Quote Originally Posted by Tyger View Post
Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise.
You might want to finish that quote. The next line is the relevant one:
Quote Originally Posted by SRD
However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, regardless of the type of magic item, unless the item description specifically states otherwise.
Now, you'll hear people say that this doesn't apply to swift action spells, but if you want to go by the strictest RAW, it does. The key is the "Primary Source Rule" in the errata, which says that the DMG has the final word on magic items. Newer books have introduced the idea that the minimum time for activating a scroll is a standard action (and that's what the FAQ cites), but those rules don't actually apply unless you ignore the Primary Source Rule.

Since the Primary Source Rule is the only one in the entire game that governs what books take precedence when there's a disagreement in the printed rules, I think it makes sense to use it, but others may disagree.