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A Sony Camera Running Linux

jonr writes "At the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show, Sony presented the new camera from its Cyber-shot product line. The DSC-G3 comes with a Zeiss lens with 4x zoom, a large 3.5" touch display, and 4GB of internal memory. Most interesting is the camera's software that includes, among other things, face and scene recognition, based on Busybox and Kernel 2.6.11 for the Access Linux Platform. The camera also has built-in Wi-Fi."

26 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah but, by ehaggis · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...Does it run...oh yeah...never mind.

    --
    One ring to bind them - should probably have more fiber and less rings in their diet.
    1. Re:Yeah but, by pato101 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Nice, that is not the only model which is running Linux. Actually, my own camera (eighteen months old) seems to be running Linux as well:
      http://www.sony.net/Products/Linux/Download/DSC-W90.html
      Here is a list of their products using Linux, as I understand:
      http://www.sony.net/Products/Linux/Download/search.html

    2. Re:Yeah but, by Hurricane78 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's simple. Sony has multiple personalities. Haven't you never noticed how they sold DVD drives that had features in them whose only use was to make it possible to rip the very DVDs Sony sold?

      I think it's pretty likely that the hardware guys at Sony are like most hardware guys: pretty cool (in geek terms). And that the media guys are just like most other media guys: crooks.
      Same think for marketing, management, and so on...

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  2. My 5 year old Sony TV came with a GPL notice by YesIAmAScript · · Score: 4, Informative

    For busybox.

    So this isn't a new thing for Sony.

    There's even a URL at Sony's site for the code (of course). I forget what it was.

    --
    http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
    1. Re:My 5 year old Sony TV came with a GPL notice by Hairy+Heron · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well of course it's not new, they are a well-known supporter and user of Linux.

    2. Re:My 5 year old Sony TV came with a GPL notice by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Shh. Quite. The concept that a company can support Linux and DRM could cause some peoples on Slashdot heads to explode.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:My 5 year old Sony TV came with a GPL notice by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 5, Funny

      DRM: because yes, it does run Linux!

      Take a picture of copyright material and watch the camera rm -rf itself. No refunds!

    4. Re:My 5 year old Sony TV came with a GPL notice by poopdeville · · Score: 3, Informative

      Not quite. The Sony that makes TVs is not the same company as the one that sells music. They share little more than the name.

      Not true. Sony Corp. owns the Sony Group, and has a direct historical and managerial relationship with them.

      --
      After all, I am strangely colored.
    5. Re:My 5 year old Sony TV came with a GPL notice by idontgno · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Not true. Sony Corp. owns the Sony Group, and has a direct historical and managerial relationship with them.

      Nonetheless:

      Right Hand: "Left Hand, WTF are you doing"?

      Left Hand: "None of your business."

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  3. Year of the Linux camera? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    better than nothing..

    1. Re:Year of the Linux camera? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      If everyone who buys this camera this year sets it down on top of a desk, it will be the year of Linux on the desktop!

    2. Re:Year of the Linux camera? by sdpuppy · · Score: 3, Interesting
      I can just see what the little kids say now:

      "Daddy's camera's got a penguin on the screen when he starts it up!"

      Something like that happened a while ago when I got on on of those airplanes with a LCD on the back of each chair - they had to reboot the computer and the screen showed the boot sequence, including penguin. No, no no - this was the entertainment computer.

  4. Price by CannonballHead · · Score: 3, Informative

    For those interested but too lazy to click a link:

    The DSC-G3 costs about $500 in the U.S.

  5. Cool Link by olddotter · · Score: 5, Funny

    In the 90's a friend told me Linux would NEVER be used for embedded devices. Its fun to send him links like this. Fun in a very mischievous way.

  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. The 'Smart' Camera Revolution by Van+Cutter+Romney · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The last decade heralded the smart cellphone revolution. Cellphones with more and more features including camera, bluetooth, wireless, PDA yada yada.

    I think what we are witnessing here is the beginning of the camera revolution. Smart cameras with wireless capabilities. Soon we shall see direct integration with social networks, ability to communicate over Skype etc. Innovation from the other end of the spectrum.

    --
    Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.
    1. Re:The 'Smart' Camera Revolution by sdpuppy · · Score: 4, Funny

      [imagine low end DSLR] Problem would be getting the nose-prints off the lens when you answer the camera.

  8. Will it support Linux client access? by erroneus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have been watching this happen over and over and over again. Companies developing their products to use Linux but turn around and not support Linux client access. I had stupidly picked up a wireless networked video camera that was known to run Linux on the inside and made a very stupid assumption that Linux client access would therefore be a no-brainer. WRONG! It was Windows only for client access... not even Mac could access it. That was the beginning of the eye-openers for me. It is sad and annoying... they take from the community and then don't give back.

    Personally, I just don't buy anything that has the Sony label on it any longer. Not Sony-BMG music, not Sony movies, not Sony games, not Sony cameras, not Sony TVs, not Sony anything else. Sony has burned this customer too many times for me to have any faith in them and so far, I see little changes in their behavior. Their computers are complete crap too, by the way. Sony once had astounding popularity as a name brand, but they have burned more bridges than my own to be sure. I know at least 50% of Japan is anti-Sony. It is amazing that they are still humming along as well as they are.

    1. Re:Will it support Linux client access? by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have been watching this happen over and over and over again. Companies developing their products to use Linux but turn around and not support Linux client access. I had stupidly picked up a wireless networked video camera that was known to run Linux on the inside and made a very stupid assumption that Linux client access would therefore be a no-brainer. WRONG! It was Windows only for client access... not even Mac could access it.

      Similar experience here. My computer uses capacitors made by Johanson Dielectrics, so I carefully picked a GPS that also uses capacitors from Johanson Dielectrics, figuring that meant they would work together, but the damned thing would not work with my computer.

  9. It doesn't meet minimum hardware requirements by davidwr · · Score: 5, Funny

    It only has 4GB of internal memory.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  10. Attention! Remove HARDHACK tag! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Whoever tagged this hardhack...
     
    Why? A hardhack involves a hardware modification. This is not the case.
     
    Typical uninformed slashdot person.

  11. Sony's Caring Customers by camperdave · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sony has no interest in making or selling Linux laptops or netbooks. I wonder why not.

    Both cameras and laptops require an operating system. For cameras, nobody cares what it is, as long as the thing takes pictures. As such, Sony has a free hand as to which OS to install. Laptops, are different. Customers care which OS is on their laptop. Customers (like it or not) want Windows on their laptops. If Sony doesn't provide Windows on their laptops, the customers will find another laptop vendor who will.

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  12. Imagine... by mustafap · · Score: 5, Funny

    a Beowulf cluster of these. Actually I don't need to; I live in surveillance UK :o)

    --
    Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
  13. aye, i agree by someone1234 · · Score: 3, Funny

    It would be newsworthy only if a camera runs Vista!

    --
    Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
    1. Re:aye, i agree by chemisus · · Score: 5, Funny

      It appears you want to take a picture, allow or deny?

  14. Re:Wi-Fi cameras by Tryfen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This happened to me.

    I was stopped & searched by the police on the London Transport System. I streamed it live to Qik via an N95 8GB.
    It was very interesting to see how quickly the video spread around.

    Qik - and other live streaming services - could be a very important part of our society. I dislike the idea of a panopticon - but I'd rather have one controlled by "us" rather than "them".

    --
    If a square is really a rhombus, why aren't all triangles purple?