I was watching ‘The Gadget Show’ last night, and a particular gadget took my eye. It’s the Eye-Fi. A wireless SD card which automatically uploads any photos on it to either a PC or the internet (such as TweetPic or Flickr).

It’s a great idea – with one minor issue: Naughty photos (such as drunk office snaps) would be automatically uploaded when you return home after a night on the smash! The Gadget Show team brought this up. Could the software be altered so that it adds a simple interface to cameras, allowing you to select the photos you want to upload. It’s a balance between efficiency and safety.

Running with this idea of Wi-Fi enabled SD cards, could an idea be implemented so that they automatically download data? Could this be run alongside version admin software and possibly user access control to give up-to-date files and data from an FTP or server?

It’s a great idea, and I think it will do well. With some good ideas behind the concept it could be the next step in mobile data storage!

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Car Technology

On November 26, 2009 in New Technology.
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There has been technology in cars for years; ABS, Electric Mirrors, Traction Control etc, but I want to talk about the more obvious, yet somewhat less featured tech in modern cars.

I have recently brought a new car – the Ford Fiesta Titanium. I added on the ‘Technology Pack’, which included some nifty features.

Keyless entry is the first feature that’s included, and is brilliant! No more fumbling for your keys, just press a small discreet button on the door handle when the keys are within range and the wing-mirrors unfold and the car unlocks. The same can be done when leaving the car, and the wing-mirrors re-fold!

The start/stop button is the next feature, and ties in with keyless entry well. Presuming the keys are in the car a simple press of this button will start up the engine. It feels much more digital than the conventional turning of a key, and is becoming more and more popular in upcoming cars!

Now we get onto the good stuff: Built in Bluetooth and USB ports! You can plug in an external HDD, an iPod or anything with a USB connection and play music through the head-unit! What’s even better though is connecting an iPhone to the Bluetooth, which not only allows direct calls through the speakers and built in microphone but also music to be played via the iPhone wirelessly! It’s a brilliant new feature and should be incorporated into more cars, especially with the popularity of the iPhone!

Technology in cars gets a lot of stick for distraction of teenagers and the reason that there are so many accidents each year. Understandably it does have some correlation, but the technology shouldn’t be to blame. The advancements in modern tech means it makes more and more sense to incorporate gadgets into the auto-trade, an industry which has long been in need of some good old fashion (brand new) technology!

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