It’s always important to manage your connections.
The biggest problem with convergence is handling all the various ways your devices can interface with data storage devices and one another. Reading from and writing to the various flavors of SD memory or juggling USB ports between devices and computers are just a few of the issues, but here are a few simple gadgets that I’ve come across recently that will make those task easier:
The MobileLite MobileLite 9-in-1 Reader from Kingston Technology can handle SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, MMCmobile, RS-MMC, microSD, miniSD, and MMCmicro flash and is compliant with USB 2.0, SD 2.00, SDHC and MMC 4.1 standards. This device is very useful if you have to juggle memory between multiple devices of various flavors.
The MobileLite reader is nicely complemented by Kingston’s microSD Dual-Adapter Pack. First unveiled at the CES show in January, this three-piece kit is available with up to 2 GB of memory and gives you complete SD card interoperability in micro- mini- and standard-SD formats. I use it all the time to email photos I shot with my camera from my Blackberry 8800. One reason I like using adapters over cables as they are gadget-agnostic. You can lend your friend an SD adapter without worrying if it will plug into his or her device.
USB jacks and cables do provide a great deal of interoperability between devices, but sometimes port management can be a real pain in the ass. I’ve had some time to play with Ultra Products’ 7-port USB Buddy Hub, and it is a great device. Not only is it a powered hub, it allows you to manage USB devices between two computers easily.
I use it as an inexpensive dock replacement for my company laptop in conjunction with a dual-input monitor. I just plug in the “comp B” cable from the Buddy Hub (it’s even appropriately named) and the monitor cable and I’m set. You can also use the Buddy Hub to easily transfer large files using a drive attached to it. I have a small backup drive I keep attached to mine that not only lets me transfer files fast, it also lets me back up to it from both computers. If you have a home office or just use more than one computer this device is a must-have (and at $39, not hard to get).
I still get cranky over the ascension of USB over Firewire. I realize the latter never was aimed at much more than the video market; but, it’s still double the speed of USB2 in reality.
I have one standalone I use with several computers – and when I hook up to one of the Macs via Firewire vs. hooking up to a comparable Windoze machine via USB2 the speed difference is instantly apparent.
The other thing that folks don’t holler enough about is the occasional hardware manufacturer whose implementation of the USB standard is flaky enough to require their device to be hooked directly to the computer’s USB port to make it work. Hubs won’t suffice. Logitech webcams are often guilty of this one.
1,
USB had a better PR campaign. Every major electronic trade show has a USB pavilion, and the USB standards group markets USB aggressively. Firewire isn’t being advocated by anyone. This is vaguely similar to Beta/VHS in that the former may have been better but the latter became more popular with OEMs.
A similar issue dogs the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray battle. HD-DVD is backwards-compartible with current disk fabrication tecchhnology, so companies wouldn’t have to buy new machines. Blu-Ray isn’t (the tolerances are way tighter) so you have to retool your Fab to make them.
Firewire has never worked well for me. I’ve got a 1/4 Tb WD external HDD with both USB and Firewire connex, and although XPSP2 will work it either way, programs like Ghost, SlySoft, etc. just won’t cope with the firewire connection. They sure like the USB2, though. Must be some sort of driver problem, and try as I might I’ve never made the drive work well with firewire. Bummer.
1 device.
Bring up ALL the posrts on the back of my computer To my desktop.
Mic w/ A/B switch as some mics work better with certain apps then others.
Front Audio OUT, w A/B swicth, to swp out your front speakers for a Head set.
Connection to AUX input…
firewire connection
USB ext/hub
Network ext/hub
1 ext serial connection
Get those connections where you DONT neext to move your computer around to Do anything…I find Cables come loose MORE if you have to move the case, which can SEEM to cause Other problems which could only be a Loose connection.