Eye-Fi adds Web features, geotagging to Wi-Fi SD cards

By Tim Conneally | Published May 12, 2008, 10:45 AM

Eye-Fi, the company behind the Wi-Fi SD card that debuted early this year has branched out its offering with added features.

Now, instead of offering only a single 802.11g-equipped memory card, two new models have been added, and all three cards fit into categories depending on their functionality: Home, Share and Explore.

Home, the base model expected to retail for $79.99 USD, offers 2GB of storage and is specifically suited for uploading from the camera directly to the user's computer. Share is intended to be a companion for users who upload their content directly to the Web. It offers with it unlimited access to the WebShare service, which automatically sends photos to any of the 20 partnering sites, including: Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, Fotki, Photobucket, Shutterfly, Wal-Mart Digital Photo Center, and Windows Live. Eye-Fi Share will retail for $99.99 USD.

In addition to the 2GB of storage, upload to computer function, and unlimited WebShare, the Eye-Fi Explore model also offers 1 year of Hotspot access through a partnership with Wayport. But the principal feature of Eye-Fi's flagship model is its Geotagging functionality.

Similar to GPS simulation, the Eye-Fi Geotagging service determines where a photo was taken by the location of nearby Wi-Fi networks. This information is then coded into the photo's EXIF data, and automatically labels the location when uploaded. Eye-Fi Explore will cost $129.99 USD.

The company expects the new products to be available "in a few weeks."