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Wi-Fi memory cards coming to cameras
It's an SD memory card with built-in networking. Sounds cool, but will
you spring $100 for it when it's released later this year?
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: June 10, 2007, 9:00 PM PDT

http://news.com.com/Wi-Fi+memory+car...3-6189671.html

Think of it as point, shoot and post.

In the fall, start-up Eye-Fi plans to release Secure Digital memory
cards with integrated Wi-Fi chips. With the card, digital cameras will
be able to automatically send photos to home PCs or to photo-sharing
Web sites.

The company is negotiating with about a dozen Web sites to allow
direct uploads from cameras containing the cards, Eye-Fi founder and
CEO Yuval Koren said.

The card is set to cost about $100. Although he did not clarify their
memory capacity, he strongly indicated that they would hold about 2
gigabytes. Many current cameras won't easily accommodate larger cards,
which have a slightly different format, he said. After 2GB, people
should be downloading anyway, he added.

The company also recently landed $5.5 million in venture funding from
Opus Capital and Shasta Ventures.

The idea for the company came from a wedding in 2004, Koren said. All
of the guests were taking pictures.

"Everyone promised to share them, but a year later, I still hadn't
seen the photos," he said.

Eye-Fi's cards are designed to conform to the standard SD card size;
the cards contain enough spare real estate to incorporate a Wi-Fi
chip. The networking functions on the card shut down when photos
aren't being sent in order to save battery life.

Because the wireless functionality resides on the card, the networking
functions won't interfere with the camera, the company said. Thus,
people can keep snapping away without worrying about the Wi-Fi chip
hogging the camera's processor. Users will be able to set the profile
of the card to direct it to send photos either to a PC or a Web site,
as well as whether to send the photos as they get taken or at the end
of a photo session.
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So far, cameras with integrated Wi-Fi have not been a monster hit with
consumers. At $100, the Eye-Fi card will be far more expensive than
generic SD cards. Currently, 2GB cards can be found for $29 or less,
and flash prices continue to descend. A 4GB card can be bought for
$70.

Density is going up too. However, Koren asserted that some consumers
will go for the added functionality of Wi-Fi rather than for more
storage.

Finding public Wi-Fi spots for downloading often isn't easy, either.
"The focus will initially be on the home network," Koren said. Now
people simply use the free USB cord that comes with the camera to
connect their camera in the home.

"Ablang" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Wi-Fi memory cards coming to cameras
> It's an SD memory card with built-in networking. Sounds cool, but will
> you spring $100 for it when it's released later this year?
> By Michael Kanellos
> Staff Writer, CNET News.com
> Published: June 10, 2007, 9:00 PM PDT
>
> http://news.com.com/Wi-Fi+memory+car...3-6189671.html
>
> Think of it as point, shoot and post.
>
> In the fall, start-up Eye-Fi plans to release Secure Digital memory
> cards with integrated Wi-Fi chips. With the card, digital cameras will
> be able to automatically send photos to home PCs or to photo-sharing
> Web sites.
>
> The company is negotiating with about a dozen Web sites to allow
> direct uploads from cameras containing the cards, Eye-Fi founder and
> CEO Yuval Koren said.
>
> The card is set to cost about $100. Although he did not clarify their
> memory capacity, he strongly indicated that they would hold about 2
> gigabytes. Many current cameras won't easily accommodate larger cards,
> which have a slightly different format, he said. After 2GB, people
> should be downloading anyway, he added.
>
> The company also recently landed $5.5 million in venture funding from
> Opus Capital and Shasta Ventures.
>
> The idea for the company came from a wedding in 2004, Koren said. All
> of the guests were taking pictures.
>
> "Everyone promised to share them, but a year later, I still hadn't
> seen the photos," he said.
>
> Eye-Fi's cards are designed to conform to the standard SD card size;
> the cards contain enough spare real estate to incorporate a Wi-Fi
> chip. The networking functions on the card shut down when photos
> aren't being sent in order to save battery life.
>
> Because the wireless functionality resides on the card, the networking
> functions won't interfere with the camera, the company said. Thus,
> people can keep snapping away without worrying about the Wi-Fi chip
> hogging the camera's processor. Users will be able to set the profile
> of the card to direct it to send photos either to a PC or a Web site,
> as well as whether to send the photos as they get taken or at the end
> of a photo session.
> Now on News.com
> Web 2.0 security: 'Invent the wheel' Linux coders tackle power
> efficiency Special feature: The countdown to the iPhone Extra:
> Artificial intelligence: Lost in the woods
>
> So far, cameras with integrated Wi-Fi have not been a monster hit with
> consumers. At $100, the Eye-Fi card will be far more expensive than
> generic SD cards. Currently, 2GB cards can be found for $29 or less,
> and flash prices continue to descend. A 4GB card can be bought for
> $70.
>
> Density is going up too. However, Koren asserted that some consumers
> will go for the added functionality of Wi-Fi rather than for more
> storage.
>
> Finding public Wi-Fi spots for downloading often isn't easy, either.
> "The focus will initially be on the home network," Koren said. Now
> people simply use the free USB cord that comes with the camera to
> connect their camera in the home.
>


Not for the wi-fi. However, they are also working on one with GPS tagging
capabilities. That with Wi-Fi would make me pay $100. Anything less no.

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