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Standalone Eye-Fi Server hack one-ups Eye-Fi Manager
For those of you who love the concept of the Eye-Fi, but detest being forced to talk to its servers and send pictures precisely how it wants you to, take heart. A standalone Eye-Fi server has now been presented to the general public (coded in Python, if you're so inclined to know), and we have to admit, the functionality here is second to none. By tapping into this code, users can instruct their Eye-Fi cards to upload photos to different online galleries by running around the Eye-Fi Manager middleware. We know you're interested in giving this a go yourself, so feel free to slip on the Coke Bottle Glasses™ and hit that read link. [Via Hack-A-Day]
PSA: Rock Band 2 SD card not required for Wii DLC
We're sure that most of our readers will already know this, but this is for our more casual audience. Rock Band DLC for the Wii is quite exciting, but let's be clear that nobody needs to buy the recently announced $13 Rock Band 2 SD card for it to work. The Wii should support any brand of SD card up to 2GB (beyond 2GB we get into murky tech territory).A quick search on Amazon finds that most 2GB SD cards can be purchased for under $10. For those who just can't live without the branding on this SD card (which you'll never see once it's inside the console), it'll be available this spring. Also, this PSA extends to those outrageously priced Wii-branded SD cards as well.
CES 2009: SanDisk brings the power of the Rock Band 2 logo to a new SD card
SanDisk's new 2GB Rock Band 2 SD card is sure to nab some confused gamers and parents when it comes out this spring. It's got the Rock Band 2 logo on it, you see, and that means it works with Rock Band 2. Also, it's white, so you can tell it's a Wii accessory! And it's only about twice as much as you could pay for a 2GB SD card from reputable brands like ... SanDisk!Compared to some other Wii accessories, this one's not so bad. It actually is a working SD card that is just as usable as any other for Rock Band 2, copying VC and WiiWare games, and saving photos and stuff. It's just that you lose a lot of money when you buy an SD card from the video game aisle -- like, for example, SanDisk's Gaming SD card --instead of the camera accessories aisle.
Eye-Fi taking the next logical step: WiFi video uploads to YouTube
If you thought Eye-Fi was a great invention already, then boy, do we have a treat for you. Here at CES, the outfit made famous for pumping out delightfully simple WiFi SD cards for wireless image uploading is taking the next logical step by embracing video. It's currently developing a system that will enable its WiFi SD cards to upload videos directly to YouTube, and if you reckoned the first iteration would be stuck at standard-def, you reckoned wrong. In fact, it's being designed from the ground-up to handle HD uploads from cameras like Nikon's D90, but there's no word yet on how soon the technology will be ready. The big question from us? Will this require an all new card, or can the video functionality be added to existing models? Check the full release after the break.
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.
Toshiba introducing SD-friendly players for flash card movies that no one buys
We hate to harsh on Toshiba here, we honestly do, but what in the world is it thinking? As if its clearly unimpressive Super Resolution Technology wasn't embarrassing enough, we're now hearing that the outfit is expected to release a line of prototype players at CES next week that tout SD card slots. Why, you ask? To accept the flash card movies that -- you guessed it -- no one on the entire planet is interested in. Okay, so maybe a handful of people (you know, the same characters who thought slotMusic was a solid idea) will buy in, but seriously, this has failure written all over it. The move comes hot on the heels of a Toshiba / Mod Systems tie-up to establish kiosks that sell films on SD cards, though we're still curious as to whether these SD card players will be of the standalone variety or integrated into upscaling DVD decks. We'll keep an open mind 'til we see the final product(s) at CES, but it'll take a belated Christmas miracle for this to be even halfway awesome.[Via Video Business]
Wii Warm Up: Fill 'er up
Now that the Wii has begun its third year on store shelves, we've managed to download a lot of things. In fact, we've accrued quite the collection of Virtual Console and WiiWare titles already. Much to our surprise, we've yet to fill the entire capacity of a 2gb SD card, which is the maximum size supported by Nintendo's latest console. How about you all? Use a SD card with your console? How full is it?
Nintendo DSi: The Unboxening and Impressioning
Yes, several other outlets have already posted their unboxing photos and first impressions of the Nintendo DSi, but we've put together our own article documenting the imported system's arrival, as we have a few new things that we can share with you, those things being: Photos of a cat stalking the box while we unearthed the DSi Surprises that we didn't expect with the DSi Video of us trying to load DS Fanboy on the DSi's new Browser Video of DSi Sound's 14 music visualizers Music from a renowned Wu-tang Clan rapper All of that, past the post break!
Rock Band 2: Great news about SD cards, vague news about Guitar Hero World Tour guitars
MTV's Patrick Klepek allowed readers to submit questions for him to ask Harmonix about Rock Band 2, and luckily for us, people were curious about the details of the Wii version. Klepek got real, concrete answers about DLC -- and less concrete answers about instrument compatibility.First, the good news: like its competitor, Guitar Hero: World Tour, Rock Band 2 allows players to run songs directly from an SD card. No need to scour the fridge! This contradicts what we'd heard previously, but we don't mind because it's awesome. The less good news is that Harmonix didn't have a straight answer about compatibility between Rock Band 2 and World Tour's bizarro touch-pad-equipped guitar. That doesn't mean it won't work, just that ... maybe they don't know yet. At least Guitar Hero III guitars will probably be available cheaply. [Screen via IGN]
Point/Counterpoint: Is saving to SD the right way to keep Wii fridges fresh?
During Nintendo's conference, Satoru Iwata announced the long-awaited fix for the Wii storage "crisis" -- but rather than the Wii Hard Drive peripheral or the pipe-dream "you can use any USB hard drive!" update that Wii fans dreamed of, Nintendo has chosen to refine the current SD card implementation. Basically, you can now save things from the Wii Shop Channel directly to the SD card. The act of transferring from the SD card to the Wii's internal storage and back will be simplified, as well.Despite not being exactly what people wanted, will it serve our needs? Is saving to the SD card the right solution? Two bloggers have copied their thoughts on the subject over from their internal memory. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; }
Team 17 boss wary of DSi features
When the DSi was unveiled, the DS Fanboy offices were filled with nothing but whooping and hollering, for Nintendo managed to actually improve on what we considered was the closest to perfection a handheld device could be. The DS Lite has great screens, is smaller than the Phat and has a huge library of great games. How could Nintendo even improve on that? Well, they did, with the DSi, but one individual sees the new handheld as an avenue for pirates to perform their dastardly deeds.Team 17's studio director Martyn Brown has been eyeing up that SD slot as a potential source of piracy. "Adding an SD slot makes a bunch of sense for downloadable content given the way things are going," Brown said. "I just hope they've done something to counter the mass piracy that exists via the R4 on the Lite. It scares me that with an SD card input, that might leave it even wider open that it was on the original device." He brings up a valid point, but we guess we're just going to have to wait until Nintendo reveals more about the security features of the handheld.Either way, we're sure the homebrew community will have a field day once it releases to Japan in November.%Gallery-33263%
Wii Warm Up: Does it solve your storage problems?
You heard it boys and girls: Nintendo's storage solution is coming in 2009. But, is it too little, too late? With the system only supporting 2gb cards, is this a viable solution to a growing problem? Sure, you can buy a bunch of 2gb cards, but who wants SD cards all over the place? What we're wondering is will this be enough to satisfy those of us who need more than 512mb of storage space?
Nintendo's Wii storage solution: Load from SD cards; coming Spring 2009
Well, it's no hard drive (then again, it's certainly no air conditioner unit). Nintendo has revealed its answer to the Wii storage solution by allowing for software to be opened directly from (and downloaded directly to) an SD card. That will give you 2GB of storage per card swap. We expect a megaton amount of DRM to try and keep the games linked to one console at a time, though.An update implementing the change is reportedly coming Spring 2009.[Via NWF]
Nintendo announces Wii storage solution: SD cards
Yeah, the solution seemed pretty obvious to us, and now it looks like Nintendo's willing to admit it. Nintendo will be solving its little Wii Shop game storage overflow problem by opening up the SD card slot for storing and playing games from (with DRM galore, we're sure). The update will hit in the Spring of next year, and don't forget that 2GB maximum when stocking up on the little buggers. It's not exactly as exciting as a new DS, but we're really glad Nintendo's going to do the right thing here, instead of building yet another peripheral to clutter our lives with.
Nintendo's storage solution: Load items direct from the SD slot [update]
Nintendo's Satoru Iwata and his company have come up with a solution to the biggest issue for Wii gamers: storage. Iwata announced during the Japan fall press conference that, in the spring of 2009, gamers can expect to have the ability to load and play software direct from your SD card in your SD slot, as well as download items directly to their SD slot. For those of you with more than 2gbs of downloaded goodies, we only have one suggestion: buy a bunch of 2gb SD cards.Update: Just to clarify, you won't be able to play games direct from the SD card. You'll merely be able to download items directly to it. Sorry for the mixup.[Thanks, Sonic_13!]
Lexar kicks out Eye-Fi powered Shoot-n-Sync WiFi SD card, other less interesting flash cards
We'd heard Lexar and Eye-Fi were getting snuggly back in January, and look at that -- nine months later the Lexar Shoot-n-Sync WiFi SD card has arrived on our doorstep. The 2GB card is basically just a Lexar-branded Eye-Fi Share, so you pretty much already know how it works -- you shoot, it uploads -- and it's even the same $99 price, so yeah, yawn. Hopefully these two will do something a little more interesting now that they've gotten used to working together. Lexar also kicked out a number of other cards, including a new 4GB Memory Stick Micro M2 card, a 16GB Platinum II 60x SDHC card, and a 16GB Platinum II 80x CompactFlash card -- no pricing or availability on any of those yet, but we'd expect them soon. [Via Gearlog]Read - Shoot-n-Sync Read - Platinum II cardsRead - M2 card
SanDisk Extreme III SDHC cards hit 30MB/s
SanDisk's pushed both Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and regular SD cards to 30MB/s transfer rates before, and now it's SDHC's turn with the new Extreme III series. Yep, it's a really fast memory card for DSLRs, and it'll cost you: 4GB will be $65, 8GB $110 and 16GB will set you back whopping $180 when these hit in October.[Via Digital Camera Info]
Sega unconcerned about Wii storage, falling
Planning ahead, you're doing it wrong. That appears to be the mantra for Sega, at least when it comes to the ever-elusive topic of Wii storage. Strange, given that it's also a topic upon which the company is blazing a trail, announcing yesterday plans to release downloadable songs for the upcoming Wii-exclusive Samba de Amigo. In the same interview that gave us this insightful nugget, we also asked Sega marketing VP Sean Ratcliffe how the company plans to cope with the console's internal shortcomings, to which he had little response."This is an innovation for us, so we're going to test the waters and see how well this goes," he explained. "It's clearly something we'll need to address in the future, but for right now I don't think it's going to be a problem in terms of storage for us...we're going to have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Just forgive us if we don't follow you across that expanse -- that bridge is likely to fall out from under you.For more on Sega's strategies, or lack thereof, look for the full interview soon.
Guitar Hero World Tour can save DLC to an SD card
Vicarious Visions' Karthik Bala has once again confirmed paid downloadable content in the Wii version of Guitar Hero World Tour, though current Wii guitar games have left us doubtful of any feature. Furthermore, you'll be able to save your songs to a "Rock Archive" on an SD card, and even play songs from the card without copying them over first. But ... but isn't that completely impossible?Bala also confirmed that despite the new guitar's wacky gimmickry, your old Guitar Hero III (or Guitar Hero: Aerosmith) guitar will work just fine, and that "any USB microphone should work." With all these features, Vicarious Visions is going to have to be really creative if they want to disappoint us.%Gallery-23491%
Wii Warm Up: Back that data up
We know that a lot of you are running out of space on your Wiis, and many of you are using SD cards. We're curious, though, as to whether or not you like to back up your save files on them. Because we're paranoid, and terrified of losing hours worth of data in games like Fire Emblem if our Wiis ever kick the bucket, we usually tend to put our files on our SD cards, for piece peace of mind. What about you? Are you equally as paranoid? And does it freak anyone else out that you can't back up your Brawl data? DOES IT?!? (Deep breath.)
