Day: 23 January 2012

Sony Unveils Tiny 13-Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor ⇥

I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the Sony sensor in my iPhone 4S, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple adopted this for the next-generation iPhone. Aside from the high megapixel count, this camera has a couple of interesting refinements. The first is the addition of white light sensors, in addition to the standard red, blue and green ones. Theoretically, this should mean that it can provide better exposure in low-light situations and more accurate white balancing. The camera also features something Sony calls “HDR video”, which simultaneously combines two video recordings of different exposures.

If history has any bearing on the future, the next iPhone should be a massive leap forward in every facet.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review ⇥

Vlad Savov:

Pocketing the Note is an exercise in either frustration or denial. Oh, it will fit inside your pants pocket, but try walking around with it there and you’ll see that fitting inside a space is only half the battle

Summary: the answer to a question nobody asked. Also, it has a built-in stylus for a little slice of 1998.

Publishers And Booksellers See A ‘Predatory’ Amazon ⇥

Lynn Neary:

Publishers have a problem when it comes to discussing Amazon: They may fear its power, but they are also dependent on it, because like it or not, Amazon sells a lot of books. But lately, the grumbling about Amazon has been growing louder, with some in the book industry openly describing Amazon’s tactics as “predatory.”

Publishers have long complained about Amazon’s pricing policies; it sold e-books at cut-rate prices in order to win customers for the Kindle. Now, explains Joe Wikert, general manager and publisher at O’Reilly Media, Amazon is undercutting competitors by selling e-readers, like the new Kindle Fire, at a loss.

Massive companies with the power to sell products at lower prices are always going to be a problem for smaller retailers. But it’s up to them to stay nimble and work around these limitations.