Hasta La Gadget!

The AirStash is a USB card reader combined with a Wi-Fi hotspot. Its purpose in life is to stream media to other devices, which means sending movies, music and video to phones, tablets and other memory-limited gadgets.

We first saw the AirStash back in January when a prototype was shown at CES. Since then it has gotten a price ($100) and gone on sale. You might also remember that, in the meantime, Apple released a new kind of computer.

Now, the AirStash won’t help you if you are desperately waiting for the sold-out Apple Camera Connection Kit (the AirStash is similarly back-ordered), but it could be ideal for iPad-toting photographers who hate plugging things in. You just pop your SD card into the slot and then dial in from Safari. From there you can browse a list of photos, view them and save them to your photo-roll. Better, it works as a mass-storage USB device, so you could actually plug it into the iPad via the connection kit.

The only problem is that the transfer is a little clunky: there’s no way to grab all the images at once. What may work, though, is using an iPad app called ShutterSnitch (also covered in Gadget Lab, this time in May). ShutterSnitch has its own FTP server, and normally pulls in images as you take them from an Eye-Fi card or a wireless transmitter. In theory, you should be able to combine the two for some fast wireless transfers (or fast-ish: the AirStash has a 802.11b/g radio).

It’s still a little awkward. The AirStash folks really need to write an App that pulls from their dongle to make things a little easier. Otherwise, this looks like a neat photographers’ toy.

AirStash [AirStash via John Nack]

See Also:

• Airstash: A Teeny-Tiny Wi-Fi Router and Card Reader
• ShutterSnitch Beams Photos from Camera to iPad
• IPad Camera Connection Kit Sells for $187.50 on Ebay

Continue reading Microsoft Kinect to go on sale in November, somewhere

Microsoft Kinect to go on sale in November, somewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey England, in need of some retail therapy after an unsatisfying sporting weekend? Dell’s got the goods for you with a rich new selection of cables, plugs, adapters, and cases for your new Streak. It looks like the HDMI dock we’ve been jonesing for has probably become a retail reality, but there’s no way to be sure right now — Dell’s only listing an AV dock without going into the TV connectivity options. The fresh offerings also include the kickstand-equipped wallet case that we found intriguing, spare battery and sync cables, and an international travel kit. Of course, every silver lining has a cloud, which in this case is the pricing: nothing here costs less than £24 ($35) and the car- and TV-enabling docks will set you back a cool £55 ($80) each. Jumbo smartphone, jumbo accessory prices.

[Thanks, Kingsley]

Dell Streak car and AV docks now on sale, HDMI may or may not be included originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tonight Microsoft’s Natal graduated from “Project” to product. The controller-free Xbox 360 game system has an official name, Kinect, and a slew of gaming scenarios to use it in. The evening’s eye-popping Cirque du Soleil-infused event, which kicked off the E3 conference in Los Angeles, was short on details but long on eye candy.

Microsoft used the spectacle, held before thousands in USC’s Galen Center, to demonstrate the myriad ways you’ll use the Kinect system. There were scenarios we’ve seen before–like driving and exercise–and other we hadn’t. Performers sat in an elevated living room set (which rotated 360 degrees) and interacted with a virtual tiger, competed in track and field, learned dance moves and even battled Darth Vader. For the latter demonstration, the performer wielded a virtual light saber and used “force” style moves.

Microsoft will officially announced Kinect during tomorrow morning’s press conference (10:30 AM PST, 6-14-10), at which time we should learn pricing availability and game details.

Microsoft largely banned cellphones, cameras and virtually every other kind of electronic device from the event, so my photos and video are sketchy, at best.

Backstage at the Fern Gully acid trip spectacle that was Microsoft Kinect’s (nee Project Natal) coming out party, we got to see Kinect up close. It’s elongated black and shiny plastic, like a PS3 accessory. Take a look. More »