Testing a new camera, that happens to make calls

[ismaelg]

Hello,

I fear this may sound as a sales pitch, but here I go anyways:

I've been working with cell phones for about 15 years. I consider myself hard to impress. But look at the following pictures:

These were taken with a new cell phone camera. These pics are straight out of the phone with no processing whatsoever.

The unit is a Motorola ZN5 with a 5 Megapixel camera!!! Developed in conjunction with Kodak. It has a macro mode (HURRAY!) and a Xenon flash. Autofocus, low light setting and the whole nine yards!

As a cell phone it has all the bells and whistles you'd expect. Bluetooth, WiFi, video capture, web access, etc...

I know not everybody like the latest and greatest gadgets, but I'm impressed with this little bugger.

Guess what I'll be carrying in my pocket from now on.....

Thanks,

[Guest promodmerc]

People think I'm crazy.

I have a cell phone and that's all it is. I don't even have voice mail. Don't need it.

[Pete J.]

Cell phones that do too much are a pet peeve of mine. Who the heck need to have that much all the time. Texting has become the latest rude behavior. I can’t have a conversation with anyone under 25 that doesn’t get interrupted by a sudden jump and grab for the phone because someone felt the need to reach out and touch someone. I love a quote that I heard from S. Tamiya himself. He was distressed that his grandkids were spending all their time on video games. He said the younger generation is “all thumbsâ€. At the time I thought it was funny. No longer. Frankly, nobody needs to be in touch that much. It is shortening attention spans.

Having said that, the shots look great. Macro mode is a great bit for modelers. Thanks for sharing.

Pete

SOF and getting worse

[Olle F]

  Pete J. said:

Cell phones that do too much are a pet peeve of mine. Who the heck need to have that much all the time. Texting has become the latest rude behavior. I can’t have a conversation with anyone under 25 that doesn’t get interrupted by a sudden jump and grab for the phone because someone felt the need to reach out and touch someone. I love a quote that I heard from S. Tamiya himself. He was distressed that his grandkids were spending all their time on video games. He said the younger generation is “all thumbsâ€. At the time I thought it was funny. No longer. Frankly, nobody needs to be in touch that much. It is shortening attention spans.

Having said that, the shots look great. Macro mode is a great bit for modelers. Thanks for sharing.

Pete

SOF and getting worse

Pete,

I'm as aggravated as you are when I see a teenager speeding down the road while texting on the cell phone, but I can tell you that I have changed my opinion on the gizmofied cell phones quite a bit during the last few years. I used to carry a "telephone only" cell phone and was quite happy with that, but when it was time to upgrade, my wife convinced me to get a fancier model which happened to include a camera. So I had this for a while, using it for talking only until one day when I was on the phone with my office, trying to describe a layout problem on a construction site. After a long and somewhat confused discussion, I thought: "Hmmm... let's try the camera and see what it can do". So I snapped a picture, figured out how to e-mail it to the office, and all of a sudden I realized that I had a very useful tool that could help me a lot. Later on, I also realized that the text function was great for sending notes to my own computer, sending info to the office (ever tried to read a 25-digit serial number to someone on the phone?) and so on. Now I consider this as one of the more important tools in my arsenal, and I look closely at the features every time I upgrade my phone.

So in short: I sure wouldn't mind having that Motorola!

Edited October 30, 2008 by Olle F

[Dragon7665]

  promodmerc said:

I don't even have voice mail. Don't need it.

LOL Try pressing and Holding down the 1 on your phone..... Most phones have simple single button hold dial feature, that will automatically call your carriers VM Box, and then you enter in a pass code..... Generally all phones have it, and the majority of the Carriers offer it as a No Minutes Usage, Free Service...... Phone manufacturers program in the simple 1 button hold, so that you don't have to fumble around for the number.....

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

Believe it or not, I don't own a cell phone nor will I so long as I stay here.

If I were to move elsewhere in the country, odds are I'd get myself one but not a dedicated phone line for the home.

[Pete J.]

  Olle F said:

Pete,

I'm as aggravated as you are when I see a teenager speeding down the road while texting on the cell phone, but I can tell you that I have changed my opinion on the gizmofied cell phones quite a bit during the last few years. I used to carry a "telephone only" cell phone and was quite happy with that, but when it was time to upgrade, my wife convinced me to get a fancier model which happened to include a camera. So I had this for a while, using it for talking only until one day when I was on the phone with my office, trying to describe a layout problem on a construction site. After a long and somewhat confused discussion, I thought: "Hmmm... let's try the camera and see what it can do". So I snapped a picture, figured out how to e-mail it to the office, and all of a sudden I realized that I had a very useful tool that could help me a lot. Later on, I also realized that the text function was great for sending notes to my own computer, sending info to the office (ever tried to read a 25-digit serial number to someone on the phone?) and so on. Now I consider this as one of the more important tools in my arsenal, and I look closely at the features every time I upgrade my phone.

So in short: I sure wouldn't mind having that Motorola!

Don't get me wrong. Such things have a place. I can see someone with a data intensive job, or a job were they are not in the office a lot using them very effectively. Problem is when they are toys used without discrimination. 99% of the highschoolers don't need them. Just an irritant and distraction for most. I know I am becoming a bit senior, but when I grew up, toys were limited in when and where we used them. Part of being a responsable adult. Nothing more irritating than someone in a resturant sharing a loud telephone conversation with all the diners. Bad manners. My problem is not with the technology, it is will the idiots that think it is ok to use it any time and any place.

Pete J.

[tabsscale1]

  Pete J. said:

Don't get me wrong. Such things have a place. I can see someone with a data intensive job, or a job were they are not in the office a lot using them very effectively. Problem is when they are toys used without discrimination. 99% of the highschoolers don't need them. Just an irritant and distraction for most. I know I am becoming a bit senior, but when I grew up, toys were limited in when and where we used them. Part of being a responsable adult. Nothing more irritating than someone in a resturant sharing a loud telephone conversation with all the diners. Bad manners. My problem is not with the technology, it is will the idiots that think it is ok to use it any time and any place.

Pete J.

I have one and it is used just as a phone see no needfor the extras. It isn't just the highschoolers around here heck i have seen Kindergarten kids with them and texting. My kids both have them but I made them both go out and buy their own and pay the bills.

[RodBurNeR]

those are some real nice pics from a cell phone!

[Joe Handley]

Great pics ismaelg, far better than my cell phone camera (1mp).

Gotta agree with the whole texting thing, I've maybe done 10 text messages since getting my first cell phone in 2001, got one co-worker who can get that in 1 shift! I do use mine on occasion for checking e-mails and web surfing, great for killing time on lunch or waiting while Mom was in physical therapy. Think I was behind somebody who was texting while driving, couldn't keep their SUV pointed in a straight line, actually I think I've seen drunks do a better job of vehicle control than this knucklehead was!