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A little off topic, but I'd still like an answer to this question, if anybody knows:

Why in a low altitude crash would the flight data recorder be damaged to the point that data could not be salvaged?

I thought these things were made to survive a crash at normal flying altitudes.

The problem comes in because the tail fell off. In most planes (haven't seen indication that the A-300 is an exception) the FDR is in the tail. It's in the tail because that's usually the last part involved in an accident (if you review crash photos you'll see that frequently the tail assembly is just sitting there mostly whole) so it impacts with less energy and takes less damage. In this one, with the tail apparently falling off first, with the FDR still plugged into all the systems and getting yanked out, God knows what kind of electrical and impact forces the thing took, certainly more than in most crashes, then it splashed in water and any exposed electronics got wet. The problem with playing the law of averages is that somethings break the law.

Why in a low altitude crash would the flight data recorder be damaged to the point that data could not be salvaged?

The data most likely can be salvaged. Indeed, there are already reports of the manufacturer having retrieved some data from it.

There are two ways of retrieving data from a flight data recorder: (1) connect it to a computer using a suitable interfact and read out the data, or (2) remove the media from it and use suitable equipment to read the media directly.

While the first option is certainly more convenient when it's practical, that isn't always the case. While the data storage media in the box are well protected, some parts of the box which are needed to read out the data (including things like connectors!) cannot be so effectively protected.

What matters with a black box is not that the data be retrievable by someone with a laptop and a proper cable. What matters is that the data be stored and be recoverable. Even if the technician has to remove the flash chips from their carrier boards and install them in new undamaged ones that really isn't much of a problem.