Sony Ericsson shows off Xperia Arc camera UI improvements

by Mikka Burrell on Jan 18th 2011, 9:28pm
tagged camera, sony ericsson, sony ericsson xperia arc, Xperia Arc

Sony Ericsson recently blogged about the new camera UI improvements for the upcoming Android-powered Xperia Arc smartphone. The Xperia Arc already has a beast of a camera, coming in at 8.1 megapixels to be exact. Here’s some of what’s been improved, though:

Improvements in light sensitivity
Quicker access to settings
More control over flash

All the changes being made to the Xperia Arc’s camera UI will make the camera even better to use in low light situations, which will prove to be impressive for a mobile phone.

Sony’s Rikard Skogberg provides a quick look at the reworked and much improved user interface of the Xperia Arc’s camera after the break!

» Read the rest

Samsung SCH-R910 Pictures Surface, Likely To Be MetroPCS’s First LTE Device

by Joe Sirianni on Jan 11th 2011, 10:39pm
tagged 1GHZ, 2.2, 5 megapixel, android 2.2, Android smartphones, camera, CDMA, froyo, hummingbird, images, LTE, Metro PCS, metropcs, Samsung, samsung galaxy s, SCH-R910, smartphones

Thanks to “a source”, the guys over at BGR were fortunate enough to get wind of Samsung’s new SCH-R910. As you can see, the tipster has provided an image for us as well. If this is accurate, then we could be looking at MetroPCS’s very first LTE device. The phone definitely looks to be in line with the Galaxy S devices and is reported to have a radio that supports both CDMA and LTE. Thanks to the image, it looks like the device will at least ship with the firmware version 2.2 (Froyo). We’re sure this will no doubt be accompanied by Samsung’s infamous Touch Wiz UI. Other likely specs, but not yet confirmed, include:

1GHz Hummingbird Processor
5 Meg Camera
Micro SD card slot supporting 32GB and possibly up to 64GB

If reports are correct, it looks like Metro PCS could be dropping this device as early as within the first quater. Carrier name and price are unknown at this time. Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you think the device should be called.

[via bgr]

Samsung’s SH100 Camera Offer Wi-fi Support, Android Remote Control

by Michael Murphy on Jan 4th 2011, 10:44pm
tagged camera, galaxy s, Samsung, wireless

Samsung has announced a new camera, the SH100. Normally, we don’t talk about cameras, so what makes this one special? This 14.2-megapixel camera is Wi-Fi capable, and specially designed to interface with Galaxy S line of Android phones. You will be able to view the shot you’re about to take with your Galaxy S phone, control zoom in or out, and snap the shot all without touching the camera. Sounds great for self-portraits, or if you need to adjust some lighting or the subject but have the camera set up on a tripod. It will also pull the GPS location of your phone to geotag the photo. The camera can also use its wireless to upload photos directly to Facebook or Photobucket, but we’ve seen that before. The integration with Android is what makes this device so unique.

Anyone planning on making this their next camera? It’s got my attention, that’s for sure.

[via BusinessWire]

Install a front-facing camera on your Samsung Vibrant

by Dustin Karnes on Jan 2nd 2011, 6:45pm
tagged Android, camera, dev, facing, front, hack, mod, Samsung, Vibrant

Been dying for a front-facing camera on your Samsung Vibrant? Well, thanks to the genius minds over at xda, you can now have one. Of course, this won’t be an easy task, as you’ll need the right ROM, kernel, and – you guessed it – a front-facing camera to install. You’ll also have to have the stomach to take your Vibrant apart and do some serious geek work.

If you’re ready to don your geek hat and get into the nitty-gritty, then be sure to hit up the source link below. If you are brave enough to try this hack for yourself, be sure to let us know how it goes in the comments!

[via xda]

Nexus S Camera Includes Macro Focus Mode

by Michael Murphy on Dec 17th 2010, 10:02am
tagged camera, Macro Focus, Nexus S, One Device to Rule Them All

Is it better to have multiple specialized devices, or one device that does it all adequately? I know people who want to have their mp3 player, their phone, their digital camera, and their PSP as separate devices. Personally, battery issues aside, I find that my Epic is quite capable of handling all these functions. I hope that in the next year or two, we find that to be even more the case with Android phones…and that those pesky battery issues will be worked out. To that end, I am happy to see that the Nexus S takes a big step and adds Macro mode to its camera.

Macro mode, for those who may not be familiar with it, allows you to get VERY close to an object and take a picture in extremely high resolution with remarkable clarity. While it takes noticeably longer to focus in macro mode, it can have truly stunning results. Typically this is reserved for DSLR cameras, and not even all cameras have this mode. I’m pretty sure this will mark its first appearance on a camera phone, bring Android one step closer to the One Device to Rule Them All.

[via Android Central]

Android Rant: Why the Nexus S may fail

by Dustin Karnes on Dec 7th 2010, 7:10pm
tagged 16, 16gb, 32, Android, camera, card, fail, gb, Google, HDMI, nexus, S, Samsung, sd, sdcard

There’s been a lot of news, speculation and buzz out about the newly announced Samsung Nexus S. There was a ton of hype preceding the announcement, and it has to live up to the Nexus name. The big question is: will it? In this writer’s opinion, it’s a simple answer of “no”. Let me explain my four main reasons why.

» Read the rest

How To: Use Your Phone’s Camera as a Webcam

by Chris Moor on Oct 28th 2010, 5:49am
tagged 2.1, 2.2, 3G, 4G, Android, camera, droid, eclair, froyo, galaxy, ip, S, Samsung, Skype, spy, webcam, wifi, wireless

Ever have one of those chats where you really need to show the person for them to understand but you just don’t have a webcam handy? Well then why not use your phone’s camera! With IP Webcam, your phone can broadcast its camera stream over WiFi to any network connected computer. You can simply watch the stream in a browser window, or you can install the plug in that allows programs such as Skype to access the stream as a normal USB webcam. Best of all, the app is free! Read on to get started:

» Read the rest

HTC Desire HD gets an update

by Dustin Karnes on Oct 27th 2010, 10:18am
tagged Android, camera, desire, hd, HTC, screen, update

In keeping up with their Evo and its updates, HTC has now put out a new update for their Desire HD phones. The update is OTA (Over-The-Air), and is software number 1.32.405.13. And, if we may be so bold, you’ll want to be on wifi, as the update itself is relatively large. If you don’t feel like waiting for the update to hit your device, search for it manually by going to Menu > Settings > About Phone, and going through the updates.

HTC says the update inludes “screen control and photo message compatibility enhancements”, but the update does not improve regular photo quality. As always, be sure to make your backups before running through the update.

If you try out the update, be sure to let us know how it goes in the comments below!

[via briefmobile]

Sony shows off first 16.41 megapixel cellphone sensor camera

by Dustin Karnes on Oct 7th 2010, 4:43pm
tagged Android, camera, megapixel, mp

I know that, when I take a picture, I expect to be able to see every colony of bacteria living in each pore of my friend’s nose. You do, too? Well, that’s great, because Sony has just outed a new product: a 16.41 megapixel cellphone sensor. According to engadget:

The 1/2.8-inch back-illuminated Exmor R model IMX081PQ sensor packs an industry smallest 1.12μm unit cell size and is capable of shooting 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps.

Samsung has stated that they were able to solve some issues related to the pixel sizes by “implementing a unique formation of photo diodes to achieve a sensor with high resolution, high sensitivity, and low noise”.

The unit should start sampling at about $30 in January 2011 straight out, or about $145 when combined with a 10.5 x 10.5 x 7.9 mm IU081F autofocus lens module said to be coming in March. There will also be a 1/3.2-inch 8.13 megapixel IMX105PQ sensor with IU105F2 lens module (pictured on the right above) in April for a substantially lower price tag.

[via sony]

14MP Android camera phone headed to Europe in 2011

by Jesse Bauer on Oct 3rd 2010, 9:25pm
tagged altek leo, Android, android 2.1, camera, cameraphone, europe, leo, smartphone

Altek is gearing up to release its Leo smartphone in Europe in early 2011. One has to start wondering when we may see this crazily powerful camera phone in North America. On that subject, Altek has reported they are still seeking “channel partners” to launch.

As for Europe and Asia, they can start saving their currency to snag one of these up very soon. The rest of us need to wait before we can put our Nikons away.