Often, many of us with smart phones spend time figuring out the best way to send photos and videos from the phones to our computers or to others. But now, the maker of a wireless memory card says it's coming out with a program that will send photos and videos from our cameras to our smart phones — as well as tablets.
Eye-Fi, maker of a line of Wi-Fi memory cards, says that's what its new "Direct Mode" program — free as an upgrade later this year (sigh; hate to wait) to those using Eye-Fi's cards — will do.
"For anyone who has ever had to choose between taking great images with their digital camera and the instant gratification of sharing with a smart phone, Direct Mode is the answer," said Jeff Holove, Eye-Fi's CEO, in a news release. The company will show off the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
Direct Mode will work with any of Eye-Fi's X2 cards, which start at around $50 for a 4 GB memory card. The cards now let users send photos and videos from their cameras to their computers or to online sites for sharing, often using a home wireless network. Most smart phones have both Wi-Fi as well as cellular connectivity, so sending photos to the phones wirelessly could be a brilliant move.
"Digital cameras are just plain better at taking photos and videos, especially when lighting, action, or zoom distance affect the shot," Holove said. "But, there’s no doubt that the apps, touch interface and always-connected nature of mobile devices are compelling. With this new technology, we are bridging the gap between the camera and mobile, bringing the best of all the devices that we own to the capture and sharing of memories."
