Product Review: Kingston MobileLite G2 Card Reader

Kingston Digital, Inc. has released a new flash card reader, the MobileLite G2, which conveniently plugs right into any available USB port to transfer data between a variety of flash memory cards and either PCs or Macs.



The MobileLiteG2 has retractable covers on each side to protect the USB connector and the Flash memory cards from damage. To use the MobileLiteG2, you just push in both sides, plug a compatible flash memory card in on one side, and plug the USB connector on the other side into the computer. The unit is a bit wide, so you may need to use the provided USB extension cable if there is not enough space for the unit.

The device comes in three different package types -- either just the reader; the reader plus a 4GB SD HC card; or the reader plus an 8GB SD HC card. (Note that HC stands for High Capacity. Many newer digital cameras can accept these higher capacity cards.)

When I plugged the MobileLiteG2 into an available USB port on my PC it appeared as two drive letters. In my case, that was F:\ and G:\. The SD card slot turned out to be drive F:\ on my pc. I inserted a variety of SD cards and one microSD card (needed an adapter). All cards were recognized very quickly on my Windows XP system. Data transfer between the card and the computer is no different than transferring data between any two drives or storage devices. It couldn't be easier.

Supported card formats include SD, SDHC, microSD, microSDHC, Memory Stick® PRO Duo™, Memory Stick® PRO-HG Duo™ and Memory Stick® Micro™ (*M2).

The MobileLiteG2 is backed by a two-year warranty.

According to Kingston, the MobileLite G2 is compatible with the following operating systems:
Windows 7; Windows Vista® (SP1, SP2); Windows XP (SP1, SP2, SP3); Windows 2000 (SP4); Mac OS X v.10.3.x+; and Linux v.2.6.x+.

The suggested retail price for the MobileLiteG2 Flash Card Reader alone is $11.00. For the reader plus either the 4GB SDHD card or the 8GB SDHD card, the suggested retail price is $28.50 and $46.00 respectively.

This simple little device will make a great holiday gift for anyone with a computer that doesn't have a slot to read the various card types indicated above. And if you know someone who needs some simple, portable extra storage, or has or will be receiving a new digital camera, they will really appreciate the combination package with the 4GB SD HC card or the 8GB SD HC card.

Richard L. Kuper,
Editor
The Kuper Report

Warning: Have you been "Tagged"

Have you received email with a subject line such as: "John Sent You Photos on Tagged :)" -- except instead of "John" in my example, it is the actual name of someone you know?

If you were the suspicious type, and you should be, you would have sent an email to that friend or relative or business associate and first asked them if they actually sent it. If not, then you probably need to do the following things immediately:

1. Write to the person and tell them about the email you got.

2. Advise them to send out a real email to all the people in their email address book warning them not to open any such email (because it didn't come from them) and not to click on any links in such an email and definitely not to fill out anything on the website that link goes to.

3. Advise them to make sure their anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-spyware programs are up-to-date and to scan their computer.

4. After you've done that, you will want to follow the exact same advice yourself.

5. In the future, you (and they) will hopefully be more careful and suspicious.

Additional notes:

Some folks who went so far as to click on the link and de-selected the entire list of email ids that this site captured from their address book thought by doing so no one else would get spammed. It appears that is not the case, since the site already has that information and has apparently used it to spam everyone in that address book.

Please be careful. And while I have your attention, if you are one of those people who forwards chain emails or things that really seem just too good to be true, please stop immediately. And even if you are forwarding real valid emails, unless it is in a work environment where showing who has been involved in the communication chain has some value, just cut and past the relevant part -- don't include the hundred other email addresses buried in the email. That's another way spammers get valid email addresses to use. And when sending email to a group of people who may not all know each other or wish to have their email shared with the world, use the BCC option.

Richard L. Kuper
The Kuper Report
http://TheKuperReport.com