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camera phone posts

Casio Exilim CA003 and CA004 uncloaked in KDDI au's winter lineup

KDDI au's unleashing its winter lineup, and among them sits Casio's latest cameras phone, the 12.17 megapixel Exilim CA003 and 8 megapixel CA004. The higher-tier former boasts a 28mm wide angle lens with 3x optical zoom and autofocus, and a 3.3-inch WVGA OLED screen. It'll also shoot a quick burst of 20 pics per second when you need to capture the exact moment and aren't exactly sure when that is. Other amenities include microSDHC card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio, and a handful of color options. Not wanting all that horsepower? The CA004 has smaller resolution shots, support up to 2GB microSD, and a 3.1-inch WVGA OLED screen, but is otherwise touting the same features. Akihabara News has some hands-on shots of the beaut you might wanna check out, unless you're the type who gets violently jealous by phones that aren't hitting American soil.

[Via Engadget Japan]

Read - KDDI au lineup
Read - CA003 / CA004 hands-on

Advasense and Creative Sensor invent world's smallest 5MP AF camera module


We know it sounds crazy, but there actually will be more than just new handsets at Mobile World Congress next week. In fact, both Advasense and Creative Sensor are planning to showcase the world's smallest 5 megapixel AutoFocus camera module at that very conference. The ASIO is a 5 megapixel, quarter-inch optical format, 1.4u FCP CMOS Image Sensor, which is incorporated into CSI's Compact Camera Module (which measures just 8.3- x 8.3-millimeters) in order to fit right into your next handset. There's no word yet on which mobile manufacturer(s) plan on placing the imager within their next crew of phones, but you can bet that representatives from both companies will be wheeling and dealing in Barcelona.

[Via I4U News]

Aptina producing cellphone image sensor that shoots HD video

It sounds like your camera phone's video capabilities may get exponentially more awesome in the near future. Aptina -- a division of Micron that manufactures one out of every three sensors for mobile phone cameras -- has announced the high resolution 5 megapixel MT9P013. There are better sensors out there already, but this one will also be able to record 720p HD video at 60 frames per second, and 5-megapixel video at 15fps. The sensor is going into production in January of 2009, according to Aptina, so it shouldn't be too long before we start seeing much better quality amateur films out there in the world.

[Via SlashGear]

Scalado demonstrates zero-lag cellphone camera


Great news for all you aspiring paparazzi -- it looks like someone has finally figured out how to eliminate that nasty camera phone shutter lag. By sending image data directly to the camera's display and capturing it as a modified SpeedTagged JPEG when the time comes to immortalize that precious moment (or romantic indiscretion), the Scalado Camera Solution not only takes nigh-on instantaneous photos, but also provides high quality, real-time preview, pan and zoom. With several camera phone sensor and module manufacturers (including Aptina, OmniVision Samsung, and MtekVision) already on the SpeedTags tip, it looks like that laggedy old camera phone may soon be a thing of the past. Don't believe us? Take a look at the demo video yourself. It's after the break.

[Via Slashphone]




Sony Ericsson gets official on the W910 and K850


For you Walkman / Cyber-shot buffs out there who've been dying to get your hands on some new phoneage -- look no further. The Sony-Ericsson dreamteam have just announced the official release of two of its new mobile phones sure to have player haters... um, player hating. The W910, which we took a look at back in June, apparently has music-playin' on its mind, though with HSDPA, a 1GB Memory Stick, and its "shake" feature (which allows you to jostle the device to switch songs or randomize playback), you might find other uses for it. If you're more of an Ansel Adams-type, you can get your mitts on the K850, a camera-minded phone that's got a considerable 5-megapixel camera (with a Xenon flash / video light), has more of that beloved HSDPA, and can do 30fps video -- if that's your thing. Both of these sweet babies will be available in "selected markets" this month, no word on price.

New cameraphone feature to help deter muggers


Living in a large metropolis has its drawbacks and crime is one of them. Chances are pretty good that you know someone who has been a victim of a mugging; if not, you have certainly read about it. In this new age of technology, your cellphone may be your latest line of protection. A new patented system would equip camera phones with a panic button; in times of distress, the camera is pointed up at the assailant and the panic button is pressed. Pertinent information such as your location, the picture of the attacker are stored on a server for later use by the police. Now, if we can just get those pesky muggers stop and say 'cheese' for us.

[Via Textually.org]

The N93 and K800 shootout for best camera quality

There's an old saying that the best camera is the one that you have with you, and it's no surprise to see the camera phone phenomenon take off so rapidly within the last half-decade since everyone seems to carry their phone with them. Until recently, the convenience of a camera with your phone has distracted people from the generally low quality output that camphones produce, but now that Sony Ericsson has stuck the CyberShot brand onto the K800, and Nokia has produced the N93, a phone that has a distinctly camcorder style design, consumers are expecting more from their shooters. Luckily for us, Fosfor Gadgets has compared the quality of the pictures from these flagship camera phones so that we don't have to. The verdict is that both have good cameras, but the K800 comes on top thanks to a decent flash, better output (less noise, more detail), and a simpler camera mode (just pull back the lens cover). The N93 has the advantage of a 3x optical zoom where the K800 has none, but the camcorder style design is cumbersome, and the absence of a flash makes it unusable at parties -- which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how much you want to regret in the morning.




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