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Apple's All-Seeing Screen
Based on a recent patent we may be seeing a new kind of display coming from the Apple store in the near future, one that can capture images as well as display them. From the article: "The clever idea is to insert thousands of microscopic image sensors in-between the liquid crystal display cells in the screen. Each sensor captures its own small image, but software stitches these together to create a single, larger picture."
The highest resolution radio telescopes work by reconstructing an image from multiple spread-out receivers. I saw a demo at Cambridge about a decade ago where they used the same concept on optical wavelengths to produce a clearer image than Hubble was capable of from a small set of ground-based telescopes.
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Yeah, but you can cover up the camera on your iMac and still use the display. This new display idea has the potential to prevent you from seeing the display without being seen. That's the Big Brother analogy.
Number one, iSight cameras aren't even remotely as popular as all the PC USB-based webcams; they're EVERYWHERE, and ISPs for years have been giving them away as freebies. Number two, the iSight wasn't distinctive because of its interface; webcams have been available for years with USB2. I strongly suspect it was firewire because most people NEED their USB ports for keyboards and mice, but don't really use their firewire port except for occasional camcorder use, if at all.
The iSight was distinctive because:
The mounting devices just make it slightly more convenient to attach the camera, particularly if you had an Apple LCD. It's a problem solved with a little bit of tape, by the way.
Another "by the way"- the iSight cameras in the Macbook and iMac absolutely SUCK. They're basically cellphone cameras; microscopic lens and CCD, no autofocus. No privacy shutter. The picture is very noisy and low resolution, the colors are funky...
Please help metamoderate.
I know somebody with a MacBook Pro, and when I video chat with her, it looks like she's looking into the camera, when she's actually not. That's probably caused by the camera being so close to the screen. I have a 24" TFT with an iSight on top of it, and the illusion isn't there.
Hmm. That should read
Minitruth will want to talk to you, friend.
No they don't. They sound like 13 year old males trying to make a joke. No more/no less.
Your story has some holes about 1 mile wide in it, but I'll let that rest.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
That's a good idea, but it's actually non-trivial to do this well for a variety of reasons. Microsoft has a technical report on how they do it; there are other approaches possible.
Because sex outdoors is more uncomfortable than sexy.
Help I'm a rock.
I hope Homeland Security doesn't get wind of this. The patriot act allows covert surveillance where they law forces companies to remain silent about what they turn over. I wonder if there's a provision in it (it's so huge I haven't had time to read it, like many of the lawmakers who hurredly passed it into law) to allow the government to force companies to put backdoors into their products for this type of thing without telling consumers. Closer and closer to 1984... Trust the little LED all you want, I won't be buying one of these.
In common order, "War is Peace" goes first, followed by "Freedom is Slavery" and finally "Ignorance is Strength".
How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
Jokes on you.
Seen http://www.apple.com/imac/isight.html?
LED.
"Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."
-E. W. Dijkstra
I agree that the iMacs that didn't have an integrated camera had no LED either. And as far as I know, the audio in the new ones may still be recording without an evident sign.
BUT
The iMacs with iSights (G5 and Intel) DO have a LED. You can see it here.
>This practice continues to this day at Apple, putting in hardwired signal LEDs to indicate when a camera is active.
Jokes on you.
Seen the latest iMac?
Camera.
Microphone.
No LED.
So are you saying you are colorblind?
http://www.apple.com/imac/isight.html
And in case you were wondering:
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/isight.html