Samsung's in-bezel HD webcam offers more pixels per pimple

Bezel-integrated webcams for laptops will soon get a sore-ly needed boost thanks to Samsung. Its new 1.2 megapixel S5K4AW System on Chip does what your VGA webcam can't: shoots real-time 720p at 30fps. The 1/4-inch CMOS imager is also 3x more sensitive to light than current sensors thanks to its superior 2x2 binning technique -- or so Samsung says in hopes of drumming up interest to sell samples to OEMs. Mass production is set to begin in the first half of 2009 for all your dimly lit, locked door, HD video conferencing needs. Just remember, some things are not meant to be seen in high-def. You listening Bruce?

[Calvin @ Dec 5th 2008 3:35AM]

A link to the past

[LukeCarroll @ Dec 5th 2008 3:35AM]

Is that Bruce Willis?

[Andrei Vassiliev @ Dec 5th 2008 3:49AM]

Nah, it's Bruce Wayne. Move along. He's about to cam-whore with his ward.

[Ryback @ Dec 5th 2008 4:07AM]

The important question is: Has Ashton Kutcher grown a beard?

[rippinhonda @ Dec 5th 2008 12:58PM]

it looks like bruce willis

[NickNick @ Dec 5th 2008 6:11AM]

Bruce Willis is showing his Tats, later he will cyber.

[Boards of Canada @ Dec 5th 2008 7:41AM]

Come on... its Bruce Dickinson.

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 5th 2008 10:44AM]

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

[konshuss @ Dec 5th 2008 12:22PM]

Gee, I hope storage media holds up the test of time, so when they crack open the time capsules hundreds of years from now the incredibly important occasion where bruce showed ashton one of his tattoos and traded small talk is preserved and studied by theologians.

[Woody @ Dec 7th 2008 8:57PM]

Damn it! Someone beat me to it. I thought I was special there for a moment.

[KeatMP @ Dec 5th 2008 3:36AM]

Bruce has got some weird lookin lights in his house.

[Brian @ Dec 5th 2008 4:32AM]

Those would be baseball caps hanging down.

[OneLove @ Dec 5th 2008 11:34AM]

hes at your house.

[Bo @ Dec 5th 2008 3:39AM]

this post is hilarious. man i cant believe its only been 4 years since britney was the 22 year old "pop princess" in http://www.engadget.com/2004/03/29/the-cruelties-of-hdtv/ . i can't wait to see bruce willis' smug mug in HD (and the really excited guy he's showing his tattoo to, hah)

[Haikibutsu @ Dec 5th 2008 3:42AM]

Is that Bruce Willis?

[KeatMP @ Dec 5th 2008 3:47AM]

Are yall not reading the article??

[JihadComputers @ Dec 5th 2008 4:08AM]

Is this Bruce Wilis new movie... Armagetiton?

[Andrei Vassiliev @ Dec 5th 2008 4:29AM]

Harsher punishments for parole violators.

[Brass @ Dec 5th 2008 5:09AM]

Is that Bruce Willis' ceiling?

[Thomas Malkin @ Dec 5th 2008 10:42AM]

Yeah, that's Bruce Willis. He posts as 'Walter B', or did, on aintitcool.com's Talkbacks.

One night he simply showed up posting, claiming to be one Bruce Willis, people called the poseur out, and Walter B there decides to set up an iChat session with his doubter. It was last year, I think.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32598

[Patriks7 @ Dec 5th 2008 5:15AM]

Of course, even Bruce Willis uses a Mac.. Otherwise this wouldn't be here..

[??? @ Dec 5th 2008 12:53PM]

Honestly, if it's a vid chat, of course it's going to be Mac. When was the last time PC companies made an effort to implement webcams into their friggin' laptops? Maybe Samsung's development here will angle and interest the companies.

(not doubting the bias here, but seriously, beating a dead horse with a dead seal here)

[Patriks7 @ Dec 5th 2008 1:32PM]

"When was the last time PC companies made an effort to implement webcams into their friggin' laptops?"
Uhm, not sure if I'm understanding that wrong, but all major companies have webcams in their laptops, ie Dell, Acer, Asus...

[Akshay @ Dec 5th 2008 6:35AM]

Why is the tone in the article so negative? Is it because it isn't apple? This seems to be a good improvement to me.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Dec 5th 2008 8:47AM]

Tone in the article is mocking what people use webcams for, not the Samsung 720p development. Relax. This is not the bias you are looking for.

[fistpittingnork @ Dec 5th 2008 8:53AM]

Sweet ink, Mr. Willis.

[tookitogo @ Dec 5th 2008 12:08PM]

What's the big deal? Almost all Macs with built-in iSights, as well as most PC laptops, have 1.3MP or higher webcams built in, that's more than 720p.

[Wwhat @ Dec 5th 2008 8:53PM]

Haha, now try to stream anything over 640x480, especially at 30fps.
Besides most of those 1.3MP cameras are including the little addendum 'interpolated', yes indeed with just a little magic of pixel-doubling we can actually MAGICALLY INCREASE RESOLUTION!!!

Of course logitech and MS actually do sell HD webcams, but they do have their limitations and their cost probably limits the inclusion in notebook packages.

[Neal @ Dec 5th 2008 1:31PM]

This is an old shot of when Bruce was on a message board pimping how awesome Live Free or Die Hard would be, people started calling him out on NOT being Bruce Willis. They said there was no way a star would post on a message board, and he would't have time to. So he challenged the most rabid attacker to jump on his iMac for a camera chat. The guy grabbed these pics and said "Yep it really IS him."

It's the shot Engadget posted from that story, look it up, it was a while back.

[Riley @ Dec 5th 2008 7:25PM]

yeah, the link is right in the post

[TIMMAH! @ Dec 5th 2008 6:05PM]

Nice tattoo McClane, now I will blow you up!

[Fashion Style of Leadership @ Dec 6th 2008 3:31AM]

Don't be a noob, buy a friggin HD camcorder you douches. It's worth the $500+ price tag because it really IS HD and portable. It's like buying the fully loaded car only to realize the nav system is a POS.

[Fashion Style of Leadership @ Dec 6th 2008 3:50AM]

by that I mean your nav system only directs you to invade Poland