I propose a digital camera which uses a cellular network to store your photos online, which you can download from any computer with an internet connection. This would remove the need for storage disks and USB cables, and make sharing photos easier.

You would have to purchase a plan from a phone company, which would determine how much space you have on the servers. Alternate plans could charge you per photo, so you can take as many as you want.

Via the web interface, you could download your photos, e-mail them to friends, have them printed out and mailed to you, or share them with family on the internet.

This was inspired by the recent camera phones. Unfortunately, there was a similar idea [linked], but I thought this one was different enough.
-- rgovostes, Oct 26 2003

Digital camera with wireless broadcast http://www.halfbake...ireless_20broadcast
similar idea [rgovostes, Oct 04 2004]

Sprint PCS Vision Picture Mail http://www.pcsvision.com/pictures.html
Send to email addresses, store photos on Picture Mail web site. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004]

Verizon Wireless Pix Place http://www.vzwpix.com/mlib/index.jsp
Same deal. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004]

Sharp SH-53 Megapixel Camera Phone http://www.mobilete...3/05/21/184532.html
[waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004]

"First 2-Megapixel Camera Phone Debuts" http://www.pcworld....0,aid,112797,00.asp
No flash, though. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004]

I'd appreciate it if those who negatively vote on my ideas would suggest improvements, or point out problems with it. I've received many negative votes on my ideas, but few people say _why_.
-- rgovostes, Oct 26 2003


With ideas like "scabbed twinkie", you have to ask?

I don't see what this does that you can't already do with a camera enabled cellphone (which is better in that you can also use it to call people).
-- waugsqueke, Oct 26 2003


Heh... But my other ideas should not influence your voting!

A camera-enabled cellphone does not allow you to take very large pictures, and I haven't seen any that let you e-mail the images.

Think of the idea as a digital camera with infinite storage.
-- rgovostes, Oct 26 2003


In the US, both Sprint and Verizon Wireless (links) sell picture phones that allow you to send photos to other phones or to email addresses. As well, you can store as many as you want on a web-accessible photo album. Infinite storage. (Within reason - I'm sure they have some threshold.)

So it's really just a matter of image resolution then. I have no doubt that X-megapixel camera phones are on their way to shelves near you soon.

[Later] yep, they are. See links again.
-- waugsqueke, Oct 26 2003


Would you have to subscribe to a monthly service?
-- spiraliii, Oct 26 2003


I work for DigitalXtractions.net we make a cellular camera of a sort, called the SCIRC t1. It is designed to be controlled by a web page, not a point and click. But it is close to your idea.
-- lucasjordan, Apr 02 2007


I actually think it's a good idea, broadly. What will (or may have) made it redundant is not the increasing quality of mobile phone cameras (regardless of the pixel count, they are not fully-functioned cameras) but the decreasing cost of memory for cameras.

Nevertheless, I can see it being worthwhile in some cases.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 02 2007



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