Android: General Chat

[The_Rev]

MEMS is some next generation shit though:

 

 

And DigitalOptics technology is in numerous phones to achieve the face-detection feature that lets the camera home in on a person in a shot.

The next step may be an IPO for DigitalOptics, perhaps in a couple of years, Tessera has said. But for the moment, DigitalOptics is focused on moving beyond licensing intellectual property to instead selling a new kind of hardware that manipulates camera lenses in small spaces.

The company's “MEMS Cam” is an “actuator” that is responsible for physically moving a camera lens back and forth to achieve focus. Unlike today's actuators, which are made from multiple moving parts assembled in a coil fashion, dependent upon magnetic forces, Siegler explains, MEMS Cam is fashioned like a semiconductor, from a wafer of silicon, as a single part that can tense and stress to achieve movement, a so-called microelectromechanical system, or MEMS, hence the name. It serves as an armature that grips the lens and can flex to move the lens back and forth.

There are numerous advantages to MEMS in general, and in MEMS Cam in particular, including far lower power requirements, and less bulk. That allows for camera assemblies that save battery life and save precious space inside a handset. And they can be very, very fast. DigitalOptics says its focus time of a couple hundred milliseconds is fractions of the time a conventional actuator takes in today's cameras to shift the lens.

The MEMS Cam, bottom, in its package, and bundled with an image processing chip, top.

While phones such as Apple's (AAPL)iPhone andSamsung Electronics's (005930KS) Galaxy S III, and even a less-ambitious phone such as Google's (GOOG) Nexus 4, can all take very good pictures, the advantages of MEMS Cam promise some novel features. One is multiple focus, where a single shot is taken as a series of shots in rapid succession with different foci. The MEMS Cam can switch so fast that it might, say, take six exposures in half a second, with focus on foreground in one, mid-point in another, background in a third, and points in between in each of the other exposures. The camera can stitch them together as a single image file called an “MPO.” That means that a user can take a shot and then decide afterward which object should be in focus, seeing as there are several focused exposures captured for a given moment in time.

DigitalOptics expects the MEMS Cam to show up in handsets toward the latter half of this year.

Many intriguing possibilities arise, though they are not necessarily imminent. For example, every phone camera user would love to have real optical zoom. With a MEMS actuator that can move left and right, not just back and forth, one could swap out lenses of different focal lengths to achieve a kind of zoom, says Siegler. In addition, the MEMS Cam is not just a solid-state motor, it is also a sensor, in that it detects gravitational pull. What that means is that when you point a phone upward to take a picture of the sky, or down to snap a flower, the device can sense the change in the tug of the earth. It can then adjust how much force is required to move the armature depending. That can result in more efficient use of the phone's power and faster switching times for the lens, as less effort is required in some cases to overcome gravity.

All in all, it looks like a fascinating future for one of the features with which consumers seem most enamored in their smartphones.

 

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2013/02/28/geeking-out-with-the-guts-of-the-next-great-phone-cameras/

[darrenm]

Darren a Nexus device with an excellent camera already exists. It's the Galaxy S4 Google play edition. Camera is utterly fantastic.

But hopefully Google put a good camera in the Nexus 5 and a big ass battery

 

Yeah it's pretty good. I'm just not all that excited by the Samsung line these days. It's all a bit mainstream and meh to me for some reason. Plus GPE isn't Nexus. Nexus is l33t, like me

 

 

MEMS is some next generation shit though:

 

 

And DigitalOptics technology is in numerous phones to achieve the face-detection feature that lets the camera home in on a person in a shot.

The next step may be an IPO for DigitalOptics, perhaps in a couple of years, Tessera has said. But for the moment, DigitalOptics is focused on moving beyond licensing intellectual property to instead selling a new kind of hardware that manipulates camera lenses in small spaces.

The company's “MEMS Cam” is an “actuator” that is responsible for physically moving a camera lens back and forth to achieve focus. Unlike today's actuators, which are made from multiple moving parts assembled in a coil fashion, dependent upon magnetic forces, Siegler explains, MEMS Cam is fashioned like a semiconductor, from a wafer of silicon, as a single part that can tense and stress to achieve movement, a so-called microelectromechanical system, or MEMS, hence the name. It serves as an armature that grips the lens and can flex to move the lens back and forth.

There are numerous advantages to MEMS in general, and in MEMS Cam in particular, including far lower power requirements, and less bulk. That allows for camera assemblies that save battery life and save precious space inside a handset. And they can be very, very fast. DigitalOptics says its focus time of a couple hundred milliseconds is fractions of the time a conventional actuator takes in today's cameras to shift the lens.

The MEMS Cam, bottom, in its package, and bundled with an image processing chip, top.

While phones such as Apple's (AAPL)iPhone andSamsung Electronics's (005930KS) Galaxy S III, and even a less-ambitious phone such as Google's (GOOG) Nexus 4, can all take very good pictures, the advantages of MEMS Cam promise some novel features. One is multiple focus, where a single shot is taken as a series of shots in rapid succession with different foci. The MEMS Cam can switch so fast that it might, say, take six exposures in half a second, with focus on foreground in one, mid-point in another, background in a third, and points in between in each of the other exposures. The camera can stitch them together as a single image file called an “MPO.” That means that a user can take a shot and then decide afterward which object should be in focus, seeing as there are several focused exposures captured for a given moment in time.

DigitalOptics expects the MEMS Cam to show up in handsets toward the latter half of this year.

Many intriguing possibilities arise, though they are not necessarily imminent. For example, every phone camera user would love to have real optical zoom. With a MEMS actuator that can move left and right, not just back and forth, one could swap out lenses of different focal lengths to achieve a kind of zoom, says Siegler. In addition, the MEMS Cam is not just a solid-state motor, it is also a sensor, in that it detects gravitational pull. What that means is that when you point a phone upward to take a picture of the sky, or down to snap a flower, the device can sense the change in the tug of the earth. It can then adjust how much force is required to move the armature depending. That can result in more efficient use of the phone's power and faster switching times for the lens, as less effort is required in some cases to overcome gravity.

All in all, it looks like a fascinating future for one of the features with which consumers seem most enamored in their smartphones.

 

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2013/02/28/geeking-out-with-the-guts-of-the-next-great-phone-cameras/

 

 

The MEMS stuff might be a complete dead herring in all of this. As Davkaus rightly said, someone's got a bit carried away by a sensor that's been used in a MEMS configuration which is also used in a standard not-so-good set up.

 

There's a few things here which makes me think it might just happen:

 

1. Vic Gundotra said on Google+ "We are committed to making Nexus phones insanely great cameras. Just you wait and see." He said this in Feb which would be perfect timing for the decisions on the BOM for the Nexus 5.

2. Google are trying to make Google+ a bit of a one size fits all shop covering what sites like Instagram, imgur, pinterest, flickr etc. do. They made the photosphere stuff go semi-mainstream as a different way to interact with photos, they may go the same way with introducing after-focus photos.

3. The weird overly-big lens housing on the Nexus 5. It looks like they didn't quite have enough depth in the phone body for the mechanics so had to push it out a bit in its own housing.

4. After Vic Gundotra said that, and all of this about MEMS has come about, if the Nexus 5 camera is just another mid-range 8mp affair, it will be pretty embarrassing for Google.

 

I remain semi-excited with money ready. If it's no good I may just splash out on a Z1 after sampling a selection of screens at a shop. Apparently they're very hit and miss. Same as most Sony stuff. Why can't Matsushita get back into phones..

[Davkaus]

Had a quick play with the Note 3 today, I was pretty keen to get one until I felt it. For £600 I didn't expect it to feel flimsy and cheap, even more so than most Samsung devices do, the Note2 feels better. The faux-leather feels and looks incredibly tacky. Nice spec device, but I don't think I'd enjoy having one.

 

I want the Note3 functionality, with the S pen and the split screen, with the HTC One build quality.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Davkaus

[Ingram85]

Just buy a seperate metal back cover or flip cover.

[CVByrne]

Had a quick play with the Note 3 today, I was pretty keen to get one until I felt it. For £600 I didn't expect it to feel flimsy and cheap, even more so than most Samsung devices do, the Note2 feels better. The faux-leather feels and looks incredibly tacky. Nice spec device, but I don't think I'd enjoy having one.

I want the Note3 functionality, with the S pen and the split screen, with the HTC One build quality.

I'm sorry but you're full of shit. The Note 3 feels WAY better. My housemate got his yesterday and he has a note 2. The difference between them is huge. Especially the way it feels in the hand. That textured back is a throwback to the S2. The screen is a huge upgrade too.

One question did you hold the white or black one? Only the black has the good feeling back.

But to say the note 2 feels better in the hand is so Absurd it has to be a deliberate lie. Sorry calling you on that I'm afraid.

I'll be looking towards end of next week to grab one for £500 on ebay.

[Davkaus]

It was the white one, but I was under the impression that the only difference was the colour, not the material?

 

Maybe I'm just used to the Not2, I had one for a few months and I much prefer it to the pleather back, but **** me for having a different opinion.

 

Obviously the screen is better, as I said the specs are a nice step up. I just don't like the feel of the thing.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Davkaus

[CVByrne]

Just buy a seperate metal back cover or flip cover.

The flip cover is a cool idea. Samsungs flip covers with the window. I don't use covers on my phones though.

As for the premium build people love to moan about. That premium feel comes at a cost. Namely size and weight. It's not a coincidence than Samsung and LG have the tiniest bezel on their headline phones. It's due to the materials they use. I fear that to placate the moaners I'm going to have an S5 that's grown in size to house it in a big unibody aluminium case. For what? What functionality does it give me? It is actually less functional as if the battery fails I need to get the phone repaired. If it falls it'll be damaged rather than dent a bit of plastic.

If you want a pretty unibody phone buy a HTC or Apple. Samsung and LG are doing the right thing. Using the fact plastic is light and durable to maximise space and weight for screen and battery.

Edited October 4, 2013 by CVByrne

[mykeyb]

I'm sorry but you're full of shit. 

 

 

Interesting debate method, if anyone disagrees with you........

 

If as we are being led to believe that there will be an October 14th announcement then when exactly are Google going to announce that date and time for the announcement.

 

Is a week to short notice?

[mykeyb]

As for the premium build people love to moan about. That premium feel comes at a cost. Namely size and weight.

 

It will be interesting to see your opinions on the Galaxy F  range when its announced.

[Ingram85]

Yeah I've never understood the plastic hate. At least if you get a dent, chip or crack you can just buy a replacement front or back from Amazon/eBay and fix it yourself quite cheaply.

Plus the removable back panel allows for better shock absorption so your phone innards have a better chance of surviving meaning you don't have to replace the whole phone which can be costly.

[Chindie]

I owned an S2, and as much as I liked that phone, the thing did feel cheap, it was far too light and made with materials that simply did not inspire confidence that they were anything other than flimsy and, well... cheap.

 

Plastic doesn't have to be like that though. I own a Nexus 4 these days and that's, at the end of the day, still heavily plastic based but feels so much better in the hand and has a reassuring weight in the pocket I appreciate.

[darrenm]

The amount of times I've dropped a phone with a removeable back and the back has just flipped straight off, taking the impact forces away from the phone. The force has to go somewhere, and if the back of your phone can't fly off, it'll just have to disperse somewhere else. It means that something feeling flimsy will actually be a lot hardier than something that feels solid.

[The_Lions_Roar]

You'll find a lot more broken iphones than Samsungs, yet the Samsung's are supposed to be flimsy.

[PompeyVillan]

Yup, plastic phones are more durable. I've dropped my s2 loads of times, dropped things on it and once thrown it in anger and it's still in top condition, all I have is a small profile rubber like case on the phone.

To say it feels cheap is a matter of opinion. I like it.

[CVByrne]

I've handled an iPhone 5C and the Lumia 920 both are not cheap feeling phones yet both are plastic. I hope Samsung switches to this type of premium material and keeps the removable battery. I know they won't because they hired the same company that makes HTC and iPhone casings.

Hopefully that's just for this rumoured Galaxy F series.

I've dropped my S4 at least 4 times and I've merely chipped paint and slightly dented the plastic. I am fully aware this durability is down to the materials.

[darrenm]

The 5C felt pretty awful to me. It felt like it was in a bumper case because the back was so rattly and hollow sounding. It didn't feel really cheap, but certainly not as solid or well built as any of the premium Samsung or HTC phones.

[mykeyb]

Think its going to be a October 31st Announcement for the Nexus 5 & Google Gem by the looks of it.............

[mykeyb]

Just been checking out the LG G2 on the Three website as I am seriously tempted and the size of the thing is quite amazing.

 

Its is just 3mm longer and wider than my Galaxy Nexus and manages to be thinner also which considering the increase in screen size is amazing.

[stewiek2]

Seems the specs have leaked on the Nexus 5...

 

http://tinyurl.com/nexus5specleaked

 

 

Nexus 5 Release Date Coming: Service Manual Allegedly Leaked With Tons Of Details

By Kukil Bora

on October 07 2013 6:03 AM

Share this article

• 3
• 4
• 1
•  
• more

A draft of the service manual for the LG Nexus 5 has leaked online, revealing what could be the genuine specs for the upcoming smartphone. Google

While rumors are rife that the highly anticipated next-generation Nexus smartphone, dubbed the Nexus 5, will be released later this month, a new report claimed last week that a draft of the official LG service manual for the new handset was leaked online, revealing a number of details about the device’s specs and features.

The purported LG Nexus 5 service manual is 281 pages long and includes a host of technical information, flow charts, diagrams and photos of the silicon chip, according to Android Police, which first reported the leak, citing an anonymous tipster. A diagram of the Nexus 5, included in the manual, resembles a smaller LG G2, but without the buttons on the back. The device’s rear is also pictured, which matches some earlier leaked images. 

The service manual, which shows the Nexus 5 model number as “LG-D821,” reveals most of the handset’s specs and features, which both confirm and expand upon recent rumors about the device, according to Android Police.

Here are the key specs of the device, gleaned from the service manual. Users should note that Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and LG (KRX:066570) have not made any official comment about the Nexus 5, so all rumors and speculations about the device should be read and understood with that fact in mind.

Related

 

• Will Nexus 5 Run On Android 4.4 KitKat?
• Google's Next Phone To Feature Android's 'Key Lime Pie' OS

- 4.95-inch 1080p IPS TFT display

- 16GB and 32GB internal storage

- 2GB RAM

- Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU (MSM8947) at 2.3GHz

- 8-megapixel OIS rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera

- 2300mAh battery

- Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Proximity/Ambient Light, Pressure sensors

- Micro SIM slot

- HDMI out via Slimport

- Notification LED light

- Wireless charging

- NFC support

- UMTS/GSM/CDMA/LTE compatibility

- Bluetooth 3.0 (Bluetooth 4.0 also appears elsewhere in the document)

In addition, the manual also suggests that the dimensions of the Nexus 5 could be exactly the same as that of the Nexus 4. Last week, Phandroid reported, based on an alleged screenshot of an Android 4.4-powered Nexus 5, that the device could sport a display resolution at 1920x1080 pixels with a pixel density of 443 PPI.

LG D821

 

[darrenm]

It will be a lovely phone, no doubt about that. It just won't be quite as good as the G2. 

 

However, it should be a good £200 cheaper to buy due to the slightly smaller screen, much smaller battery and lower mp camera (which may or may not make much difference).

 

I'll wait for reviews before splashing out.