Wishlist - Hardware - Novel Devices

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Revision as of 09:38, 13 June 2007 by Speedevil (Talk | contribs)

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This page details hardware some would like in future OpenMoko devices that are very different from the Neo1973. DVD/media players, cameras, ...

Contents

Hard Drive

Providing a hard drive, will allow storing music, movies, etc. Add USB storage device capability to use the device as an external hard drive.



PCMCIA slot

Extensibility would be nice. Standard pcmcia would be great for allowing wireless too. And pcmcia cards tend to be very low power.

  • 1. can be used for a spare battery (is this possible?)
  • 3. i can use my Echo Audio Indigo I/O
  • 2. can be used for different cards around

This is certain not to happen in a production phone, it's simply far too large, and requires complex support in hardware, which does not exist in most system on a chip devices as are used in phones. Even for the Expansion_Back it would be too large. --Speedevil 06:05, 28 February 2007 (CET)

Cameras & Imaging

Interchangeable Camera Lenses

A camera phone with a lens mount would allow swappable camera lenses and filters. Camera phones are usually stuck with tiny fixed lenses that don't allow focusing. Imaging being able to swap out the default lens with one that provides a better focus... or even a zoom!

The C-Mount or T-Mount would be a good choice. Both are standard lens mount with many supporting lenses. Minolta, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, & most other lens manufacturers also have mount adapters for their proprietary lenses. Then share lenses between your camera & cell phone. The mount hole would need to be about 1 inch in diameter and go about 1/4 inch into the camera-phone (with the focal plane array chip at the bottom of this hole). 

Added bonus If you work somewhere that doesn't allow cameras:
The lens could be removed and a blank insert could be screwed in.
The camera capability would be physically disabled!


Business Card Reader

This is probably technically difficult if not impossible, maybe you could do it with the embedded camera hardware & software

I want to be able to place a business card face down on the the screen, and have the device automatically read the card and enter the info in the contacts.

  • There is no simple way of reading something placed on the screen, for the basic reason that the screen is in the way.
  • Of course you could always just take a picture of the card with a camera-phone. Then store it as it is or image recognition software could do character recognition & extract the information.

Solar Panels

My old pocket calculator had solar panels, why not my phone?

Fuel Cell

Some people want to put them in laptops & fuel cells are the way of the future.

Cork Screw

Every multi-tool has to have a cork screw

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This page details hardware some would like in future OpenMoko devices that are very different from the Neo1973. DVD/media players, cameras, ...

Hard Drive

Providing a hard drive, will allow storing music, movies, etc. Add USB storage device capability to use the device as an external hard drive.



PCMCIA slot

Extensibility would be nice. Standard pcmcia would be great for allowing wireless too. And pcmcia cards tend to be very low power.

  • 1. can be used for a spare battery (is this possible?)
  • 3. i can use my Echo Audio Indigo I/O
  • 2. can be used for different cards around

This is certain not to happen in a production phone, it's simply far too large, and requires complex support in hardware, which does not exist in most system on a chip devices as are used in phones. Even for the Expansion_Back it would be too large. --Speedevil 06:05, 28 February 2007 (CET)

Cameras & Imaging

Interchangeable Camera Lenses

A camera phone with a lens mount would allow swappable camera lenses and filters. Camera phones are usually stuck with tiny fixed lenses that don't allow focusing. Imaging being able to swap out the default lens with one that provides a better focus... or even a zoom!

The C-Mount or T-Mount would be a good choice. Both are standard lens mount with many supporting lenses. Minolta, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, & most other lens manufacturers also have mount adapters for their proprietary lenses. Then share lenses between your camera & cell phone. The mount hole would need to be about 1 inch in diameter and go about 1/4 inch into the camera-phone (with the focal plane array chip at the bottom of this hole). 

Added bonus If you work somewhere that doesn't allow cameras:
The lens could be removed and a blank insert could be screwed in.
The camera capability would be physically disabled!


Business Card Reader

This is probably technically difficult if not impossible, maybe you could do it with the embedded camera hardware & software

I want to be able to place a business card face down on the the screen, and have the device automatically read the card and enter the info in the contacts.

  • There is no simple way of reading something placed on the screen, for the basic reason that the screen is in the way.
  • Of course you could always just take a picture of the card with a camera-phone. Then store it as it is or image recognition software could do character recognition & extract the information.

Solar Panels

My old pocket calculator had solar panels, why not my phone?

Fuel Cell

Some people want to put them in laptops & fuel cells are the way of the future.

Cork Screw

Every multi-tool has to have a cork screw