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802.11b Memory Stick for CLIE

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-got-no-strings-to-hold-me-down dept.

prostoalex writes "InfoSync talks about a new MemoryStick card with wireless 802.11b support. The launch date is Dec 1st, the price is $130." Update by J : It's for Palm OS 5 devices like the CLIE, and not made by Sony.

19 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Picture by r_glen · · Score: 4, Informative

    A picture of the card is here, which was developed by Hagiwara Sys-Com (and simply name-branded by Sony).

    1. Re:Picture by penguin7of9 · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think that comparison between the Bluetooth stick and the WiFi stick speaks for itself. What you don't see is that the WiFi stick will also suck your battery dry very quickly.

      WiFi makes little sense for PDAs--it's too big and too power hungry. If you really must have something like that, get one of the Enfora WiFi cases (search on Google), which at least includes its own battery.

  2. WiFi storage? by bobthemuse · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What I'd like to see is a WiFi memory stick which emulates local storage. Allows you to connect to and store your photos on a PC in range. If the power consumption and security concerns were addressed, professional photographers could transmit their photos to a nearby laptop, eliminating the need for a bulky storage device on the waist or frequently swapping memory cards.

    I wonder what such a thing would do for write times? I've been told that the delay between pictures on high-end digital cameras was due to solid state memory write times, would an 11mbit link solve this?

    1. Re:WiFi storage? by cloudmaster · · Score: 4, Informative

      I've found that my cameraapearently writes to an internal buffer and then copies from that buffer to the memory card. Moving to higher-speed cards hasn't affected the delay between shots (or tha maximum recoardable video size) because the buffer, I'm guessing, was designed with the speed of slower flash memory in mind.

      Do with that what you may, but the wireless "virtual file system" wouldn't help much in that case.

  3. Uses... by wed128 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    would this enable memory stick-enabled devices such as mp3 players or cameras to exchange data wirelessly, or allow you to use a memory stick without plugging it in...the former allows for quite interesting uses...

    for instance...use the 802.11 memorystick in your car for instant mp3s playing through your car stereo...walk inside and the song continues...

    no more need for the "kodak" style camera dock for instant picture posting to the internet, either.

  4. Oh the possibilities... by MoeMoe · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can see it now...

    Father: Hey son, come take a look at all the new pictures we took from our trip

    Son: Ummm, dad that may not be such a good idea.

    Father: Hmmmmm, there seems to be another memory stick in the area, it's probably from your mothers camera, let's have a look...

    Son: NO DAD DON'T!

    Father: Son, where did this picture of our dog taking a bong hit come from?

    Son: Ummmmmm.... it's moms camera, ask her...

    **Son runs off and moves out of the country**

    --
    Business \Busi"ness\, n.;
    A scam in which all people involved perceive as beneficial...
    1. Re:Oh the possibilities... by MoeMoe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      But there in lies the problem. How many people save passwords and other means of authentication for personal use into their local computers without giving any thought to what information may be derived from it when another person in the vicinity may gain access to said computer?

      --
      Business \Busi"ness\, n.;
      A scam in which all people involved perceive as beneficial...
  5. Very convenient... by zeux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wonder if we could use it as an identification device.

    You wlak to your door, it connects to the key, check you ID an open itself. Same for cars and so on.

    Also you could use it to exchange your contact information (phone number, address, etc) to someone who has another stick.

    --
    Iraq: war to save the U
  6. man. by mcpkaaos · · Score: 4, Funny

    With all these new wireless products for the home, I'm going to have to start wearing my tin foil hat indoors, too!

    --
    It goes from God, to Jerry, to me.
  7. What kind of DRM by Anonnymous+Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    crap is included? I wouldn't trust Sony any farther than I could throw them.

    1. Re:What kind of DRM by epall · · Score: 2, Informative

      Um, it's not a sony product. Thus, there's no DRM crap. This is a 3rd party trying to circumvent Sony's stranglehold on which CLIEs have WiFi.

  8. Excellent! by jarran · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fantastic for those of us who always lose things.

    If we could increase the speed of wireless networking by a few orders of magnitude, and invent wireless power, we could build entire computers this way. Imagine being able to upgrade your computer by buying a new CPU and just sticking it in your house "somewhere". :)

    Or even better, just swipe the spare cycles from the luser next door who forgot to check the "don't let my neighbours use my stuff" box.

  9. Re:Typical Sony by epall · · Score: 2, Informative

    Fortunately, Athena America (previously EruWare) had made a CF memory driver. Now, despite Sony's annoying attempt to cripple their CF slot, you can use CF memory cards!

  10. Wow, Sony's Memory Stick is still behind by Cecil · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So there have been SecureDigital cards which do this for awhile now, and CompactFlash cards for longer still.

    That's right Sony, keep dragging Memory Stick down the road in the hopes that you'll someday catch up to everyone else. It is possible -- you do have enough money to blow, right?

    Memory Sticks are retarded. Less features, smaller capacity, more price, harder to find. I'd never buy anything that uses them. Not that I care for SD cards either. There's nothing wrong with CF, it's in more devices, and it's large enough to have IBM Microdrives.

    --
    Random and weird software I've written.
    1. Re:Wow, Sony's Memory Stick is still behind by owlstead · · Score: 2, Informative

      and it's large enough to have IBM Microdrives.

      No it is not. You need a double thick CF slot to put a microdrive in. Besides, microdrives will be out of the picture it flash memory keeps scaling the way it does.

      Microdrives currently are only interesting for professionals. And even those would be carrying something to copy their digital photo's onto anyway.

      Note that every Sonly memory stick is priced about 30 euro's above comparable memory slot devices in NL. IMHO, they can stick it up ...

    2. Re:Wow, Sony's Memory Stick is still behind by GlassUser · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's also built on existing standards. SD is pretty open, but all by itself. Memorystick is propriety garbage. What I like about CF is that you can trace it directly through PC-card, IDE, and ISA - all you need are pinout converters. For example, you can plug a CF card into an IDE socket with just a dumb pin converter. Same thing for PC cards (of course, the average IDE controller only recognizes ATA mass storage, but oh well). The only problem is that it's soon going to be too slow to keep up well.

      --
      funny munging
  11. Short answer: no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Long answer: no, because BlueTooth uses much less power than 802.11b.

    Any other questions?

  12. Effective Range/Bandwidth? by xanthines-R-yummy · · Score: 2, Informative

    Tom's has an article detailing the poor range and dreaddully slow connection rates of the SD Wifi card. Anyone know if the memory stick is going to be plagued by the same problems? I can't imagine Sony will have solved them for "the stick."

  13. Re:Will Wi-fi kill Bluetooth? by ElGuapoGolf · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I know some Toyotas, some Audis, etc have bluetooth.

    And frivolous? Yeah, I guess if the idea of having your cellphone patch into your car's audio system sounds frivolous to you. I guess if the idea of not having people fumbling with phones as they drive down the parkway sounds frivolous to you. To me, it sounds like a pretty good idea.