September 26th, 2008
Samsung develops NaBee Wireless USB solution for digital cameras
Cameras with built-in Wi-Fi haven’t been as plentiful as you might expect, considering the extra step it eliminates of either plugging the camera into a USB port or inserting the memory card into a slot in order to upload photos. But this week Samsung (along with chipmaker Alereon) announced a new wireless solution that it hopes will make more of an impact with the digital shutterbugs of the world.
Called NaBee (apparently Korean for “butterfly”), the solution uses Wireless USB technology to transmit images via a pair of dongles, one that connects to the camera’s USB port and the other to a port on a PC (or a printer). The Wireless USB standard supports theoretical speeds of up 480Mbps at distances of 10 feet and under, which is faster than the current maximum throughput of Wi-Fi, and even can transmit at 110Mpbs at a distance of roughly 30 feet. On the other hand, previously launched Wireless USB products have not fared well, so it’s a bit uncertain that NaBee will work exactly as advertised.
Nonetheless, Samsung hopes that NaBee can provide a viable alternative to Eye-Fi SD cards, which sport built-in Wi-Fi to transfer images. Pricing may determine how that plays out. Samsung has yet to announce what the NaBee package will cost, but the company says the product will be released in December.
Sean Portnoy spent several years as an editor at Computer Shopper magazine, most recently serving as online executive editor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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