Posts in Digital Cameras
What goes in, must come out
Damian Koh | Jun 26, 2006
Honey, I shrank my camera sensor. Okay, we lied, but OmniVision didn't. The Californian company announced recently what could probably be the world's first 1/18-inch camera sensor in the market.
The chip measures 2.1 x 2.3mm and could be used in disposable cameras for medical applications such as intubation and diagnostic systems, making it less invasive for patients. According to Hasan Gadjali, vice president of Advanced Products for OmniVision, a 1/12-inch CCD is the next closest thing comparable with its chip.
While we probably won't see this image sensor in action on the operating table, it's good to know once in a while what goes inside our body when we're sedated with general anaesthesia.
Pzzt. Your camera's dead
Damian Koh | Jun 19, 2006
Movie pirates may have to start looking for alternatives because the guys at Georgia Institute of Technology have come up with a prototype that could disable digital cameras in a given area.
All that's required are a few easily available equipment: Camera-mounted sensors, lighting, a projector and computer. What the system does is to look for the reflectivity and shape of image sensors used in digicams. Digital SLRs are spared for the moment due to their flip-up mirror which protects the CCDs/CMOS sensors. But, hey, who brings a dSLR to record a movie?
According to Gregory Abowd, an associate professor leading the project, the product could prevent espionage photography in government buildings, industrial settings or tradeshows. A more likely application would be to prevent movie piracy when people sneak digicams/videocams into cinemas to record movies for illegal distribution.
Once the system detects a video camera in the vicinity, it would flash a thin beam of visible white light to overwhelm the sensors, thus disabling the offending unit. Nice one, but we're just a little concerned about light flying around everywhere though they'll probably use laser in the commercial versions. Ouch.
Charge it up, baby
Damian Koh | Jun 12, 2006
It could be a matter of months before we see the first prototype of a battery that could charge in a few seconds. You heard it, long gone are the days when you have to wait (for hours) for your cell to recharge.
Joel Schindall and his team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing a new battery that could make "long charge times and expensive replacements a thing of a past" by relying on the capacitor which was invented by Ewald Georg von Kleist of Pomerania in October 1745.
The MIT team discovered that by covering the two electrodes in the capacitor with millions of nanotubes, it would increase the surface area of the electrodes and allow the capacitor to store more energy. According to Schindall, this method would combine the strengths of today's batteries with the longevity and speed of capacitors.
If you own a hybrid car, this new battery could possibly help you save the cost of replacing expensive hybrid cells. Schindall adds that these batteries can be discharged and charged hundreds of thousands of times, essentially lasting longer than the life of the equipment it is associated with.
These cells had better be cheaper than our hybrid vehicles for we won't want to change our cars just to outlast the battery.
It's all rumors, at least for now
Damian Koh | Jun 05, 2006
The anonymity of the Web can be a real curse for sensitive information leaks as the specifications of Sony's upcoming digital SLR are being splashed all over Australian site Digital Photography Blog (DPB). We already know that the Japanese company plans to release more than 20 new lenses over the course of the year, but what we didn't know was detailed information regarding pricing, availability and features.
According to DPB, the Sony Alpha 100 (thank goodness for a pronounceable name) should come with a 10-megapixel APS-C-size CCD sensor. Other information about the Alpha include the dSLR sporting a 230k-pixel 2.5-inch LCD, in-camera Super SteadyShot system, maximum ISO 1,600 sensitivity setting and a Lithium-ion battery that can take up to 750 shots on a single charge. You can still use your CompactFlash cards (Type I/II), but funnily, this Sony will require an adapter to read the Memory Stick DUO.
As to when you can get your hands on this Alpha, the tip says it will be available throughout Europe from July with an estimated price of US$1,000.
Read all these with a pinch of salt as it's still all rumors. Meanwhile, this hardworking journo will be flying to Tokyo tonight to verify those rumors, and more. So watch this space for the official word.
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