Reiter's Camera Phone Report

Researchers develop software to use camera phone as computer mouse

“Researchers at two UK universities have developed prototype software which enables a camera phone to act like a 3D mouse and control a computer,” according to an article in “Camera Core.”

The researchers will present a paper about the software at the International Conference on Computer Vision Theory and Applications in Madeira, Portugal this month.  The cellular phone connects to a computer via Bluetooth and moving the phone moves the cursor on the computer.

The article says, “The user can interact with the computer both by movement and with the phone’s keypad.  The phone can be used to perform tasks such as selecting an image with a phone button, and then resizing the image by moving the phone either away from the screen to make it larger, or towards the screen to make it smaller.”

“Camera Core” says the researchers are exploring other applications, such as using a camera phone to interact with video advertisements.  The concept of moving cellular phones to control computers and other devices isn’t new.  I’ve read about research in this field for many years.

Broadcom's new processor offers 12 megapixels and 30 fps camcorder for 2009

Will a 12 megapixel camera phone with a high definition camcorder be available in 2009?  That’s a possibility based on a new BCM2727 processor from Broadcom, according to infoSync World.

The article says the processor will support “720p HD video with H.264 encoding and decoding, both high profile at 30 fps and supports all major video compression algorithms, including H.263, MPEG 4/2/1, and VC-1.  In addition to being capable of delivering a HD camcorder, it also provides an up to 12-megapixel digital camera.

“A HDMI port has also been incorporated, in order to connect smartphones to full-size HD televisions….

“The processor should also enable up to 60 hours of audio playback and 3 hours of HD camcorder capture time, however, in combination with cellular radios and processors, it's expected that the battery life will stay at the current real-world level.”

Yes, it’s possible

Whether this will occur in a couple of years, I don’t know, but I think it’s entirely possible.  I do know you can now buy a ten megapixel camera phone in South Korea.  So an extra two megapixels in two years won’t be a stretch.

As for a high definition video recorder, the new LG Viewty offers recording at 120 frames per second in addition to a five megapixel camera.

Engadget gets hands-on with T.I. prototype cellular phone projector

Engadget has gotten a look at a prototype of a cellular phone projector by Texas Instruments that enables images to be displayed on screens, tablecloths, walls, whatever (see left).  I like the idea and I think consumers and even business people will like it, too.

But the projector has a long way to go before it’s ready for a commercial launch.  As Engadget writes, “quality and brightness are certainly not ready for prime time yet; while the unit we saw used lasers as the light source, we're told that an LED-based model still in the lab offers significant improvements.”

I can see this as great fun for consumers and useful for business applications.  Obviously it has to offered at the right price and quality without adding much (if any) weight or bulk to cellular phones or destroying battery life.

A winning product

But think about being able to display your camera phone photos or videos anywhere.  Think about being able to display photos of your company’s products.

This looks like a winning product……assuming the conditions are met.

Samsung files two patents for possible games-, multimedia-oriented phones

From Gamesdog I see that Samsung has filed two patents for camera phones that seem to emphasize multimedia and games (see below).

Gamesdog notes that one patent is for “A wide display device and a sound system for providing a real-like game in the game mode are required.”  [Seems to be missing some words or grammar!]

Another patent is for “A portable communication terminal such as a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) phone, a game phone, a chatting phone, a camera phone, a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Layer-3 (MP3) phone, a cellular phone, a Personal Communication Service (PCS) phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a Hand Held Phone (HHP)….”

New York Times' Pogue likes iPhone's screen for photos, questions refresh rate

The New York Times' columnist David Pogue was able to play around with the Apple iPhone for about an hour and wrote a little bit about the camera.

Here's what he says, "I tried out the camera.  It was really cool to frame a shot using the HUGE 3.5-inch screen; it’s rare to find that big a screen on any camera.

"The refresh rate felt typical of a camera-phone to me, but Mr. Jobs said that it would be much smoother by the time the phone is done."

Other impressions

His overall impression of other aspects of the iPhone generally are positive.  However, typing when using the virtual keyboard is relatively slow (no surprise) and he's concerned about the speed of Cingular EDGE's network compared to the much faster WiFi capabilities.

He has good reason to be concerned.  If you want as snappy a response time as possible for downloading Web pages and uploading large files on a GSM network, you want HSDPA, not EDGE.

Cingular already has launched HSDPA in some major markets and more launches are on the way this year.

For a phone that's supposed to be revolutionary, EDGE is so 2004.  I suspect the European version, due at the end of this year will have HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the next version for the United States will have it as well.

Apple iPhone might be revolutionary, but perhaps definitely not for wireless imaging

Apple's new iPhone looks like a beautiful device and it could indeed be a revolutionary cellular phone (see left), but it certainly doesn't appear to be is not so hot from a wireless imaging standpoint.  Indeed, the iPhone could be is a wireless imaging disappointment in some respects.

One reason for the disappointment is that for such a high-end gee-whiz handset, the iPhone's camera isn't such a big deal.  It's two megapixels (see below right).  That's nice, and most camera phones in the United States are still VGA or 1.3 megapixels.

Two megapixel camera phones are rare in the U.S., but it's certainly not revolutionary.  Verizon Wireless for months has been offering a 3.2 megapixel camera phone.  For many users, the iPhone's two megapixel camera might be just fine.

This depends, however, on the quality of the image.  Resolution is just one criteria.  The quality of the components and software makes a huge difference.  I've seen some VGA camera phones that do as good a job as 1.3 megapixel handsets.

No flash or cover

In addition, from what I've seen of the phone and viewed of the specifications, there doesn't appear to be a flash.  Granted, most camera phone flashes are rather poor, but they can make a difference in low lighting conditions. 

Also, it's possible to use a more powerful flash in a camera phone, such as a Xenon flash, that does improve the brightness of the lighting.

Another problem -- although this isn't such a big deal -- is there doesn't appear to be any lens cover.  I'm sure there will be many, many cases for the iPhone that will cover the lens, but how easy will it be to take a photo in such a case?

Camera phone lenses can get dirty and scratched when they aren't protected.

No zoom

The iPhone doesn't have any zoom capability.  To be fair, the digital zoom is almost always useless.  Except in rare situations when you can't get closer to the subject and the digital zoom software is good, you're much better off using an image editing program to do the equivalent of zooming.

The iPhone could have included an optical zoom.  The Nokia N93 (that I have on my desk, courtesy of being in Nokia's blogger program) has a 3x optical zoom.

Optical zooms make camera phones a bit bulkier and more expensive, and Apple is very concerned about style.  An optical zoom would make the iPhone larger/thicker. 

But optical zooms are the future of camera phones.

Video recording?

In addition, I haven't seen any specifications that indicate the iPhone can record videos.  During his presentation yesterday at the Macworld Conference and Expo, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs spent no time discussing the camera's capabilities and said nothing about video recording.

It's possible the phone can record video and it's just not listed in the specs.  I sent an e-mail to two Apple public relations people asking for clarification, but I'm sure they're so busy that I'm unlikely to get an answer quickly.

If the iPhone doesn't have video recording capability, that's pretty pathetic.  With all the excitement about camera phone videos and, more importantly, the genuine value of being able to record videos, for the iPhone not to have that ability is ridiculous.

But since I don't know for certain, I'll just to wait for some official word yea or nay.

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Update: The iPhone cannot shoot video recordings.  This was confirmed to me via e-mail by an Apple analyst relations executive.

I am flabbergasted.  That's absolutely ridiculous.  I can't imagine why Apple would eliminate that feature -- a feature that is not only fun and useful to have now but one that is becoming increasingly important as the world realizes the value of the "citizen videographer."

Does Apple think it is too difficult for users to shoot video?  Does it think it's an unnecessary frill?

Impressive as the iPhone appears, its lack of video recording makes it a wireless imaging dud.

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EDGE versus HSDPA

There has been a lot of discussion about the fact that the iPhone -- at least the first version for the U.S. is based on Cingular's GSM EDGE data protocol, not its much faster HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access).

During Jobs' demonstration at Macworld, he used WiFi -- not EDGE -- to demonstrate some of the features, such as Web browsing.  It would have been quite interesting to see the crowd's reaction when Web pages loaded v-e-r-y s-l-ow-l-y via EDGE.

EDGE is fine for sending and receiving text e-mail and it's often not bad for downloading Web pages.  But for Web pages that are graphic-intensive, it can takes minutes for a single download.

WiFi

Sometimes I've canceled the download because it was unbearably slow or the browser couldn't "digest" the page -- something iPhone's bundled Safari browser  is likely to be much better at doing.

If you're at a WiFi hotspot, it's the fastest way to go.  It's also possibly the the cheapest way if you're at a free hotspot or pay a modest monthly fee for unlimited service, such as from Boingo or T-Mobile.

We'll have to see what Cingular (see below) charges for data access on the iPhone.  Currently, it has an amazingly large number of confusing data plans.

Asymmetric rates

EDGE, like other cellular data protocols, is asymmetric so the download speed is faster than the upload.  Uploading a large photo, for example, could take a while.

This will depend on a variety of factors, such as the amount of compression of the file in the handset before it's uploaded.  Also, files may be uploaded in the background while you're doing other things with the iPhone so you wouldn't notice uploading a single large photo.

Photo organization

The specifications of the camera notwithstanding, the iPhone's software seems really nice, that is, duh, only to be expected given Apple's excellence in software.  The main photo album menu is clear (see left), you can view 20 thumbnails of photos on the large screen (see right) and it's easy to scroll through the images.

Photos look great on the 3.5-inch screen that has a resolution of 320 x 480 at 160 pixels per inch.

In addition, the images automatically reorient to a landscape or portrait mode depending on whether the handset is held horizontally or vertically.  You can also zoom in on images by using your fingers with sort of a "pincer" motion -- opening or closing your fingers to zoom out or in.

The finger taps are indicated on the photos by the white circles you can see on the screen.

Any image editing software?

It's also very easy to select a photo to use as a wallpaper, including positioning the image left/right, up/down and to zoom it in and out (see left).  You can see exactly how the photo will look before you set it to be your wallpaper image.

I don't remember seeing anything in Jobs' presentation or on the Apple Web site about any image editing software bundled with the phone.  With Apple's existing excellent, easy-to-use image editing software, I'd hate to find out that some software isn't bundled with the handset for such tasks as removing red eye, cropping, exposure, contrast, etc.

iPhone = iWon't

While much of the rest of the world is slobbering over the iPhone -- a handset that I, too, really like from what I've seen -- I cannot recommend it (at least based on Jobs' webcast and reading the specifications) for those of you who care about wireless imaging.

A cellular phone that can't record video is a crippled device.

If you care about wireless imaging, the iPhone isn't for you (unless you want it as a second phone).  The Nokia Nseries and the high end Sony Ericsson handsets with 3.2 megapixel cameras, video recording capabilities and basic image editing software are far superior as total wireless imaging devices.

Also, wireless imaging (for me at least) also includes mobile television.  That's another subject.

I'll write more about the iPhone in the very near future.

Rumors continue Apple will offer iPhone with camera

Rumors continue to fly that Apple Computer will introduce at least one so-called iPhone with a camera.

Jesse Tortora, a Prudential Equity Group analyst, says Apple will offer two models:  A phone emphasizing music capabilities and a smartphone with greater messaging and video capabilities, according to an article in AppleInsider.  Both models would include a camera.

The first model will look more like an iPod that happens to include a phone and will incorporate a clickwheel.  The smartphone will feature a larger OLED screen and a sliding keyboard.

Both models will be GSM, he says.  The smartphone will work with the higher speed WCDMA.

What's the user experience?

Besides my obviously interest in the type of camera (resolution, photo and video recording?, etc.), I'm also very interested in the user experience.  One of the problems with camera phones is the difficulty of sending photos and videos.

Certainly many people can figure out how to do this.  But studies continue to indicate that sending images is too difficult.

If Apple is able to develop software that will make the camera phone experience easier -- such as sending, editing and organizing images -- it will do a great deal to further the growth of camera phones.

Sparking video recording/downloading?

The first iPhone will emphasize, as mentioned, music capabilities, not the camera.  It will be interesting to see the second phone (again -- not confirmed) with a larger screen "specifically designed for viewing downloaded movies and video clips," Tortora says.

Cellular operators need to do a much better job of marketing video recording as well as mobile television.  (I discuss much of that in my mobile TV weblog.)

The media examine the effects of camera phone videos of police actions

Recent actions by the police in the United States have been generating more publicity about the use of camera phone videos and the rapidity with which they can be viewed on the Web. 

Check out the Reuters article on ITnews.co.au and the article in The Guardian.

Reuters says, "Once regarded as a toy for rich teens, the ubiquitous camera cell phone is becoming a powerful community tool in the debate about police conduct.

"Some Los Angeles grass-roots groups are training citizens to use cameras, video mobile phones and the speed and Internet sites like YouTube to get their voices, and pictures, heard."

Cop Watch LA

Cop Watch LA (see above) established a Web site three months ago to monitor police abuses in Los Angeles.  Sherman Austin, a founder of the group, says in the Reuters article, "We urge everyone to have a camera on them at all times so if anything happens it can be documented.

"The concept of patrolling the police is something we are trying to push as a form of direct action."

(This is part of a larger mission, the Web site says.  It is "is just one arm of the larger movement that we are fighting to build against Imperialism, Capitalism, White Supremacy and Patriarchy - and for the space to determine our own political, economic and social organization, free from oppression and domination."  Reuters doesn't mention this.)

Inappropriate police activity?

Reuters reports that three videos show law enforcement officers beating a man, using pepper spray and using a taser.  (The incident of the taser -- where University of California, Los Angeles, police stunned an Iranian-American student in a library -- has become some of a cause celebre on the Internet.)

The Guardian discusses the rapidity of publicity in the age of the Internet and the camera phone/video camera:

"Home videos of police excess have been around for a long time -- it is 14 years since the Rodney King video sparked the 1992 riots -- but the means to distribute them to a mass audience has previously been in the hands of corporate media.

"That has now changed....

"Forget police oversight commissions and the bulky, lethargic bureaucracy of officialdom. 

"YouTube is up and running faster than a cop with a primed Taser, and it makes embarrassing viewing for Los Angeles law enforcement in all its guises."

The power of camera phones

The Guardian quotes a UCLA official telling the Los Angeles Times, "We will gather as many samples as we can find, from different sources.  We'll use it for our own administrative investigation."

The Guardian comments, "If that sounds like a promise to adopt the old routine of sweeping an investigation under the carpet, home video has the upper hand.  In the YouTube video of the UCLA incident, there are occasional glimpses of other students holding their mobile phones up to record the action.

"Reality has been brought to book."

Clueless naysayers

 

Ever since I've been writing this weblog (three years) I've been saying that cameras/video recorders in phones are a revolutionary technology.  Many people have shrugged them off as merely one more feature for cellular operators to make money by pushing poor quality photos and videos.

Even some cellular operators have been discouraged because MMS hasn't been raking in as much money as they hoped.  They buried themselves so much in next-quarter's spreadsheets that they didn't recognize the value of wireless imaging. 

Some short-sighted analysts (here and here) -- relying more on surveys and focus group rather than plain ol' perspicacity -- discounted the value of camera phones because they focused on the quality, capabilities and cost of "today" -- not "tomorrow."

Tomorrow is today   

Some analysts have failed to take into account not just technological progress that improves camera phone image quality, but also the potential societal effects of omnipresent wireless imaging.

The naysayers are wrong.  But even they are beginning to see the effects of a technology that enables consumers to document virtually everything that occurs around them and then let the world know about it.

"Tomorrow" is here.

Beyond stupid videos

Camera phones are more than just the mostly-moronic videos on video sharing sites like YouTube and the fuzzy photos of pets and high school parties on photo sharing sites.  There is wheat among chaff. 

Whether it's images of inappropriate police activity, terrorist bombings, military actions, student/teacher imbroglios, political gaffs, consumer activism, wanted criminals, automobile accidents, natural disasters or corporate incompetence, the effects of camera phones are being felt with increasing regularity.

And, even this is still the beginning of the wireless imaging revolution.  As camera phones morph into being able to stream live videos to the world and receive mobile television, the impact of wireless imaging will become even more pronounced. 

[Sent via TypePad wireless e-mail with RIM BlackBerry 8700g]

Flextronics to produce camera phones with H-P imaging techonology in 2007

Hewlett-Packard is licensing imaging technology to Flextronics for improving image quality in camera phones, according to an article CNET News, TheStreet.com and the company's press release (another unnecessary, memory-hogging pdf file).

Flextronics, the huge contract manufacturer of cellular phonnes (among many other products), is expected to produce camera phones with H-P imaging technology in 2007.  Flextronics manufactures cellular phones for such companies as Kyocera, Motorola and Sony Ericsson.

The H-P technology will be incorporated into camera phones of three megapixels and above as part of a five-year collaboration with Flextronics, according to CNET.

Three megapixels and better

CNET says, "HP currently includes the same technology in its own digital cameras.  The upshot is that the 3-megapixel shots taken with these tiny camera phones will be largely equivalent to the shots taken by digital still cameras. 

I certainly will be glad when a three megapixel camera phone photo is equivalent to that taken with a good digital still camera -- both outdoors and indoors.

CNET also says Flextronics and H-P will work to get cellular phone manufacturers to use other H-P features, such as "slimming down" a person's image after the photo is taken.

ABI says 75 percent camera phones in Japan, 52 percent in South Korea

ABI Research says camera phones and mobile television-enabled phones are helping to drive the growth of cellular handsets in Japan and South Korea, according to the firm's press release.

Based on its current research report ABI says camera phones in 2006 comprise about 75 percent of cellular phones in Japan and 52 percent in South Korea.

Andy Bae, an ABI senior analyst in Seoul, says in the press release, "Two megapixel camera phones with autofocus and zoom functions have started to outpace 1.3 megapixel models in Japan and South Korea.   Two and three megapixel phones will be mainstream by 2008.

"Five (and greater) megapixel models will dominate after 2010."

U.S. market

In the United States, I know, the overwhelming majority of camera phones on the street are VGA.   The sooner VGA dies, the better, as I've written many times before.

The 1.3 megapixel handsets will become mainstream in the U.S. in 2007.   So far, unfortunately, we're not seeing many two megapixel camera phones and only one 3.2 megapixel camera phone (from Verizon Wireless).

Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't seen more higher resolution -- two megapixels and better -- camera phones from Sprint.

GSM's advantage

In Asia a fair number of CDMA vendors, such as LG and Samsung, offer higher resolution camera phones.   In the U.S., though, there's a greater range of two megapixel camera phones for GSM networks from Nokia and Sony Ericsson. 

Nokia and Sony Ericsson camera phones produce some of the best photos.

Also, GSM's SIM card feature enables subscribers to purchase advanced, unlocked phones -- albeit at high prices -- for use over the network even if the cellular operator doesn't offer them.

Mobile TV growth

The research firm says almost 14 percent of cellular phones in South Korea support the mobile television protocol DMB (Digital Mobile Broadcast).  Electronics manufacturers are emphasizing T-DMB rather than S-SMB, ABI says. 

Bae notes that GSM HSDPA and CDMA 1xEV-DO Revision A in Japan and South Korea have "spurred mobile vendors to develop premium and high-end handsets to support video call and music track download services."

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