Kodak intros new EasyShare photo frames with Quick Touch borders
Posts with tag kodak

Kodak claims to be "revolutionizing" image capture, though you always have to take press releases with a grain of salt. However, it does appear that the company has made some interesting advances in camera technology for mobile devices, which will hopefully lead to bigger and better images from our phones in the near future. The company's new KAC-05020 snaps its proprietary Color Filter Pattern technology together with a redesigned CMOS pixel for the "world's first" 1.4 micron, 5-megapixel device. The new sensor shrinks the pixels down, but manages to maintain picture quality by harnessing the aforementioned CFP. That technique adds a fourth layer of "clear" pixels to the red, green, and blue ones which already exist, thus collecting a higher proportion of light striking the sensor, improving low light photography, reducing blur, and generally making you look like Ansel Adams. The chip is also capable of 720p video at 30 FPS, as well as extreme low light settings, like ISO 3200. Kodak will be showing the new technology off at the Mobile World Congress this month, and then hopefully cramming it into phones for us very, very soon.

Counterfeit batteries and chargers are a legitimate problem for electronics manufacturers -- faulty components tend to go up in (literal) smoke, and have even caused deaths -- so we can totally see why Kodak has decided to join Nokia and NEC in decided to employing an anti-counterfeiting system in its digital camera batteries. The system, called TRACELESS, uses invisible markers that can be mixed directly into thermally-printed barcode labels, and can only be detected by handheld Kodak readers. Apparently Kodak's already deployed the system in the pharmaceutical, wine, and cosmetics industries, and the results seems to have inspired a little cockiness -- Philip Faraci, Kodak's president, says counterfeiters should simply stop tying to replicate Kodak's batteries, "because [they] simply won't be able to do it." That kind of confidence has apparently convinced Sanyo to license out the tech for its cams as well, but Kodak hasn't said anything about legitimate third party accessory manufacturers -- which has us a little worried, to be sure.
It doesn't feel like this one has too sturdy a leg to stand on just yet, but according to Financial Times, Hewlett-Packard may be (once again) looking to acquire Kodak. Reportedly, the rationale is that combining the strengths of the two would "create a global imaging powerhouse." Additionally, it was noted that Kodak is "trimmer and in better financial shape largely because of steps taken by CEO Antonio Perez, a 25-year HP veteran recruited in 2003 and CEO since 2005." As expected, spokespeople from both outfits declined comment, but we wouldn't be surprised if this here acquisition was at least on someone's table.








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