Toshiba to Launch FlashAir, the World's First SDHC Memory Card with Wireless b/g/n

[btarunr]

Toshiba Corporation today announced that it will launch the world's first SDHC memory card with embedded wireless LAN functionality to meet the SD Memory Card Standard. The new card, "FlashAir", has an 8GB capacity and supports both peer-to-peer transfers and uploads to and downloads from servers. Samples will be available from November 2011 and sales will start in February 2012.

At a time when digital cameras have achieved immense popularity, users want a quick and easy way to share photographs with friends and to transfer them to and from online storage services and social networks. Toshiba provides the solution with FlashAir, the world's first SDHC memory card with embedded wireless LAN functionality that is fully compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard.



FlashAir's embedded wireless communication function allows users to upload and download photographs to and from a server and to exchange photographs and other data with other devices, including digital cameras that are FlashAir compliant and, smartphones and PCs that support wireless LAN. All transfers are done wirelessly, without any need for a cable connection. Key features of the new card include the ability to receive as well as transmit and lower power consumption than other cards with similar functions.

Even in digital cameras not compliant with FlashAir, the new card can share digital images with smart phones and PCs that support wireless LAN.

Toshiba will secure certification of FlashAir for wireless communication in Japan, North America and Europe.

Toshiba will reinforce and extend its leadership of memory business by further enhancing its SD memory card line-up.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[BraveSoul]

what would be the approximate transfer speed?

 

[theJesus]

Eye-Fi?

 

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

what would be the approximate transfer speed?

That would be my question as well.

 

[RejZoR]

Interesting. Has there been any similar device? I mean if i'm honest this is the first time i see any kind of Wi-Fi being operated from a SD card slot...

 

[Thefumigator]

Actually I have an old Pocket PC PDA that has SD-IO port (not the same as this) which was intended to be used as expansion slot (as well as memory slot). I remember there were webcams (a cable came out from the SD with the little cam on the end) and wifi available, and if my memory isn't faulty, there was also bluetooth and wired LAN options. I'm talking about 5 years ago. I still have the PDA (Acer N311, which I use everyday), but never tried an SD-IO card.

Not sure if this is the same. What I believe is that this thing once its plugged, it may work as a wifi spot so you can access its content from anywhere with a wlan capable device/laptop/pc etc. But I doubt it will be recognized in windows as a wifi device and make you computer wifi ready, unless you have something special in your memory reader, or maybe the thing comes with built in software that talks to the device.

 

[Frick]

Interesting. Has there been any similar device? I mean if i'm honest this is the first time i see any kind of Wi-Fi being operated from a SD card slot...

It's been around for awhile. This one have memory as well, pretty neat.

 

[bear jesus]

Could it be that they are referring to it being the first with built in memory combined with wireless standards b, g and n?

I have not noticed any before with N so i would find it easy to assume that it was the first to combine storage with it or even just the first with N but I'm feeling too lazy to look into who has released which ones with what standard.

 

[theJesus]

Nope, Eye-Fi already has 802.11N, so I'm really not sure what the big deal is with this.

 

[bear jesus]

Nope, Eye-Fi already has 802.11N, so I'm really not sure what the big deal is with this.

Hmm i thought for a moment that maybe it is the first that "is fully compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard" but surly the others with memory and that are the size of a standard SD card would also be compliant with the SD standard?

It is rather confusing as to how this is a first for anything that it does.

 

[Delta6326]

These are handy little guys for when im at sporting events and need to post pictures fast to the internet for live feedback. I wish the card was at minimum Class 10, uhs-1 is so nice.

 

[Baum]

i hope that the don't go the same route as eyefi with their upload rout....

even if you use ftp upload you need to connect to the internet and all your pics are going through their servers and are then pushed to your specified ftp server....

the eyefi card can't be configured throught an normal config.cfg or config.ini file instead you neeed their colourfull software :shadedshu

i hope that this solution is more mature and does live up to a real wireless sd card!!

 

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

After looking around I can say I want one!

 

[Sasqui]

Nope, Eye-Fi already has 802.11N, so I'm really not sure what the big deal is with this.

My first thought too. Eye-Fi has been around for over 2 years.

 

[W1zzard]

wtb compact flash version of this (sd to cf adapter will probably block the signal too much)

 

[Batou1986]

wtb compact flash version of this (sd to cf adapter will probably block the signal too much)

Don't ever do that you will be upset.
At best it wont work, at worst it will fry the SD card.
Specifically the Eye-fi cards that have been around forever my buddy used to work tech support there and ppl would do this all the time even tho the box specifically states do not use any type of card adapter.

 

[scaminatrix]

I'd be worried about how hot it gets. My full size wi-fi card gets slightly hot (over 40 deg.C) so pack that into a tiny space and you get more heat.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Is it just me, or are companies releasing more and more technology based around the fact of uploading something to facebook and twitter with ease? As more of this stuff comes out, it just makes me realize how useless most technology is for me.

I rarely use instant messengers anymore, i dont use social media sites as I think they are fucking pointless beyond belief, and the only reason i would get a smartphone is for the instant internet factor if i needed to look something up and the built in GPS.

Is this what getting old feels like? Is this crap really targeted towards 12-20 year olds?

 

[Super XP]

Very interesting indead. Another plus for Toshiba. I also would have to agree with CrAsHnBuRnXp in regards to social media sites being completely pointless and brainless beyond belief.