Quick Take: We've all been there; that once-in-a-lifetime photo op is there for the taking, you line up the shot, and the dreaded "memory card full" message appears in your camera's viewfinder. Unless you carry spare memory cards or a have a PC nearby to offload your digital images, you're out of luck. Either way, chances are you've lost the moment to an avoidable technical glitch. Enter the Belkin USB Anywhere ($44.95), a lightweight portable USB bridge that lets you transfer files between two USB devices without the need for a computer.
Weighing less than two ounces and smaller than a deck of playing cards, the silver USB Anywhere fits easily into a pocket or purse, and since it runs on three AAA batteries, there are no wires to carry around, although you get an AC adapter for home use. Copying files between USB devices such as cameras, USB keys, and portable hard drives is a snap. Simply plug your source into the port on the left side of the device, and plug the target device into the port on the right. Blue LED indicators for each port will flash momentarily and stay lit, indicating a clean USB connection. Press the Copy button and let the files fly. Just be prepared to wait a while if you're moving lots of files. Although the Belkin USB Anywhere accepts USB 1.1 and 2.0 devices, it transfers files at only 12Mbps, so larger files can take a while to complete. It took 28 minutes to transfer 121MB worth of pictures from our camera to a USB key. The bridge has two modes of operation; it will copy the full contents of the source device (full mode) or just the files in the root directory (root mode). Unfortunately, you cannot choose individual files for transfer.
Weighing less than two ounces and smaller than a deck of playing cards, the silver USB Anywhere fits easily into a pocket or purse, and since it runs on three AAA batteries, there are no wires to carry around, although you get an AC adapter for home use. Copying files between USB devices such as cameras, USB keys, and portable hard drives is a snap. Simply plug your source into the port on the left side of the device, and plug the target device into the port on the right. Blue LED indicators for each port will flash momentarily and stay lit, indicating a clean USB connection. Press the Copy button and let the files fly. Just be prepared to wait a while if you're moving lots of files. Although the Belkin USB Anywhere accepts USB 1.1 and 2.0 devices, it transfers files at only 12Mbps, so larger files can take a while to complete. It took 28 minutes to transfer 121MB worth of pictures from our camera to a USB key. The bridge has two modes of operation; it will copy the full contents of the source device (full mode) or just the files in the root directory (root mode). Unfortunately, you cannot choose individual files for transfer.