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  • Author Author: Catwell
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Toshiba releases new FlashAir SDHC memory cards featuring wireless LAN

Catwell

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Toshiba’s FlashAir memory card. (via Toshiba)


In a world where Wi-Fi can be found incorporated into just about everything, it only made sense that Toshiba would incorporate it into their new line of SDHC memory cards. Their new 32GB SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) card features an internal LAN chip plus an antenna for Wi-Fi applications. The interesting thing about Toshiba’s new card line is that it allows users to access the Internet to share their photos while connected to FlashAir from any Wi-Fi source, such as wireless in-home routers. It does this using the company’s ‘internet pass-thru mode’, which can be used in digital cameras as well as smartphones and tablets. Users will no longer need to manually change their network settings to transfer photos or even email for that matter. According to Toshiba, the current line of FlashAir cards (not the newly released cards) can access the same wireless function by simply updating the card’s firmware, so there is no need to buy the updated line. Wi-Fi enabled SD cards are hardly new, as Pioneer has been running the show for those cards for a few years now with their Eye-Fi line of SD memory cards.

 

Pioneer’s Mobi and Pro X2 cards allow users to transfer their photos and videos instantly to their smartphones or tablets from their cameras. Unlike Toshiba’s cards, users install an app on their mobile devices and the card transfers content from cameras when detected. An interesting feature of Pioneer’s Eye-Fi line is that once the transfers are complete, the card disconnects itself from the Wi-Fi connection in order to save power. Both lines are great for those who love sharing their photos with friends and loved-ones on social networking sights like Facebook. I need this card for all the video I have been shooting lately...

 

C

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  • in reply to sqkybeaver

    Yeah.  It's really hard to make an antenna work if the total length of the device in question is less than half a wavelength.  A quarter of that wavelength can come from the ground (or really any piece of conductor that can act as half a dipole) of the host device.  I wonder if they use a tiny chip antenna or if they couple to another SD card line.  It seems to me the performance could be bad.

     

    I once wanted to transmit WiFi down a 20 foot pipe.  I had around 90dB of link budget, so I thought it would work even though the pipe diameter was < half a wavelength.  It didn't work at all.  90dB of isolation is hard to get if you're trying.  But that pipe provided it.  This card probably has about 0dBm out and -70dBm sensitivity.  Many things have plastic enclosures, so even if there's a 20dB cost due to coupling to metal around it, you still have enough budget to talk to something right next to you.

  • in reply to sqkybeaver

    That is left to the reseller. However, I doubt most devices will surround the FlashAir completely.

     

    C         

  • i'm not sure this will work at all in some devices, many SD card receptacles are well shielded and accept the whole length of the card and may act like a Faraday cage preventing it from being useful.

     

    will there be a "no question" return policy if it is incompatible with the device?