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When Nokia's '41-megapixel' PureView camera clicked for me

NEW ORLEANS--When you're stuck in the tornado of a cell phone conference, it's sometimes hard to savor what you see. I had sought out the Nokia 808 PureView at Mobile World Congress. I mean, a 41-megapixel camera -- how could I not investigate?

However, it wasn't until I had spent some time digging into the mechanics behind the phone camera that I started to really appreciate what the PureView camera does differently.

Here at CTIA is where it began to click. I had a moment to actually peruse the camera menus and take the test shots I wanted to see how oversampling worked in a meaningful way.… Read more

Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)

Editors' note: This article originally published May 6, 2012, and was updated on February 13, 2013, and again on May 4, 2013.

In a matter of months, the high-end smartphone camera spec rocketed from a respectable 8 megapixels to an altitudinous 13.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro are the freshest examples of this megapixel push, but even last January's Pantech Discover (12.6 megapixels), last October's LG Optimus G for Sprint (13 megapixels), and especially mid-2012's 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView piled on the megapixels.

Yet even though the technology exists, quality can be just as uneven from phone to phone as it was when an 8-megapixel shooter was the "best" that money could buy.

Shootout!: Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One and iPhone 5

Championing that perception head-on is HTC, the same company that not too long ago boasted about the 16-megapixel camera in its Titan II. Now, in its HTC One flagship, the smartphone maker dials down the megapixel count to 4 megapixels, which HTC fancifully terms "Ultrapixels," arguing that the lager pixel size throws back the blinds to let in much more light.

In this lies the reminder (something photography nuts will tell you) that it's quite possible for an excellent 5-megapixel camera to produce photos you prefer over a shoddy 12-megapixel camera. The number of megapixels alone is no guarantee of heightened photographic performance.

Instead, the formula for fantastic photos comes down to the entire camera module, which includes the size and material of the main camera lens, the light sensor, the image processing hardware, and the software that ties it all together. So let's dive in.… Read more

Nokia's Plan B: Patent litigation

Just a few short months ago, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and HTC CEO Peter Chou sat next to each on a panel to discuss their mutual respect for each other and shared optimism over the Windows Phone platform.

Now, the two are poised to duke it out in the courtroom.

Nokia said today that it had filed lawsuits against HTC, Research in Motion, and ViewSonic, claiming that each has illegally used 45 of its patents relating to all manner of wireless technology.

The quick about-face by Nokia underscores the company's willingness to look for new sources of revenue beyond … Read more

Google engineer in Street View probe identifies as a 'hacker'

Just when it seemed like things were finally settling down for Google in the Street View debacle, more information has been leaked. The formerly unnamed engineer who wrote the code that enabled Street View cars to collect personal e-mail, text messages, passwords, and Internet-usage history from unsecured wireless networks for four years has been identified, according to The New York Times.

Marius Milner is his name and the Times reported that his LinkedIn profile occupation was listed as "hacker" and under the social network's specialties category his entry said, "I know more than I want to … Read more

Google releases full FCC report on Street View probe

Google has released a full version of the FCC's report on the company's controversial gathering of personal data with Street View cars.

The move, reported by the Los Angeles Times, comes about a week after a privacy group filed a Freedom of Information Act request to see the full report, and a short time after the FCC released a heavily redacted version, saying Google's data collection had not broken the law but that the commission would impose a $25,000 fine on the company for "deliberately impeding and delaying" its probe.

There have been a … Read more

Justice Department closes probe into Google Street View

Google released information today that the U.S. Justice Department investigation into the company's use of wireless networks while working on the Street View project closed as of last May.

This information comes within a report that the Internet giant filed with the Federal Communications Commission today, according to Bloomberg. The Justice Department decided, "it would not pursue a case for violation of the Wiretap Act," Google said in the filing.

There have been a handful of government investigations into how Google's Street View cars collected the personal and private data of individuals via wireless networks … Read more

EPIC demands full copy of FCC's probe of Google Street View

An Internet privacy advocacy group wants the Federal Communications Commission to release the full report of its investigation of Google Street View's collection and storage of data from unencrypted wireless networks.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to see the commission's full 25-page report, saying it "raised questions about the scope of the FCC's Street View investigation." A heavily redacted version painted Google as being too busy to respond with alacrity to its request for information and suggested more than slight frustration.

The FCC announced earlier this week … Read more

Google Street View may face further scrutiny

A U.S. congressman and an Internet privacy group are calling for further scrutiny of Google's Street View street-mapping service, which collected and stored data from unencrypted wireless networks.

Google's Street View cars, which were supposed to collect the locations of Wi-Fi access points, also inadvertently collected data about people's online activities from unsecured Wi-Fi networks for four years.

"The circumstances surrounding Google's surreptitious siphoning of personal information leave many unanswered questions," Rep. Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement today. "I believe Congress should immediately hold a hearing to … Read more

Google rolls out a new design for its campus bike

When it came time to redesign the colorful bikes scattered about Google's massive Mountain View, Calif., campus, the company knew exactly who to turn to for next generation of its GBikes: Googlers themselves.

Last fall, the company launched a competition among employees to replace the 2-year-old fleet of bikes available to workers at the Googleplex to pedal from one building to another. The idea was to come up with a user-friendly, low-maintenance bike.

"We've got an entrepreneurial and innovative culture," said Brendon Harrington, Google's transportation operations manager. "We said, 'You tell us what you think is a cool design.'"

The company listed four design criteria. The bike had to be easy to produce. It needed to be affordable. The bike had to be both comfortable and secure. And, in a nod to its culture, the bike had to be Googley, using novel components, structure, and appearance.… Read more