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Wifi Camera Uploads without Computer
* * Beatles-Beatles writes to tell us NewsDay is reporting that Kodak has released the first "computer-free wireless camera." The new widget can connect directly to the Internet wherever there's Wi-Fi available to download and e-mail pictures. Users can even use the camera to view photos stored in Internet photo albums via Kodak's Easyshare Gallery service.
Your cellphone has a multi-mega pixel resolution and doesn't require a service plan? Wow.
Apple made a product that seemlessly connects users to their online service, and iTunes as I understand it, and I'm guessing as a result, has a 90% marketshare of online music sales. Though the ability to "view photos stored in Internet photo albums via Kodak's Easyshare Gallery service" without a computer involved is an untapped market, you can expect other companies to follow Kodak's lead. But, in addition to having a great brand, Kodak will dominate this new market largely because they got there first. From the article: "Cameras, I believe, are moving from the wired world towards the wireless world," said Lee, director of consumer services at InfoTrends. "It's not going to happen this year but, starting next year, you're going to definitely see some more cameras coming that incorporate wireless-transfer capabilities."
The provided URLs don't say whether it allows FTP upload, so I'd say no.
Ahh, businesses always thinking about the users, by leaving out obvious features so that they can sell services that provide those missing features.
and e-mail pictures
When will people understand that SMTP isn't a file transport medium?
bash$
Does it support WPA? WEP? If it doesn't it's not even worth it.
Nikon's D2X, the holy grail of cameras, can upload wirelessly via ftp when in range. All I'm seeing in the article is that the camera forces you to use some service that they offer, something more annoying than straight up FTP. Nothing to see here. What am I missing?
Coming from a country where major riots and civil disturbances have flared up several times in a decade, and where the electoral process in certain areas is inflected with violence, this may be a very positive development.
:)
Visual documentation of violence, including street violence, is something that is very powerful in these circumstances. A network of WiFi cameras that connects to a battery-powered wireless switch(es) could turn this into an extremely powerful journalistic tool.
Journalists, especially some very courageous ones, have had their (expensive) equipment seized and smashed - even by the police. In effect, the very act of powerfull and provocative reportage causes the reportage to be fuitless. A couple of cheap wireless cameras clipped onto someone's lapel or mounted in places where there is a clear field of view could provide (highly incriminating?) video data even upto the moment the cameras were destroyed.
And think of the possibilities for exposing corruption. If you were to go to, say, a police station where you knew a bribe would be demanded of you, with the intent of secretly filming the proceedings, you'd be banking on the camera remaining undetected and being able to take the recording away with you. With a WiFi camera broadcasting to an Internet-connected laptop(s) across the street, things change quickly
Cheers,
Aniruddha "Karim" Shankar
I've got a Sony SNC-RZ30 at work since two years and it has got wireless, smtp, ftp, web and alarm capabilities... See it here
Kodak thinks it has found a solution to plumetting revenue as everyone in the world suddenly goes digital. If everyone in the world pays five bucks a month rent^H^H^H^Hservice charge then even after T-Mbile takes a slice, Kodak are going to be happy unies once again. And of course you have these Kodak branded print kiosks as well.
I can't see it working myself, both for the reasons you describe, and for the fact that after paying $600 for the damn thing, I;d be anoyed to have to pay $5 a month to keep it working.
Especaially since the damn thing doesn't seem to have an option to talk to my computer direct. To say nothing of all the folks who already pay T-Mobile or similar for basically the same service for their phones...
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
Front page /.
"A hack firmware hack has been published that enables a person with a kodak wireless camera to specify the photo uploads to multiple websites, not just the Kodak easyshare gallery. Streaming video features have also been enabled."
The living room of an unspecified porn star:
"Wow! This is the seventh camera I've recieved today!"
"Common sense will be the death of us all"
One problem at demonstrations is that the cops attempt to seize and destroy images (video/cameras) made by people there attempting to document abuses by the cops.
This would solve that problem -- realtime uploading of the images to a location where the cops can't get them.
This doesn't apply to America, where cops are all lawful and good (/sarc) -- but rather, to countries that have repressive governments and no free exchange of information.
http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_
Wouldn't a camera that could upload pictures be more useful? Sorry to be pedantic but this is Slashdot we're talking about.
Well, with $5000 for the camera and $500 for the wireless addon, I don't think the target audiences for the D2X and the kodak product don't overlap.
The D2X is one heck of a camera, and if I ever get the money I'll replace my D70 with one...
It...really... annoys me.
With a camera that can email or post photos to a website, its just another reason not to get a PC (for some people).
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
true, most of the hi-end cell phones are capable of doing this; but, we are talking about a digital camera here -- 4 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, etc. (if i am not mistaken) the highest resolution you can get from a built-in cell phone camera is 2.
You're not missing anything.
Canon's EOS 1Ds Mark II and 20D cameras do Wireless + FTP Uploading too, given the appropriate wireless adaptor (WFT-E1, for both of them).
Note for anyone fact checking: The Canon EOS 20D needs a firmware update (free) to support the WFT-E1, but otherwise works fine on wireless.
The parent poster had already said: infiltrate the cameras and some battery-operated hotspots. The cameras, policeman can see and seize and smash. The hotspots will be connected to the Net (via GPRS for instance) and will be invisible to the Man.... and even if found and seized the damage would have been done already.
It's not "simpler" not "equally effective" to have "runners" getting memory cards. Supposedly a wi-fi camera has the option to upload immediately each foto after taken.
It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
Am I the only one that thinks an access point that fakes an Easyshare connection could be fun? It would not only give you the pictures currently uploaded but also access to the rest of the user's Easyshare galleries. Who would have thought sharing would be *that* easy?
On se Internetz nobody noes your German.
Dlink has had WIFI equiped video cameras with built in FTP to send stills to an Internet server for over a year now.
When digital loomed as a threat, they held a big strategy meeting, and they brainstormed, and came up with the conclusion "digital is a passing fad", sat on their hands and waited for the market to return to film. Their accounts are significantly worse now, for obvious reasons.
This may be the first WiFi camera but it's not the first camera that can upload images without a computer.
Sony has had bluetooth enabled cameras that can connect to the net and upload images if you have a bluetooth cell phone for 2-3 years now. (no computer needed)
And of course all the cellphones with camears built in do it just fine without a computer including the 7 megapixel samsung.
Woooooo whoooooo! A Canon vs. Nikon flamewar on Slashdot!
Might refine that search. A $1,900 EOS-1 is a film, not digital, camera. EOS-1 series DIGITAL cameras are the 1D, 1Ds, 1D MII, and 1Ds MII.
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.