Eye-Fi came up with a very clever idea: instead of waiting for Wi-Fi technology to get meaningfully integrated into a wide range of cameras, why not integrated wireless networking into the storage media being used in those cameras, so it can be used with any digital shooter, regardless of whether it has Wi-Fi capability? The original Eye-Fi card combined 2 GB of SD storage with a simple Wi-Fi chipset and DHCP client: configure the card via a computer, then just pop it into your camera for instant wireless connection to your home network.
Now, Eye-Fi is taking the concept a couple steps further, adding two new Eye-Fi cards to its product line. (The original Eye-Fi card will still be available under the name Eye-Fi Home.) The new Eye-Fi Share can still connect to a user’s home wireless network to transfer images from a camera to a PC, but it also offers secure, unlimited access to wide range of Web-based photo services so users can (say) upload images to Flickr for sharing, or order prints from Costco—all without having to transfer the files to their computers. Taking things one step further, the Eye-Fi Explore taps into Skyhook Wireless’s WiFi-based location service (which also powers location-based services in the iPhone and iPod touch) and takes images with their locations, as well as the time and date they were taken. The Explore also ties into Wayport’s 10,000-strong Wi-Fi hotspot network (including McDonalds locations) for a year, enabling users to upload their images for free.
The Eye-Fi Share is priced at $99.99, while the Eye-Fi Explore carries a $129.99 price tag. (The Eye-Fi home is priced at $79.99.) All offer 2 GB of storage, and are compatible with Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS 10.4 or newer.
