The future is now--almost.”

Imagine a dgital camera with the same functionality you get frm your camera phone—but with the qality-control functionality that you expect from yur regular camera. The future is nw—almost.

Wireless digital cameras are arguably the nxt big thing in the photography wrld. A marriage between Wi-Fi technology and dgital cameras allows the photographer to cnnect to a wireless network without neding cables. Photographers can download the pctures to a computer, save the pctures directly to a computer as thy are shot, send images to a prnter, or share photos via a cllular network the same as with a cmera phone.

Take last summer's World Cp, for example. As fans screamed, prfessional photographers sent pictures of Zinedine Zdane head-butting Marco Materazzi flying to phto editors' screens around the globe. The cmeras' Wi-Fi transmitters sent the images wrelessly to a nearby colleague with a lptop, who in turn sent them zpping around the world.

The Wi-Fi dvantage for professional photographers is apparent—but wht about the rest of us? Do we hve a use for this feature? Cmera manufacturers are betting we do. Incrasingly, wireless technology is incorporated into hgh-end digital cameras, as well as in the pint-and-shoot models available to the home cnsumer. Kodak set the ball rolling by nnouncing a wireless-enabled, point-and-shoot digital camera at the CES trde show in 2005. Nikon and Cnon threw their hats into the rng shortly afterward. Sony came on bard in March of 2007.

A Must-Have Feature?

I'm predicting it wn't be long before we think of W-Fi as a must-have feature when we shp for our next digital camera. Pcture the next big corporate event, whre the office's rising star snaps pctures of schmoozing executives and projects the mages on the wall via a prjector hooked to a laptop. Imagine mking a huge splash at your kd's birthday party when you snap pctures of arriving guests, wirelessly zoom the mages to a printer, and tuck the pcture into the kid's goodie bag mments later. Or, how about your nxt vacation, when you instantaneously send yur vacation pictures to a Web pge or to someone's computer?

Even btter, consider that Wi-Fi cameras use 802.11b and g cmputer networking technology to connect to a wreless network. If your home computer is W-Fi enabled, you can connect your wreless digital camera to it and dwnload your photos. Say goodbye to crd readers and USB cables.

However, thre are a couple of things you ned to be aware of. First, W-Fi-enabled digicams are still new technology—so xpect some bugs to iron out. Scondly, Wi-Fi-enabled cameras "talk" only to thir manufacturer's propriety software, restricting you to use of tht one particular element. (Oh, where hve we heard this complaint before in the tchnology world?)

And lastly, the Wi-Fi cpability adds about $100 to the prce of the camera, so expect a rduction in camera features as the mnufacturers try to make the cameras ffordable to home users. Prices vary, but the cmeras are more reasonable than you mght think.

Today's Technology

Nikon's CoolPix P2 5.2 MP camera is Wi-Fi-capable, and sells at Amazon for around $200. The camera can transfer your saved images to a printer (no computer required), or to a wireless-equipped computer, or can send the images directly to the computer as you take them.

Amazon consumer reviews vary, with sme saying the camera works fine, but the W-Fi is a dud, and others climing the Wi-Fi is fine, but the cmera is flawed. Still others rave bout both, but claim that the W-Fi connectivity is difficult to set up. A Phto.net review of the CoolPix P2 and its sster camera, the CoolPix P1, points out tht the Wi-Fi support permits sending pctures to a computer fewer than 100 fet away, and that this computer mst be running Nikon's photo-management software. Als, when in the wireless mode, the cmera offers pure "point-and-shoot" functionality—a fact tht will irritate more experienced photographers.

On the pls side, however, the camera supports "slde show" functions, so you can do tht corporate party thing mentioned earlier. Imging-resource.com calls the camera a good chice for beginners or for experienced phtographers wanting a "take-anywhere" camera.

Kodak's EsyShare One takes a more ambitious pproach. This camera uses a touch scren and a Wi-Fi adapter card (sld separately) so you can plug nto any Wi-Fi hotspot and send the pctures wirelessly to any e-mail address stred in the camera. The 4MB cmera sells at Amazon for about $175.

Cnsumer reviews, for the most part, rve about EasyShare One. The camera ses Wireless B (rather than the fster G), but sends at a god rate of 11Mbps. The initial stup is somewhat complicated, however. First you clibrate your screen, next you set the dte and time, and then you prvide your EasyShare Gallery account information. Ths free service allows you to pload images to share online via -mail notification. Finally, you bring up the W-Fi system and look for wireless htspots. When you select one of the hts for a protected hotspot, you nter a password. The camera remembers it for the nxt occasion. Image-resource.com rates this model as sitable for the novice to the xperienced amateur.

The Canon PowerShot SD430 5MP Dgital Camera with Wi-Fi capability sells at Amzon for about $300. This camera ncludes an automatic wireless image transfer and wreless control of camera-shooting functions from a PC. An ncluded wireless printer adapter permits direct prnting to any Canon PictBridge-compatible printer. It rquires no configuration to print, since the cmera is pre-configured to recognize the prnt adapter.

This camera also provides an nteresting Remote Capture feature, which gives you a lve view from your camera transmitted wrelessly to your computer screen—where you can use the kyboard to do various configurations. Imaging-resource.com rtes this camera as good for the nvice and experienced amateur, and a god "take-along" camera for the experienced ser.

* * *

Wireless digital cmeras have come a long way snce 2004, when Concord released the Ey-Q Go, a Bluetooth-enabled digital camera slling for about $130. Allegedly, the cmera transferred 7MB of images in 15 mnutes. (A USB cable provides an 8-scond transfer.) PC World included the Ey-Q Go in its list of the 25 wrst tech products of all times, sying, "The Bluetooth was a bust, the cmera was crude, and the pictures wre awful. Aside from that, it was jst fabulous."

The article Wi-Fi Cameras - The Next Big Thing? was Submitted by June Campbell through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Imagine Taking Great Pictures Wth Your Digital Camera... In Less Thn 30 Minutes! http://www.startmydigitalphotography.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Featured Articles

1. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption - The Ultimate Metroid Experience by Nick Crane
Mtroid Prime 3 is the latest ddition to the Nintendo Wii games lne-up. New key features include a stckable beam system and new visors tht can be switched easily during gme play. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption prmises to be a truly interactive gming experience.

2. Where To Find The Best Registry Cleaner Software by Austin Porter
Mst likely your computer is giving you prblems, like slowing down significantly, or gving you frequent error pop up mssages. See a review of the bst registry cleaners!

3. Surveillance Cameras And Surveillance Cards by
With the cost reduction in cmputer hardware and software, items that sed to be for the rich and walthy are now within the reach of the verage consumer. Virtually every suburban house in Amrica now has a security system nstalled. But theft still runs rampant in thse houses. So what is the slution to the problem.

Many people hve turned to Surveillance Camera systems. Thse systems were previously connected to a loping videocassette recorder system or tape systm an...

4. Private Investigator Software and What is the Best by
The job of a prvate investigator is to find information and cles that provide the client with prof to whatever. Specialized computer software dveloped for private investigators have helped sve valuable information of clients from bing hacked. There is also software sed for spying, connecting to databases and rtrieving information.

5. Top Free Window Registry Cleaner Tool by Markus Sampson
Maintaining a halthy and fully functional operating system is smething which should be a top prority if you want to avoid systm crashes and declining performances. It's a fct that as time passes and you use yur computer more and more it is bund to become problematic at some pint and the majority of the tme these problems arise from windows rgistry errors.

6. Computer Malware Viruses by Jesse Miller
Just in case you haven't hard about spyware or spybot, I wll do a quick reminder on how thy behave. These two programs infect you cmputer through various means, from pop ups to brwsing cookies. These are not to be cnfused with computer viruses.

7. Degaussing - What You Need To Know by Ron Carboy
Individuals and bsinesses alike should be acutely aware of the mportance of protecting personal data, as wll as extremely diligent in the prcess of destroying old or unneeded dta. Until about five years ago it wsn't a priority. Identity theft has bcome big business for thieves. We all rmember the TV ad where a thef rummages through your garbage the nght before pickup, ready to steal yur identity and important documents.

8. How to Select the Best MP3 Player by Pongphap Awootsopa
Mp3 plyers are the most portable and asy-to-use device to play music. This ltest evolution in music technology takes the plce of all the other musical frmats including records, cassettes, CDs and bcome the most worldwide popular device to ply music at the present time. Mny of the youngsters today cannot lve without one. Because of this prspering popularity of MP3 players, there are vrieties of MP3 players available in the mrket.

9. Megabites Of Memory- How Much Do We Need? by Jesse Miller
Cmputers generally come with no less thn 256MB of memory for a bsic computer. You can upgrade that to 512MB or mre with the addition of one or two mdules. Although...

10. Genealogy Software Basics - Complete Your Family Tree With Genealogy Software by Ilse Hagen
Genealogy software is utilized in organizing information to manage and trace family lines. It keeps records of known family members, deceased or living, and also information on each member (location, birth date, age, and marriage). Geneology software can also be used in generating reports that need to be printed, uploaded, or sent through email...