Eye-Fi Wi-Fi Memory Card Review Plus Chance To Win

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of EyeFi. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes things get just simple enough that they never get done, and it takes a while before we get that final step that actually makes things as easy and convenient as it takes to make sure they happen. In the world of digital pictures, this is where Eye-Fi comes in. When you’re in the store picking out a digital camera, it all sounds so simple… and it is actually. You’ve got your little cable, plug it into a USB port, and a few minutes later (and possibly a choice or two) you’re done.

Somehow, that simplicity has translated into the same state of affairs as when I used to have film in the refrigerator, and couldn’t remember what was on it. Digital cameras open so many possibilities, and are convenient in so many ways, that it manages to oftentimes add up to things not happening.

One problem, humans being who they are, is that you’re unlikely to ever need to get the pictures off your camera. You’ve got room for hundreds more, unless you already have months and months of pictures still on there, and then you’re definitely a victim of the problem. On the other side of the coin for us humans, it only take a couple of minutes, and anything that only takes a couple of minutes never makes it onto the calendar. If you can do it anytime, then it’s always the thing that gets pushed back and forgotten.

It’s really the strangest thing, but I remember I used to have a digital camera that used 3.5″ floppies for storage, and it was a little bit of a pain by comparison, but it always got done. I had to get the pictures off the discs, because they only held 10-15 pictures each, so it was either buy a huge box of discs, or I wasn’t taking more pictures. It was also a bit of a project, and time had to be set aside to get it done. With my new camera, it’s all easier to do, and I’ve got pictures from my kid’s birthday last June still sitting on my camera.

As we all know, simply getting the pictures is only the beginning when it comes to the great possibilities these days. You don’t have to send prints to family and friends anymore. A few clicks, and a couple of minutes, and your pictures are available online through a wide variety of online sources where the people you want to share with can see them, and even make their own prints. One more step, and one that frequently falls by the wayside, and when it doesn’t the pictures find their way there weeks or months after whatever special time is in question.

Eye-Fi solves all these problems by making storage and sharing so simple that you can hardly avoid getting it done. It’s a memory card that is itself Wi-Fi enabled, and after a quick and easy setup, everything you want to happen to your pictures is taken care of automatically.

Your Eye-Fi comes in a USB reader which you plug into your computer. Give it a few moments to setup software and so on, and then you are guided through the process of connecting to your wireless network. Once you’re connected, the setup screen will ask you to remove the memory card from the reader, put it in your camera, and take a picture. The picture will show up on your computer, and you’re done. That’s it. From now on, all you have to do is be in range of your network and turn your camera on, and your pictures will be stored in dated files.

The Eye-Fi manager gives you the option of connecting to all your favorite online sites for sharing pictures and video, and once you set that up, your pictures will automatically be uploaded to those sites as soon as you get them on your computer. In fact, if you have an SDHC capable camera, your computer doesn’t even have to be on to get the pictures to your sharing websites.

At first glance, this may seem like a solution looking for a problem to a lot of people, but if you’ve got pictures sitting on your camera that have been there for months, or even weeks, this is a remarkable product that really harnesses the power of the digital age. Days is too long when you’ve got the option. If you’re taking holiday or other pictures at home, you can be sharing them virtually in real time, and if you have loved ones across the country, that’s a pretty amazing idea.

Sure, for the very tech savvy, this comes down to a question of getting it done yourself. Make the time. Frankly, that sounds good to me too, but there the pictures sit in my case. But, does anyone else have anyone that asks them to do the picture transferring? I do. For some people, what seems incredibly simply and straight-forward to those of us in the know, is really rather a hassle.

This is a really solid product that works a charm, and I strongly recommend you check it out for yourself, or someone that you know could really benefit from the advantages. Eye-Fi cards are available up to 4GB.

Check out a quick video below to see it in action.

Now, here’s the really big news.

Eye-Fi is giving away 12 of their cards, and you can get your chance to win right here.

Leave a comment on this post, and you are entered. You must include your email address in the field provided to be entered (there is no need to include it in the public comment). You can also use Twitter to send a Tweet about Eye-Fi - include hashtag #eye-fi and a link to this post, and that will also count as an entry. Please see the official contest rules here.