Eye-Fi Share Wireless 2 GB SD Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-2GB

Product Description

A Wireless Memory Card? Yes, there really is Wi-Fi inside that tiny little card. It's going to change the way people take, save and share photos. The Eye-Fi Card comes with everything needed to make it simple to set up and connect to your home Wi-Fi network. After that, pop the card into your digital camera and start capturing those memories. It stores pictures like a regular SD card no matter where you are, and uploads your photos automatically as soon as you return to your home network. All you have to do is turn the camera on.

Manufacturer Product Description

A Wireless Memory Card? Yes, there really is Wi-Fi inside that tiny little card. It's going to change the way you take, save and share photos.

It makes your camera a Wi-Fi camera. Upload and share your photos automatically.

Photos shouldn't be trapped in your camera. Set them free effortlessly and wirelessly. The Eye-Fi Card is a wireless SD memory card for your digital camera. It stores pictures like a standard SD memory card, but also uses your home Wi-Fi network to automatically upload images from inside your camera to your PC or Mac and to your favorite photo or social networking website for sharing or printing. No cables, no cradles, no fuss.

Key Features

• Unlimited WebShare ervice
• Wireless Uploads to Computer
• 2 GB of storage

How it works

WebShare

With WebShare, your photos can be automatically uploaded to your favorite photo sharing, printing, blogging or social networking website. No wasted time sitting in front of your computer. No fussing with upload software. No delay in sharing your new memories with friends and family. Choose from among more than 20 of the most popular websites and some up-and-comers too. You can upload images privately and

control if and when they are viewable by others. Many sites even let you edit your photo albums online. And, you can change your preferred upload site at any time. You can even upload to the Web when your computer is turned off. The Eye-Fi Share and The Eye-Fi Explore will upload your photos directly to the Eye-Fi Service through your home Wi-Fi network. We'll deliver them to your photo site and then deliver them to your computer the next time you turn it on. The Eye-Fi Service is secure and encrypted, so your data and photos are safe and private. Eye-Fi Share and Eye-Fi Explore include unlimited WebShare service. Upload and share all you want.

Cool Gadget (Jon Campbell, Travelers Rest, SC, 2009-01-09)

This is a very cool little gadget. It wirelessly transmits photos directly from the camera to your computer and then on to the web if you want. It gets four stars from me because it is a little more difficult to set up than the directions indicate. It also operates on Eye-Fi servers (something that isn't clear on the packaging). The servers went down on Christmas and it took awhile to get up and running. It has a known conflict with AVG anti-virus software. You should check to make sure your camera is compatible before purchasing. Eye-Fi has a great, human tech support team.

BUYER BEWARE (Neo Unity, USA, 2009-01-06)

This is the letter I wrote to them:

Hello,

I am writing to let you know that I am returning your most expensive version of the EyeFi card with geotagging ($130+ USD). To describe my experience with your card as disappointing would be a vast understatement. I don't care if you can fix the problem with all of your cards, because the pictures that were taken with this memory stick were irreplaceable. I took approximately 50 pictures at my father's 60th and my only nephew's first birthday party of family and friends, many that I will never see again. I trusted your card to work perfectly. The first 12 or so pictures were uploaded safely, but all the rest were never uploaded and now the card can not be read in any device. I have tried software to recover the data, but the memory stick is simply not recognized in any device. My wife was crushed when she found out that the I can't access the card (I build computers and have never run into this problem with ANY memory card, EVER). I want EyeFi to recover my images and give me a full refund. Please do not send the card back to me as I have lost trust in your company and have no faith in your products.

I wanted to put this message up as a warning to other users considering the purchase of this device. This message will be placed on all websites that I can place a review on this product for, as apparently, I am not the only one with this problem. I have read numerous similar stories like mine in forums and on the web.

Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Wonderful for the computer illiterate (Dan Durig, KC, KS, 2009-01-02)

I am the family tech support guy. My mother and sister have not pulled their pictures off their cameras on their own. I bought these for them for christmas so WE could see their pictures. I was so happy with them I got one for myself as well. It has changed the way we share pictures and allows them to send to family members as well. I have a DSLR what uses compact flash so I bought a CF to SD adapter. It works, but because the adapter is made of metal range is significantly reduced. Works great in my point and shoot. I plan on buying another for that camera.

Setup is not as easy as you may think, but should be able to be done by most folks who have ever installed and updated a program. If you get this it is ONLY for transmitting your pictures up from your camera to your PC and to a shared service. Certain best price retailer clerks like to tell you it would work for your digital picture frame...it does NOT. Stick to claims on the box. All the usernames and passwords also tend to confuse novice users.


For the more techie folks:
If your network/SSID is hidden you will have issues. It needs to be visible.
I was able to get it to work across multiple subnets but I had to setup a one to one NAT
does not work with a transparent proxy so forget it working in China or most corporate offices
GET the Hotspot access for $15 a year if you travel it would be worth it.
No ad-hoc network support even with DHCP
No static IP functionality
Supports multiple WIFI APs, but you have to be there WITH internet access in order to add them.
Can support GEO tagging of where you upload for $15 yearly.
It will NOT work in your digital picture frame (if you try to upload your pictures to the frame via this card no go, but it will upload them while in the frame).
MAC client has issues...lots of quirky bugs.
Allows you to set privacy options for all photos when posted online.

Pros: post setup it has freed my family's pictures from their SD cards and allows them to order from the web at home without having to upload them manually (which they have no clue how to do even with easy-share). It even sends text messages or emails when it starts/finishes uploads so you can turn your camera off.

Cons: Had issues with non-broadcast SSID or network, but enabling it made it work. For what little security this offers it should not be a large problem. computer has to be on the same subnet/network for this to work best. it may function without it, but I had issues.

Only missing one star because of the following:
firmware and software updates required.
If you are on a MAC and use iPhoto I would tell you to wait a bit until the software is a bit more mature. Stick with plugging the camera in as it should be easy enough. I had issues with typing in the browser window, and uploading photos to it into iPhoto and by the look on the forums I am not the only one.

Not only would I buy another I plan on it and I have given two as gifts.

everyone should have one (George Addison, tampa,florida, 2008-12-21)

it was very cool to sit at work for a christmas party and take pictures of people sitting on santa's lap and have them come up 30 feet away on my laptop and print them for people.

it was shipped very fast also.

5/5 cept it resets my camera without picture loss though (Phil, Michigan, 2008-12-17)

I LOVE this product. I truly am taking a million more pictures now that I own this product (with the help of Picasa 3 from Google, too!). The box that this comes in is even very innovative - played around with the box for awhile before I even played with this.

I had no problem setting it up with my wireless network. Only pain is, you can't obviousily connect to other password protected wireless networks unless you set it up before hand using your laptop or deskopt computer (you must use the included SD/USB adapter, and then it writes the password into this SD card).

The only other problem, resulting in -2 stars, is that it makes my Casio camera "reset". While I don't lose and haven't lost any of my pictures, my camera takes about 3-5 seconds longer to turn on now. Also, every once in awhile (I think if my camera is slightly bumped), my camera thinks I just replaced the batteries, and I have to re-set the date and time. Very annoying when I want to take pictures very fast, but have to add the date and time in again.

The card also makes the screen on my Casio camera appear a little more blurry, and a lot more blue.

Overall, DEFINITELY worth it, without a doubt. I could be taking pictures in one room, snap the picture, walk over to my computer and already see it uploaded to my computer and to Picasa Web Albums (free product) INSTANTLY. All of my pictures will be backed up for life!