Longmont invention in view
Photo enthusiasts using high-quality digital cameras might be looking at a Longmont invention the next time they take a snapshot. Displaytech makes the electronic viewfinder found on many cameras and has recently signed an agreement with Olympus to make the technology available in the camera-maker’s new Olympus SP-500UZ digital camera. It’s an ultra-zoom camera with a 6-megapixel image sensor and 10X optical zoom. Displaytech’s latest viewfinder is called the LightView” 201k-EV2 microdisplay. An electronic viewfinder doesn’t distort images and can show menu options on the lens.
“You need the electronic viewfinder when you get beyond four times (4x) or five times (5x) optical zoom. You can see the digital zoom in the viewfinder,” said Steve Reinhard, marketing manager for Displaytech. “You get 100 percent frame coverage without distortion.”
The company was founded in 1985, based on technology developed at the University of Colorado.
Go anywhere with VoIP phone
Imagine having a cordless phone that can make calls anywhere you can find a wireless network. That’s what the upcoming UTStarcom F1000 phone promises – a Wi-Fi phone connection you can take with you. The advantage to the UTStarcom and other Wi-Fi phones is that they use voice over Internet protocol technology. VoIP service usually costs a lot less per month than cellular or traditional phone service. Vonage, which plans to sell the UTStarcom beginning this month, offers unlimited local and long-distance calls to the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico for $24.99 a month. The phone will sell for $100, with in-store $50 rebates at major electronics stores.
