pure

Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)

Editors' note: This article originally published May 6, 2012, and was updated on February 13, 2013, and again on May 4, 2013.

In a matter of months, the high-end smartphone camera spec rocketed from a respectable 8 megapixels to an altitudinous 13.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro are the freshest examples of this megapixel push, but even last January's Pantech Discover (12.6 megapixels), last October's LG Optimus G for Sprint (13 megapixels), and especially mid-2012's 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView piled on the megapixels.

Yet even though the technology exists, quality can be just as uneven from phone to phone as it was when an 8-megapixel shooter was the "best" that money could buy.

Shootout!: Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One and iPhone 5

Championing that perception head-on is HTC, the same company that not too long ago boasted about the 16-megapixel camera in its Titan II. Now, in its HTC One flagship, the smartphone maker dials down the megapixel count to 4 megapixels, which HTC fancifully terms "Ultrapixels," arguing that the lager pixel size throws back the blinds to let in much more light.

In this lies the reminder (something photography nuts will tell you) that it's quite possible for an excellent 5-megapixel camera to produce photos you prefer over a shoddy 12-megapixel camera. The number of megapixels alone is no guarantee of heightened photographic performance.

Instead, the formula for fantastic photos comes down to the entire camera module, which includes the size and material of the main camera lens, the light sensor, the image processing hardware, and the software that ties it all together. So let's dive in.… Read more

IBM touts automation in PureSystems

IBM on Wednesday launched a new family of data center building blocks called PureSystems. The aim is offer integrated systems that have expertise to automate maintenance, anticipate computing requirements, and scale servers, storage, and networking resources as needed.

The idea of an integrated system isn't unique, but IBM's twist is that it will be more flexible with PureSystems -- four supported operating systems and five virtualization hypervisors -- and build in knowhow from its research team and services engagements.

"These systems operate with a single pane of glass, support multiple architectures, OSes, and hypervisors all with cloud … Read more

Six things Nokia did to make the modern cell phone

It's been a while since we've been able to say this, but Nokia is wrapping up a very good week.

On Sunday, the company's flagship Windows Phone 7 device, the Lumia 900, finally arrived in stores. Praise from early critics, including CNET's Jessica Dolcourt, is high. So at this early stage, it appears that AT&T and Nokia managed to deliver on the early hype they generated last January at CES.

Of course, we'll have to wait to see how many handsets the company actually sells. It's entering a crowded and fiercely competitive … Read more

Nokia Lumia PureView mock shows WP 8, 41MP camera

If the Nokia Lumia 900 is any indication, Nokia's resurgence as a mobile player will hinge on distinctive design.

Take, for instance, the mock-ups that recently surfaced on IT168. Allegedly shots of presentation slides, the phone in question, the Nokia Lumia PureView, combines the 41-megapixel camera (really an advanced 5-megapixel camera) and Carl Zeiss optics of the Nokia 808 PureView Symbian phone that Nokia showed off at MWC, with Windows Phone OS.

I don't know about you, but I rather like the aggressively contoured design, even if it does remind me of SCUBA gear and jogging on the … Read more

Nokia's 41-megapixel 808 PureView won't be coming to U.S.

Nokia's highly anticipated 808 PureView is getting a global release. The only issue: one continent will be left out.

According to the device's home page, the 808 PureView will not be made available to North America. It will, however, be available to customers in Europe and just about everywhere else around the world when it launches in May.

Nokia unveiled the Symbian-powered phone at Mobile World Congress this year. It includes a 1.3GHz processor and a 4-inch display. Its most appealing feature, however, is its camera, which packs a whopping 41 megapixels. The device, which will cost $… Read more

Dialed In No. 213: Wrapping up Mobile World Congress, not wires (podcast)

Now that Mobile World Congress is officially over, we get a chance to discuss the most newsworthy items that came out of the expo (hint: you guessed it, we ended up mostly talking about Nokia and the 808 PureView... oops). We also chat about the future surrounding other means of wireless technology, including Bluetooth 4.0, NFC chips, and Google Wallet.

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Stories Mobile World Congress awes and entertains The power of Bluetooth 4.0: It'll change your life Apple sends out invites for March 7 iPad event … Read more

The secret behind Nokia's 41-megapixel camera phone

When Nokia announced the 41-megapixel 808 PureView smartphone at MWC 2012, CNET's associate editor Lynn La said "it is a phone that has so many megapixels, its megapixels have megapixels." That, it turns out, was a pretty accurate statement.

But, before I get into what that all means, judging by comments I've read there seems to be some confusion about the largeness of the sensor. The 808's image sensor is not only larger in resolution, but physical size. It's larger than the ones in most--if not all--current smartphones as well as the majority of point-and-shoots.

Packing 41 megapixels into a smartphone camera

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

PureView packs 41 MP camera IBM's quantum computing breakthrough Yahoo picks fight with Facebook over patents Hardly any time is spent on Google+ New way to gift with Karma Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (HD) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS HD

Nokia's 808 PureView has a whopping 41-megapixel camera

Well, it looks like we finally get to know what that vague snow video was all about.

A few days ago, Nokia released a 22-second teaser trailer hinting about something so "pure," it mentioned the word at least three times.

Now we know it's in reference to the manufacturer's newest device, the 808 PureView. A phone that has so many megapixels, its megapixels have megapixels. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but the Symbian-powered phone -- unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain -- does have a whopping 41-megapixel camera. And that makes our … Read more

Philips GoPure cleans the air in your stinky car

High-tech air filtration systems and HEPA filters are becoming standard fare in luxury vehicles these days, but what are you going to do about that funny smell in your 2004 Chevy Aveo? There's only so much that a pine tree air freshener can do.

Perhaps you should check out the newly announced Philips GoPure Automotive Clean Air System.

The GoPure was the odd bird in Philips' booth at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, which was otherwise filled with the manufacturer's line of automotive lighting products. This portable air filtration system is aimed at motorists with allergies, drivers with small children who may be sensitive to airborne germs and particles, and people who want to remove bad smells from the air in their car.… Read more