Eye-Fi Inc., makers of memory cards with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, is introducing “direct mode,” which allows the transfer of photos from a camera with an Eye-Fi card for a direct and wireless transition to an iOS or Android device, including phones and tablets. Users can upload the photos to the Internet using an app from Eye-Fi or use them with any other phone app that leverages photos such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Instagram.
The launch is an improvement of Eye-Fi’s previous technology, which needed an open Wi-Fi network to allow access to photos off a camera for placement on the Web.
Below is a video about direct mode from Eye-Fi:
The direct mode technology is slated to operate on all new Eye-Fi cards and free upgrades should be available as soon as this week for owners of any Eye-Fi X2 model. A new 8 gigabyte card, the Eye-Fi Mobile X2, retails for $80 and will be made available Sunday. The highest priced model of the product line, the Pro X2, has geotagging capabilities and mobile access to AT&T Inc.’s hotspots. The model also has a lowered price of $50, from $150 to $100.
