Hasta La Gadget!

One of the most common complaints about the iPad is that it just doesn’t have enough ports. There’s no SD card slot, there’s no way to connect your camera without buying Apple’s adapter, there’s no USB port for charging, there’s no data port for external devices, the list goes on. Now with the 5-in-1 Connection Kit for iPad, you can have it all. 

The kit includes one dongle that supports the original iPad and the iPad 2, supports iOS 4.0 and higher, and features a component video port, an SD card reader, a MicroSD card slot, a Micro USB slot for charging your iPad, and even a USB port for data input and supported devices like a keyboard. 

What’s the catch, you ask? Well, just because the port is there doesn’t mean that iOS will recognize every device connected to it (specifically for USB keyboards.) The component video port offers lower quality video than Apple’s own HDMI dongle, and there’s nothing to say that future firmware updates won’t completely break this dongle’s compatibility. Also, the product description notes that it’s unwise to plug in more than one item at the same time. 

Still, if the iPad’s lack of ports is just something you can’t get over, this 5-in-1 Connection Kit can be yours for $44.99 retail. It’s worth a shot if you don’t mind the price and don’t want to drop the cash on multiple dongles from the Apple Store.