Will.i.am to Launch 14 Megapixel Camera Add-on for iPhone

two major challenges:

1) sensor need to be small to fit with the small optics to keep the foot print small of the camera -> sensor noise will make the pictures not nice to watch

2) sensor is big enough to deliver low noise level -> optics will be bigger and the camera will be quite thick

But lets see what the first tests will show us ... pixel-peeping for sure. Maybe its a killer feature ...

cdmoore74 said:

I love the accessory opportunity that idevices have but you got to draw the line some where. And this is the time to do it.
Sad to see musicians and actors put their name on crap products just to make a few bucks. Even ludacris has headphones now.

Click to expand...

How on earth can you qualify that statement? You have not seen the product, you don't know what it costs, you don't know the quality, etc. It may be an absolutely fantastic product at an accessible price point. You simply have no idea. Your entire post is baseless and has an information content of zero.

-

I agree with the above poster. The internet sucks. So many of you are just filled with hate, and the majority of the internet simply gives "nobodies" a voice, and they've chosen to be heard by ranting and raving over any little thing. Hear we have somebody who invested a lot of money into the development of an interesting iPhone accessory, and all these "haters" are coming out writing absolutely ridiculous things based on zero information.

I'd be that if you replaced "Will.I.Am" with "Apple" it'd be a completely different response.

I read a more extended interview with Will and he claims that when you dock your iPhone into this camera device, not only will it increase the megapixels; Safari will also feel snappier.

Dagless said:

Is this going to be like those Beats headphones, in that they're actually awful and aimed at a market that won't be able to afford them?

Click to expand...

I think it means you have to wear the camera case at all times too like its a fashion accessory.

Yep, it's a garbage thread fuelled by a garbage news report with largely garbage responses with some disgusting in their implied racism.

quasinormal said:

Yep, it's a garbage thread fuelled by a garbage news report with largely garbage responses with some disgusting in their implied racism.

Click to expand...

Haha, see, I would disagree with you here. I hate this false-tolerance part of our culture where we aren't allowed to say anything about race, because if we say anything negative and it involves a black person, then it's "racism." That's absolute bunk. In America, we are more likely to criticize someone for abusing their prescription drugs than we are to call attention to the gangster on the street selling drugs because they may be a minority and then we are a "racist."

I bet it sells like mad, remember people buy those useless Beats headphones, which are only popular cos it's made by a DJ and they shoved a load of EQ in there to hype up the sound (in my book awful sounding)..
How Will I-am has anything to do with camera's I dunno but BEP do make some good video's..it's all about the packaging not the fact it's more megapixels..lol

I really don't get what that dude does for a living. He's on political shows, he's dancing on stage, he's making magic iDevices. Why should we as the general consumer listen to him?

garylapointe said:

If it's got a real (optical) zoom and a much better flash, I'm in!

Click to expand...

Roger that. A good wide angle zoom would move me much closer to traveling without a separate camera.

But whether or not this rumor proves to be true, it's opened my eyes to the feasibility off such a product. (EDIT:thanks too to the fella who posted the links to other earlier interpretations of this product idea) I don't see any tech impediment. I'll wager it's gonna happen.

EDIT: this thread has the highest proportion of close-minded posts I've seen since apple announced it would use intel chips. Except the ones on this thread are more discouraging comments on the state of critical thinking today. Sad. Imagine trying to run a company with as staff, the posters on this thread, ready to attack a new product proposal not on its merits or demerits, but on who put forth the idea. Those people would have NO value to me as a business owner, and no appeal to me as a friend. End of rant. I'm eager to see what future products exploit this iphone-extension concept.

Full disclosure: I use the Olloclip accessory wide angle and macro lenses on my iP5 with some satisfaction, as well as the 360-degree go pano add-on which makes some fantastic videos.

bushido said:

how silly, instead of carrying around this add-on u may as well carry around a camera

Click to expand...

Does your camera have a really nice high-res LCD display, GPS, mobile internet connectivity, a decent photo browser/manager that syncs neatly to iPhoto and a choice of photo-editing apps?

Not sure about a celebrity-endorsed gizmo that is only a minor upgrade from the iPhone camera, but the idea of a decent DSLR (or even a decent 'Travel Zoom'-type camera) with a high quality lump of glass on the front and a larger sensor (better sensitivity for lower noise) into which you dock your iPhone is a solid one.

I think the fly in the ointment is storage: this is only going to appeal to the more serious photographers out there, for whom 64GB isn't going to go far if they're shooting 14MP files in RAW mode.

chambord said:

Haha, see, I would disagree with you here. I hate this false-tolerance part of our culture where we aren't allowed to say anything about race, because if we say anything negative and it involves a black person, then it's "racism." That's absolute bunk. In America, we are more likely to criticize someone for abusing their prescription drugs than we are to call attention to the gangster on the street selling drugs because they may be a minority and then we are a "racist."

Click to expand...

I agree that race shouldn't protect people from criticism if that criticism is valid...But there's a very nasty and thinly veiled racist edge (mixed with money envy) to some of the hate that's coming from some people in this thread.

Why isn't it OK for Will.i.am to branch out into other things but it was OK for Steve Jobs? What business did SJ have getting into animation with pixar? What business did Apple have getting into making phones? Or Music players?

Is it because some people find Will.i.am annoying? Because Steve Jobs never ruffled any feathers did he?

Oh, wait.....

DrMotownMac said:

Wait a sec...will.i.am has a "consumer electronics and app venture?" Has this turkey suddenly become some sort of renaissance man? Hey WILLY, why don't you stick to music? When you get some education in electrical engineering, come back and show us what you can do, okay? At least Leonardo da Vinci WAS a genius. Who the f--- does will.i.am think he is?

And for those of you who are upset about all the "haters" ... Consider this: Many people on this board carry advanced degrees in subjects like computer science and electrical engineering, and they have been working their whole lives to develop new products and gadgets. And some idiot savant rapper comes along, declares himself an electronics expert, and develops a new gadget (with some help from actual educated employees). I'm not in the electronics industry myself, but I totally understand why there's some hate out there for this imbecile. There's not enough money in the music business? He needs to compete with others in areas he knows nothing about? Yeah, most of us would like to see him fail miserably.

Click to expand...

Let me get this straight...

You resent him and want him to fail because he doesn't know his place?

No no no don't phunk with my phone

Gemütlichkeit said:

I really don't get what that dude does for a living. He's on political shows, he's dancing on stage, he's making magic iDevices. Why should we as the general consumer listen to him?

Click to expand...

You forgot Intel's director of creative innovation.


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tec...d-intels-director-of-creative-innovation.html

shurcooL said:

Pics or it didn't happen.

I don't believe these kind of wild claims, until I have evidence of the contrary. Less disappointments that way.

Edit: "it is described as interfacing to the iPhone through the dock-connector and has its own camera and flash hardware." Ah, in that case it's more believable.

Click to expand...

From the description, it just sounds like a digital camera that interfaces via the dock connector. No different than using a digital camera and the camera connection kit, except I guess it'll physically attach to the iPhone and the pictures won't be as good as a dedicated camera.

So when docked the system becomes an EOS-M?

AJH1993 said:

This add-on better be so three thousand and eight.

And not two thousand and late

Click to expand...

I created an account just to like that comment...hilarious!

Whoops... 1st April post a bit too early...

Ridiculous. I hate it when idiots like this William try and invest their money in things they have no clue about.

quasinormal said:

Yep, it's a garbage thread fuelled by a garbage news report with largely garbage responses with some disgusting in their implied racism.

Click to expand...

I just think hes a talentless idiot. Would you like me to provide examples of white and asian people i find to be talentless idiots too?

I hadn't even thought about what colour his skin was until you brought it up so who's the one obsessed with race here?

If I have to carry a clip on to record photos from the clip on device to the iPhone, I'll just bring a camera with me.

i got a feeling that this isnt gonna be a good one

8.0 Megapixels are just fine for 99% of folks.

appleguy123 said:

The iOS version of the Samsung galaxy camera?

Click to expand...

Apple were rumoured to be working on their own camera last year. I suspect it will happen so or later, Apple will need to offer more than just their current line up of iOS and Mac line ups in future.

Let's see, what does a loser with no talent but lots of wrongfully acquired fame do? Oh yeah........release useless products at ridiculous prices thereby giving the illusion of premium. So sick of these clowns lol.