Eye-Fi ‘Direct Mode’: wireless camera to phone image transfers

By Ray Nicolini

Via www.9to5mac.com

Eye-Fi today announced they will updating their X2 wireless memory cards in 2011 with a new ‘Direct Mode’ feature. This new mode sounds pretty neat and helpful and it uses resources from the wireless memory card technology and the mobile Eye-Fi apps. Basically, the mode lets you instantly, wirelessly transfer pictures you take on your camera to your phone, tablet, or devices with supported Eye-Fi apps (App Store).

Eye-Fi also announced a new feature that allows users to wireless backup videos and pictures saved to the wireless Eye-Fi x2 card to their online Eye-Fi accounts. This will really help out folks who need to quickly get pictures onto their computers and mobile devices and will also eliminate the need for constantly transferring photos of SD cards. Look out for the backup feature starting today and the free direct mode upgrade later this year. If you’re at CES, Direct Mode is being previewed there.

WiFi Digital Camera Addon - Eye Fi

WIRELESS TRANSFER of photos in an otherwise non-wifi enabled digital camera. How? Eye-Fi. Yes, I would like one of these.

Try as I might, I usually end up walking away from the house or the office without the cable to connect my camera to the laptop. When it comes to transferring photos on the move, that can be a right pain in the neck. Sure enough, you can pick up digital cameras of all shapes and sizes (that might cost you a bit more on the credit card) packing WiFi transfers, GPS, location tagging and the likes. But for those of us looking for a WiFi option, the Eye-Fi might be just the ticket.

According to TUAW, you can set the card “to automatically upload to iPhoto, or just to a specific folder on your computer. You also have the option to have your pictures uploaded to MobileMe, Flickr, Evernote, Picasa, Facebook, and many other places (see chart in new window). Videos can be uploaded to Flickr (only 90 seconds maximum, though), Picasa, YouTube, Facebook, Phanfare, and Photobucket. You can even set it up to send notifications via email, Facebook, Twitter, or SMS when transfers start, finish, or are interrupted.”

It’s a Class 6 wireless SD card meaning it should shift around 6mb a second and Amazon have the new 8GB model on pre-order for the princely sum of $149.99.

It might seem a bit on the steep side for an SD card. Argos are happy to flog them for anything up to €60 for an 8gb SDHC card, and if the Euro conversion rate at €112 or so held up, an extra €50 isn’t a bad price to pay to get full WiFi capabilities for your digital camera.

If you’re thinking on buying, check the Eye-Fi support site for compatible cameras.

Note: Did I actually say “just the ticket”?