Sony Launches MSJ-X8G 8GB Memory Stick With Transfer Jet

One of the reasons I tend to stay away from Sony digital cameras and other gear is not only because it tends to cost more than similar gear form competitors, but because Sony tends to use proprietary formats. Take its digital cameras for instance, most of them store to Memory Stick storage cards rather than the more standard SD or SDHC cards.

That makes buying storage for Sony cameras more expensive that for other brands. Sony has announced a new Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo storage card with Transfer Jet that sounds a lot like the Eye-Fi line of SD cards that has been on the market for a while now.

Transfer Jet technology was unveiled at CES and allows compatible products to automatically sync and transfer photos and videos at speeds up to 560Mbps. That means you can use your compatible notebook to connect to your Sony camera with the new Memory Stick and send the photos directly to the notebook without having to connect any wires. Eye-Fi still has a leg up on the device because Eye-Fi can upload directly to the web and many photo sharing sites. The new Transfer Jet storage card is available for pre-order and set to ship February 2 for $99.99.