An Apple patent application has surfaced that tackles improved video and photo performance on handheld devices includes a very clear depiction of a front-facing camera. Did someone say iPad Chatroulette?
The patent, with the decidedly unsexy title of "Apparatus and Method for Compensating for Variations in Digital Cameras," outlines ways in which they company could account for variations in the lens manufacturing process. Since camera components are manufactured separately and then incorporated into their host devices, there's a broad range of lens thickness, color response, and so on. The technology in the Apple patent would test each camera individually and adjust for the bias.
But I care less about what the lens does than where it goes, and on the generic Apple device pictured above, it's clearly front-facing. Of course, this could all just be a big tease. But if we all shut our eyes and clap our hands and believe, maybe Uncle Steve will make it real. [AppleInsider]
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony's gearing up to take on Apple this year, with the long-awaited PSP phone and a netbook/eBook reader/PSP hybrid to fight the iPad.
And just in the nick of time for our Sony tough love fest, We Miss Sony!
There aren't extensive details available yet—including any info about pricing and specs—but we can expect to see the both the PSP phone and the PSPad sometime this year. The Sony Ericsson PSP phone, in particular, has been in the works since at least 2007, but has met with various delays since then.
As for the multifunction iPad competitor, it's not clear exactly what form that will take. Both devices, though, will leverage the media platform Sonys launching later this month. The Sony Online Service—a temporary name—is going to provide similar media content as iTunes, but will supplement its offerings with its extensive (and exclusive) catalog of PlayStation games. Mostly older games are expected to be available on the mobile devices.
The project is apparently being speared by Kunimasa Suzuki, who has an oversight role in both Sony's Vaio and PlayStation businesses. Getting previously disparate corporate divisions to work together has been a major part of CEO Howard Stringer's turnaround plan, making the PSPad an incredibly important sign of if that labor has born any fruit. Is this the Sony renaissance we've been longing for? Or will it be another in a long line of proprietary format failures? We'll find out soon, either way. [WSJ]
Although the Apple iPad was officially announced today, the name was actually coined nearly four years ago — by MadTV and a particularly raunchy sketch about bodily functions.Back in 2006, TUAW posted this sketch and praised it for its use of satire: “The ‘iPad’ ad wins bonus points for coming complete with a spoof of the iPod silhouette ads and a mock voice-over of Bono.”
While these references seem rather retro now, the line, “Please don’t make us explain how it works,” rings particularly true for many tech bloggers at this point. Check out the not-so-dated spoof below. It’s totally NSFW, btw.