The Smorgasbord

NPR reports a Stanford University professor has created a “Frankencamera” – which may well turn out to be the next generation of digital cameras. Imagine a camera that (like the iPhone) can have applications downloaded to it and installed (open source of course). Also, imagine a camera that can make the best of bad lighting situations. Take, for example, a shot of children playing in the dark shade of a tree on a very sunny day. Or kids chasing lightning bugs at dusk. The Frankencamera can take 2-3 rapid shots in succession for the different lighting conditions of the shot (foreground, background, etc) – and merge them all together in one final shot (that would be impossible with just one photo take). History will show that open devices that are customizable are not only highly sought after, but in the end more extensible and usable than the proprietary corporate crap that shoved down our throats time and time again.

Check out this YouTube video of the Frankencamera:

Sorry Sony (and Canon, and all the rest) – I want a Linux camera! According to Gartner, the (google backed Linux) Android phone will overtake the iPhone by 2012. This should be yet another sign that people WANT a Linux Digital camera.