Intel and Samsung developed a digital camera that uses the USB to move digital picture data quickly into a PC. It looks like it will send digital video images too.......
(more info is in the links)
hyperzine.com
New Samsung Digimax 30 Digital Camera Unveiled at CES Boasts Intel
971 PC Camera Kit, USB and MMX Technology
Camera offers a digital still mode and a digital video mode
perfect for video conferencing!
SECAUCUS, N.J., Jan. 8, 1998-Samsung Opto-Electronics America, Inc., announced today the introduction of
the Digimax 30, a digital camera that offers a digital still mode ideal for indoor and outdoor use and a digital video
mode perfect for capturing indoor video that permits indoor video conferencing. The camera was introduced at the
Consumer Electronics Show (Jan. 8-11) in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Digimax 30 utilizes Intel's 971 PC Camera Kit technology and is distinguished as the first PC camera to fully comply with
the Portable PC Camera '98 Design Guideline. Unlike traditional digital cameras that rely on the processing power of the
camera silicon to digitally convert, interpolate, and compress image data before transferring to a PC, the Portable PC Camera
incorporates a different usage model. As a true PC peripheral, the PC Camera is designed for image capture and relies on the
processing power of the PC, like those powered with the Intel Pentium II or Pentium with MMX processor to enhance, store,
and share images. Moving image processing overhead off the camera to the PC permits more efficient use of the memory in
the camera and enables Samsung to provide simpler, more affordable digital cameras.
The camera incorporates Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology for quick and easy downloading of images to a PC almost
instantly. The user can conveniently plug the Digimax 30 into a PC without having to shut off and reboot the computer, and the
connection has adequate bandwidth for downloading pictures, making it fast and easy.
"The Digimax 30 is truly a breakthrough in digital camera technology due to the speed and quality they afford the PC user,"
said Brian Miller, Samsung's Director of Marketing. "Samsung cameras have long been considered optically exceptional, but
we are really excited about this new technology because it makes our digital cameras so advanced yet still so easy to use."
Digimax cameras use Removable Compact Flash Cards which are similar to 35mm film in that it holds the negative. This
negative is sent to the PC for processing. Best of all, the Compact Flash Card is reusable, so after the film is shot and
downloaded it can be erased and reused.
The Digimax 30 features three types of resolution: 768 x 576 (high), 640 x 480 (standard) and 320 x 240 (low) and is a
focus-free digital still camera with indoor video mode for video conferencing. A 64Mb miniature flash memory card,
auto-white balance and a built-in flash with a distance of 0.75m to 5.0m are other features. The camera has a 10 second delay
self timer, and a shutter speed of 1/60 second - 1/10,000 second.
There are a total of three digital cameras in the Samsung line: The Digimax 30, Digimax 100 and the SSC-410N.
The SSC-410N Digital Still Camera is a high resolution (768 x 494 pixels) camera that produces digital color photography
using 16.7-million colors. The camera, which was previously introduced, features a color 1.8" LCD monitor that
instantaneously shows the user pictures as they are taken, thereby allowing adjustments to the shot.
The SSC-410N has a removable 4MB flash memory card with three resolution modes -- thirty images can be held in the fine
mode, 60 images in the normal and 120 in the economic mode. The camera has a built-in flash, 3 x zoom lens (f:6-18mm),
direct NTSC output and Interface set for Windows.
The camera has a digital JPEG-based frame recording system, four frame/1.5 second continuous shooting speed, and passive
auto focus/manual focus with a shutter speed of 1/60-1/10,000 second.
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hyperzine.com
Samsung to launch a digital PC Camera based on a new concept
Samsung Camera has planned to put a new digital PC Camera, whose model name will be "Digimax"(T.B.D), on
its product line-up in May 1998. The camera will be perfectly harmonized with the new techniques recently
developed for optimum image processing.
Digimax is designed for PC Imaging, created by virtue of a significant achievement in which Intel and leading computer and
imaging companies have produced the Portable PC Camera '98 Design Guideline.
Why PC Camera?
The traditional barriers to the adoption of PC imaging include multiple connectivity interfaces, multiple file formats, and slow
image manipulation. To overcome these barriers, new technology and environment has been necessary. That is a good reason
for creating of the Portable PC Camera '98 Design Guideline. To realize the PC Imaging on hand, all kind of processes, such
as a digital image capture, enhancement, and interoperability should be easy, simple, and fast, which the PC Camera can do.
Samsung Digimax is the first PC Camera that fully complies with the Portable PC Camera '98 Design Guideline.
Not just a digital camera
Traditional digital cameras rely on the processing power of the camera silicon chip to digitally convert, interpolate, and
compress the image data before transferring to the PC. The Portable PC camera incorporates a different usage model. As a
true PC peripheral, the PC Camera is designed for image capture and relies on the processing power of the PC (such as those
powered with the Intel Pentium II or Pentium with MMX processor) to enhance, store, and share images. Moving image
processing off the camera the to PC enables Samsung to provide simpler, more affordable, and easier-to-use digital cameras.
Technical background enabling PC Camera Digimax
With continuing and concentrated efforts to make easy-to-use and affordable Portable PC Cameras, Intel announced its 971
PC Camera Kit for the manufacturing on third of November. And as described in its release, "leading manufacturers can use
the Intel 971 PC Camera Kit to accelerate the production of affordable, easy-to-use portable PC Cameras." Samsung has
become one of very limited number of manufacturers of PC Camera using Intel's 971 PC Camera Kit. Samsung Digimax is the
first generation fully utilizing the state-of-the-art techniques -- both software and hardware--that overcome the lack of
processing power of current digital imaging. Samsung Digimax incorporates the new techniques, which are believed to be the
mainstream of digital imaging processing method.
Pentium with MMX technology
It makes you experience better, smoother ,and more realistic PC Imaging. Intel MMX technology increases the speed of
imaging tasks by as much as four times. (Source : Intel media benchmark ). Also,MMX technology instructions allow for
processing, which usually takes place on the camera, to be done on the host. This means better image quality at a lower price,
compared to that of 35mm cameras.
USB(Universal Serial Bus)
Plug-and-play "hot insertion" through USB connection between the Portable PC Camera and your PC. You can attach the
camera to the PC without having to shut off the PC and reboot. And your connection will have adequate bandwidth for
downloading pictures. This means getting your images on to your PC fast!
Removable electronic film (flash-memory-based) - Miniature Card
Removable electronicfilm lets you fill many electronic film cartridges while away from the PC. Not only can you use the USB
cable to quickly download images to the PC, you can transfer them directly through a socket in a keyboard, a stand-alone
card reader, or a PCMCIA adapter. Your electronic film is just like your 35mm film in that it holds the "negative." This
negative is sent to the PC for "processing." Electronic film has another huge benefit. It's reusable! So after shooting a few
"rolls" of electronic film, you can download the images to your PC, erase the "film.", and use the roll again.
FlashPix(TM) file format
Intel and Kodak team up to standardize file formats. By delivering a convenient new imaging architecture and image file format
to meet the needs of a wide range of applications, solutions, and users, the FlashPix format shatters the current imaging
paradigm. FlashPix forrmat totally changes the way computers handle images. FlashPix format is a universal language that
transforms your camera, computer, and peripherals into a fast, easy, inexpensive imaging system.
Focused on the future
Samsung Camera has focused on the future! With its remarkable and accumulated experience in 35mm film camera industry
for two decades, Samsung camera had already decided to shift its adequate resources to the digital camera business. It is our
goal to see our customers happy and satisfied with their accomplishment in a digital playground easily, simply, and naturally.
Specifications
Dual usable multimedia PC camera supplied by Samsung Camera; usable to capture still images and tethered
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Samsung Aerospace camera exports rise 30%
FEB. 27, 1998 - Samsung Aerospace, Korea's leading camera manufacturer, saw its overseas
shipments of cameras increase 30% to US$25 million during the first two months of 1998,
company officials said Feb. 26.
Also, the company is expected to supply US$43 million worth of products to Sears and Wal-Mart
of the United States. Samsung anticipates that its camera exports will rise about 35% to US$270
million in 1998.
Samsung displayed Digimax, a new digital camera that enables 20 times faster transmission of the
picture images, at an international optical instrument show in New Orleans. The new camera was
jointly developed by Samsung and Intel of the United States. |
