Crave TV: Sony TransferJet is like USB -- but wireless
TransferJet lets you send files from a digital camera or MP3 player directly to your PC simply by putting the two near each other -- it's wireless witchcraft
Sony has been showing off some funky work-in-progress technology called TransferJet. It's a system that allows you to transfer files from your digital camera or MP3 player directly to your PC simply by putting the two in close proximity -- no cables are necessary.
Geeks will recognise this as near-field communication (NFC) technology, but to the rest of us it's witchcraft. Sony demonstrated it using a modified Vaio TP Media Center PC equipped with a TransferJet contact pad, and a modified Sony camcorder, also equipped with TransferJet technology. When the user places the camera within 30mm of the PC, the system recognises that you want to establish a connection, and the rest is history. There are no passwords to worry about, no searching for a wireless network, and no manual pairing.
TransferJet has a pretty high sustained throughput of up to 375Mbps, which is fast enough not only to transfer still images, but also to stream high-definition video and audio without hiccups. The maximum theoretical transfer speed is 560Mbps, which knocks USB's 480Mbps into a cocked hat.
TransferJet can be built into a PC at the time of manufacture, or added later via a USB transfer pad. Just connect the add-on to an existing machine, grab yourself a TransferJet-equipped Sony Walkman, digital stills camera or camcorder, and away you go.
There's no word on when the system will come to market, if at all, but we reckon it's only a matter of time before consumers start kicking down Sony's door demanding its release. -Rory Reid