New Hardware Compilation

Instead of individually posting about lots of new gadgets, I thought I would write about a few.

 

The first new gadget is the SanDisk Extreme III, a 32GB CF card. There is no conceivable number of photos that could fill this card, unless you take 50 megapixel raw shots, and even then you get over 650 shots on one card. The big use for this card will be, I think, in DSLR’s that can record HD video. 32GB is about an hour and a half of HD video. The card has 30MB/s read speed, which can copy the whole card in under 15 minutes. The 16GB card costs $400, so while there is no word on pricing for this card, there is no doubt that it will not be cheap.

(Note this is not available yet)

Cheap media streaming. This is a Linksys DMA2100, available at newegg for $119. It can stream most normal media formats from a Media Center PC, can connect wirelessly or with Ethernet. It is HDCP compliant, and supports HDMI, SPDIF, and Composite video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you feel like putting in another $50, you can get the DMA2200, with all of the specs of the 2100 plus DVD support.

Newegg
(A full review is available at Gizmodo)

 

 

Wireless USB Docking Station(by Kensington)

For $230, you can wirelessly dock a laptop. You will need a separate WUSB adapter, or a laptop with built in support for this to work, though. It allows you to setup speakers, a DVI monitor at up to 1680x1050, and several USB ports to all connect as soon as you are in range. Its not good enough to stream HD video, but youtube or other web-based video should be fine.

 

 

 

 

Update: Some more gadgets that I found, making some of the above obsolete

Pretec’s 64GB CF Card, basically the same as the 32GB one above, but with 35MB/s read speeds, and twice the storage. Pretec is also introducing 50MB/s cards with 32GB and 50GB. The 50MB/s 32GB goes for $630. The 64GB goes for $400. Pretec is also making a point of how well these cards are housed. These cards are currently the fastest in the world(the 50MB/s ones that is), and are looking cheaper than the SanDisk card.

 

iRex has announced their new e-ink ebook readers. They have 10.2-inch displays and a stylus(on some models). They are available as 1000, 1000s, and 1000sw. The s has a stylus. The sw has wifi, bluetooth, and 3g. The 1000 will be $649, the 1000s will be $749, and the 1000sw will be around $900. With prices that high, you have to really like the look, and the stylus, to choose this over a kindle(which, by the way, has free lifetime internet connectivity, not something the iRex models can say for themselves).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Eye-Fi can send photos wirelessly to your computer.

Available at Amazon.