phpexiv2 is a wrapper for direct access from PHP to the Exiv2(exiv2.org) library. It allows to retrieve and change EXIF, IPTC and XMP digital photo information. As phpexiv2 is written in C++ and does not use system calls, it is faster than other methods.
Java access to USB, currently using kernel 2.4 Linux-USB support. There is a "core" API for accessing USB devices, and simple tools including a USB viewer in Swing. Applications are being developed separately, including digital camera support.