xpherion - technology blog

Shares of Research In Motion Ltd. are climbing on rumours that the BlackBerry maker may be bought by software giant Microsoft Corp. Microsoft may be looking to acquire Waterloo’s finest in response to Google’s meddling in the mobile space. At this point, pundits seem to be merely saying that it “makes sense”.”Microsoft has been mentioned as a possible buyer,” Frederic Ruffy, an analyst at options education firm Optionetics, told Reuters. “According to speculation, the software giant might be interested in RIM in response to Google’s recent announcement that it is interested in making its own mobile phone operating system, which would compete with Windows Mobile.” more

Engadget is calling it “A match made in hell: Microsoft eying RIM?”, more

update [08/31/2007 05:00 PM CST]

Why Microsoft shouldn’t buy the BlackBerry maker, from valleywag.

For Wall Street, it’s a juicy notion: Could Microsoft buy Research In Motion? It’s the kind of high-concept idea that gets traders afroth and keeps analysts busy churning out reports. It’s also — how to put this delicately — completely stupid. Yes, Microsoft could buy RIM — and yes, you could go out and buy a gun and shoot yourself in the face. Both are in the realm of possibility, and both are suicidal ideas. more

Technorati Tags: technology, software, mobile, phone, blacberry, rimm, microsoft

This article is from guardian. According to the writer Dan Chung , the D3 has a CMOS based sensor and Nikon were yesterday showing their own samples of images with a side by side comparison with a Canon 1DmkIII. At ISO equivalents of up to 6400ASA at identical settings the Nikon samples looked really good compared to the Canon and plenty good enough for me to consider usable. The level of detail preserved and the way the digital ‘noise’ looked was really impressive. It remains to be seen how good the camera’s sensor is in reality as Nikon had no D3 sample cameras that we could actually shoot on, but apparently select photographers will get to try it for real in Osaka this month. We’ll know more then. more

Get the latest Flash Player to see this video.

Technorati Tags: Photography,Technology,Nikon,Nikon D3,Youtube

This sample is from a Japanese site (via Dpreview Nikon forum). This image has been processed for noise reduction. According to Nikon pro if you have correct exposure then high iso noise is minimal. There are some concern about the exposure of this image. more

100% crop of this image

Technorati Tags: Photography,Technology,Nikon,Nikon D300,ISO,Noise

This sample is from dpreview canon 40D forum. This has been cleaned using Noiseware Professional with quite different settings than most use, the Luma setting is at 0 and the Chroma at 100. THis leaves the grainy noise alone and takes out the digital color noise blotches leaving a look much like film would look. After running though Noiseware, it has been sharpened like I would use if making a wedding album. I use PK Sharpener with my own cocktail of how it is done. This image looks really good, but ISO 3200 is printing better with the digital technology at ISO 3200 than the same picture shot with ISO 400 film. Those that would like a cleaner looking or NO grain would probably use Noiseware or Noise Ninja set at it’s normal 80 percent Luma noise reduction. more

Exif Data

Model = Canon EOS 40D
Orientation = right/top
Exposure Time = 1/60″
F Number = F5.6
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 3200
Date Time Original = 2007-08-25 12:10:14
Shutter Speed Value = 6 TV
Aperture Value = 5 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 55mm
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 3888
Exif Image Height = 2592
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Auto white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal

Click here to see the actual image.

Technorati Tags: photography, technology, canon, canon40d

Engadget has this story on a new software solution that unlocks Apple’s iPhone, allowing it to be used on any mobile carrier worldwide (2G).The creators of the iPhone hack (iPhoneSimFree) claim that the hack is “restore and upgrade resistant”; essentially reseting the phone and/ or loading the latest software updates doesn’t affect the hack. The big question is whether it will be resistant to future updates, more

update [8/28/2007 7:25 PM]

Can Apple + AT&T Shut Down iPhone Unlockers?

“Do Apple and AT&T have the legal right to stop hackers from selling unlocked iPhones? Under their terms, only AT&T may sell iPhones, and Apple gets a commission. When unlocked iPhones are used on other providers’ networks, AT&T and hence Apple get nothing beyond what they earned on the initial sale of the hardware. Can they prohibit unlocking? Reselling? The article in Businessweek gives the for and against arguments, but leans toward the view that the hackers may have the law on their side for once.” more

Technorati Tags: technology, software, att, mobile, phone, iPhone

The picture shows a sophisticated looking device, not only will it be the smallest Treo to date.The device will run on EVDO and it will be pitched at the youth market. Further, the full QWERTY keypad will be complimented by a touchscreen and the price will be a speculated, very reasonable, $99. Sprint shall have exclusive rights for 90 days. more

[update 09/02/2007]

Palm’s European site has thrown up a teaser page announcing a competition for a chance to win five of “the new Palm smartphones”. In it, residents of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy are invited to enter their email address and sign up for further information that will wend its way into their inboxes on September 12th. The page states:

“The new Palm smartphone. The word is, it’s great for email, mobile internet, instant messaging, text and - with a full keyboard - saying what you really mean… Sign up now and you’ll be the first to know all about the latest cool phone from Palm on 12th September 2007.” more

Technorati Tags: technology,mobile,palm,pda,sprint

This sample gallery is from dpreview. Image looks really good.

EXIF Data

Model = Canon EOS 40D
Exposure Time = 1/50″
F Number = F3.5
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 500
Date Time Original = 2007-08-20 17:33:55
Shutter Speed Value = 5.63 TV
Aperture Value = 3.63 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 70mm
Color Space = sRGB
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Auto white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal

Technorati Tags: photography, technology, canon, canon40d

This is Japanese video preview of new Nikon D3 DSLR.

Technorati Tags: Photography,Technology,Nikon,Nikon D3,Youtube

Canon responded to Nikon D3 and D300 product announcement, flickr.
In fencing, touché (French: touched) is used as an acknowledgement of a hit, called out by the fencer who is hit. A referee can call out touche (French: touch) to refer to a touch being called - for example, the French call for “no point” is “pas de touche” (French: lack of touch).

The phrase touché is often used in popular culture and general conversation—for example, in an argument or debate. If one person presents an argument and another delivers a clever or apt response, the first person may respond with “touché” as a way of acknowledging a good response. more

Technorati Tags: Photography,Technology,Nikon,Nikon D3,canon 40D

This is a video preview of Nikon D3 by Alex from TechDigest.

Technorati Tags: photography,technology,nikon,nikon D3,youtube

Some very interesting information here, particularly on the D3 ISO 6400 slide (15) showing sample images and where Nikon states: “Noise in shaded portions is effectively eliminated”, more on this from e-photographia.

Technorati Tags: photography,technology,nikon,nikon D3

This is a good collaboration between Nikon and Flickr. It is going to be a good learning tool for photographers.

Try assignments to improve your photography
Discover the techniques of the Nikon Masters
Join the growing Nikon community on Flickr, more

Latest news from engadget about new Nikon products

D3

Full frame (FX) 12 megapixel Nikon CMOS
Live view LCD
9fps in FF mode, 11fps in HSC mode (at 1.5 crop factor / DX size)
ISO 200 - 6400 with LO (ISO 100 equivalent), H1 and H2 (ISO 12800 / 25600, respectively)
51 point autofocus system (15 cross sensor)

D300

DX format 12 megapixel CMOS (supposedly possibly the same as the D2X)
Live view LCD
6fps, up to 8fps with power grip (no HSC mode)
ISO 200 - 3200 with LO (ISO 100 equivalent), H1 (ISO 6400)
51 point autofocus system (15 cross sensor)

And five new rumored lenses: AF-S 14-24/2.8 G, AF-S 24-70/2.8 G, AF-S VR 400/2.8 G, AF-S VR 500/4 G, AF-S VR 600/4 G.

This is still posted under rumor, as this is not confirmed. I usually goto nikon forum in dpreview or bythom. Another site I found from google search photography bay.

Update (08/22/2007 10:00 PM CST): First Nikon D3 and D300 pictures from Korean Site.

Update (08/22/2007 11:00 PM CST): First real posting from Rob Glbraith

At a press conference underway now in Tokyo, Nikon is taking the wraps off the D3, a new digital SLR that has at its heart a Nikon-designed full-frame 12.05 million image pixel CMOS sensor that can capture photos at up to 9 fps at full resolution (called FX Format mode), or up to 11 fps (with some restrictions) when the camera is set to capture 5.14 million image pixels in DX Format mode (where the camera utilizes only a smaller central part of the image sensor).

Nikon USA Press Release

EIGHT YEARS AFTER CHANGING PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOREVER, NIKON DOES IT AGAIN BY INTRODUCING THE D3 DIGITAL SLR.

Update (08/22/2007 11:15 PM CST): Finally preview from Dpreview Nikon D300 and D3
It’s here, after perhaps the longest period of speculation ever Nikon has today lifted the covers on their first full-frame digital SLR, the new 12.1 megapixel D3. The D3 is all about speed and sensitivity, twelve megapixels on a big CMOS chip means large photosites (8.45 µm pitch to be precise) and that adds up to base sensitivity of ISO 200 to 6400 with an additional two stop boost over that (up to ISO 25600). The other side of the speed story (apart from blistering AF and shutter lag) is that the D3 can shoot at nine frames per second with AF tracking or eleven frames per second without. Other headline features are a newly branded EXPEED image processor, a new 51-point AF sensor, color AF tracking, dual CF compartments (with UDMA support), an amazing 3.0″ 922,000 pixel LCD monitor with Live View (including contrast detect auto-focus), HDMI video output and even a virtual horizon function which can tell you when you’re holding the camera perfectly level. There’s too much to fit here so we crammed as much as we can into a preview. The D3 will be available in November, at around US$5000.

Technorati Tags: photography,technology,nikon,nikon D3,nikon D300

Get your Nikon rumor from this site nikon watch. I usually get my info from dpreview. Nikon watch is really doing a good job.

Technorati Tags: photography,technology,nikon,nikon D3,nikon D300