Wireless card maker Eye-Fi today announced that its 4GB Eye-Fi Share Video and Eye-Fi Explore Video memory cards now let users upload videos directly from their video-enabled camera to pre-selected web sites such as Picasa Web Albums, Photobucket, SmugMug, YouTube, and Flicker, without the need for a computer. While this is primarily intended for compact digital camera users, it can have an impact on the growing number of video-capable DSLRs on the market. Both cards are expected to sell for less than $100. At the same time, Wi-Fi is reportedly dropping the price of its 2GB Share card, to $59.
For details, read the Eye-Fi press release:
EYE-FI NOW UPLOADS VIDEOS AUTOMATICALLY TO PICASA WEB ALBUMS, PHOTOBUCKET AND SMUGMUG
Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Cards Remove the Hassle and Upload Videos Directly to Five Online Video Sharing Sites
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May 5, 2009 – More than 40% of consumers who share videos think it takes too much time to upload them, according to the Consumer Electronics Association’s 2009 report Digital Imaging – A Focus on Sharing. Now, with Eye-Fi’s newest wireless memory cards, users can share their memories on some of the largest online videos sharing sites on the Web – wirelessly and automatically. In time for summer travel season, Eye-Fi Inc., makers of the world’s first wireless memory card for digital cameras, today announced that users can now upload videos directly from their digital camera to Picasa Web Albums, Photobucket or SmugMug, in addition to YouTube(TM) or Flickr, without ever having to turn on their computer.
“Some memories are better captured on video. As a parent, I love to shoot videos of my kids and share them with friends and relatives across the globe,” said Ziv Gillat, co-founder and vice president of business development for Eye-Fi. “The old way of carrying around a separate device and manually uploading video files to my computer and then to the Web is a hassle. Eye-Fi does it in one simple step so I can share my memories in near real time.”
“Picasa users will be excited to know they can now upload videos via Eye-Fi to Picasa Web Albums,” said Brian Axe, director of product management at Google. “Many of our users were already automatically uploading their photos to Picasa Web Albums with their Eye-Fi cards and now can upload videos just as effortlessly, directly to their albums.”
The 4GB Eye-Fi Share Video and Eye-Fi Explore Video cards can upload photos and videos directly to the computer and to one of more than 25 online photo and video sharing sites. The Eye-Fi Explore Video card automatically geotags photos and videos with location information about where the moment was captured, and offers hotspot access from more than 10,000 Wayport and open hotspot locations in the U.S. to upload away from home.
“With tens of thousands of videos uploaded to Photobucket each day, we are seeing more and more of our users sharing their memories in motion,” said Alice Lankester, vice president of marketing for Photobucket. “Eye-Fi makes it incredibly easy for users to upload photos and videos directly to Photobucket where they can then edit and share their memories across thousands of places on the Web.”
Eye-Fi’s newest wireless SD memory cards are now available at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations nationwide for an MSRP of $79 (4GB Eye-Fi Share Video) and $99 (4GB Eye-Fi Explore Video).
Eye-Fi’s complete line-up of wireless SD memory cards range in price from $49-$99
