WirelessTransfer
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Nikon adds D3200 to its DSLR range, we go hands-on! (video)
Nikon's recent cashback promo gave us a twinge that new consumer models might be around the corner, but as of today there's just the one: the almost entry-level D3200, which Nikon hopes will complement the cheaper D3100 without supplanting it. The price gap between these two low-end DSLRs is significant -- around $150 based on current D3100 prices, with the black D3200 and regular 18-55mm kit lens expected to hit shelves at the end of April for $700. What does that extra outlay get you? Quite a lot, actually: a hefty resolution upgrade to 24-megapixels with an Expeed 3 processing engine, versus 14-megapixels mustered by D3100; an extra ISO notch of 6400, providing more flexibility in low-light situations; and also a much higher-res LCD display for cleaner live-viewing and playback, with around four times as many pixels as the D3100's grainy window. Read on for some initial impressions and a hands-on video, and you'll see that there are a couple of subtler selling points too.
New Eye-Fi Mobile X2 card does old tricks, but with less hassle for Android and iOS users
Direct Mode on an Eye-Fi card makes a lot of sense when you want to beam photos from your camera straight to your smartphone. The latest edition of the Mobile X2 promises to simplify this process by coming pre-configured for Direct Mode from the factory, and being accompanied by a 10-digit pairing code that'll let you register the camera securely with the Eye-Fi app on your Android phone without recourse to a PC. We'd feel more excited about this if Toshiba's FlashAir card hadn't done something similar already using a clever browser-based connection we saw at CES. Still, if Eye-Fi is the brand and workflow you want to stick with, then be advised that this particular Mobile X2 is Japan-only for now. However, a worldwide release is planned at some point, along with an update to the iOS app that'll make the key-code pairing thing work for that other section of humanity too.
Sony outs 350Mbps TransferJet chip for smartphones, tries not to stare at Toshiba
With Toshiba's toes having already crossed the 560Mbps wireless transfer speed barrier, Sony is instead forced to emphasize that its new TransferJet chip has "industry-leading short-range sensitivity." Crucially though, the miniaturised 6mm x 6mm device also boasts lower consumption compared to Sony's previous offerings, making it suitable for smartphones and tablets rather than just cameras or laptops. The product should start appearing in devices some time after August and will sell to OEMs for ¥500 ($6) -- which means it doesn't beat Toshiba on price either.
WiGig SD card gets demoed on tablets, makes DVDs gone in 60 seconds (video)
We're pretty excited about WiGig's miraculous wireless transmission rates and Panasonic's now in the process of jamming the functionality into SD cards set to arrive next year. It's now got a working prototype and DigInfo's managed to grab a brief video demo (embedded below) showcasing the tech. Both photos and videos can be effortlessly pinged from a tablet (housing the aforementioned memory card) to compatible in-car displays. We're told that those heady transfer speeds are more than capable of handling a whole DVD of video content in under a minute, although the range of the transmission remains between one to three meters. We may be willing to cope with that limitation -- especially if these multi-gigabit speeds still make it across to future phones.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with TransferJet
Deepak Mithani and Mitsumasa Tsutsu will be hitting the stage to show off the wireless transfer technology, TransferJet at 6:30PM ET tonight. Follow along after the jump.
Sony and Toshiba demo TransferJet short-range sharing at CEATEC (video)
TransferJet is still solidly in the "fledgling" stage, but it looks as if a few big time industry players have faith that consumers have a desire -- nay, a need -- for short-range, high-speed sharing. Here at CEATEC in Japan, both Sony and Toshiba were on hand with independent TransferJet demonstrations, and while the actual protocol has been in place for awhile now, it's the supporting cast (read: hardware) that has remained elusive. Toshiba was utilizing a snazzy TG01 and Qosmio laptop in order to showcase just how quickly the two could share information over the air, while Sony had us believing that pretty much everything it'll make for the rest of eternity could support device-to-device sharing. Head on past the break for a peek at the demos, but try not to get your hopes up for seeing this stuff in shipping products anytime in the immediate future, okay?
