Good question SRM. Adaptation and/or adoption of WFC has been slight to this point. Not because it doesn't work but because it doesn't work well on low resolution camera chips. The interpolation algorithms (anti-aliasing, dithering, sharpness, etc.) work better with multiple passes in the interpolative process. The more data present, the more finite this process. This is more a by-product than a limitation. Also, I personally thought that the higher resolution cameras would catch on much more quickly than they have. Of course, when I say caught on I am talking about a global market, not a local market like the US. We are a small fraction of the total user base on the planet so the proliferation of higher resolution handsets has been slower than I projected. The good news is that 3Mp is here and VGA-1.3Mp is all but gone. That means two things. One, prices for higher resolution chips have dropped significantly and two, capabilities have increased at a similar price point.
We are reaching a point of convergence in the price, capabilities, availability of infrastructure and a general diversity that is unprecedented. I have looked at 3G network coverage of the major carriers recently and they are thousands of percent larger than they were 4 years ago. Infrastructure is the key to this or any technology that requires front-end and back-end communication. The least common denominator in this process is the weakest link and the weakest links are far fewer than before. We have had discussions about the differences between the US cellular/data infrastructure and the rest of the world before and the major difference from then and now is that the US is standardizing somewhat in their data communications capabilities and sharing more technology than before. Comparing the US to the rest of the world in terms of technological advancement is a slippery slope, though. While we do have the best in hardware and software, we don't have nearly as much as anyone else on the planet in terms of concurrent users on any platform.
There are a few "smart" phones out there that have EDOF capabilities but the technology has not as of present become mainstream. I can speculate where it might show up next but that would be a bit reckless on my part. I will know more soon about the next products that will support this technology and I will give you my perspective as they become realware instead of vaporware. To date, no tier one handset maker has adopted EDOF or WFC technology but 3mp chip based handsets will change all of that in the very near future. Now that I know much more about the technology, I can post with a fair amount of certainty that the technology will be more readily available as 3Mp handset become more mainstream. There will be some knockoff technologies that will simulate the real deal but that is to be expected. The handset world is a cut throat environment and every penny spent must guarantee a ROI for the vendor.
I do have to give kudos to Apple. They have turned the existing paradigm of a closed OS upside down. Now everyone wants an App store and everyone is willing to throw a bit of caution to the wind when it comes to support of the handsets. The main reason for that is the ability for these handsets to connect to multiple radio frequencies. Wi-Fi phones can be nuked and rebuilt over the airwaves. Before, they had to be handled by a customer support department. This is internet 2.0 and it is good. Folks who support multiple networks, and allow customization of the App environment will thrive in the near future and those technologies are the most likely to adapt tangent technologies like WFC or EDOF, depending on the patent set they support.
Speaking of patents and more specifically disputes, ScanBuy, let's get this damn dispute either settled or pony up for the license. Every day this thing goes unresolved is a day you and NeoMedia could be making some real money. There are billions of dollars sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how this is all going to shake out. Get it over with would you? The market is huge and you guys are piddling around trying to decide who's turn it is to hold your finger in the dyke when all you have to do is take it out and let it break. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees... Sheesh! IMO
htj
AI
