I remember going on vacation and bringing my camera and film. Now, to be fair, this was some time ago, so, I made less than I do today.
However, the point remains.
The film I brought with was pretty much all the film I was going to be able to shoot. I could buy more film, but of course, if I had the money to buy more film, I would’ve done that ahead of time.
Net/net, the number of pictures I could take was limited.
Say nothing of the cost of getting those rolls developed.
Now of course we have digital photography. And with it we have seen the demise of traditional 35mm cameras, their film and trips to Wolfe Camera. Memory sticks have replaced the film canister.
However, cameras are getting better and better as we learn to improve on digital technology. The amount of detail in each image is staggering. To the point that where before we ran out of film, today we are facing the fact that we can run out of memory.
the Eye-Fi, a digital camera storage and networking card. Made by a firm of the same name, it is a clever and compact combination of a CPU, storage, and Wi-Fi radio, all bundled into a Secure Digital (SD) camera card. The Eye-Fi transfers pictures using Wi-Fi networks as you take them. It is opportunistic: whenever an appropriate Wi-Fi network appears, it takes action based on your pre-set preferences.
You first configure an Eye-Fi card by plugging it into a computer using a card reader and adding passwords for known Wi-Fi networks. Some models offer the option to upload data automatically via AT&T’s 21,000 hotspots for free for up to a year. A separate partnership with Easy WiFi adds hundreds of thousands of free locations, as well as any subscription Wi-Fi services (such as Boingo Wireless) entered into an Easy WiFi Web account. Images and videos may be uploaded to any combination of photo-sharing services, a computer with Eye-Fi desktop software installed, and a recently launched hosting service operated by Eye-Fi. When passing through an airport or sitting at a Starbucks you only need to remember to power up the display-only mode in the camera, which allows the card to operate while using less power.
Amazing.
At first it was the camera that was Wi-Fi adaptable. Now it’s the memory card.
Oh, yeah, and it’s smart:
the Eye-Fi can automatically label an image with its precise geographical coordinates, a feature known as geotagging. However, rather than rely on a cumbersome GPS receiver, the tiny card lights on its current location by accessing Skyhook Wireless’s constantly updated database of Wi-Fi networks. It doesn’t even need an active Wi-Fi network, something required in most smartphones and other devices that use Skyhook’s system. Instead, the card takes a snapshot of wireless router names in range and their respective signal strengths, creating a sort of local map.
Behold technology. And all she brings with her.