the double. Or maybe you've just got way too many tax-related documents cluttering up your basement. Point is, just about anyone could find a reason or two to invest in a scanner, and Pandigital's making things a lot easier with the PhotoLink personal photo scanner / converter. The $149.99 device was launched last week, and we've been toying with it a few days here at Engadget HQ. If you've been on the fence about buying a portable scanner, join us after the break for a few impressions along with a riveting video of this thing... well, scanning. %Gallery-97761%
SanDisk's elusive 32GB microSDHC card on sale tomorrow at Verizon: $100 with a Droid X, $150 without
Oh, sure -- SanDisk's 32GB microSDHC card has been "shipping" since late March, but have you actually tried to find one? It's been a lesson in frustration for many, and while a few e-tailers have shown stock off and on, the card has generally evaded archivists who simply need an insane amount of available storage on their handset. Starting tomorrow, however, that should change. Verizon Wireless -- of all companies -- has somehow managed to become the "only retailer that offers customers the 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card." We're assuming it's referring to brick and mortar retailers, but at any rate, the gem will be on sale tomorrow at VZW outlets for $149.99, or just $99.99 if you purchase one alongside Motorola's Droid X. The only trouble with that? You're stuck figuring out what to do with the 16GB microSDHC card that ships inside of the phone. Thank heavens for the Bay, right?
Canon VIXIA HF M32 adds SDXC compatibility, has 64GB of its own flash anyway
Talk about a bad time to introduce your latest camcorder. Hot on the heels of Sony's category-redefining NEX-VG10, Canon is coming out with a humble refresher of its VIXIA line of consumer shooters (known as Legria in Europe). It's as incremental as upgrades get, with the HF M32 doubling its predecessor's 32GB of internal storage and adding in SDXC memory card compatibility. Canon's Relay Recording feature will allow you to transition from one storage cell to another without interrupting your video, but it's something the M31 already offers. The rest of the specs are also familiar: a HD CMOS sensor capable of 3 megapixel stills, a 15x optical zoom lens with both optical and powered image stabilization, a 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD with Touch and Track functionality, and the same DIGIC DV III processor that's been knocking about since last year. Still, you've gotta be pretty good to last that long in this industry, so maybe it's worth giving this camera a look if you have $1,000 to spend and can wait for a September delivery.%Gallery-97454%
Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter cuts the cable, writes to memory cards
The act of scanning a photo generally entails something along the lines of placing the photo onto a device, loading some photo software, waiting while the scanner groans away, cropping the resulting image, and then shuffling the resulting bits off into a folder somewhere. Pandigital's latest, the Personal Photo Scanner/Converter, helps to cut down on that process -- a little bit, anyway. You can simply feed documents through it (up to 8.5 x 11 in size) and have them written straight to memory card (SD, Memory Stick, etc.) at 600dpi resolution, which could certainly speed up your workflow and let you run through reams of photos without lugging that dusty 'ol album to your computer. (You can still connect it via miniUSB and do it the old fashioned way, if you like.) The one thing we're not seeing in the specs is a battery, which would make this thing truly portable, but for $149.99 you can't have everything. It is, at least, available now. Update: We've updated the post to include a pic of the new model.
Panasonic introduces KX-PW821 fax machine with a touchscreen and stylus, world may never be the same
We were a little shocked to learn in Panasonic's latest press release that there are still people out there who rely on faxes. For our younger readers, faxing is a means of transmitting images between two machines that make funny noises over phone lines. Important documents were often transferred via those funny noises because the resulting quality was so low your signature and any other confidential info was made impossible to read on the resulting printout. However, Panasonic's new KX-PW821 shuns the paper altogether, allowing you to doodle something on the screen and then hit send to have it transmitted. On the receiving end it can save a tree by writing faxes straight to SDHC storage and can store voicemails and full conversations as audio recordings, meaning this package could replace even the tape in your vintage answering machine. No word on whether the tiny kendo student is included, however.
Eye tracking Tobii Glasses enable 'fully valid research' from a bodaciously styled pair of shades
If you're looking to get in touch with some styling cues you left behind in the '80s, or perhaps just perform a study on effective product packaging, Tobii Technology would like you to get a load of these. They're called Tobii Glasses, a pair of eye-tracking specs that look a little less obtrusive than some others we've seen, but despite that are also a bit less practical. These glasses pack a VGA camera, write to a hip-mounted unit with SDHC storage, and rely on IR emitters that apparently must be scattered about the field of vision that the researcher is looking to study. Those emitters enable very accurate and reliable monitoring of where the research participant is looking, making these possibly an ideal accessory for all you marketing research managers out there. Update: We got a note from Rasmus Petersson at Tobii Technology indicating that, indeed, the glasses can be used without the IR transmitters -- you just lose some automation when it comes to data aggregation at the end of the study. So, married dudes, look out if your wife buys you a new set of specs for your birthday.
Toshiba looking to standardize wireless memory cards, crash Eye-Fi's party
We're big fans of Eye-Fi's wireless memory cards, which enable you to toss that card reader out the window and download all your pictures wirelessly. So far Eye-Fi is about the only player in that little niche, but Toshiba's looking to blow it wide open with charmingly titled "Standard Promotion Forum for Memory Cards Embedding Wireless LAN," which could be given the equally catchy abbreviation SPFfMCEWLAN (a name that is, thankfully, subject to change). Toshiba's forum, which also includes Singapore-based flash company Trek 2000, will look to create a standardized 8GB SDHC card with integrated 802.11b/g, able to transfer JPEG and RAW images either from camera to a server or directly to another camera. Toshiba is hoping other camera and flash manufacturers will join in the standardization fun and we certainly do too -- just like we hope they move past 8GB quickly.
ADB set-back box squeezes a DVR on SDHC card behind your HDTV
The space and weight requirements to fit a tru2way cable box behind an LCD or plasma HDTV would seem to rule out DVR functions, but ADB showed off a second generation set-back box that does just that. Dubbed Phantom, it can hold an SDHC card with programs either recorded elsewhere, or it can record directly to the card itself. Light Reading mentions there's also MoCA support to stream from standard DVRs, so while it's unlikely you'd have a memory card big enough to hold all the HDTV programs we watch, whether you're old school sneakernetting or going multiroom it can be your hidden HD DVR. The ADB-4820C it designed for Sony HDTVs that we saw at CES 2009 never appeared, but the company said at The Cable Show the Phantom could be available by late this year or early 2011, with potential targets in the hotel industry or direct retail sales.
Eye-Fi's 4GB Geo X2 WiFi SDHC card now shipping for $70
We heard that the Apple Store-exclusive Geo X2 would start shipping to Americans at some point in May, and it looks like the time is now for those who've been patiently waiting. Eye-Fi's latest Class 6, WiFi-enabled SDHC card packs 4GB of space, an 802.11n module and auto-geotagging for those who can't make heads or tails of their latest gallery of vacation shots. It can be headed your way any moment... so long as you're cool with handing over your name, address, credit card number, favorite TV drama from 1988 and $69.95 (plus tax, where applicable). Oh, life and its choices. [Thanks, Christopher]
Samsung first with 20-nm NAND Flash: cheaper, faster SD cards on the way (update)
Let it sink in, 20 nanometers. It wasn't that long ago when 45-nm manufacturing processes were all the rage. Now we've got Samsung following Toshiba with a sub-25nm flash memory announcement all its own. Samsung's 20-nm class 32Gb (gigabit) MLC NAND is sampling now, however, for use in embedded memory solutions and SD memory cards ranging from 4GB to 64GB. In addition to increasing densities and decreasing manufacturing costs, Samsung's 20-nm class NAND is claimed to be more reliable and 30 percent faster than the 30-nm MLC chips forming the core of its existing 8GB and higher SD cards. That translates to cheaper class 10 (20MBps read, 10MBps write) SD cards when these ship to consumers later this year -- always a good thing. Update: There's a chance that Samsung is playing fast and loose with words here. It repeatedly says "20-nm class" without specifying the actual node size. Is it 20nm, 22nm, 27nm? We're digging for details and will update this post when we have them. Update 2: Samsung's response: "Unfortunately, we are not disclosing the actual process node for our memory devices. Thank you in advance for your understanding." Yeah, we understand: Samsung's process node is likely larger than the 25nm threshold set by Intel and Micron.
Panasonic's AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera considers itself 'professional'
We're not sure where Panasonic gets off calling its AG-AF100 a "professional" digital video camera. It's certainly not in the same class as RED or ARRI Alexa. It is, however, a very interesting video rig for shooting flicks on a budget with its Micro Four Thirds sensor and collection of micro 4/3 lenses, filters, and adapters. The AF100 records native 1080/24p using the AVC/ H.264 Hi Profile AVCHD codec to a pair of SD slots supporting both SDHC and newer SDXC removable media. The AVCCAM HD camcorder features a pair of XLR inputs, 48-kHz/16-bit two-channel digital audio recording, and supports LPCM/Dolby-AC3; it also packs USB 2.0, HD-SDI out, HDMI, a built-in stereo mic, and time code recording. So yeah, it won't record the next Hollywood blockbuster but it'll probably do fine by indie filmmakers without breaking the film school budget. Perhaps we'll better understand all this professional talk when Panny reveals its price in time for a year-end launch.
