The power gird of the future

参考：http://www.guardian.co.uk/smart-revolution/the-power-grid-of-the-future#

Eye-fi Launches 8GB Wireless SD Card with Direct Mode for iOS & Android Right Behind

Eye-fi is launching a new 8GB SD card called Eye-Fi Mobile X2 that takes advantage of the Direct Mode capability announced at CES 2011. With the new higher capacity wireless SD card photographers can instantly and automatically transfer their full-resolution photos from their camera directly to a Wi-fi enabled iOS or Android device so long as the device has the app running.

The SD card is a fast class 6 SDHC card fast enough to keep up with most digital cameras on the market today, even if they are shooting in burst mode. The built-in Wi-fi capability supports 802.11n networks for fast wireless transfer. The new direct Wi-Fi transfer mode will be much faster than the old model of uploading to a web page and then downloading to the computer.

I have an Eye-fi card and have been frustrated because I cannot use it at a hotspot that uses proper security. My card cannot communicate with my computer due to the Wi-Fi security in place. Ninety-nine percent of the time that is a good thing because it also means that a criminal at the next table is going to have a hard time connecting to my laptop too. You can pay for the Eye-Fi hotspot service for an extra $30/year if you don’t have an X2 card already. But that won’t help with hotspots that have a click-through page. A click-through page is the page that loads when you first log onto many Wi-Fi hotspots. It requires you to click a log-on button or link. With Direct Mode, I can bypass the Wi-fi at the hotspot altogether. I can also connect directly even if there is no hotspot or Wi-Fi nearby.

To use Direct Mode you will have to have an Eye-Fi X2 card and a supported device that runs either iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) or Android. The apps will be available in their respective stores.

The 8GB Eye-Fi Mobile X2 is be $79.99 available for order at Amazon and will be in Best Buy stores on April 17. TheEye-Fi Pro X2, which has geotagging, support for RAW files and an 8GB capacity, will drop in price from $150 to just $99.99. All previously available X2 cards will support the new Direct Mode with a forthcoming firmware update which should be out this week.

Check out our review by editor Josh Smith at Notebooks.com of the previous generation 8GB Eye-Fi X2 card.

In the video below an Engadget editor talks to an Eye-fi representative who explains the new Direct Mode.

参考：http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/04/12/eye-fi-launches-8gb-wireless-sd-card-with-direct-mode-for-ios-android/

TABLETS QUICKLY BECOMING THE NEW TV

As if the Cable TV companies didn’t have enough to worry about, there comes a new global survey to suggest that tablets are rapidly becoming the entertainment device of choice ahead of televisions and PCs. The survey, conducted by Google Mobile, found that 77% of those asked reduced usage of their PCs after buying a tablet computer. Of that 77%, 43% say a tablet has replaced their computers altogether. Additionally, a full 1/3 of those surveyed stated that they use their tablets more often for entertainment than their televisions. Further, 84% state they use their tablets to play games.

The results of the global survey only underscores what we already knew … that mobility and choice of when to watch what we want has been pushing the industry for awhile now. And with more people “cutting the cable” and getting rid of cable TV and satellite in favor of streaming television solutions via the Internet, the need to keep an open internet is even more vital. Viewers are turning to online portals such as Hulu, Netflix, and even Amazon to rent movies and TV Shows to what when they want. And iTunes shows no signs of slowing down with video downloads.

Hollywood has been keen to pick up on the trend, offering digital copies of movies with DVD purchases. But if these numbers truly hold, that measure was nothing more than a stop gap at best and as tablets become more popular and cheaper, the number of people using them as their primary entertainment tool will certainly climb. Then again, TV sales were brisk the last few years as America underwent the digital TV turnover. And when it comes right down to it, would users rather watch the Super Bowl on their tablet or that 60″ plasma in the living room? Guess it depends on if you’re home.

参考：http://androidcommunity.com/tablets-quickly-becoming-the-new-tv-20110410/