VisorCentral.com - Has anyone heard of a new camera module?

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VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Springboard Modules (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=10)
-- Has anyone heard of a new camera module? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=10694)

Posted by na2rboy on 01-08-2001 07:09 PM:

I am seriously looking at the eyemodule, but the resolution is so crappy, I don't know if it is worth it. I know companies sometimes discount products that they are trying to get off shelves in order to make way for new products, so I was thinking that maybe that is why the eyemodule has a large rebate now. Has anybody heard anything?

Posted by bkbk on 01-22-2001 03:13 AM:

This is in another thread, too.
But hard to say.
I'd actually recom. it for $99.
(Not for the $149 I got it for.)
If you can wait a mo. or 2 (until "maybe" the other one shows), I would.
You can get a lot of better digicams today for $99.
But they're not SBs, of course.
Anyway, hard to say.

Posted by DBrown on 01-22-2001 05:05 AM:

Keep in mind that the eyemodule was designed to work with and for a Visor. The Visor's screen resolution is 160x120 pixels. Visors also do not have a whole lot of memory for storing pictures.

So if you primarily want pictures you can keep on your Visor to show people, then an eyemodule is all you need. A fancier camera might give you a better lens system, but the picture it takes still won't be any use if it's larger than 160x120 on your Visor. Store larger pictures there, and you'll consume memory in a hurry. A 160x120 B&W image takes 9k. A 320x240 color image takes 187k. Note the huge increase in size each step up you go.

I'm a college professor. I use my eyemodule to catch an image of all my students. It is proving to make learning names/faces much easier and quicker. The Eyecontact application is the perfect compliment for the eyemodule. It should have been included on the module. I also teach a furniture design class to students with very little woodworking or general tool experience. I'm often trying to describe a tool I want them to use. With a little picture of the tool in my Visor, I can just show them. "Use the table router. It looks like this." Eyemodule pictures make wonderful visual references.

I DO believe there is a market for a high end digital camera that uses the Visor screen as it's viewfinder. I'll buy one too, when they come up with one. It'll need it's own compact flash or other removeable media, and a few other features. If you can't wait, there are dozens of nice digital cameras out there you could buy. You don't need a Visor for them.

As for the eyemodule, it's a great value at $100 or less. If you need pictures in your visor, it's perfect. Just remember to take pictures in good light. That is good advice for any camera.

Dave

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Posted by fr0g on 01-22-2001 07:10 AM:

screen resolution

The screen resolution on all palm devices is actually 160x160, even though eyemodule images and some image viewer images use 160x140, because of the menus at the bottom.

Posted by bkbk on 01-23-2001 05:18 PM:

I agree w/a lot of DBrown's post.
W/EyeContact, real value comes out of the 9k pix that I did not believe was there before. It's perfect for shots that will stay on the Visor, and the mem hit is not bad.

My irk has always been the "fake" 187k of the photos on the Visor ... when you sync to your PC, they often "shrink" to half that!
I understand that in "optimizing" them for Visor's screen, somehow I guess they balloon up.
But I hear that's not the case w/PalmPix, and it's hard not to compare the two.

Anyway, as Dave says, I hope a high-quality one comes out. Then it's as the PalmOS has always been: plenty of choice for every user.
And since I always put a word in for video, too, on the E.M., if possible, consider it said again here.

Posted by Usonian on 01-23-2001 09:07 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by bkbk
I agree w/a lot of DBrown's post.
My irk has always been the "fake" 187k of the photos on the Visor ... when you sync to your PC, they often "shrink" to half that!
I understand that in "optimizing" them for Visor's screen, somehow I guess they balloon up.
But I hear that's not the case w/PalmPix, and it's hard not to compare the two.

Images taken with the eyemodule are stored in a proprietary format on the Visor, which doesn't use any compression... so each color image stored on the visor contains YUV information for all 76,800 pixels (320x240)... hence the 187K filesize. When you sync to your desktop, the eyemodule conduit takes this information from the eyemoduleVgaDB.pdb file and converts it to JPEGs, which use compression and wind up a good deal smaller.

I don't know how CPU-intensive JPEG compression is, but maybe that was a consideration when they were designing the software; heavy data crunching = higher battery drain on top of the power already being used by the CMOS array... and in the interest of keeping the Springboard small maybe they opted to go without compression so that an external battery wouldn't be necessary.

It seems like a lot of the features people are clamoring for would require at *least* an external battery, and along with features like removable storage media, a swiveling lens, focus control, and flash a second-generation eyemodule would bulk up considerably... are Eyemodule bashers taking this into account? If a module comes out that incorporates all of the features everyone has been griping about, is everyone going to start complaining about the size?

$150 is definitely steep for the Eyemodule, and the PalmPix has enviable features and picture quality... but given the considerably smaller form factor (and limitations thereof), comparing the Eyemodule to the Palmpix is a little bit like apples and oranges. That being said, I hope somebody comes out with something with better focus and higher resolution than the Eyemodule. I love my Eyemodule, but that's probably because it doesn't have any springboard competition.

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Posted by dpdamour on 01-24-2001 02:23 AM:

An advantage to saving the photos in jpeg format would be the ability to attach a photo to a wireless email.

You could send family and friends your vacation pics in "real time"!

=Dave=

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Posted by prismenvy on 01-24-2001 05:39 AM:

I believe the wireless photo option is possible using BugMe Messenger and Snapshot feature. Just capture the screen image of your picture and send via BugMe.

I read a post on it... have used the screen capture for other things with BugMe Messenger. Am considering an EM purchase.

Posted by bkbk on 01-25-2001 03:18 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Usonian
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bkbk
I agree w/a lot of DBrown's post.
My irk has always 187k on the Visor...
Images taken with the eyemodule are stored in a proprietary format on the Visor, which doesn't use any compression...
I don't know how CPU-intensive JPEG compression is...
It seems like a lot of the features people are clamoring for would require ... eyemodule would bulk up considerably...

I snipped a lot of the text above, obviously -- but thanks for all the excellent data, and points.
I always wondered why IDEO/BLOCK didn't "bother" allowing for a 9k-sized (just an ex.; I know it would be more bytes than that) COLOR counterpart to the tiniest-sized photo ... that would be perfect for the E.C. for Prism people.

Maybe IDEO/BLOCK is at work on it as I click these keys...

IT'S HORRENDOUS that the E.M. can't compress its own images. Can some ingenious programmer come up w/an app that will do this?

Maybe IDEO/BLOCK is at work on it as I click these keys...

Psnly, I'm willing to put up w/SOME compromise of "limited features" (like only being able to use the viewfinder for a few seconds, for fear of blowing out the AAAs) / increased size.
Like if they added video / sound capture ... and it was understood that, EITHER:
1) You can get 5 or 10 sec. and not drain the batt. too much; and / or:
2) You could go 1 min., say (or max out the RAM) and essentially deplete the AAAs (and have others on-hand).
Just so you would have SOMETHING, say, if it was an "emergency situation," like you were at the Super Bowl for the Greatest Catch In History you just KNEW you could sell to the tabloids for $1,000,000.00.
Y'know, something like that...

Otherwise, EVEN DOUBLIING THE DEPTH, IDEO/BLOCK (I should just e-mail them direct, eh?), so the module stuck out, say 5mm (like the depth of a matchbook or something) would EASILY be a welcome sacrifice for this customer if EITHER or BOTH:
1) added mem -- ESP. if it allowed, say, a MM-card to be inserted ... WHOO-HOO!
2) CR-2032 batt(s)
(How powerful are CR-2032s, anyone know? Just good for back up?)

In fact, would EASILY be a welcome sacrifice for this customer to add even 5MM more than that.
(Be sure to TAPER THE EDGES, THOUGH, PLEASE IDEO/BLOCK.)

[Edited by bkbk on 01-25-2001 at 06:34 PM]

Posted by Konige on 01-25-2001 06:00 PM:

Eyemodule 2?

quote:
Originally posted by na2rboy
I know companies sometimes discount products that they are trying to get off shelves in order to make way for new products, so I was thinking that maybe that is why the eyemodule has a large rebate now. Has anybody heard anything?

While searching some sites for the eyemodule, I came across this interesting tidbit. If you go to rcseshop.com and do a search for eyemodule it comes up with 2 listings. One with the Eyemodule Camera for $149.99 In Stock and another for the Eyemodule 2 Camera for $199.99 Not In Stock. What's up with that? Haven't seen/heard it anywhere else. Maybe a mistake? Who knows.
-Rey

Posted by Doggy on 01-28-2001 02:44 PM:

If there is going to be an eye2, they aren't going to leak it

If Ideo is planning an eyemodule2, they aren't going to leak that information early for two reasons I can think of :

1 - The earlier they announce the E2, the harder it is to get rid of their remaining inventory on E1s.

2 - I tink some manufacturers have not only learned from the MiniJam's experience but have more importantly learned an upside from the Sounds Good experience. Don't tell people about it, just surprise them with it.

There is no competition out there for Springboard cameras so they do not have to worry about us going out and buying someone elses while they put the finishing touches on theirs.

I am not saying their is going to be an second generation, I couldn't get an answer out of Ideo but I am just saying I do not think they are goiing to tell us before it is ready for release.

Posted by yardie on 01-28-2001 03:13 PM:

EyeModule2

I suspect that there will be a new EyeModule perhaps with a color viewer for us Prism users by summer. I don't think the EyeModule 2 listing at rcshop.com is an error (May be it was not suppose to go up this early).

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