Don't Lose Your Camera Phone Photos

Grok Headline matches for Don't Lose Your Camera Phone Photos

Camera Phone Photos Not So Bad Afterall

Camera Phone Photos Not So Bad Afterall 06/22/2004 04:34 AM
At the top of the list of complaints among reporters and analysts who simply don't get the concept of camera phones is almost always the tired line that "the photo quality sucks." It doesn't take a genius to work out that the technology is improving rapidly, and it won't take long for that complaint to fade away. A new study suggests that day may even be closer than many expected. The study compared photos from camera phones with regular phones and found that, surprisingly, the camera phones could hold their own when it came to photo quality. The study was fairly thorough in testing a variety of situations and cameras in order to come up with a detailed set of results. The end result was that even the low-end camera phones often displayed quality that wasn't too far off from cheap disposable film cameras. However, once they started going to higher end camera phones, the quality quickly surpassed the one-time use cameras, suggesting it won't be long until disposable cameras are a thing of the past as well.

Camera Phone Photos For Location Info?

Camera Phone Photos For Location Info? 04/12/2004 03:44 AM
As the major media and short-sighted analysts continue to trash camera phones for their poor resolution, some people are actually realizing that it's not the camera that makes it interesting, but the fact that the camera is connected. Here's yet another example of some people trying to take advantage of a camera phone for its ability to do something that a regular camera cannot do. Everyone is talking about location-based services, and one of the reasons why many think they're finally set to take off is that most new phones have GPS included as part of the efforts to get E-911 location services in place for emergency phone calls. However, once that GPS is there, lots of people see the ability to do other services. The problem, though, is that GPS has some weaknesses - especially in urban areas. So, some researchers from the UK are working on photo-recognition software that would let someone take a camera phone photo of a building, send it off to a server, and the softwar e on the server would figure out where the person was and even send them back directions to their destination. Of course, this seems like quite a lot of effort, especially considering that GPS is already pretty good and will only get better at filling in where it currently has problems. Still, the researchers claim that the advantage of their system is that it can also tell which direction the person is facing and thus give them clearer directions ("go left" instead of "head west"). Still, is that really worth money to people? Furthermore, it seems like there are two huge hurdles to this system: (a) they need to create and maintain a huge database of up-to-date images of building photos and (b) make sure the software can recognize the buildings taken from different angles and distances in variable lighting and weather conditions. It seems difficult to believe that the combination of the database and the software can be good enough at a reasonable enough cost that it's worthwhile for enough people to actually use the service. So, while this particular application might not go very far, it is still an interesting look at a way to take advantage of what makes a camera phone special.

Taking The Camera Out Of The Camera
Phone

Taking The Camera Out Of The Camera
Phone 11/04/2003 07:06 PM
We've had a lot of stories in the last six months or so about shortsighted companies deciding to simply ban camera phones outright. In the past, I wondered if such rules would have an impact on mobile phone sales, but I didn't expect the carriers to jump on this topic so quickly. Put me in the same surprised boat as Alan Reiter to hear that carriers are convincing mobile phone handset makers to offer multiple versions of their phones: one with a camera and the other without. I really thought that with only a few companies overreacting and missing the point about camera phones, it would blow over, and a decade from now we'd be laughing at silly companies banning camera phones. At this rate, that might not be true. This is going to be a huge waste of money. Designing a new phone will take some money, and will create a phone that offers less value to the customer (and less opportunity for revenue for the carrier). However as camera phones begin to find more acceptance in the marketplace, people are going to get angry when their boss tells them the expensive phone they just bought can't be brought into the office. They're not going to want to buy the version without the camera if part of the reason they're upgrading is for the camera in the first place. This is a (costly) over reaction to a technology that will do nothing to stop the real problem (theft of corporate secrets or invasion of privacy), but will cost lots of money and anger many people.

Photos: Focus on camera-binoculars

Photos: Focus on camera-binoculars 03/25/2005 04:55 PM
Hybrids let people watch and wait--for a rare bird to land, for instance--then take a snap.

Sony camera blends photos, video

Sony camera blends photos, video 09/08/2004 11:29 PM
The company's latest digital camera includes advanced video features.

Yahoo Takes Photos from Camera Phones
(NewsFactor)

Yahoo Takes Photos from Camera Phones
(NewsFactor) 07/23/2004 06:18 PM
NewsFactor - Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) has introduced a service allowing users to upload photos to their Yahoo Photo online accounts directly from their cell phones.

Senate offices lose phone, Internet

Senate offices lose phone, Internet 02/10/2004 10:46 PM
The Hill Feb 11 2004 3:19AM GMT

Digital Camera Link For iPod: Device
Transfers Your Photos

Digital Camera Link For iPod: Device
Transfers Your Photos 09/22/2004 10:43 AM
The Digital Camera Link for iPod is handy for clearing out your camera's CompactFlash cards and tucking your images afely into your iPod until you can get them into your Mac. By Jackie Dove, Macworld (via MyAppleMenu)

But Does Anyone Want A Camera Phone?

But Does Anyone Want A Camera Phone? 05/11/2004 02:20 AM
There seem to be two opinions when it comes to camera phones: either people think they're going to be the greatest thing since the first internet browser or they're a silly waste-of-time trinket that's only going to make mobile phones (that don't work all that well already) more expensive. As with any such situation where there are extreme viewpoints, it often helps to have someone take a bit more of an objective look at what's really happening in the camera phone space. The summary seems to be that they're coming, no matter what. What people aren't quite as sure about is whether or not people want them. In fact, in areas where camera phones are being offered, there's really not much evidence that they're using them all that much. Also, while much of the push for camera phones has focused on how it will help the carriers by driving more wireless data usage, some providers have said they've seen no evidence to support that. Does this mean the whole camera phone concept is set to come crashing down before it's really begun? It's certainly possible. As with so much in the wireless space, the ridiculous level of hype has a tendency to do more damage than help. However, there are a few reasons why camera phones may work out after all. First off, people aren't buying camera phones for the camera. They're buying them for the phone. The camera just comes along with it. As such, handset makers and wireless carriers don't have to be nearly as concerned about the success of camera phones early on. It's almost a "stealth" way of seeding the market (if you can call this stealth). Next, whether or not users think they'll use camera phones isn't so much of an issue compared to whether or not they actually will use camera phones - and that will depend on the applications. People are going to realize that there are an awful lot of connected cameras out there - and that presents an opportunity. It's not the fact that everyone will have a camera in their hands, but the fact that those cameras are connected that will drive people to start creating applications that take advantage of that - whether for productivity, for safety or for fun. It's those applications that will make the camera phone worth while. I doubt that it will happen nearly as fast as most folks in the industry would like, but I certainly don't think it's the fad that some columnists/analysts are predicting will quickly go away.

Megapixel camera phone

Megapixel camera phone 07/15/2004 02:06 PM
Chicago Tribune Jul 15 2004 6:31PM GMT

Removing the camera from the phone

Removing the camera from the phone 11/05/2003 12:09 PM
eWeek reports on an interesting new trend: cellphone carriers asking manufacturers to start offering versions of their phones without the digital cameras built-in. Why? Because for security reasons their business customers don't want to issue their employees cellphones that can potentially snap pictures of sensitive company material and documents. Verizon has already asked Samsung to develop a camera-free version of the i700 and Sprint is talking to Handspring/palmOne/whoever about doing the same thing for the Treo 600. Read [Via Camera Phone Report, Alan Reiter's new weblog]...

A Bluetooth Camera Phone

A Bluetooth Camera Phone 03/29/2005 06:50 AM
PC Magazine Mar 29 2005 11:22AM GMT

Camera Phone Tips

Camera Phone Tips 05/10/2004 08:40 AM

The camera phone backlash

The camera phone backlash 06/23/2004 01:05 AM
News.bbc.co.uk - Wed Jun 23, 12:47 am GMT

Camera Phone Rules That Don't Seem New

Camera Phone Rules That Don't Seem New 04/27/2004 05:27 PM
Over in Australia, the government is sending out a set of camera phone guidelines to schools suggesting they implement the rules to deal with the growing popularity of camera phones. The rules include banning the use of camera phones in locker rooms and bathrooms, as well as disciplining those students who use camera phones to cheat or bully other students. These are all actions that require punishment, but I'm wondering why the technology needs to be singled out. I would assume that it's pretty obvious that you shouldn't be taking pictures in a locker room or bathroom. Isn't that already "banned" by the school? Similarly, bullying or cheating seems like the type of thing that the school already has rules against. Why create a separate classification that involves the use of a camera phone. All it does is demonize the technology, rather than the action. Even worse, those who came up with the guidelines admits that there's no known problem with camera phones in schools - but they're trying to stop it before it becomes a problem. So, they're trying to solve a non-existent problem by putting in place rules that are already in place. That seems positively useless.

Motorola shipping new camera phone

Motorola shipping new camera phone 04/09/2004 04:13 PM
Chicago Tribune Apr 6 2004 10:30AM GMT

Law May Curb Cell Phone Camera Use

Law May Curb Cell Phone Camera Use 07/25/2004 03:52 PM

Camera-phone barcode reader

Camera-phone barcode reader 05/05/2004 01:18 AM
Semacode is a Symbian barcode reader that works with your cameraphone. Point the camera at the "two-dimensional barcode" you find on some products and services in the wild and the phone will decode it into its component URL and open the URL in its browser. Link (Thanks, Simon!)

Motorola camera phone delayed again

Motorola camera phone delayed again 03/08/2004 11:18 PM
ChicagoBusiness.com Mar 8 2004 11:02PM GMT

Camera phone shipments jump 29%

Camera phone shipments jump 29% 12/10/2003 06:57 AM
Q3 shipments almost as many as Q1 and Q2 combined

Test Camera Phone Shot

Test Camera Phone Shot 09/15/2004 11:30 PM
Just for kicks, I used the camera on my Morotola V710 to take a shot looking down the hall on the way out of work today. I then e-mailed it to myself (typing e-mail addresses on a cell phone sucks, btw). As you can see, the image quality isn't great (click it to see the whole thing). But I didn't exactly buy it for the image quality. The upload was surprisingly quick. This mobile stuff is all high-tech these days....

Kicked Out Of Parliament For Looking At
A Camera Phone

Kicked Out Of Parliament For Looking At
A Camera Phone 12/18/2003 03:30 PM
The latest slap down for daring to pick up a camera phone and (gasp! oh no!) look at it, was over in the UK where an MP was thrown out for checking his phone to see who had called. Someone noticed this, and informed the speaker, who kicked him out of the chamber for "using a camera". Except, he wasn't using the camera. Just looking to see who called. As he points out, if he wanted to use the camera it would be pretty obvious. Once again, you have to wonder why there's so much backlash against just having a camera phone, when the folks involved aren't doing anything bad with at all. Why are we making it a crime to possess tools that have plenty of perfectly good uses - just because there's the potential to misuse it?

Have a camera phone scan a barcode?

Have a camera phone scan a barcode? 01/22/2004 02:47 AM
Imagine using your cell phone to scan a barcode then getting a coupon to Amazon or product information or even...

New Panasonic GPRS/ GSM Camera Phone

New Panasonic GPRS/ GSM Camera Phone 07/02/2004 06:32 AM
3G Jul 2 2004 9:19AM GMT

"18 Months of Phone Cam Photos"

"18 Months of Phone Cam Photos" 04/29/2004 03:19 AM

More Stories On Camera Phone ID Theft
With No Evidence

More Stories On Camera Phone ID Theft
With No Evidence 02/10/2004 02:41 AM
Last week we wrote about a report saying that polic e were warning of camera phones being used in identity theft. The story had police claiming that someone with a camera phone could take a picture of your credit card and steal the number. We were skeptical here, because it seems pretty inefficient and difficult - plus, the lack of any actual evidence that this was happening made it especially questionable. Longtime Techdirt reader, Director Mitch decided to test this out, and used his camera phone to take a picture of his credit card from three feet away (a reasonable distance for the "crime" described) and posted it to the internet for all to steal. It would be a small annoyance if that was all there was to this story, but wireless guru Alan Reiter has been tracking the story and is noticing a disturbing trend of a report from MSNB C and a local news station both reporting on similar "threats" related to camera phones. Yet none of these reports has any evidence that it's actually happened, and none have dared to go as far as Director Mitch and tested it out to see how difficult it would actually be to steal a credit card this way. Is this a potential problem? Sure. However, lazy reporting on a problem that does not yet exist doesn't do anyone any good.

AT&T Wireless to offer Motorola camera
phone

AT&T Wireless to offer Motorola camera
phone 01/07/2004 07:08 PM
Reuters Jan 7 2004 4:40PM ET

Wireless Picture Relay Without a Camera
Phone

Wireless Picture Relay Without a Camera
Phone 09/23/2004 12:41 AM
New York Times Sep 23 2004 4:45AM GMT

Camera Phone to Require Shutter Sound
From Next Yr

Camera Phone to Require Shutter Sound
From Next Yr 11/11/2003 10:25 AM
Hankooki Nov 11 2003 9:12AM ET

Mega-Pixel Camera Phone Sales Top 1 Mil

Mega-Pixel Camera Phone Sales Top 1 Mil 08/15/2004 07:43 AM
Hankooki Aug 15 2004 11:39AM GMT

Cingular to Offer Motorola Camera Phone

Cingular to Offer Motorola Camera Phone 01/17/2004 10:58 PM
Boston Globe Jan 16 2004 10:27PM GMT

Camera Phone Bans Seen as Aiding Privacy

Camera Phone Bans Seen as Aiding Privacy 12/09/2003 10:55 PM

Nokia releases 'mobl0g' camera phone

Nokia releases 'mobl0g' camera phone 06/01/2004 02:00 PM
ZDNet Jun 1 2004 5:49PM GMT

NTT DoCoMo P252iS Mobile Camera Phone

NTT DoCoMo P252iS Mobile Camera Phone 04/20/2004 03:29 AM
I4U Apr 20 2004 7:48AM GMT

Camera phone price checking service

Camera phone price checking service 09/02/2004 02:48 AM

Ben Hammersley has been publishing ideas that have been on his to do list for some time. Since I have more ideas than time or interest to implement them, I’ll join the fun.

A clever application would be something that allows you to take a pic of a UPC code from a product with a camera phone and send it to the service. The service would scan the UPC from the picture and reply with prices and reviews from around the web. I’m not exactly sure where the business model here is though. Affiliate links are unlikely to be profitable since an in-store shopper isn’t going to typically buy the product from the links you send back.

CeBIT: 7MP Camera Phone Samsung SCH-V770

CeBIT: 7MP Camera Phone Samsung SCH-V770 03/14/2005 04:18 PM
I4U Mar 13 2005 6:02PM GMT

First auto-focus camera phone from NTT
DoCoMo

First auto-focus camera phone from NTT
DoCoMo 11/10/2003 11:08 PM
infoSync Nov 10 2003 5:33AM ET

Motorola's Fuzzy Camera-Phone Picture

Motorola's Fuzzy Camera-Phone Picture 12/11/2003 10:44 PM
Business Week Dec 11 2003 10:04PM ET

Teachers' union calls for camera phone
ban

Teachers' union calls for camera phone
ban 12/24/2003 06:36 AM
vnunet.com Dec 24 2003 6:07AM ET
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Don't Lose Your Camera Phone Photos

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