Haven’t posted to my blog recently, because I’ve been playing with, and getting used to my latest bit of kit.
My existing contact has just finished on my mobile phone. So, this is the time I’ve decided to upgrade to a camera phone. The Sony-Ericsson P800. It has so many features beyond being a phone with a camera. Its a PDA, it’s an MP3 player. On GPRS, It has full internet and WAP access. I’ll go into a little of the specification here.
PDA with phone functions
MP3 and video player
Integrated camera
Large 320×240 pixels 4096 colour touchscreen. But, it can take an image at 640×480. Just right for web use.
Unlimited memory with Memory Stick Duo
Being a photographer, I’m very interested in the development of the digital cameras on mobile phones AND their application.
The system is being sold as ‘picture messaging’ ie. sending a photo from one mobile device to another. If the other party does not have a suitable mobile, if can be sent to an e-mail address, and viewed later on a PC.
Right then, none of this is news! However, I’m interested in another possiblity. That of taking a picture with such a phone, which I would be able to upload it to a website, thus be instantly viewable, by the public.
I can already, [as regulars on my blog will know] write some text on my WAP phone, and publish it to my blog.
Details of how I do this WAP to my Blog at:
http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/2002_10_13_tash_lodge_archive.html#83088570
I have been able to do this for a couple of years now, but can now add picture as well. Yippie, I might be able to call myself a proper ‘internet photo-journalist’ now 🙂
When dealing with police / protest / evidence in the street, can you image how much the police are going to hate this? Not just by trouble-makers like me, but by very many members of the public who find authority being oppressive to them! In fact, Police Review has already covered this as a possiblity of concern to officers in an article by Superintendent Peter Woods of the Northumbria Police, in an article titled: ‘Candid Camera: how in the near future, mobile phones will change the work of the police’ . Police Review 27th September 2002.
After so many days round the shops, [where most shop assistants have though me to be talking Martian!] . But now, I think i’ve cracked it !!
Unofficial Club Sony Ericsson – P800 [this gives a much more in depth description
http://clubsonyericsson.com/en/products_p800.htm
Being fully configureable, I’ve downloaded FTP software that means I can now upload to a website, for storage of image files, and link to them from my blog.
FTP800 – brinkster.com http://www31.brinkster.com/ftp800
Still testing, but all this from a phone in the street.
Latest news on all this might well happen on these info sites.
Smartphones info center: http://my-symbian.com
Sony Ericsson P800 – Symbian News: http://www.symbian.com/news/2002/soneric-p800-2.html
GSM Arena: http://www.gsmarena.com
On-Message – Weblog and commentary on multimedia messaging from FableFlow
http://www.fableflow.com/weblog
stuck-on-mobile-e-com
http://www.stuck-on-me.ch/weblog/archives/categories/mobile
Contact 2.0 expedition software: http://www.humanedgetech.com/contact
Have also just signed up to CamBlog at: http://www.camblog.com which is yet another way of uploading pictures from a mobile device. However, they have a practical limit of 400 pixels across.
Some of the issues,conserned with much of these subjects, can be seen at:
When every picture tells a story Bill Thompson, BBC Friday, 3 January, 2003, 08:54 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2621745.stm
With cameras everywhere, technology consultant Bill Thompson wonders if we should be worried about where the images of ourselves are ending up.
…… it is also a pointer to a future in which visual records are increasingly available online, and this has some frightening implications. We will soon be surrounded by millions of picture phones, all with internet connectivity and the ability to send photos via e-mail, or upload them to websites.
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I’ve included this extract from the BBC tech website, ‘cos it confirms that a process I’m trying to do, does exist and IS possible.
Bill Thompson info and contact
earlier entry on all this:
http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/2003_05_04_tash_lodge_archive.html#94074918
Taken a good picture lately? So, Just give them to the BBC
http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/2003_05_18_tash_lodge_archive.html#94690904
Please, if you think you know more of the possibilities than this, or, have some advice to offer me, please e-mail me at: tash@gn.apc.org
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