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Philips Demos Keychain-sized Camcorder

Posted by michael on from the skirt-cam dept.

mateub writes "Philips gave PC Magazine an exclusive demo of the KEY019 USB camera/camcorder etc. Sez PCMag: 'You can use the 128MB of internal memory for 2.0-megapixel still shots, digital video, MP3 files, and document storage.' How long before we read the first story of some, um, inappropriate footage captured with one of these?"

25 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. "inappropriate footage" by theraccoon · · Score: 5, Funny

    How long before we read the first story of some, um, inappropriate footage captured with one of these?

    Just as soon as I can buy one...

    1. Re:"inappropriate footage" by DoraLives · · Score: 4, Funny
      So when does this sort of thing finally render the whole clothing gig hopelessly silly? Put the damned things on when they're actually NEEDED, and don't when they're not.

      What the fuck is the Big Deal here?

      The bluenoses have run things for SO long that we've come to take it completely for granted that the sonofabitches are actually RIGHT.

      They're not.

      Enough footage from devices like this and eventually everybody will saturate on the input, collectively shrug their shoulders over it, and get on with living their lives, minus one more retarded Cultural Imperialist bullshit item to put up with.

      Not only will the emperor NOT have any "new clothes," it will be perfectly ok and people will need to have that little tale explained to them, even as they shake their heads in disbelief at the overarching stupidity of their forebears.

      --
      Is it fascism yet?
  2. I gotta get one of those by mindless4210 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    That's a pretty sweet little toy. I wonder how much one of those costs... and how effective is it? I know there's probably a thousand different uses for something like that.

    --
    Wireless News www.DailyWireless
    1. Re:I gotta get one of those by e9th · · Score: 5, Informative

      Their 1 megapixel version sold for $130, so it probably won't be too much more than that.

  3. how much video can the camera hold? by tsunamifirestorm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    128Megs doesnt seem like much. or if it is, the video is probably lo-fi

    1. Re:how much video can the camera hold? by colinramsay · · Score: 5, Informative

      Take a look here for a handheld camera which can be upgraded to use 128mb SD cards. In it's standard 8mb form, it can take 2 minutes of low res footage at 15fps.

      Just a comparison. We got one, it's really pretty good for the price.

      --
      Free iPods - now in the UK!
    2. Re:how much video can the camera hold? by stienman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      MPEG4. They recorded at least 20 minutes of it. Since they didn't mention quality, and they stressed (repeatedly) that it doesn't replace current camcorders then we can safely assume that the image quality is, at best, standard tv quality. Still, that's much better than the old CIF stuff most digital cameras do, and the convenience factor (carry it everywhere, whip it out at a moment's notice) is worth it for some people.

      I expect low-budget proctology offices everywhere buying them in droves... Hope you've got good healthcare.

      -Adam

  4. download by appleprophet · · Score: 5, Funny

    "How long before we read the first story of some, um, inappropriate footage captured with one of these?"

    More importantly, how long until the torrent is posted?

  5. Great But... by jchawk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is great and all but who wants 2 megapixel anything? Camera phones, this device are create for getting quick shots, but honestly do you want to archive them? They simply don't look good, because the color is off, usually they're fuzzy etc...

    I'm not knocking this device, but I have a feeling it's a sign of better devices to come. With in a year or 2 I would bet you start to see 4 and 5 megapixal devices like this... This is when they are really going to take off!

    1. Re:Great But... by AJWM · · Score: 4, Informative

      Considering that 2 megapixels gives you slightly more pixels than fit on a 1600x1200 computer screen, that's actually pretty darn good (depending on the quality of the pixel). You must still be thinking of the old cheapy 640x480 (1/3 megapixel) devices.

      Granted you need more if you want photo-quality prints, but it's more than adequate for on-screen use. In a device this small, the real limitation is the size and quality of the lens (ie, crappy) rather than the resolution of the sensor. There's a reason that good cameras have big lenses, and it has little to do with the size of the sensor or film they're recording on.

      --
      -- Alastair
    2. Re:Great But... by odie_q · · Score: 4, Insightful

      5 megapixels is overkill for a lot of applications. For ordinary 15cm (~6") photo paper printouts of vacation photos, 3 Mpixels is enough. For web use I'd say 1Mpixel is plenty good enough.

      Bad quality is more often due to crappy lenses and ultra-low quality CCD's than low resolution. If a 2Mpixel CCD is cheaper than an equivalent 4Mpixel one, it has a place in the market.

      --
      ...ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
  6. Now you can store it safely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    And record the people who decide to strip search you at the airport.

  7. Roll your own RPV by Trespass · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Add something like this to a radio controlled model airplane and you've got a (relatively) cheap platform for surveillance or air survey work. Could have uses in archeology as well.

  8. I wouldn't worry by Mia'cova · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Cameras are getting smaller and smaller anyways. I don't know what advantage having it on your keychain does for any kind of voyeurism. Just turn on your TV and you'll bump into one of those hidden-camera comedy shows. How long before we're getting all of those in HDTV? It's really not hard to film without being noticed.

    We all just have to get used to it. We're going to be recorded everywhere we go in public and our friends are going to get thousands of horrible photos of us.

    I just have a regular 3 megapixel camera and already have something like 10,000 photos saved. My friends have cameras too and take just as many photos. I know there must be bad / 'compromising' (lol) photos of me I haven't seen but really it's no big deal. We all just finally need to get used to it and stop being so fricken camera shy!

    Smile :)

  9. what we can't see... by cliveholloway · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...is the whole camera. All the pics are close-ups. My guess is because it's actually about 2ft long and they don't want to scare us off.

    cLive ;-)

    --
    -- Trinity in high heels carrying a whip: The donimatrix - there is no spoonerism
  10. Inappropriate footage by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    " How long before we read the first story of some, um, inappropriate footage captured with one of these?""

    This is much more likely if they add a vibrator mode to the thing.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  11. Inappropriate? by colinramsay · · Score: 4, Insightful

    See, the thing I always wonder when people bring up this topic is this - the technology to record people without their permission has been here for a while. Be it photographic, video, or audio, there have been accessible means to invade someone's privacy for quite a number of years.

    What devices like this represent are a proliferation of this technology. And the uses to which it is put is not a problem of the technology, it's a problem of society.

    --
    Free iPods - now in the UK!
  12. Pictures and More Info by sethml · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are some nice pictures and such in a Philip press release at:
    http://www.press.ce.philips.com/press/2004-2-23-Ce bit2004-568.html

  13. Re:128 Megs... by proverbialcow · · Score: 5, Funny

    [128 megs] Isn't nearly enough for the sex video!

    Whoa, slow down there, pr0n star! Some of us have jobs, and lots of stress. 128 megs might easily store two or three...

    --
    The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion
  14. Re:Also known as.... by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I bet they don't have a high-pass filter on the CCD, so they'd be infrared sensitive. You could illuminate with an IR led, and no one would even see the light source.

  15. I will buy one of these. by e9th · · Score: 4, Funny

    If I had a nickel for every time I've said, "Damn, I wish I had a camera," I'd already have enough nickels to pay for the thing.

  16. You read slashdot by ad0gg · · Score: 4, Funny

    We don't want to see inappropriate footage of solo acts performed in your basement.

    --

    Have you ever been to a turkish prison?

  17. Cost by Therlin · · Score: 4, Informative
    $280 at Amazon.com (shipping early June)

    Link to pre-order

  18. Is it really 2 MP? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The 1.3 MP is actually 0.3MP

    see http://www.doyourthing.philips.com/tt_camera_key_r ings_additional_info.cfml

    How does it work?
    Your Camera Key Ring captures pictures using a VGA sensor, which displays about 300,000 pixels (640 x 480). When you upload the pictures to your laptop or PC, Photo Manager automatically enhances your images using digital interpolation to 1.3 million pixels.

  19. How long until by ErichTheWebGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How long before we read the first story of some, um, inappropriate footage captured with one of these?

    No, the real question is, "How long until I don't get to carry around my keychain flash drive because someone thinks it's a camera?"

    --
    bash: rtfm: command not found