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SD Card Reader Coming to the iPhone

post from TheAppleBlog on 09 February 2010 06:49:00 PM. © TheAppleBlog

I often wish the iPhone and iPod touch supported memory extension via external modules. It would make my old iPod touch much more useful, which I suppose is why Apple doesn’t allow it (it’s a good reason to buy a new one). Soon, you’ll be able to use external SD cards with your devices, though probably not in the memory expansion capacity I’ve been dreaming of.

Still, you should be able to do at least as much as you can with the SD camera connector accessory that Apple’s officially releasing for use with the upcoming iPad. There’s no indication of whether or no that device will also work with the iPhone and iPod touch, but a third-party device by capitalization-challenged company zoomMediaPlus definitely will.

The accessory in question, called zoomit, will plug into your iPhone’s dock connector, and features an SD card slot that’s compatible with all currently available SD classes and capacities. Using a free app available from the App Store, you’ll then be able to access the data found on any card you insert.

A careful examination of zoomMediaPlus’ overly wordy press release reveals that you won’t be able to transfer files from your device to the SD card or vice versa, but you can view movies and photos, listen to music and preview documents stored on your external media. You can also share said media with others via email and various social networks, including Facebook. The only condition is that all of said media has to be in a format supported by iPhone OS 3.0 or higher, so those DivX files will definitely still require conversion.

At the very least, it should be incredibly useful for photogs on the go. You’ll be able to view and share you photos with others via the iPhone’s screen, which is undoubtedly better than the back of your camera in almost all cases. You should also be able to then create Facebook albums and post those photos to social network sites without first having to connect to a computer.

zoomMediaPlus envisions a future where content providers will sell specialized SD cards for use with the system:

In the future the zoomIt application will also support, among other things, protected content types enabling streaming of licensed music, videos, and other forms of protected content.

I wouldn’t count on this becoming a groundswell movement or anything, but it is an interesting possibility. Still, I see the value of being able to access documents anywhere without having to connect wirelessly to any kind of network. You take a look at soft proofs at an impromptu client meeting, or check out someone’s demo as long as they have it stored on SD media, which is fast becoming the only really strong player remaining on the flash card scene.

zoomit will retail for $59.95 when it is released in April 2010. You can save $10 now by pre-ordering, and get a free Kingston 4GB SDHC card in the bargain, but personally I prefer to wait until units actually begin shipping before putting down any kind of commitment.

Read The Full Article:
http://theappleblog.com/2010/02/09/sd-card-reader-coming-to-the-iphone/

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HTC planning 1.5GHz ultimate phone with Android
2.2

post from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network on 09 February 2010 06:10:00 PM. © MacNN | The Macintosh News Network

HTC may be in the earlier stages of developing an extremely high-end Android smartphone, says a code...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=8cfdb3329fd40d057d5e3be22c198259

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Apple updates RAW support, fixes Aperture
SlideShow bug

post from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network on 09 February 2010 05:50:00 PM. © MacNN | The Macintosh News Network

Following on the heels of the Aperture 3 introduction, Apple on Tuesday also released maintenance up...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=c2a0eeefb85c036a857e97a887955a26

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Real to split off Rhapsody as separate company

post from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network on 09 February 2010 05:30:00 PM. © MacNN | The Macintosh News Network

RealNetworks in a surprise move tonight broke off Rhapsody as a separate company. The move has the ...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=856da35de7373cd0f37454a032acd379

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Notion Ink Adam tablet to get Flash, outlast iPad
battery

post from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network on 09 February 2010 05:05:00 PM. © MacNN | The Macintosh News Network

Initial impressions of a prototype Adam tablet from Notion Ink, first announced late last year, show...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=0ca3b449b87fa65d94fb39b5499b5850

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Zevrix launches PDF Checkpoint 1.2, adds
transparency export

post from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network on 09 February 2010 04:45:00 PM. © MacNN | The Macintosh News Network

Zevrix has launched PDF Checkpoint 1.2, updating its PDF preflight and conversion software. The app ...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=b1e83f577eaaca4969ceeb424c5888c5

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Belkin intros redesigned notebook cooling pad

post from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network on 09 February 2010 04:45:00 PM. © MacNN | The Macintosh News Network

Belkin on Tuesday announced it has redesigned its Laptop Cooling Pad to now include a unique AirFlow...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=5ec495b1b446ce20d52f745cae80d6fc

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Celebrate Macworld 2010 TopXNotes Sale

Tropical Software, Inc. today announced a TopXNotes "Celebrate Macworld 2010" promotion. Starting immediately through Macworld 2010, just go to our website, take the new iPad survey, and get a discount on TopXNotes. TopXNotes is an award-winning[...]

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http://prmac.com/release-id-10660.htm

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Siri Assistant debuts in public beta for iPhone
3GS

Siri has launched a public beta of its personal assistant software for the iPhone, Siri Assistant. T...

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http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=ace463fa6fd6fed0e4e54cff83e9bad1

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Macworld Expo Prelude

Macworld Expo 2010 kicks off tomorrow in San Francisco. Is it going to fly without Apple? I don’t know. I don’t think anyone does yet. Apple’s traditional presence at Macworld was so large, both figuratively (with the attention paid to their keynote address) and literally (with their massive booth on the show floor), that their absence has effectively rendered Macworld a new event. I think it’s smart that IDG moved the date back a month; anything they could do to emphasize that it’s going to be new and different this year can only help. (I have no idea if it was feasible, but if it had been, I’d have advised moving the show across the street to Moscone West, just to make it look different, too.)

Apple’s absence will be felt in two ways. First, the lack of an Apple keynote address has significantly diminished the amount of media attention. That was inevitable. But it wasn’t really Macworld Expo, the trade show and conference, that was garnering that attention. It was Apple itself. Apple’s keynotes really didn’t have much at all to do with the exhibit floor or conference sessions. I suppose there were some number of attendees who considered attending the keynote as a major reason to buy a conference pass, but percentage-wise only a small number of attendees could ever see the keynotes in person. It’s not like Apple hasn’t given us much to talk about recently — hello, iPad — it just wasn’t announced at Macworld itself.

The more worrisome factor for me is Apple’s absence from the show floor. They had a huge booth in a prominent spot and they drew people in. The role they played on the show floor is very much analogous, I think, to the role played by a big department store like Macy’s or Nordstrom at a shopping mall.

To me, though, the reason to walk the show floor has always been about the small companies — often the really small ones. The ones where the employees manning the booth are the engineers and designers who made the product they’re promoting. I’ve been to a bunch of Macworld Expos and I never once failed to discover at least one fascinating product by walking the show floor.

In terms of what’s going on other than the trade show, I’ve long thought that the inordinate amount of front-loaded attention paid to Apple’s keynote address drew attention away from the fact that Macworld has turned into a large and successful conference, with tracks spanning everything from programming to graphic design.

Nothing could replace a Steve Jobs keynote address, so, wisely, they’re not trying. Instead, Macworld has scheduled a bunch of featured speakers throughout the week, including David Pogue, Kevin Smith (yes, that Kevin Smith), Leo Laporte, and, yours truly. I’ll be speaking Friday at 4:30pm, where I’ll share the secret recipes for my award-winning cupcakes and melt-in-your-mouth croissants.

(DF readers: you can register for the show using the discount code “GRUBER” to get a free expo pass that will get you into my talk (and the show floor, and the other feature presentations). That code is also good for a 20 percent discount on any of the conferences. Just keep in mind that with that code, it’s totally free to come see my talk and the other feature presentations.)

The bottom line for me is that the potential is there for Macworld to remain a great show. Imagine if there’d never been a Macworld Expo before, and that this was the first year. It wouldn’t be surprising that Apple declined to participate. But is there demand for a days-long nerdfest for Mac and iPhone professionals and aficionados? I say yes.

Read The Full Article:
http://daringfireball.net/2010/02/macworld_expo_prelud

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