SanDisk unveils 1TB SDXC memory card

The need for digital storage doesn't stop, and SanDisk is well aware of it, readying the largest SD memory card ever, with 1TB.

Samsung 64GB Micro SDXC card for $17

There are some types of things we simply can't have too much of, and memory cards are certainly in that group. So, how about adding an extra 64GB of storage space to for, for just $17?

Sony is selling "premium sound" memory cards... at premium cost

After the "amazing" $10,600 ethernet cable that improves digital sound, we have a new contender in the "treat the customers like they're stupid" department. And this time, although at a far cheaper price, it comes from a brand you'd might think wouldn't resort to this sort of tactics: Sony.

Compact Flash with RAID 1 keeps your Data Safe(r)

Most people don't truly value their digital data until they (unfortunately) have to deal with a catastrophic failure of a hard drive or other data storage device. Only then they realize that having backups, something you can do using a simple external hard drive - and/or using the many cloud storage services available today (Dropbox, SkyDrive, etc.) - is an absolute must.

And when it comes to data loss, there's nothing as horrifying as losing photographs and home videos. Documents can be recreated, songs and movies can be downloaded again, but photos and home videos... that's something you won't be able to get back... ever.

But even if you have a nice backup system in place, there's still a small window that can leave you vulnerable to data loss - and that while it will be more critical for professional photographers, it's annoying as well for any other person. Just imagine you got the shot of a lifetime, and when you try to transfer it back to your PC... you get a corrupted memory card with no retrievable data in it.

Higher-end cameras allow you to have two memory cards, storing your photos in both and saving you from this kind of trouble. But if you have a camera with a single compact flash slot (or should you take things so seriously as to have triple backups in-camera), you can now use one of these Mirrored Compact Flash Cards.

Although you can still use it as a regular 64GB CF card, the most interesting thing about it is that you can use it as a dual 32GB CF card. You get half the usable space... but twice the peace of mind. Meaning, when you snap a photo, it will be automatically stored in two different partitions, making it a lot less likely that you'll need to worry with a corrupted memory card. Of course, keep in mind we're still talking about a single card - and that it may still malfunction and leave you with nothing - but at least it will be a lot less prone to the most common issues caused by memory errors.

Kingston 64GB microSDXC Card

I still recall the time when a lowly 32MB compact flash memory card costed a fortune - and we imagined if someday we would be able to have something like a 1GB card for an affordable price. Fast forward to the present day, and we are well beyond that point as we can see by looking at this Kingston 64GB  microSDXC card - a Class 10 card to top it off - at prices you won't even think twice about it.

A Class 10 card means this the card is able to sustain, at the very least, 10MB/s - which makes it perfect for high-bandwidth applications like high megapixel cameras or HD video recording without pauses or delays. Also, as it is a 64GB card, it uses the exFAT filesystem, which allow you to save and transfer files larger than 4GB.

As for the always important price: can you believe such a card can be your for only 52€?
(Just compare it with the price you have to pay when you want to go from a 8GB to a 16GB smartphone, or a 16 to 32GB model... you'll pay at least twice as much, for less than half as much space as this memory card delivers!)

Just keep in mind that these SDXC cards are not compatible with regular SD or SDHC devices; only those that are clearly marked as SDXC compatible.

And to end it in a high note: this card has the usual Kingston lifetime warranty.

Sony XQD Memory Card offers 168MB/s Transfers

If you were getting used to your SDHC memory cards, get ready to start considering yet another new format that promises to be better: the XQD. Well, more precisely, this XQD hope it will eventually phase out the aging Compact Flash that is still used in many devices. To that effect the new Sony S Series XQD cards might help you want it succeed as quickly as possible, because it pushes the data transfer speeds from the previous 125MB/s to 168MB/s - and we're talking sustained read and wrote speeds - which are faster that the maximum speed of CF cards.

Before you start thinking this is "yet another proprietary sony format", rest assured it isn't the case: although Sony currently is the only manufacturer pushing out these cards, the XQD format was developed by SanDisk, Sony and Nikon, and has the backing of the CompactFlash Association.

So far, the only camera with an QXD slot is the Nikon D4, which thanks to these new cards, can capture a non-stop burst of 108 RAW frames.

The Sony 64GB XQD S Series card will be available this month (in Japan it costs around $754 - and it will be followed by a 32GB model in the coming months, for $503).

SanDisk Speedy SDXCs

Tired of waiting for your camera to save those RAW photo files to its SD memory card?

Well, SanDisk can now give you a lending hand, with the new Extreme Pro SDXC, a card that offers an impressive 95/90MB/s read/write transfer speeds - though I think you'll have to use a USB 3.0 card reader to achieve it in your computer! :)

Besides that, you can also get their microSDXC (transfer speeds drop to "just" 30MB/s); and also some USB pen drives that only slightly bigger than the USB socket - and should prove quite easy to... forget anywhere (no speed was annouced for those - but they would be perfect to be used as a permanent storage attachment on a netbook.)

[via Engadget]

Lexar 32GB MicroSD Class 10

If you're looking for the best way to expand your Eee Pad Transformer storage capacity - or any oother device that uses microSD cards and requires the fastest memory card available - here's one you'll want to have by your side: the class 10 32Gb Lexar Micro SDHC.

The class 10 means it will save your data at a minimum speed of 10MB per second, a lot faster than the regular Class 2 and Class 4 cards (2 and 4MB/s) - and it even comes with a mini USB card adapter, for easier data transfer to/from the PC.

(In fact, nothing stops you from using this combo as a tiny but speedy 32GB USB Pen drive. :)

You can find it on Amazon UK for 73€ / 65£.

SD Cards to be 3x Faster 2012

Memory Cards don't cease to evolve, and just like Compact Cards once ruled the market, that rank is currently occupied by SD Cards - and nothing like a nice speed bump to keep it that way: SD cards should become 3x faster by 2012.

Current SD cards have a maximum 104MB/s (theoretical) limit, with actual speeds being somewhat (or a lot) slower. With the new SD 4.0 specs, and the extra pins, SD cards should be able to handle up to 300MB/s data transfers.

Guess SD cards are here to stay for the next couple of years. :)

Eye-Fi Pro X2 - WiFi SD Card

If you regularly use a digital camera, you've certainly experienced the dreaded "out of memory" warning at least once.

Well, with this SD Eye-Fi Pro X2 you'll never have to face it again.

As an evolution to the previous Eye-Fi, this card now offers a faster 802.11n WiFi connection and some interesting extra services - the most curious being the "endless memory" mode.

If you activate it, whenever the card runs low on memory it will automatically delete the photos that have already been uploaded to your computer (or a number of different web photo hosting services.)
No more worrying about which photos are safe to delete and which ones are not - the Eye-Fi takes cares of that for you.

Memory Card Backups to Portable Disk

Now that we're approaching a new Christmas season and a new New Year, it's time for people to use their digital cameras even more intensively.

That's why we once again have to deal with memory cards and - worst of all - memory cards filled with irreplaceable photos.
So, how do you manage your photos? Do you buy extra memory cards to handle all the shots? Do you carry a laptop around to manage it all?

If none of that works for you: how about acquiring a small portable device that can automatically copy your memory card contents to its internal hard disk?

A device like this Ex-Pro P2S Sata "Picture 2 Drive" allows you to transfer all your photos to its internal 2.5" Sata disk. No more nuying expensive large capacity memory cards, nor carrying your precious laptop around with you at all times.

It handles pretty much every type of memory card out there: Memory Stick (MS) ,MS Duo, MS MagicGate, MS Magic Gate Duo ,MS-ROM, Memory Stick Pro (MS Pro) ,MS Pro Duo, xD Picture Cards (XD).MMC II ,RS MMC, Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital SDHC (All Cards), miniSD, CF Compact Flash, Microdrive. (E pode ser usado também como USB Card Reader.)

And best of all, it has a very attractive price: on Amazon you can find it for about 40 Euros (device only) or 80 euros with a 250GB hard drive included.

Seems a ve