Valentine’s has come and gone, but the heart-themed gadgets stay. And, unlikely as it might seem, this Heart Card Reader actually looks good all year round, not just as a gift for the uninspired lovers.

Beside the design, there’s nothing special about this, but it’s a nice little useful gadget: it reads MicroSD, MMC micro, MiniSD, XD, MMC mobile, MMC Plus, M2, MS Duo and SD cards, and it can make a desk a bit more cheeful.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $7.99 on SourcingMap.com.

Via ChipChick

Sometimes simple things are the best. A gadget doesn’t have to be complicated, exotic, shiny or big to be worth getting, and the Veho 54-in-1 Card Reader proves it.

It’s by no means something never seen before, but it’s extremely practical. First, it can read a lot of cards (not sure where they got the 54 from): MS, MS Pro, MS Duo pro, MS Duo, MD Pro, M2, SDHC, SD Ultra, SD, MMC, MMCII, MS MMC, Mini SD, Trans flash, Micro SD and is Sim compatible.

Second, it can double as a flash drive. Third, it’s small enough to carry around at all times and saves you from having 5 different cables for downloading from phones, cameras etc.

Not a great gift idea, not something you’d dream of for days, but definitely a good investment.

How much under $29.99?
Some: £6.25 on Amazon.co.uk.

Via TechDigest

One of the best thing about the newer laptops is that they come with built-in card readers. Extra camera cables or external devices are a pain, so being able to just insert a card in a gadget you’re already using is bliss.

That’s why the USB SDHC Card Reader + Mouse could’ve been a good idea. Some people really don’t need a high quality mouse, and adding a card reader inside a peripheral is just so convenient.

However, this will only be useful if all your gadgets use SD or microSD cards. And in this day and age when we all have so many gadgets, what are the odds of all of them using the same format?

How much under $29.99?
Some: $15 on Brando.com.hk.

Via Pocket Lint

I have a very strong dislike for data cables, which is the main reason I chose not to get an iPod (even though that made me officially uncool). Connecting my camera to the computer via cable is a complicated affair (I have to find the cable first!), so one of the best things about my admitedly shitty laptop is its card reader; one of the bad things is that it only reads 6 or so types of cards. And there’s more: good: it can read my camera card; bad: but not the one in my mobile phone.

I was duly impressed by the iMONO 80-in-1 High Speed Card Reader. I mean… whoa, that’s a lot! It connects to your PC via USB and then you can transfer data from any card type you can imagine. (My phone card is even pictured in the promo shot!)

In case you are still wondering if your particular card is included among the 80, here’s the complete list:
* CF I / CF II / CF 3.0 / EXTREME III CF / EXTREME CF / ULTRA II CF / HS CF / XS-XS CF / CF ELITE PRO / CF PRO / CF PRO II / CF 4.0 / IBM MD / HITACHI MD / MAGIC STOR MD
*MS / MS PRO / MS DUO / MS PRO DUO / MS MG PRO / MS MG / MS MG DUO / MS MG PRO DUO / EXTREME MS PRO / MS SELECT / EXTREME III MS PRO / ULTRA II MS PRO / HS MS MG PRO / HS MS MG PRO DUO / HS MS PRO / HS MS PRO DUO / MS ROM / MS PRO HU DUO
* SD / MINI SD / HS MINI SD / EXTREME SD / EXTREME III DS / ULTRA SD / ULTRA II SD / ULTRA II SD PLUS / SD-ULTRA-X / ULTRA SPEED SD / SD PRO / SDHC / SD ELITE PRO / HS SD / MMC / MMC 4.0 / HS MMC / HS RS MMC / RS MMC / RS MMC 4.0 / MMC MOBILE / MMC PLUS / MMC 4.2
*Micro SD (T-Flash)
* x-picture / x-picture 1.21
* M2

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19 on Brando.com.hk.

Via Gear Diary

It might come as a shock to some, but older, otherwise perfectly working computers don’t have Bluetooth. A few years ago, USB was enough. However, today there are many more Bluetooth-enabled devices available and having to keep plugging them in gets annoying after a while.

For the less techy: this doesn’t mean you need a new computer. You can go for an external device, such as the SIYOTEAM USB Card Reader + Bluetooth Combo. Just plug it into a free USB port and enjoy the Bluetooth. But it’s not all: you also get a card reader which can be used with a very wide range of cards (basically, if you have a memory card, chances are it can read it).

I have to say that, for me, this would be perfect. My computer is Bluetooth-impaired, so with this combo I could easily download the photos in my phone, and at the same time the card reader would help me bypass the data cable needed to connect my camera to the PC. (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I hate extra cables.)

How much under $29.99?
Some: Buy it on Amazon.

Via Coolest Gadgets

Have you ever found yourself with a lot of USB drives? And a lot of memory cards? And the urge to use all of them at the same time?

Then you need the UFO Combo Card Reader + 7-Port Hub. It features a whooping 7 USB ports and 7 memory slots, supporting basically everytime of memory card you can think about: CF / T-Flash / MicroSD / M2 / Mini SD / SD / MMC Mirco / MMC / XD / SM / MS / MS Duo.

Could one person actually use all those? I seriously doubt it. Could be useful if you managed to make it a shared device on a network, though. And anyway, it looks like an UFO! That’s gotta count for something.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $29.90 on Gadget4All.com.

Via OhGizmo!

A cube is something with equal sides, right? I remember at least that much from secondary school maths. So the Mini Cube Multi-in-one Card Reader is definitely not a cube, because it measures 35 x 35 x 17mm. Misleading name aside, the little gadget is pretty cool.

Best of all, it’s small, so you won’t even know it’s there. It reads all kinds of cards, so you can use it with all your devices. Probably not recommended for messy people, since its size also means it can be easily lost, but it’s perfect for throwing in your bag and remembering it when needed.

Too bad it’s not a real cube, I think it would’ve looked better.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $12 on Gadget4All.com.

We’ve seen a bunch of card readers that did all sorts of weird and/or useless things: detect fake banknotes, look like an ugly can or a heart and so on.

Experience said that something called USB Mirror Card Reader is another stupid supposedly “geeky” gadget, probably hot pink and aimed at girls. I was only right on one aspect: it is targeted at the female population. Unbelievably, it comes in grey and blue, no pink in sight! And, even more difficult to believe, I kind of… like it. The card reader supports basically every type of card (M2 / T-Flash / MicroSD / Mini SD DIRECTLY / SDHC / SD / Memory Stick PRO / Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick Pro Duo / MMC / MMC-II / RS MMC / MMC Plus) and a mirror is useful. I carry a mirror around anyway, so why take 2 things along when I can use just one?

How much under $29.99?
Some: $15 on Gadget4All.com.

Via ShinyShiny

Not another many-in-one gadget! Another one, I’m sorry. But this one is even crazier than usual…

It has the usual, microSD reader and USB charging cable, but also… a banknote verifier?! “Thanks for the change, now let me pass my ladybug over it to see if it’s real.” Yeah, I can totally see that happening. Are there enough paranoid people to warrant the existence of this wacky gadget? Don’t think so.

I hate long gadget names (and 3-in-1 Ladybug MicroSD Card Reader is definitely one of them) and I’m puzzled by useless functions. Oh well, at least the shape is cute.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $16 on Brando.com.hk.

Via DVICE

It seems USB cable that closes in on itself is the latest hype, because after yesterday’s Ultra Smart Cable we find the USB Smart Cable, which is… exactly the same thing, as far as I can see, only with a (slightly) different name and cheaper.

It features the now-standard microSD card reader, can be used to charge your phone or connect your gadgets to your PC and you can choose the type of connector that fits your device: Mini USB, Mini USB 18 Pin, Mini USB 20 Pin or Nokia DC 2.0.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $9 on USBGeek.com.

Via Engadget