card reader
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Axxen kicks out trio of portable HDD enclosure / card reader hybrids
It's just impossible not to love a little consolidation done right, and Axxen's trio of new devices aims to give you a good reason to ditch that easy-to-misplace flash card reader and pick up an external HDD enclosure while you're at it. The A-3500, A-2500, and A-1800 all sport a sleek, black casing, and can handle your choice of 3.5-, 2.5-, or 1.5-inch hard drive, respectively. Aside from functioning as your run-of-the-mill external HDD, the drives also serve as a memory card reader for CF, SM, xD, MS, MSPro, MSDuo, SD, miniSD, MMC, and MD cards, and it interfaces with your computer via USB 2.0. Notably, each unit also boasts a "one-touch" backup function to keep your files sufficiently duplicated, and while we're not sure how much Axxen plans on charging for these nifty multitaskers, they should be hitting South Korea real soon.[Via MobileWhack]
Brando's WorkShop 55-in-1 reader, now with SDHC
If you want to be safe, and we mean really safe from the onslaught of memory card formats then look no further than the WorkShop 55-in-1 reader from Brando. We're not going to run down the whole list for you, but you should know that the reader supports not only the new SDHC (SD 2.0) card format, but also the unannounced and likely fictitious (for now anyway) "SDHC 2.0" format. Looks like they're taking their product cues from AData who have been mislabeling their SDHC cards since day 1. It's products like this which remind us just how fractured the consumer electronics business can be. Yours at the end of November for $28.
Elecom rolls out MR-C11 / MR-C10 flash card readers
If you're hunting for an unmistakable way to transfer your flash data to the PC, or just need something handy to transfer files between two separate cards, Elecom's newest pair of card readers can lend a hand. Sporting an ultracompact 61 x 34 x 8mm enclosure, the MR-C11 11-in-1 card reader can handle MMC, SD, SDHC, MS, MS Pro, MS Duo, xD, miniSD, microSD, and a couple more (when you toss in adapters, of course). The device has just a single slot where any card is apparently inserted and correctly read, removing the presumably strenuous guesswork involved in matching up basic squares and rectangles. The even smaller sibling, dubbed MR-C10, plays nice with the same card formats, but ups the ante by providing dual slots for PC-free data dubbing directly between SD / SDHC and MS cards. Both flashy (ahem) readers will be available in Japan later this month, and the MR-C11 will run you ¥2,520 ($22) while the MR-C10 demands ¥2,400 ($20).[Via Akihabara News]
Nakamichi looks to the KIMONO for LCD design inspiration
While we enjoy sporting a snazzy kimono as much as the next guy/girl, we're not sure that we want our super-expensive LCD TV to be fashioned after said article of clothing. Nonetheless, Nakamichi has just unveiled a new flat panel lineup with a swooping lower bezel called the KIMONO series, complete with an "asymmetrical fold" designed to resemble the overlapping sections of the traditional Japanese robe. Besides the questionable aesthetics, however, the 42- and 47-inch KIMONOs offer quite an attractive feature set, complete with full 1,080p resolution, a 5.1 channel amplifier outlet (when hooked up to external speakers, the TV acts as the center channel), both analog and DVB-T tuners, a built-in DVD player, integrated FM radio, and our old favorite, an HDMI input for getting your Blu-ray or HD DVD on. Other nice touches include a USB 2.0 jack and 6-in-1 card reader (even xD gets some love here), allowing you to view pictures and presumably video content captured from a variety of sources. Pricing and availability are as yet unannounced, but if the company's $512 Lumos portable DVD player is any indication, you'll definitely be paying a premium for the privilege of sporting such an, um, unique design.
Cima Lab's new DVD player rocks DivX, card slots, and USB
We remember when $70 wouldn't even buy you a decent VCR, but oh, how times have changed. With upscaling DVD players -- not to mention next-gen optical formats Blu-ray and HD DVD -- currently all the rage, now that same $70 will buy you a device that not only plays DVDs but features memory card slots and a USB port as well. Coming in September for about 7,980 yen ($68 -- why, that's even less than 70 bucks!), the CDP-200UCR from Cima Laboratory will happily spin all of your plain jane DVDs and CDs, but ups the ante by including DivX, MP3, and WMA support as well. You're also getting 5.1 analog audio, an integrated card reader with SD / MMC, MemoryStick, and yes, even SmartMedia slots (do they even sell that format anymore?) plus a front-panel USB jack for piping in content from compatible devices. Sure this player may never make it Stateside, but its nice to know that our friends in Japan have all their bases covered.
Evergreen's 3-in-1 USB egg
With three monitors and numerous peripherals crowding our workspace, we're always searching for ways to minimize desktop clutter, so Evergreen's new multi-functional "USB egg" showed some initial promise at first glance. Besides the unconventionally-designed speakers, you're also getting a card reader and USB hub -- not a bad way to shed one or two items from your desk. Like most things, however, the devil is in the details with this one: its speakers can only muster a 2-watt output (and forget about a subwoofer), the "hub" sports but two lonely USB ports, and the reader's got SD, CF, and MS cards covered, but where's the love for xD? No word yet on pricing or availability, but we'll go out on a limb and assume that this is an egg only a mother hen could love, anyway.
Apacer's Audio Steno AU522 flash-based DAP
What do you get when you cross an iPod Shuffle with Nokia's 7280 fashion phone? (Hint: it's not Transcend's T.Sonic 310, but good guess.) Why, Apacer's upcoming Audio Steno AU522 DAP, of course. This fairly-stylish little number comes in capacities ranging from 256MB to 2GB, supports MP3, WMA, and WAV files, and includes a memory card slot for boosting storage by another gig. A built-in USB connector allows you to use the AU522 as a flash drive or reader for all those MMCmicro cards you have lying around, and you can also record directly from the FM tuner and share your music with a friend thanks to dual headphone jacks. The two-color, 128 x 64 OLED screen is another nice touch, though it probably contributes to the player's mere eight hours of battery life. No word so far on either pricing or availability, but if you really have a desire to snatch one of these up, we're confident that you'll be able to make it happen.[Via MP3 Player Guide]
Buffalo's "28-in-1" card reader
It looks like Buffalo hasn't met a memory card it didn't like, finding room for just about every format under the sun in it's new MCR-C12H/U2 series card reader, although they sure know how to stretch the definition of individual card types. Still, marketing hype aside, the so-called "28-in-1" reader packs support for most everything you could ask for, including seemingly every variation of SD, mini/microSD, xD, CompactFlash, and Memory Stick -- and, with the aid of a fresh firmware update, SDHC cards up to 4GB as well (making it a 29-in-1 reader if you follow Buffalo's logic). Our friends in Japan should be able to pick the reader up now, in their choice of four pretty tame colors, for ¥2,960 (about 25 bucks).[Via Akihabara News]
Panasonic intros two new SDHC card readers
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.
Swap data on the go with Memorex TravelLink and TravelSync
If you haven't sprung for a USB OTG device yet, or would like to do a bit of direct data slinging from device to device, the new TravelLink and TravelSync devices from Memorex should get the job done without breaking the bank. The $75 TravelLink has dual USB ports and an 8-in-1 flash card reader, and can swap data between any combination of its supported interfaces. There's a decent LCD to scroll through files, along with options to "copy all," "transfer all," and "delete all." The device can also function as a card reader for you PC using its included USB cable. The TravelSync device mirrors the functionality and LCD of its big brother, but does away with the card reader and costs $56. Both devices run on three AAA batteries, and should be available soon.
MSI releases 12.1-inch, dual-core S271 laptop
MSI has just released another 12.1-inch dual-core laptop, and the specs seem very similar to their S262 ultraportable that we spotted earlier this year, except that the Core Duo processor has been replaced with an AMD Turion 64 X2. Like the S262, the S271 ships with integrated graphics, 256MB or 512MB of RAM (expandable to 2GB), 4-in-1 memory card reader (really just 2-in-1, as it accepts only SD/MMC and MemoryStick/MS Pro formats -- where's the xD love?), and a "Super Multi DVD" drive, but manages to shed a few ounces and add a 200GB HDD option. Available immediately, this model will set you back around $1,500.
Cheaper PS3 loses HDMI, slots, Wi-Fi, 40GB
As you can see above, there are a few things different between the two PS3 SKUs planned. (Hint: the obvious alterations concern high-def output and wireless connectivity -- though Bluetooth controllers should work just fine with both, with or without any chrome case highlighting.)So what's HDMI, built-in multimedia card-reader slots, wireless internet connectivity, and an extra 40 gigabytes' hard disk space worth to you? $100? Now that Sony's gone with the 2-SKU approach with its next-gen hardware (a la the Xbox 360's premium and "Core" systems), we can expect some tough consumer choices after six months -- with console shortages possibly for another six months after that -- as $100 separates the base $499 and premium $599 versions of Sony's "Clear Black" hope.HDMI is important to those who want to take full advantage of Blu-ray high def and have the new screens to use it; MemoryStick, SD, and CompactFlash slots would be nice for the PS3 memory-card users and those will run multimedia on the system; Wi-Fi's the only way to avoid stringing ethernet cables for online access; and 360 owners might appreciate the full 60GB available to potential buyers of the premium PS3 model. Neither model comes with a second HDMI port; thankfully, one should hopefully be all most users need. The details are laid out in a feature-comparison table at the end of Sony's official PS3 hardware press release, available in both Adobe Reader and Microsoft Word formats. Determine what's most important to your PS3 ambitions there.[Image pieced together from the PlayStation.com forums; thanks, Guru]
