Not exactly a huge upgrade, but that MicroU2E from last year has been revved to support 1.5v ExpressCards -- and with more volts comes more supported devices. It's still about fifty bones, should you need one for your MacBook (Air) or whatever other ExpressCardless machine you've got kicking around.

[Via Macsimum News]

Somewhere in a dark corner at CeBIT, PCMCIA managed to let out a whisper that informed a few flies on a nearby wall that ExpressCard Standard 2.0 was on the way. Today, however, we've received confirmation that said update is on track for a "second-half 2008 / early 2009" delivery. Put simply, v2.0 is "being developed to accommodate the significantly faster speeds increasingly demanded by today's high-performance mobile technologies," and we're also told that it will comply with PCI-Express 2.0 and SuperSpeed USB, which is "planned for release later this year as part of the USB 3.0 specification." For the paranoid, you can rest assured that the new release will be very backwards compatible, though we aren't told when to expect hardware that will reflect the changes.

Phew. A few more months of nothing and we would've been forced to put this thing on vaporware watch. None of that nonsense will be necessary now, however, as ASUS has finally gotten its act together and officially launched the ROG XG Station. Hailed as the "world's first VGA and multimedia docking station," the ExpressCard-interfacing unit comes bundled with a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT, four USB 2.0 ports and a snazzy display for good measure. Not unlike ASUS at all, there's nary a mention of a price or release date -- so yeah, we're right back where we started.

Now that you're already penning a purchase requisition for one of those fancy new P2 HD camcorders, you might as well toss a couple of Panny's new 64GB P2 cards (model AJ-P2C064) and its AJ-PCD35 ExpressCard adapter on there, too. Yep, Panasonic has chosen NAB Show 2008 to double up on its current 32GB P2 card and to introduce a five-slot P2 memory drive with an ExpressCard interface. Put simply, the latter can hold all five cards from a fully-loaded VariCam 2700 / 3700 camcorder (or any other P2 rig) and give users the ability to upload content on the go with their ExpressCard-equipped laptop. Regrettably, the company didn't bother doling out dollar figures just yet, but we'd go ahead and file 'em both under "expensive."

[Via I4U News]

Talk about putting the cart before the horse. Without a bona fide WiMAX network for mass consumer use up and running yet here in America, Siemens is making sure you're really ready for its onset by announcing its first WiMAX ExpressCard. The Gigaset SE68 WiMAX is based on the IEEE 802.16-2005 standard and complies with Wave 2 specifications (including MIMO A / B), supports beamforming and has actually been demonstrated as functional way over in Singapore. With a network in place, users can expect mobile broadband speeds of up to 20Mbps, and while no price is given, you can just circle the entire summer of 2008 in anticipation of its arrival.

Given the fact that most (all?) 3G USB modems won't even fit in the MacBook Air's ultra-cramped USB port, it's practically a foregone conclusion that some of that sex appeal is going to be forfeited when busting out a dongle to keep using your current wares. Enter the AirQueue, which is hailed as the first USB extender designed specifically to work with the MBA -- whatever that means. Truth be told, we can't figure out exactly what makes this any different than other extenders made for helping folks out in a squeeze, but at least it's only $6, right? Oh, and if you're aiming to make things extra unsightly, be sure and pick up the pictured $38 ExpressCard adapter -- your coffee shop style quotient will be tanked in no time.

[Via MacsimumNews, thanks RD]

Oh sure, there's a million and one ways to rightfully cram an SD card into an ExpressCard slot, but does your current multicard reader provide continuous backups out-of-the-box? SanDisk is certainly hoping not, as it's waving its nifty FlashBack Adapter around at CeBIT and boasting of its ability to "automatically and continuously back up and encrypt critical data onto an SD flash memory card." Put simply, this device enables you to access the recent copies of your most important files should your system crash or become doused with any number of liquids while working. On a positive note, this thing will indeed play nice with SDHC cards; unfortunately, it's made to work seamlessly with Windows only. Still, you suits out there can snap one up in Q2 for $29.99 and simultaneously vaporize any hope of using computer failure as an excuse for not doing work.

Still waiting around to hop on the Rev. A highway? Although last week would've been a swell time to do so, now's not too bad either, and Verizon Wireless customers have yet another option at their fingertips. The Kyocera KPC680 ExpressCard is available now for anyone interested, and enables BroadbandAccess users to reach average download speeds of 600kbps to 1.4Mbps and upload speeds that range from 500kbps to 800kbps when situated in a Rev. A area. Additionally, this thing sports a "breakthrough" (ahem) antenna design that "moves the antenna away from the device as it is opened, providing greater sensitivity, dual external antenna ports for signal flexibility and a compact form factor." Get yours now for just $49.99 after a mail-in rebate and throwing your John Hancock on a two-year agreement.

Neither 32GB USB keys nor 32GB SSD ExpressCards are anything new, but wedding the two ideas into a swank dual interface drive is a commendable twist. Notably, InnoDisk has done just that, as its 32GB Flash Disk plays nice with both ExpressCard slots and USB 2.0, touts a read speed of around 30M/S, a write speed of 20M/S, and also arrives in a few smaller capacities for those not needing all 32 gigs. Unfortunately, there's no word on price at the moment, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.

As you'd expect with any laptop carrying a corporate agenda, the 12.1-inch HP Compaq 2210b/CT isn't anything too riveting, but it's not a half bad option if you're scouting something small (and strictly for the office). Weighing in at just 3.7-pounds, this ultraportable packs a modest 1.86GHz Celeron processor, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, an optional integrated optical drive, a 1,280 x 800 resolution panel, Vista Home Basic, and your choice of a four- or eight-cell battery. Additionally, you'll find an SD card slot, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, VGA / S-Video outputs, gigabit Ethernet, audio in / out, and an ExpressCard slot to make that 3G wireless card feel at home. Get your boss' credit card ready -- this one lands next month for a mere ¥89,880 ($760).

[Via Impress]

The ole ExpressCard seems to be the apple of many adapter manufacturers' eyes, as here we have yet another way to integrated an ExpressCard into a machine that wasn't originally made to play nice with 'em. Of course, we've already seen other methods of getting your ExpressCard to function via USB, but the MicroU2E iteration is a simple, small, one-piece device that works solely with USB-based cards (read: not PCIe flavors) and provides all the power it should need for that HSDPA / HSUPA card to function as advertised. Not a bad piece to keep in your arsenal for $38 -- and fret not, as it gets along just fine with Vista and OS X, too.

[Via MacNN, thanks Eric]

You may "remember" recently that memory manufacturer Transcend busted out a 16GB ExpressCard for your flash-storin', no-moving-parts-havin' delight. Well, the gang is back, and this time they're packing 32GB of solid-state action and a serious "can do" attitude (note: the solid-state action is real, but we're just assuming they have a "can do" attitude). For $509 (according to the company's website), you can put your mind at ease by doing things like storing your OS and apps in one large, happy, non-volatile spot. The Vista compatible drive comes with a USB adaptor, for those not EC ready, and is available now.

[Via PCLaunches]

You already knew that Toshiba was doling out the HD DVD love to the X205, but a purported Satellite X200 machine has apparently been apprehended by a Frenchman (or woman) and revealed to the world. Reportedly, this "desktop replacement" starts off with a 17-inch 1,440 x 900 resolution LCD, and packs a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT, 2GB of RAM, a 200GB hard drive spinning at 4200RPMs, Harmon Kardon speakers, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, a DVD burner, 1.3-megapixel camera, hordes of USB 2.0 connectors, fingerprint reader, an ExpressCard slot, and even a numeric keypad thrown in for good measure. While we've seen nothing official, word on the street has this bad boy landing next month for around €1,599 ($2,147), but for now, click on through for the rest of the show.