Samsung SGH-i310 - new camerphone with 8GB Hard Disk

Samsung has introduced the world's first 8GB Hard Disk smart phone, the SGH-i310

It reinforces its technology leadership by unveiling the world's first world’s first 8GB Hard Disk embedded smart phone (model: SGH-i310) at CeBIT 2006.

“Samsung's development of the 8GB hard disk drive phone opens a new world in telecommunication industry,” said Kitae Lee, President of Telecommunication Network Business of Samsung Electronics.

“As consumers’ needs of mobile entertainment are growing rapidly, we are continuously introducing breakthroughs in mobile phones. Our i310, 8GB HDD smart phone will be the best match for business consumers who want a colossal of business functionalities as well as rich mobile entertainment contents.”

Enjoy Maximum storage in Mobile

Samsung breaks the storage limit in mobile phones by introducing the world’s first mobile phone equipped with a 8GB hard disk drive (model: SGH-i310). With the large storage of 8GB, SGH-i310 will change the way people manage and use the mobile phone.

Samsung is the first to adopt a hard disk drive into mobile phones and has launched three models equipped with a hard disk drive; the world’s first 1.5GB HDD embedded phone (model: SPH-V5400), the world’s first 3GB HDD embedded phone (model: SCH-V7900) and the world’s first 3GB HDD Music smart phone (model: SGH-i300).

The i310 works as a perfect platform for users by combining a phone, a digital camera, and a MP3 player with its immense storage capacity. It enables users to carry around 2,000 songs (4MB/song) wherever they go.

The i310 comes with the latest version of Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smart phone which allows users to view files and easily carry their music library with them. This will sync the play lists, songs, and videos from your PC so that your experience is identical to the user’s personal computer. It also offers USB 2.0 and Plug & Play feature which allows the phone to be utilized as a removable hard disk. Businessmen and students can easily transfer files to / from their computers, as well as store and transfer files in any format conveniently.

The i310 has all the latest features including a 2 mega pixel camera with flash, microSD slot, document viewer and TV output. Users can record video with the 2 mega pixel camera in high quality resolution.

It also supports enhanced music function with Bluetooth® stereo (A2DP), digital power amp and dual speakers. Uses can download music conveniently from online music store from their personal computer or directly via air.

The i310 will be introduced in Europe during the second half of this year.


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The Fujifilm S3 price drop

Looks like something is happening with Fujifilm as there has been a rapid drop in price of the Fujifilm S3 Pro worldwide. Numerous stores have already dropping the prices. For example, www.expresscameras.com has the S3 Pro for $USD999; www.parkcameras.com has it for £699, £600 off the recommended retail price. Even in Germany, you can pick up the S3 Pro for €947, that’s around £633.

There could be many reasons for this:

This means one of several things:

(1) The Fujifilm S3 Pro is not selling well and they need to reduce excess stock.

(2) The Fujifilm S3 Pro is selling but they are reacting to increased competition from the Nikon D200 and the Canon 30D

(3) The Fuifilm S4 Pro may be announced soon.

I Hope it's the last option. Let’s wait and see.

Digital photos on a stamp!

Did you know you can now turn your photos into real US postage stamps with PhotoStamps. And yes, the stamps are officially authorized by the US Postal Service so it's real. PhotoStamps from Stamps.com are a valid U.S. Postage, based on a technology called PC Postage. Stamps.com, the company behind PhotoStamps, has been a United States Postal Service approved provider of PC postage since 1999. When PhotoStamps first launched in 2004, it was the first ever customized postage product in the United States with over 13 million PhotoStamps sold.

To create PhotoStamps all you need to do is upload a photo, customize it and place your order. The customization interface allows you to zoom, move, and rotate your image, and then select one of 10 different border colors to match your image. Cost of the PhotoStamps varies depending on the seven different postage denominations ranging from 24 cent postcards to 39 cent regular first class to $4.05 for packages. The minimum order is one sheet and each sheet contains 20 PhotoStamps labels.

This product is simply unique as I can order stamps based on some of my best pictures; I totally recommend it.

The future of the Foveon X3 sensor

Will the Foveon 10 megapixel X3 Pro CMOS sensor ever take off? On paper the sensor does sound very impressive with the following information from its specification sheet.

"The Foveon X3® Pro 10M is a 1.7 FLM (focal length multiplier)* high-resolution CMOS direct image sensor that incorporates breakthrough Foveon X3 technology. Newly enhanced, the latest version Pro 10M sensor achieves significantly longer exposure times, broader ISO selection, and improved dynamic range over its F7X3-B91 predecessor. Foveon X3 direct image sensors capture full-measured color images through a unique stacked pixel sensor design. By capturing full-measured color images, the need for indirect color interpolation and artifact-reducing blur filters is eliminated. As a result, the Foveon X3 Pro 10M delivers the highest effective resolution possible without color artifacts for the 1.7 FLM optical format. The Foveon X3 Pro 10M features the powerful VPS (Variable Pixel Size) capability. VPS provides the on-chip capability of grouping neighboring pixels together to form larger pixels that are optimal for high frame rate, reduced noise, or dual mode still/video applications. Other advanced features include: low fixed pattern noise and ultra-low power consumption."

So far the only digital SLR camera to have this sensor is the Sigma SD10.

Phil Askey from dpreview.com with his in depth review of the Sigma SD10 mentions the excellent sharpness of the sensor and says "Just like the SD9 the SD10 delivers extremely sharp and detailed images, the X3 sensors ability to capture the distinct color of a single pixel without being influenced by neighboring pixels means that we see levels of detail not achieved by any other sensor."

On the other hand as for the future of this sensor he concludes with "..Looking back at my SD9 review I stand by much of what I said about the X3 sensor being 'the first step in what must be seen as a revolution in digital photography'. Unfortunately the stranglehold the Bayer sensor and those mega-corporations who make them have on the market has ensured that we haven't yet seen the X3 sensor in another digital SLR"

Although I would like to see more development of this sensor in other cameras from other manufacturers, I have to agree with Phil that the likelihood is very small.




Click here for the Foveon X3 spec sheet

Canon 30D review by Dpreview

Phil Askey from Dpreview has an excellent review on the Canon 30D with the final rating being the "Highly Recommended"

Here's what he concludes.

" Maybe Canon do listen, with the i EOS 30D they have addressed no less than five of the 'Cons' from my EOS 20D review; Lack of spot metering, Fixed continuous shooting rate, Limited range of image parameter adjustment, Small LCD monitor and ISO sensitivity not displayed on viewfinder status bar while being changed. Of course everyone has different priorities and some of these changes may seem insignificant however it's fair to say we've seen all of these issues discussed at one time or another on our forums.

It wasn't surprising to see a certain level of disappointment among existing Canon owners in the evolution that is the EOS 30D, I'm sure some were at least expecting a nominal mega pixel upgrade as well as the changes included. I happen to agree with many who suggested that the EOS 30D should really have been named the 'EOS 20D Mark II'. To be fair an increase to ten mega pixels would have gained little in resolution and to one degree or another it’s encouraging to think that manufacturers are getting out of the routine mega pixel upgrade 'for the sake of marketing'. And of course Canon couldn't have gone to twelve mega pixels at this price point (yet) for the fear of spoiling the EOS 5D's position.

There are a few minor gripes, from an imaging point of view there's the risk of AI Servo banding which can manifest itself with some lenses at high sensitivities and there's also the average incandescent white balance performance. From a usability front I would like to have seen the pretty pointless print / share button customizable, the option for user memories and perhaps embedded comments which can be set in-camera.

We have to consider every camera as a whole, the sum of its parts. Compare it to the competition and it's clear that the 30D really can hold its own. The primary competition coming from Nikon's excellent D200, a camera which in many ways betters the EOS 30D, user interface, features and flexibility are all a step up. However as we have noted there's no significant difference between eight and ten mega pixels (especially considering the EOS 30D's "crisper" per-pixel sharpness) and that the D200's sensor just isn't as good as the Canon CMOS at higher sensitivities (ISO 1600 / 3200).

Nobody should then be too surprised that the EOS 30D, despite its relatively minor range of updates still deserves our Highly Recommended rating. It's a great camera to shoot with, image quality is excellent and the high sensitivity performance is still notably better than the competition, the EOS 30D inspires confidence and delivers shot after shot. "



Click here for the full review.

Former employee sues KODAK

Maya Raber, a director of engineering since 2002 at Kodak's was dismissed when she voiced her objections against a cost saving project that may damage the file through compressions when uploading a file to their website.

She was in charge of developing software for Kodak's popular Easy Share Gallery in Emeryville, however the company came up with a plan to save money that she believes was deceptive to the Kodak users. This process was made through a compression algorithm, used when uploading a photo onto the Kodak site for storage.

Her concerns were that in order to save money, the company planned to implement a cost-saving project where consumer photos will be compressed irreversibly by an average of 50 percent. When you want to use the photo in prints, or when you want to crop a small part of the photo, the results can look grainy.

Maya Raber says when she voiced her concerns to Kodak managers she was fired. Raber acknowledges Kodak has yet to implement much of its plan, but claims the company did begin compressing photos from users who chose the faster easy upload option on the Web site.

A New York-based spokesperson for Kodak issued this statement: "We can assure you that Ms. Raber's accusations are completely false. We have not compressed images that are stored in the gallery without our customer's knowledge. We feel that Kodak has acted in a manner that is consistent with our corporate policies and ethics, and we will vigorously defend ourselves against all claims to the contrary."

Raber filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Alameda County.



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How to clean your DSLR camera sensor

If you’re new to Digital SLR cameras, then cleaning your digital camera sensor is a scary thought. My first experience is to use the professionals, however considering the frequency, the regularity of dust contaminating the sensor and the cost; it does make sense to do it yourself. Once you'll learn how to do it, it gets easier after that.

Luckily I've found a great article on cleaning your cameras sensor by www.macworld.com. Click here for the full article. So why not give it a try.

Click here for the science behind cleaning a sensor.

Nikon D200 versus the Canon 5D

www.DigitalCamerainfo.com has an excellent head on comparison between the Nikon D200 and the Canon EOS 5D. Although they did not give their own recommended conclusion, they did highlight the advantages and disadvantage of each camera.

Here is the their conclusion

"We elected to debut our Head-to-Head review format with a comparison of the Nikon D200 and Canon EOS 5D - the latest designs by the two premiere DSLR manufacturers. Again, we chose the Canon EOS 5D and not the EOS 30D because the 30D internals are over a year and a half old, while the 5D much more accurately illustrates where Canon is in their developmental progression. In comparing these cameras, many core differences between Nikon and Canon’s approach becomes apparent. Canon has directed their efforts towards developing and engineering the camera’s internal components – manufacturing most of their own parts, particularly their sensors, and concentrating on high ISO performance, dynamic range, and obviously high resolution. Nikon on the other hand, has focused more on furthering the general design of the camera – engineering fast, reliable autofocus, flexible metering, logical control layout, and advanced flash capabilities. Both the D200 and EOS 5D have a lot to offer consumers: high resolution, strong dynamic range, fast internal processors, and extensive control at price points that would have been impossible just a year or two ago. However, neither presents a perfect camera.

The D200 is a much faster camera with a more logical ergonomic design. With the Nikon, users can turn the camera on and snap off a shot in a single motion - an action that would require two hands and far more time with the 5D. The D200 can also shoot 5 frames a second, while the 5D can only muster 3. This combined with the D200’s more robust body (not to mention its more affordable price tag), makes it a much more formidable alternative for photojournalists or casual shooters.

At lower sensitivity settings (ISO 100-400), the two cameras produce images of comparable quality in terms of noise, color, dynamic range and sharpness. While the 5D still retains a slight edge, the difference is negligible for the quality both cameras produce. However, once the sensitivity is pushed to ISO 400 and beyond, Canon earns the extra $1,300 tacked on the 5D’s price tag. At sensitivity settings beyond ISO 500, the 5D continues to create images of exception quality, while the D200 falters and produces results more consistent with consumer-level designs.

Most photographers will admit that timeless images and their relationship to the equipment that produced them has had more to do with the design of the camera than the quality of images it produced. However, image quality is where the EOS 5D justifies its price tag and pulls away from the D200, and depending on the demands of the shoot or profession, the additional quality may be necessary.

These two models stand to represent the leading DSLR manufacturers and indicate that professional-level quality is now accessible to general consumers. Nikon has voiced that they will remain with APS-sized sensors, alluding to less expensive models than Canons counterparts; while Canon will continue to develop their full-frame designs and at least for the time being, offer an advantage at high sensitivities. Although there is a significant degree of differentiation in these two particular models and each manufacturer’s current design ideology, both represent remarkable breakthroughs in their own right that continue to force the rest of the industry to play catch-up."

My bet is the more affordable Nikon D200. Click here for the full review

A Brief History of Pixel

Here is a very interesting paper by Richard F. Lyon from Faveon titled "A Brief History of ‘Pixel"

The abstract of the paper is as follows:

"The term pixel, for picture element, was first published in two different SPIE Proceedings in 1965, in articles by Fred C. Billingsley of Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The alternative pel was published by William F. Schreiber of MIT in the Proceedings of the IEEE in 1967. Both pixel and pel were propagated within the image processing and video coding field for more than a decade before they appeared in textbooks in the late 1970s. Subsequently, pixel has become ubiquitous in the fields of computer graphics, displays, printers, scanners, cameras, and related technologies, with a variety of sometimes conflicting meanings."


Click here for the paper