2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day

Check it, wireless uploaders -- Eye-Fi has just outed its latest WiFi-enabled Secure Digital card, and this one promises to disclose your every move to anyone who'll bother to follow your image feed. Announced today, the Eye-Fi Geo is a 2GB card that will enable users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera while geotagging them as they hit the 'net. The geotagging service is included for life, and for whatever reason, this one's being made exclusively available through Apple stores and online. Of course, it could have something to do with that "seamless integration" with iPhoto and MobileMe, but we're guessing it ought to play nice with other applications and image portals as well. If you're suddenly unable to move on with your life until you've got one of these in your hands, you can snag one today for $59.99. Full release is after the break.

EYE-FI INTRODUCES THE EYE-FI GEO APPLE EXCLUSIVE WIRELESS MEMORY CARD WITH UNLIMITED GEOTAGGING

Eye-Fi Offers Users an Effortless Geotagging and Photo Sharing Experience When Using iPhoto, an iPhone or MobileMe


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 29, 2009 - Eye-Fi Inc. today unveiled the Eye-Fi Geo card, a new wireless SD memory card exclusive to Apple that allows users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera to a computer and offers lifetime geotagging service. Available today in all Apple stores and online, the Eye-Fi Geo card is the latest addition to the Eye-Fi product family that is built to seamlessly integrate with Mac products and applications, including iPhoto '09 and '08, the iPhone and MobileMe.

"Apple users want simplicity and an effortless user experience, so it's not surprising that a significant number of our users are on Macs," said Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi. "The Eye-Fi Geo is the perfect companion for iPhoto's new 'Places' application to pinpoint photos on a digital map so memories are displayed in a richer, more meaningful way."

The Eye-Fi Geo wirelessly uploads photos straight to a folder on your computer or Apple's iPhoto gallery where they arrive automatically geotagged with location information about where the image was captured.

Eye-Fi continues to embrace its loyal Mac following by developing products that seamlessly integrate with Apple products and features. iPhoto '09's "Places" lets users search and sort photos by location using geotags from the Eye-Fi Geo card. Users can also upgrade their Eye-Fi Geo card to share images online at MobileMe or one of more than 20 other photo sharing and social networking sites for a $9.99 annual fee.

Earlier this year, Eye-Fi released the Eye-Fi application for the iPhone, which wirelessly uploads photos from the iPhone to the Web and into iPhoto, or organized folders on a computer. With Eye-Fi, users can aggregate all of their photos – from both an iPhone and a digital camera –to manage and share photos in one place regardless of which device the photos are taken on. Eye-Fi users with iPhones can download the app for free.

Eye-Fi's complete line-up of wireless SD and SDHC memory cards, including the Eye-Fi Pro and Eye-Fi Explore Video cards, range in price from $49-$149 and are available at www.eye.fi, in store at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations, and at major online retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Costco.com.

Eye-Fi cards have won numerous Mac product awards, including "Best of Show" at Macworld 2008 and The Mac Observer's "Editors' Choice Award 2008" at Macworld. For more information, please visit www.eye.fi/apple, or follow Eye-Fi on Twitter @EyeFiCard.


About Eye-Fi

Founded in 2005, Eye-Fi is dedicated to building products and services that help consumers navigate, nurture and share their visual memories. Eye-Fi's patent-pending technology works with Wi-Fi networks to automatically send photos and videos from a digital camera to online, in-home and retail destinations. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the company's investors include LMS Capital, Opus Capital, Shasta Ventures and TransLink Capital. More information is available at www.eye.fi.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:03AM]

EEE Gad!

[finnschi Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:04AM]

is there any good SD to CF converter so I can use this with my EOS 20D? and how did they manage to pack wifi AND a GPS chip in there... they pply stole it from aliens... the price is nice as well :D

[Carpet Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:57AM]

Simple there is a GPS chip in there, only a wifi one. The system looks for local wifi networks that part of a particular directory. Eye-fi know their location and therefore triangulate the shots position.

If you're not in an urban location or, I suspect not even in the USA, the GPSing will be useless.

I previously read the speal and got quite excite about this product. My job involves a lot of photography and recording GPS co-ordinates and anything that could simplfy that process would be a god-send, but this isn't it. They should be clearer in their press release headlines.

[DrDr Posted Jul 29th 2009 7:13PM]

I use a Jobo SDHC/CF converter. It is pricey and the transfer reates aren't the greatest, but it works.

I do not know if it will work with the Eye-Fi card, but I see no reason why it shouldn't.

[mcurrens Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:04AM]

Cool, so I can just pop that sucker into my iPhone 3Gs and be on my way? lol

[JTVD Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:10AM]

Is that because you have neither enough storage, nor wifi on your iPhone 3Gs? turd

[mcurrens Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:27AM]

@tim

Well, if I had an iPhone, and if Apple had included an SD slot, I wouldn't need WiFi, because it's built into the EyeFi.

But it's alright, go ahead and keep thinking that you have a clue.

[wingedLegionary Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:38AM]

But.. you don't need either for either functions. The iPhone already has wi-fi and geotagging, and storage for that matter. I understand that you were trying to point out that it cannot use SD cards, but the points you present are null and void as they are currently present in the iPhone.

But it's alright, go ahead and keep thinking that you have a clue.

[JTVD Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:40AM]

Thank you.

[mcurrens Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:54AM]

@ Greg K

Well, really I was trying to point out the hypocrisy of Apple having an exclusive SD product when they are CLEARLY anti-removable storage.

But you got me, and you didn't resort to name calling.

[mex Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:08AM]

I'm not getting HOW pics are being geotagged... help?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:15AM]

It's most likely geotagged based on a reverse dns lookup of the IP you upload the pictures from.

[iErik Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:14AM]

Doesn't use GPS. It uses Skyhook's WiFi geotagging...... So no tagging ifyour on a boat. It's pretty close to false advertisment even tough it's GEO-tagging and not GPS-tagging.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:47AM]

As Erik says, it's false advertisement. Geotagging with Eye-Fi only works in a very limited range of locations and that's the reason why I never bought one.

I currently use my iPhone 3G's built-in GPS in combination with the GeoLogTag iPhone app to do all my geotagging. For me this is the perfect combination. My Places map in iPhoto is becoming crowdy ;-)

More info about the GeoLogTag app can be found at http://www.galarina.eu/GeoLogTag/Galarina.html

[FreeRange Posted Jul 29th 2009 10:17AM]

First off, he never said it's false advertisement. Second, you get around. Did you invent that software? http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=GEOLOGTAG+herm&aq=f&oq=&aqi= Nothing like a little "full disclosure" when singing the praise.

[Carpet Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:59AM]

Typical, a typo. The first line should read "Simple there ISN'T a GPS chip in there, only a wifi one."

[Carpet Posted Jul 29th 2009 9:00AM]

Typical, a typo. The first line should read "Simple there ISN'T a GPS chip in there, only a wifi one."

[Denver80203 Posted Jul 29th 2009 9:08AM]

Won't be long before the majority of digital cameras have this ability. very cool

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 9:14AM]

Did I understand correctly: the iPhone app lets you send photos from the iPhone to the Eye-Fi, but not the other way around? So it's still not possible to ditch the computer and use an iPhone to upload the photos taken with another camera.

Too bad, I really hope that OS 3.0 and the possibility to develop external peripherals brings us a solution.

[Broo Posted Jul 29th 2009 10:36AM]

um- the EyeFi Explorer 2GB had the GeoTagging option included- which as released about 2 years ago...

The new 4GB EyeFi Pro and EyeFi Vido also has this ability.

I am guessing that EyeFi has made software for the Mac and that is why this is a story?

The way these work, you need to disable auto-power off on your camera so it can continue to upload the photo after you are done taking pictures. If you take a few dozen photos 8-12MP photos, it can create a pretty big drain on the battery- and you never know when it is done unless you setup email notification (or have the EyeFi tray icon on your PC).

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 11:38AM]

Yeah, I'm confused. I have the 2 GB EyeFi Explore card. It does all the same things this card does, and there is a native Mac app for synching with iPhoto, or Fliker/other online services.

[Barky Posted Jul 29th 2009 1:05PM]

I don't see how this could be usable. At best the card may find one unsecured network and be able to get an IP, and then be able to look up a location within a few dozen miles. Most of the time it won't be able to find any unsecured networks so it will have to assume you are near the last one.
I guess this may work if you just want to know what city you were in when you took a photo, but that doesn't seem very useful.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 12:44PM]

In the USA.

Does anyone else see this as a way making sure that those pesky and misinformed cops/security guards don't cause (through their own ignorance of the law) you to lose that great shot by forcing you to delete a perfectly legal photo?

[daewootech Posted Jul 29th 2009 1:22PM]

the price cut definitely makes eye-fi more interesting to me now, i allways liked the concept and wanted to get one, but i cant even stand the thought of paying 80-100+ for a 1gb SD card, make it 8 or 16gb and were talking,

[Eddy Kilowatt Posted Jul 29th 2009 2:22PM]

So, why are we still stuck with USB ports and clunky cables for offloading our digi cams? Seems to me like they should've gone WiFi a couple of e-generations ago. Sure, wireless is a little slower than full-tilt USB2, but the convenience of not having to get out the cable would more than make up for a few extra minutes offloading.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 3:39PM]

Eye-Fi Cards use the Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) from Skyhook Wireless for geotagging. WPS uses surrounding wireless networks instead of satellites to triangulate the location where the photo was taken.

When a photo is taken the Eye-Fi Card scans for the Wi-Fi networks (secure and unsecure) in the area and records the MAC addresses and signal strength of each access point detected. When the Eye-Fi Card comes into contact with a configured wireless network and the photos begin transferring, the WPS data are sent to Skyhook Wireless. At that time, Skyhook Wireless translates and triangulates the access point data collected, calculating a latitude and longitude that represents where the photo was taken. Skyhook Wireless then sends that information back to the Eye-Fi Servers which add the calculated latitude and longitude to the EXIF portion of the JPEG photo.

This system works quite well especially in denser urban areas and suburban areas. For example here is a map of photos automatically geotagged while on a walk in San Francisco. I hope this helps illustrate how one can take advantage of WPS for geotagging photos.
28 July 2009 16:18

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2009 3:42PM]

oops, I forgot the link to the map I mentioned in the post above... http://www.flickr.com/photos/hookjaw/sets/72157606158969061/map/

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 30th 2009 1:20AM]

A better idea would be to have the Eye-Fi stuck into a digital camera, and able to send directly to the iPhone, so it can act as a backup..........

[raaaaaa Posted Aug 10th 2009 1:05PM]

ok, a little confused!!
does this card geotag the pics from where you up load them or does it have a GPS chip in it and tags each pic with the coordinates?

[S Ellerington Posted Dec 22nd 2011 3:24AM]

When is this coming to the UK?