Hands-on with the Eye-Fi Card: Give any digital camera Wi-Fi capabilities.
Last week I wrote about the Eye-Fi Card, a special SD card that enables digital cameras to upload their photos wirelessly. Well, I've had several days with the card, and I'm ready to give you some first impressions. Unfortunately, the card I've been using doesn't include the firmware the Eye-Fi Card will use at release, so I can't yet give this product a formal score.
The card comes with a USB reader, a small instruction booklet, and nothing else; all the pertinent software is included on the card, and it autolaunches when you connect it to your computer. Once you install the software, you can access your card's settings through a very simple Web-based service. A setup wizard guides you on your card's initial run, holding your hand as you register your local wireless network and enter your upload preferences. Integration with Web services like Webshots and Flickr is easy; just enter your username and password, and the card does the rest.
Once you take the card out of the reader and actually put it in your camera, it works just like an ordinary SD card. You shoot and the photos stay on the card's 2GB of memory. Once you get within range of a registered Wi-Fi network, though, the card really works its magic. As you shoot, the card automatically uploads your pictures to your photo service of choice. If the computer upon which you installed the Eye-Fi software is within range and turned on, your photos also automatically upload to its hard drive. Unfortunately, wireless transfers take much longer than simply writing to an SD card, so you need to keep your camera on for a few minutes after you take your photos, to make sure they transfer. You also need to disable power saving (the function that automatically turns off the camera if you don't touch it for a length of time), ensuring that the card will ravenously devour your batteries.
If you're not around a Wi-Fi network you registered on the card, it behaves like a normal SD card. Any photos you shoot outside of your Wi-Fi network upload automatically from the card to your computer/photo service when you get back in range of the network and turn the camera on. Since the card only connects with wireless networks you explicitly tell it about, it can't work with public Wi-Fi hot spots if you're away from your router. Worse still, it can't work with any Wi-Fi network with any sort of log-in system or splash page. Even if you don't need a password and only have to click a bright "Internet" button when accessing it your notebook, the camera simply can't access that network.
For a first effort, the Eye-Fi Card impresses me. It works as advertised, turning your ordinary digital camera into a Wi-Fi-enabled one that can send your photos straight to your computer or photo sharing service as you shoot. It's not a perfect solution though, and you might want to let the technology simmer for a bit. Hopefully the next version of the Eye-Fi Card will include support for roaming hot spots.
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service... as you register your local wireless network and enter your upload
preferences."
The hell you say!
Why doesn't the management software load on my computer? I certainly
don't want to share my local network information over the Internet. This
smells like "voluntary" root-kit to me. There's no valid excuse for making you
interface with the Internet. I don't want to upload my pictures to the web. I
don't want to allow (I assume) automatic software updates. I don't want to
have to be connected to the 'net just to transfer my pictures to my local
computer.
This appears to be a way for Eye-Fi to get a foothold in your computer, and
likely your photo info. Just consider how valuable it will be if you can collect
(and sell) data about brand and model of camera, frequency of activity,
number of pictures taken, and maybe even subject matter with a bit of AI to
review the shots. Keep in mind that the cameras already can detect faces, so
how hard can it be to interpret scenes?
Your info will be available to the highest bidder, so you can be inundated
with ads for cameras, accessories, vacation packages, even cars, clothing, and
other electronics based on your photos. And as things stand today, you can
be sure that the Justice Department will get a crack at all this data - maybe
first crack. So don't take a lot of pictures of government buildings, or
skyscrapers, or presidential campaign rallies. If you're of Middle Eastern
descent, I'd recommend you skip this thing altogether. We already know your
name has put you at increased likelihood of surveillance.
There's no reason for this kind of device management. Except to deceive and
take advantage of customers.
Other than that, a great product.
service... as you register your local wireless network and enter your upload
preferences."
The hell you say!
Why doesn't the management software load on my computer? I certainly
don't want to share my local network information over the Internet. This
smells like "voluntary" root-kit to me. There's no valid excuse for making you
interface with the Internet. I don't want to upload my pictures to the web. I
don't want to allow (I assume) automatic software updates. I don't want to
have to be connected to the 'net just to transfer my pictures to my local
computer.
This appears to be a way for Eye-Fi to get a foothold in your computer, and
likely your photo info. Just consider how valuable it will be if you can collect
(and sell) data about brand and model of camera, frequency of activity,
number of pictures taken, and maybe even subject matter with a bit of AI to
review the shots. Keep in mind that the cameras already can detect faces, so
how hard can it be to interpret scenes?
Your info will be available to the highest bidder, so you can be inundated
with ads for cameras, accessories, vacation packages, even cars, clothing, and
other electronics based on your photos. And as things stand today, you can
be sure that the Justice Department will get a crack at all this data - maybe
first crack. So don't take a lot of pictures of government buildings, or
skyscrapers, or presidential campaign rallies. If you're of Middle Eastern
descent, I'd recommend you skip this thing altogether. We already know your
name has put you at increased likelihood of surveillance.
There's no reason for this kind of device management. Except to deceive and
take advantage of customers.
Other than that, a great product.
the DR
the DR
The reason that we've built the Eye-Fi Manager into a web browser is for cross-platform purposes. The application is running inside a web browser, but it's really running locally, on your PC.
Your network security settings are never sent online or shared, or sold. Only your Eye-Fi Card knows about your secure network settings.
You can read our EULA if you have any concerns about privacy or security.
If you don't want to send your photos online -- no prob. The Eye-Fi Card has 3 modes -- Upload to Web, Upload to Web + Computer, and Upload to Computer. If you choose Upload to Computer, your images will upload to your computer, and will never upload to the Eye-Fi Service.
Hopefully this helps.
The reason that we've built the Eye-Fi Manager into a web browser is for cross-platform purposes. The application is running inside a web browser, but it's really running locally, on your PC.
Your network security settings are never sent online or shared, or sold. Only your Eye-Fi Card knows about your secure network settings.
You can read our EULA if you have any concerns about privacy or security.
If you don't want to send your photos online -- no prob. The Eye-Fi Card has 3 modes -- Upload to Web, Upload to Web + Computer, and Upload to Computer. If you choose Upload to Computer, your images will upload to your computer, and will never upload to the Eye-Fi Service.
Hopefully this helps.
keyboards and randomly produce intelligible text. An angry little monkey at
that.
As for the ZGILLAT, you just proved my fears. "The application is running
inside a web browser, but it's really running locally, on your PC." And then
you very narrowly explain only how it transfers pictures, not configures
settings. According to the post - which I infer is based on an Eye-Fi press
release, "you can access your card's settings through a very simple Web-
based service." That doesn't say web browser, it says "Web-based service."
So it's running on both my computer, and your servers simultaneously. If you
expect me to believe that this "service" won't be collecting (at least) basic info
on what my computer and camera setup are, either you believe I'm incredibly
naive, or Eye-Fi is not a very savvy company. And there's no way you can
claim this doesn't create the ability for Eye-Fi to route the web-destined
photos through their servers.
There's no other valid reason for not loading the card's software on the
computer or even the card. Considering the resources Eye-Fi will need to
support this service if they sell a lot of these cards, there's little other
justification for doing this.
Paranoid? Maybe, but when you see all the other things that companies are
doing with their software and web services, a little paranoia is healthy. It's
like those commercials they've started running on TV. If somebody pitched
this to you in person you'd never believe them. So why would you agree to it
when it's on your computer?
keyboards and randomly produce intelligible text. An angry little monkey at
that.
As for the ZGILLAT, you just proved my fears. "The application is running
inside a web browser, but it's really running locally, on your PC." And then
you very narrowly explain only how it transfers pictures, not configures
settings. According to the post - which I infer is based on an Eye-Fi press
release, "you can access your card's settings through a very simple Web-
based service." That doesn't say web browser, it says "Web-based service."
So it's running on both my computer, and your servers simultaneously. If you
expect me to believe that this "service" won't be collecting (at least) basic info
on what my computer and camera setup are, either you believe I'm incredibly
naive, or Eye-Fi is not a very savvy company. And there's no way you can
claim this doesn't create the ability for Eye-Fi to route the web-destined
photos through their servers.
There's no other valid reason for not loading the card's software on the
computer or even the card. Considering the resources Eye-Fi will need to
support this service if they sell a lot of these cards, there's little other
justification for doing this.
Paranoid? Maybe, but when you see all the other things that companies are
doing with their software and web services, a little paranoia is healthy. It's
like those commercials they've started running on TV. If somebody pitched
this to you in person you'd never believe them. So why would you agree to it
when it's on your computer?
The workflow for most digital photographers (even amateur) is shoot, download to local machine, process (crop, enhance, sharpen, etc.) then upload selectively to Yahoo, Flickr, Photobucket, Target etc., burn to CD/DVD or print.
I guess if you're shooting in an urban environment within 100' of a Wi-Fi cafe AND you must have your photos posted to Flickr instantaneously, this card will do the trick for you. Other than that, I don't see any advantage - especially at home where my 802.11b network will transfer 10MB images so slowly that I'll tear my hair out. Am I missing something? I mean, it's an interesting concept...I just don't see the point.
I could also see this used in commercial services where someone is taking pictures and they are uplodaed to a computer on a table people could then go over to and purchase copies of the picture. I certainly think this will be a niche market use and not a general consumer use, but it does have some interesting possibilities.
Set up that wan link with Sprint's unlimited data plan and snap photos all night. People can see your photos on the web or at some viewing station where they can buy prints from your proofs on the spot. 50cents a photo could net one a huge "gratuity" on top of the booking fee.
Maybe I'm in the wrong business...
First, let me comment on the privacy questions. I urge you, again, to read our EULA. It specifies, exactly, what information we store online.
On the Eye-Fi Card, and it's use benefits -- it's simple. We know that people know how to use cables, cradles, docking stations, card readers, etc... Every camera owner has a computer, and thus, they get their images from the camera, to the computer, EVENTUALLY. What we've found, from user studies, is that taking photos is a lot of fun, but that everything that happens after "the click" is a chore. People know how to do it, but they don't get around to doing it, until a few days or a few weeks later. So your friends and family don't see the photos of your party or event, until much later on.
That's where Eye-Fi comes in. Just come home, turn on your camera, and after a few minutes, your photos are shared. It doesn't require anymore energy then just turning on the camera.
that's the value we bring. You upload your photos to your computer and to your favorite online destination, without you having to do anything.
Thanks ---
Ziv.
However, with that being said...QPRIZE...with programs like Carnivore and Omnivore running wild with the ability to grab your electronic communications from thin air, you can ALWAYS unplug the computer, grab a brownie at a backyard sale and snap photos all day to your hearts' desire.
But remember to develop the film yourself, or you run the risk of someone else seeing what you've been taking photos of (believe me, those Foto-Mat employees are bored in those little huts).
...or isn't that the basic principle of pressing the shutter button in the first place - to preserve a moment in time, to share with someone else?
Otherwise, welcome to the brave new world (order).
- Photo frame option?
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by peter.mortensen
November 16, 2007 12:23 AM PST
- Can I use this device in an LCD photo frame with SD card reader to wirelessly
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Reply to this comment
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(15 Comments)maintain the photos on it?
The hardware should be able to support this type of application so isn't this just
a matter of having a firmware on the card that keeps updating the Flash
memory with whatever is on some network folder?