(Credit:
Crave Asia)
If you have an ExpressCard slot in your laptop, here's one way to make better use of it. Targus has a nifty device called the ExpressCard Docking Station that works somewhat like a port replicator. But instead of proprietary connectors, it utilizes the ExpressCard slot.
In addition to four USB 2.0, Ethernet (10/100/1000) and serial ports, the dock comes with standard VGA and DVI connectors that are useful to hook up to an external display to a laptop. According to the specifications, the dock supports up to 1,600x1,200 video resolution. The presence of audio jacks for front, rear, and center speakers as well as microphone and S/PDIF connectors also makes the device compatible for use with external surround-speaker systems.
Oddly, there is no FireWire or S-video port built in. We were also hoping to see HDMI connectivity added to the mix. There's also another issue, albeit a minor one: The dock is powered by an AC adapter, which means limited mobility unless you plan to use this primarily at the workstation.
The upside to this is that the USB ports are "always on," meaning that the dock can continue powering or charging devices even when the notebook is off. Power-hungry USB devices like external 2.5-inch hard drives typically work better with powered USB ports too.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Sony XDCAM EX. Click for more photos.
(Credit: Sony Electronics)This week, the National Association of Broadcasters converges in Las Vegas for its annual convention, a show we here at CNET usually ignore; after all, while the typical CNET reader may have a room dedicated to the worship of the moving image, we don't expect to see a TV studio in an adjacent shrine. And no, producing YouTube videos doesn't count. However, interesting prosumer news floats down every now and then, and Sony's announcement of its flash-memory-based XDCAM EX camcorder landed gently on my keyboard this morning, via Engadget.
In fact, I usually ignore Sony's XDCAM models entirely. Not only do they serve specific niche vertical broadcast markets, but the XDCAM discs are one of Sony's more-annoying proprietary technologies. Plus, the models tend to cost upward of $15,000. (For more info on the format, see our Guide to HD Camcorders.) So I'll take Sony's "prosumer" designation on the XDCAM EX with a grain of salt until the company actually announces pricing. Based on the single extant photo I've seen and the limited specs available--three 1/2-inch sensors, switchable between 1080/60i and 720/60P, and capable of 1080/50i/30P/25P/24P and 720/50P--the XDCAM EX leans more heavily toward the "pro" than the "sumer."
The EX marks the debut of Sony's new SxS Memory Card, an ExpressCard/34-compatible flash array developed in conjunction with SanDisk. According to SanDisk, the SxS card will be optimized for the high-bandwidth I/O typical of HD video recording; the target throughput is 800Mbps. Since the EX will record in MPEG-2, I'm assuming it's the same MPEG-2 HD variant used by the XDCAM discs. Another Sony announcement at the show indicates that the XDCAM disc recording will now support 4:2:2 color sampling, so I'm hoping that the EX format will use that instead of the older 4:2:0. The camcorder will have two slots, and the video seems to require about 267MB of storage per minute: that's 8GB per 30 minutes. When the SxS cards become available later this year, capacities will start at 8GB and 16GB. Presumably the camcorder will ship around the same time.
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