All said, we’re not surprised that folks all around the Interwebs are speculating that the “unnamed handset maker” could be Nokia. The Finns are already known for their camera technology having partnered with Carl Zeiss for quite a few phones in the past.

Pelican Imaging’s technology sounds impressive on paper, promising to allow users to focus images even after the shot was taken, and in that sense we think of it as a mobile version of Lytro.

Nokia is also the owner of some cool camera software technology which it both developed in-house and as a result of its acquisition of Scalado.

In any case, we can’t wait to see what kind of camera phone Nokia releases relying on Pelican’s technology. We’ll make sure to keep our eyes wide open and let you know as soon as we hear something new…

[Via: CellularNews]

At 2.3×2.3×0.65mm, the IDG-2030 is the world’s smallest dual-axis gyroscopes for optical image stabilization, providing 41% footprint reduction, 28% lower profile and 50% lower power than the nearest competitor…

That all sounds cool, but you may be wondering when we’ll see the first devices using InvenSense’s technology? The company will be sampling two new gyroscopes to select customers starting from the third quarter of this year, meaning that the first smartphones using these sensors will likely appear at some point in early 2014. In the meantime, we’ll have to “settle” with camera capabilities high-end phones like Sony Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 are offering.

The magic happens by measuring variations in the brightness of the person’s face thought to be caused by the flow of blood. It is based on the characteristic of hemoglobin in blood, which absorbs green light without requiring any special hardware. In that sense, the system work by simply pointing a camera at a person’s face for as little as five seconds.

The software starts to work by shooting video of a subject and calculating average values for the color components (red/green/blue) in a certain area of the face for each frame. Next comes the removal of irrelevant signal data that is present in all three color components only to extract the brightness waveform from the green component. The pulse rate is then computed based on the peaks in that brightness waveform.

Fujitsu Laboratories now looks to put this tech into practical use in fiscal 2013 for a variety of applications such as a security or health monitoring and maintenance solution, building it into smartphones, tablets and PCs…

I would say that’s pretty awesome, what do you think?

The unit will also be decked out with a function called Dual Camera, which captures photos simultaneously on the front and back cameras, and provides users with a picture in picture comparison.

These features will be a part of the Value Pack upgrade which will hit the Korean market next month, and they will surely be used on upcoming LG devices. Other features of the Value Pack include QRemote function,which will function with LG Smart TV’s, and an option to change LED flashing colors.

For more details, check out the press release below.

EYE RECOGNITION TO BRING NEW LEVEL OF ENTERTAINMENT CONVENIENCE TO LG SMARTPHONE
Technology to Debut in Smart Video Feature in Optimus G Pro

SEOUL, Mar. 14, 2013 — Smart Video, a new multimedia UX feature from LG Electronics (LG), will be unveiled for the first time in the Optimus G Pro. Smart Video takes viewing videos on mobile devices to a whole new level of convenience with eye recognition that eliminates the need to manually control playback during the viewing experience.

Through the implementation of advanced eye recognition technology, Smart Video recognizes the position of the viewer’s eyes and automatically plays or stops the video without any manual input from the user. When the viewer’s eyes are no longer focused on the smartphone display, the front camera recognizes this and immediately pauses the video automatically. Once the user’s gaze returns to the smartphone, the video resumes playback from the point last viewed.

In addition to the Smart Video feature, Optimus G Pro will also be equipped with the world’s first Dual Camera function. The Dual Camera feature is an extension of the Dual Recording feature which debuted on the Optimus G Pro introduced in the Korean market last month. Dual Camera simultaneously captures photographs using both the front and back cameras for a picture-in-picture composition. Users can now be a part of the story, not just observers.

“LG is continuously innovating to offer creative ways to offer a user experience that adds value to our customers,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Elec-tronics Mobile Communications Company. “It’s the positive UX that will differentiate smartphones in 2013 and beyond, not only cutting-edge hardware specs.”
The Smart Video and Dual Camera features will be introduced as a part of the Value Pack upgrade which will be offered for the Optimus G Pro in the Korean market next month. These features will also be made available for some LG premium smartphones in the future.

Other features in the Value Pack upgrade include:

• • Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad via the QRemote function. These new options for QRemote work specifically with LG
• Smart TVs to enhance convenience when using Optimus G Pro as a remote control for LG Smart TVs.
• • The Smart LED Lighting outlining the home button of the Optimus G Pro will be upgraded so users can customize the colors
• to correspond to their favorite contacts. The flashing of the LED in different colors will allow users to identify the source of
• incoming calls, missed calls, unread messages and emails.
• • Video Pause/Resume allows the user to stop and start in record mode for one continuous video file.
• • The first Color Emoticons in an Android smartphone for more personalized text messages.