Sonnet DiO Pro CF and SDXC USB 3.0 Media Reader

Sonnet Technologies Inc. announced the DiO Pro CompactFlash and SDXC USB 3.0 Media Reader, which enables digital videographers and photographers to transfer files from CompactFlash (CF), SDXC and SDHC memory cards on location, in the studio, or at the office.

With one slot each for CF and SD media, DiO has the ability to transfer data from the professional memory cards at high speeds, making for a more convenient and efficient workflow. This Sonnet reader exploits the 5.0 Gb/s SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface to deliver performance with suitably equipped computers and is also backward-compatible with USB 2.0. DiO is compatible with Windows desktop and laptop computers with USB 3.0 ports and with Mac Pro and MacBook Pro computers using a Sonnet Mac OS X-compatible USB 3.0 adapter.

"The DiO Pro CompactFlash and SDXC Media Reader’s dual slots, modern USB 3.0 interface, and its ability to transfer files up to four times as fast as most other card readers save precious time for professional photographers and videographers alike," said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. "Media pros don’t have time to wait for cards to offload. This reader enables them to ingest files to their computers quickly and get back to work."

DiO is UDMA6-enabled and UHS-I-compliant for CF and SD media, respectively. As a result, Sonnet’s memory card reader transfers data from currently available CF cards at up to 70 MB/s, and it supports at the fastest available SDXC and SDHC memory cards, as well as future cards up to 104 MB/s, making DiO an alternative to USB 2.0 readers. This handy device also supports concurrent and card-to-card file transfers.

The DiO Pro CompactFlash and SDXC Media Reader (part number DIO-USB3) is compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port-equipped Windows desktop and laptop computers running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP. It is also compatible with Macintosh computers via USB 2.0 or via USB 3.0 in Mac Pro and MacBook Pro systems equipped with Sonnet’s Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe (part number USB3M-E) or USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 (part number USB3-2PM-E34) adapters, respectively.

DiO is available at a suggested retail price of $49.95.