Orange’s hole-cameraphone

Designed by De Montfort University student Chi Shing Lo as part of Orange’s D&AD Student Awards, it replaces the cameraphone’s viewfinder with a simple hole, as well as using it to hang the phone on a peg charger when its low on juice, or needs to upload shots to a PC.

[via Electripig]

Use your eyes to control your mobile gadgets

Rolling your eyes could soon turn up the volume of a portable music player or dial a number on your mobile cell phone, reports GameSHOUT.

"In a demonstration Tuesday, researcher Hiroyuki Manabe wore a giant headset covered with wires to show how computer graphic lines in a monitor connected to the headset darted wildly whenever his eyes moved.

He turned up the volume on a digital music player by rolling his eyes, and he jerked his eyes twice to the right to fast forward.

The new technology may also enable cell phone cameras to read bar codes used in Japan to get product information, download music and coupons when the user simply looks at the codes, researchers said."

Image from the Canadian Press

Motorola Lauches Kodak Camera Phone

Motorola has la­unched its first Kodak co-developed mobile phone, the MOTOZINE ZN5. [via Cellular News]

"To launch the camera, simply slide open the Kodak lens cover to transform the phone into an ultra-fast 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4GB of optional external memory and optimized settings for low-light environments."

Image from Newlaunches.

Sony lifts mobile gaming with Wii-style handset

Sony Ericsson's new F305 cell phone has a control pad similar to those found on games consoles, and also contains a motion sensor that reacts to hand gestures, much like Nintendo's feted Wii device.

[via Times Online]

A tiny cameraphone

Spotted on Newlaunches, the Neon7, a tiny cameraphone.

'PhotoPhone' shows you who's calling

The "GE PhotoPhone," first seen at CES in January displays digital images of whomever is ringing based on a visual form of caller ID.

And when no one is on the phone, it still serves as a 7-inch picture frame in either black or silver finish.

[via Crave]

Motorola Kodak Camera Phone Outted

Pictures have surfaced of a new cameraphone from Motorola that promises to take on Sony Ericsson, Nokia, LG and Samsung in the cameraphone stakes. Pocket-Lint reports.

"Teaming up with Kodak, the phone will sport a 5 megapixel sensor and Kodak branding.

"They’ve made a cameraphone together that is almost ready for release – apparently the quality is supposedly awesome", an undisclosed source within Motorola told Pocket-lint.

The phone’s rumoured to be called the Motozine ZN5, Chinese-language site Keysj claims. "

More pictures on Gizmodo.

Nokia Shows 3G NFC Capable Mobile Phone

Nokia has launched a new 3G mobile phone - this time including Near Field Communication (NFC).

"With the Nokia 6212 classic, people can swap items like business cards or calendar notes by simply tapping their handsets together. With ever-increasing device functions and services available, ease-of-use is essential. One way to keep things simple is NFC," says Jeremy Belostock, the Head of Near Field Communications, Nokia.

By tapping an NFC-enabled tag, consumers can receive new content such as weblinks, audio files or contact data directly to their phone. They can activate a profile in their handset or open applications such as FM radio or web browser. ..."

[via Cellular News]

Samsung announces world's thinnest 8 megapixel cellphone module

Measuring just 8.5-mm thin, Samsung's 8 megapixel module is the slimmest CMOS camera module of its kind.

[via engadget:mobile]

Kodak sees picture of future in high-quality camera phones

Camera phone snapshots are, by and large, like fast food - convenient, yet not usually all that good. But their popularity is exploding, with more Americans today having camera phones than digital cameras. The Indy Star reports.

"Now Eastman Kodak Co., one of the world's largest makers of digital cameras, is banking on camera phones appearing on the market by next year that shoot high-quality, 5-megapixel digital photos. Those photos would be due to a new line of inexpensive image sensors Kodak is starting to market.

The push into the CMOS image sensor business comes as Kodak is in the midst of a 10-year research-and-development collaboration with cell phone giant Motorola Inc. Kodak Chief Executive Officer Antonio M. Perez said earlier this year that within the next six months, the two companies will roll out the first products to have a Kodak contribution."

Eyes on video at mobile confab

Cell phone makers at the Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona advanced their quest to grab entertainment dollars as they introduced new handsets Monday geared for use as music, video, TV and gaming devices. [via The Hollywood Reporter]

-- With TV and video in mind, Samsung showed off its new F490, a video-centric phone with a 3-inch by 2-inch screen, which is larger than the average cell-phone screen. 17% of the people in South Korea watch mobile TV.

-- Nokia unveiled its video-oriented N96 with a large 2.8-inch screen size and enough storage capacity to hold "more video than most of us watch in a month.

... Although the mobile phone has started to catch on as a portable music player, it's sputtering as a TV device.

At the same time, fewer than 1% of mobile users in the five biggest Western European countries and the U.S. watched live TV or broadcast TV on their handsets, according to M:Metrics, which did not provide figures on video viewing."

Movie Phone plays movies on a disc

Spice Corp Ltd, a leading Indian telecoms Corporation, is showing several groundbreaking products at the Mobile World Congress 2008; a $20 people's phone, a braille phone and relevant to this column, a Movie Phone: the world’s first phone to play movies on a disc.

In their own words:Compact, versatile and stylish, the Movie Phone combines high-end mobile phone functionality with top-of-the-range entertainment features - allowing the user to play movies on small discs, without compromising on digital quality. The handset comes with a user-friendly interface and features:

-- A large 2.8" TFT screen with 262K colour display
-- Wireless music
-- TV out connection
-- Full movie viewing (up to 3.5 hours)

In addition, also included is a standard 3.5 mm stereo headset port and an audio-out port. The audio-out port also functions as a TV-out connection transforming the Spice Movie Phone into a home entertainment player with a single cable connection to any TV.

[via e-mail press release]

Casio Shows off Waterproof Cameraphone

Casio has shown off a waterproof cameraphone (Casio W61CA) aimed at the Japanese market which can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. [via Cellular News]

Other waterproof phones:

-- Durable and water resistant phone from China

-- DoCoMo launches F704i waterproof cell phone

-- Fujitsu Launches World's Thinnest Waterproof Mobile

-- First waterproof 3G phone - FOMA

-- SO902iWP+ Waterproof Cellphone From Sony Ericsson

-- LG Water-Proof Cell Phone Unveiled (canU 502S)

Nokia virtual keyboard patent uses cellphone’s camera

Spotted on Phonemag, "a new Nokia patent look like yet another virtual keyboard, but it uses the camera already found in the cellphone to recognise where the user’s fingers are stabbing on the table behind the handset itself.

Aside from using the camera, the phone design also has sensors which recognise the sounds and vibrations of the user’s fingers impacting the table and converts them into inputs."

Researchers Use Camera Phone as a Mouse

Researchers in the U.K. have developed software that loads camera phones with mouse capabilities, allowing users to swivel a camera phone to scroll or move items on a PC screen, reports PC World.

"While the software is in its infancy, the technology could enable people to use camera phones to scroll public displays to get further information on products or purchase items like plane tickets.

Communicating with a PC via Bluetooth wireless technology, users can either move the cell phone or use a stylus on the cell phone's screen to also scroll through a computer screen, said Patrick Olivier, an associate professor at Newcastle University.

Olivier is working on developing the technology with researchers Nick Pears of York University and Dan Jackson of Newcastle University."

The Lensas F2218: 8 megapixel CCD sensor Cameraphone

Produced solely for the Chinese market Lensas F2218 comes equipped with 8 megapixel CCD (!) sensor camera, able to shoot full blown 3264×2448 pixel resolution images.

[Unwired View via engadget:mobile]

Nokia patents hints at phone with swiveling camera

Nokia has developed a unique way of incorporating a camera into a phone that can adjust for different shooting modes while improving quality of the resulting shots, a patent filing published late last week reveals. Macnn reports.

"The design would rest the camera in a bar mounted sideways at the top of the phone, taking up no more space than an average camera; it could then swivel when the user wants to capture photos to face both outwards for everyday images or inwards for self-portraits and video calls.

Such an invention would allow more advanced sensors and lenses to fit with the same flexibility as many other phones, Nokia says."

Moto planning ZINE line with 8 megapixel camerane?

Motorola is planning a whole new line of phones in 2008. elelctronista reports.

"Called the ZINE line, the series will reportedly include at least two models next year and will include at least one phone based on the kick-slider design of the RIZR Z8.

The handset would have a touchscreen along with the usual sliding keypad. It would also draw on new technology developed in tandem with Kodak to include an 8-megapixel camera and boast an extremely rare optical zoom lens.

No details have been revealed of the second phone".

Nokia cranks up twisty-turny phone design

A Nokia application to the US Patent and Trademark Office has revealed its work on a handset that’s operated by cranks. The The Register.

"Nokia’s application, which was filed in May 2006 but updated earlier this month, explains how the crank doesn’t move freely, but rather ‘clicks’ into two pre-set positions. The first slides the screen up to reveal the keyboard, but it can also be used to activate the phone’s video camera. A second turn activates a photo camera."

Nokia N95 8GB ships pre-loaoded with full version of "Spiderman 3"

The 8GB version of the high-end Nokia N95 handset will be hitting stores very soon - it starts shipping today, according to Tech.co.uk.

The phone's memory is beefed up to 8GB - enough to hold up to 20 hours of video, or 6,000 tracks.

... Nokia has teamed up with Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) to offer a Nokia N95 8GB pre-loaded with Spider-Man 3, it said. The handset also includes a unique Spider-Man 3 message and ringtone, wallpaper and screen saver especially crafted for the new device. "

12-megapixel camera phones?

Broadcom has created a multimedia processor it said can put high-definition video, 3D gaming and 12-megapixel camera capabilities on mobile phones.

The low-power VideoCore III processor is part of Broadcom's effort to power a new generation of mobile phones that deliver a high-quality multimedia experience, the company said.

[Press release via Techworld]

The Rocket Phone.

Spotted on Pocket Picks, the Rocket Camera Phone.

LG Telecom Debuts Pink Colored Mobile TV Phone

LG Telecom has launched a soft pink-colored terrestrial DMB phone (called Pink CanU).

The phone has 2.6 inch display screen, 360 degree swivel folder, and high capacity battery which is double the size of other DMB phones that enables people to watch TV for five hours.

[via Telecoms Korea]

Panasonic's camera phone with autofocus

Panasonic's the P505iS, with an auto focus, just launched in Japan. It also features a Mini SD card for storage and can play back TV programmes stored on the SD card.

[via TechDigest]

LG plans touchscreen mobile with 5-megapixel camer

LG is believed to be planning an iPhone-like, touchscreen phone based on the Prada Phone it released earlier this year. Camera Core reports.

"As well as the 3in touchscreen, the LG KU990 is expected to feature a 5-megapixel camera, 3G with HSDPA capability, integrated MP3 player, MicroSD card support and an onboard FM radio.

There are also rumours of a 120 frames per second video recording facility on the device.

The LG KU990 will also include an embedded YouTube feature for uploading video clips. "

Cellphones to come with projector

SK Telecom of Korea will be releasing new handsets that come with a built-in Nano Projector which is capable of throwing images of up to 20" in size onto a screen or wall.

Developed from an earlier iteration shown last year by Iljin Display, the projector is set to get its first commercial outing after mass production begins in September.

[DigitalWorld Tokyo via Uberphones]

Related cellphone/projector concepts:

-- Microvision unveils tiny projector for mobile devices - Microvision announced that it will unveil at CES an ultra-miniature full-color digital projection display for cell phones and other mobile devices.

-- Microprojector for cell phones - FutureWire reports on a "microprojector" that will allow cell phones and iPods to project images on a wall or screen, developped by Redmond Microvision.

-- Phone to Carry Video Projector - A South Korean company developed a coin-size laser video projector module that can fit into portable gadgets such as mobile phones and digital cameras.

And a more bulky concept:

-- The Project-a-Phone - The ICD-5000 delivers a live image of a handheld device screen to a computer, so it can be recorded, displayed on a monitor, projected on a screen or shared through the Web.

Motorola Z8, the media monster

Spotted on Mobile Magazine the new Motorola Z8, the media monster that Motorola CEO Ed Zander mentioned last week during his keynote speech at Software 2007.

Read more from Motorola's press release - Motorola Presents Its “Media Monster” -- The Ultimate Mobile Entertainment Experience. World’s First Kick-Slider Phone -- with Pre-loaded Hollywood Blockbuster, Downloadable BskyB Content, Podcasts and Games Available in June.

Andy Warhol Branded Cameraphone

In the continued spirit of celebration of pop culture artist Andy Warhol, Cingular and Nokia have announced the launch of a limited edition Andy Warhol branded camera phone, to be released this summer.

The phone will feature a 3.2 megapixel camera with a zoom for portrait taking and will instantly upload photos to an online gallery, where they will be "warholized".

The cylindric shaped cell phone will be multicolored, reminiscent of his famous Campbell soup can renderings and will come pre-loaded with an image gallery of some his most famous paintings as well as a ringtone that will say in his own voice: "In the future everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes.”

It will be packaged with a numbered print of his "cell phones" painting (picture left). Retail price is expected at $1,500.

[via e-mail press release]

Imaginarium shows kids' phone with camera, music

Spotted on Electronista, a 2-megapixel - MP3 camerapone for kids by Spanish toymaker Imaginarium, showcased at Barcelona's 3GSM.

"Parents can have strong a control over the phone's features. The pre-determined contact list can be changed through a web-based interface, and calls in both directions as well as SMS texts can be limited to a pre-approved list.

Parents can even locate the phone itself through GPRS triangulation that finds the Cam1's owner without relying on a GPS receiver."

More pictures here.

Pantech's new metallic slimphone for face-recognition mobile faming

Slashphone writes up Pantechy's new metal case handset (IM-U170) which is the world's first face-recognition mobile game in the industry.

The built-in camera traces the movement of the user's face to use for input instead of controllers. Users can have their real-time faces while playing games with the IM-U170.

And a dual camera -- a 2 mega-pixel camera and a VGA camera --offer video telephony function. They can also recognize a shape of face and automatically adjust it to take the best photo when shooting."

The toughest mobile phone on the street: Casio's GzOne

Dear Red Ferret writes up the toughest handset on the street: Casio's GzOne cameraphone.

"It will survive immersion in water for up to 30 minutes (1 meter) and can be dropped repeatedly from 1.5 meters onto a steel plate over concrete. And can withstand extreme temperatures (up to 120F)."

New Verizon phone lets you take pictures underwater

This is actually not new, but I missed it. Verizon's Casio made flip phone, the G'zOne Type-V, is water proof and you can take pictures underwater with it's 2 megapixel camera feature, according to journalist for Pioneer Press, who tested it.

"It also has V Cast streaming video and Global Positioning System capabilities for use with Verizon's VZ Navigator software. It also works as a computer modem on Verizon's high-speed data network."

Picture from Mobilemedia.

First PTT-enabled 3G Phone at Cingular

LG Electronics has launched the world’s first 3G phone supporting Push-To-Talk.

The LG-CU400 phone is marketed by Cingular Wireless. Users can talk to up to 30 persons simultaneously by pushing a button. [via MobileKorea.tv]

Self Protection against muggers: Cameraphone with a panic button

Self-protection devices, such as pepper-spray and stun guns, are effective tools for women to fight off possible attackers and being mugged, writes IOL, "Yet, if an attack does take place, the victim is often too traumatized to provide the police with a detailed description of the attacker, hampering further investigations to apprehend and convict the attacker."

"This (patented) system is a means to discourage a would-be-attacker or burglar. It comprises a handheld camera-phone that is equipped with a panic button on the side of the phone housing. If the camera-phone owner suspects an attack, the phone is held up towards the assailant and the panic button pressed

A digital image of the attacker and GPS coordinates of the phone, as well as the time and details of the phone owner is automatically transmitted to a remote repository, where the data is stored on a server, which can be retrieved as evidence for the police investigation. At the same time, a text message with all the necessary details is transmitted to a security company with whom the user is registered alerting them of a distress call."

Satellite camera phone

APSI of South Korea, a firm partly owned by Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications, has just released a small (130 grams) satellite camera phone.

Samsung Launches 10 megapixel Camera phone

Samsung is launching the world’s first 10 megapixel mobile phone (model: SCH-B600) on the Korean market. It was unveiled at CeBIT last March.

"The B600 offers the same level of picture-taking sophistication that a 10 megapixel digital camera offers. The camera function includes 3x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom.

It has auto focus and a flash unit that performs optimally for 10 megapixel photographs and supports Bluetooth".

[via Korean Newswire]

Nokia N95 Pictures, Info Leaked: 5-Megapixel Camera Built-In

Nokia is expected to officially unveil its latest flagship smartphone, the N95, later today in New York but several pictures and specs have made their way to the Internet.

The smartphone is expected to feature a 5-megapixel built-in camera and be compatible with the 3.5G wireless download standard HSDPA, which can achieve speeds of up to 3.6Mbps.

[reBlogged from Gizmodo. View more pictures on Symbian Freak and other great shots on Mobile Mentalism ]

The smallest cameraphone in the world

mobile|blog.it via The Raw Feed has found the smallest cameraphone in the world, from Asia.

Mobile TV with picture-in-picture feature

Samsung have announced the Samsung SCH-B470, a mobile-TV-picture-phone enabling users to insert a picture on the other half of the screen, next to the TV program their watching - or, doing any of the million other things a Samsung phone will let you do.

[via Mobile Mentalism]

Nokia Bluetooth Mouse Project

via Pyrofers Projects Nokia 6230i Bluetooth Mouse: "Most phones now have a camera and can run Java, there is no reason that some software couldnt be written to watch for movement in the camera, and translate that into mouse signals for the PC. Bluetooth could be used to send the data to the PC.

So there was the challenge, a java program that took multiple frames from the nokia camera, translated that into direction and speed and sent it to the PC as mouse movements. ... The PC screen is displayed on the Nokia phone. See video of the phone-mouse".

[via Blog of Wishes via digg].

Links to Links to other mouse-phones

Nokia N93 Golf Edition Improves Your Golf Game

Nokia is launching the Nokia N93 Golf Edition, a package combining mobile video capabilities of the Nokia N93 multimedia computer with a golf application that enables you to capture your golf swing, analyze and improve your game by split screen swing comparison and other advanced analysis tools.

The golf-tailored viewfinder instantly captures a player's swing from the correct angles and distances. Pro Session Golf is usable with no additional cameras, cables, or computer needed.

Available online from today at www.nokia.com/N93golf in 15 countries across Europe, the Nokia N93 Golf Edition will also go on sale through local distributors such as selected golf clubs and regular Nokia Nseries retail channels.

[via mobiledia]

Sky IM-R100 Recognizes and Tracks Face

Pantech Group launched a face-recognizing and auto tracking phone, IM-R100, unveils MobileKorea. The auto-swiveling camera tracks the model’s face so that the face always comes at the center of the screen. The face recognition makes pictures more lifelike and clear, explained the company.

Users are able to mix the photos with fun images after the shooting. Besides the face-sensing camera, IM-R100 is equipped with 2.2” 262K-color TFT-LCD that offers clear image from any direction, using wide view-angle. The new handset also features MP3 player, mobile banking, recording and PictBridge.

Souvenir camera from Paris

Not a camera phone. Just a camera. But things are slow and this is great. It's almost as much fun as the Elivs Camera - which automatically inserts your image next to The King on every shot. [via [BB-Blog]]

A disposable camera that contains 27 undeveloped souvenir shots of Paris photographed by up-and-coming artists. Every camera is different.

From uptoyoutoronto.com.

Peeping Tom filter lets phones see through bikinis

Fun. Another camera lense for cell phones that allows you to see through clothes!, and with perfect timing because it's summer, it's reportedly particularly effective on dark bikinis. [via Silicon.com via digg]

"Yamada Denshi, has developed an add-on to Vodafone handsets, intended to be used as a night filter to allow Big Red's customers to take pictures with their phones in the dark.

Unfortunately, the night vision camera has an unexpected side effect - in the right circumstances, it allows users to see a lot more than they bargained for.

The handset most often used with the £100 filter - the V602-SH - is only available in Japan.

According to a Vodafone spokeswoman: "We would never go to market with a phone with any kind of capacity to see people naked."

Other related voyeur devices:

-- Israeli researchers combine IR camera, cell phone -A joint study out of Israel has demonstrated that it is technically feasible to integrate an infrared digital camera into a cell phone.

-- See under clothes via camera lens - The KAYA 37mm PF4, a camera lens that allows to see under clothes.

-- Mobile cam sees through clothes - A new mobile phone gadget has raised fears it will be a perverts' dream. The £100 add-on will turn camera phones into X-ray specs which can see through clothes.

DoCoMo Cell Phone Can Test Whether Drivers Have Been Drinking

According to Nikkei.net, NTT DoCoMo Inc. has developed a system that will let bus, taxi and truck companies use cellular phones to determine from remote locations whether their drivers have been drinking alcohol.

"To conduct such a test, a small breath-alcohol sensor is attached to one of DoCoMo's FOMA 3G handsets. The driver breathes into the sensor and the results of the test are transmitted via FOMA's network to a manager's