(Credit: Apple/USPTO)

The camera on your future iPhone or iPad could house two sensors, helping you snap higher-quality photos and videos.

Awarded Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent appropriately titled "Dual image sensor image processing system and method" describes how a dual-sensor camera would outshine a single-sensor system.

Your photos or videos would be captured and processed through at least two different sensors. That data would then go through a process called interleaving to produce the final image. The benefit from this approach is that any bad frames from one sensor could be replaced by good ones from the other sensor. For example, a frame that's missing a few pixels through one sensor can be swapped out for a better version of the same frame from the second sensor.

In processing the raw image, the system would detect other flaws beyond missing pixels and attempt to correct those by comparing them with "imaging statistics" stored in memory. As such, the system could automatically apply the right color balance, exposure, and other values.

Dual-sensor cameras are nothing new. ... [Read more]

 

The curtains on the LG G2 won't be pulled back until August 7th, but that hasn't stopped the South Korean firm from announcing a case for the smartphone. Dubbed QuickWindow, the sheath sports a slot on its front that reveals a portion of the device's screen à la Samsung's S View Cover. Just slide a finger against the exposed display and a special QuickView UI will light up the area with incoming call details, text messages, a clock, weather report, alarm or music player. Though a release date for the G2 is still MIA, the case is set to launch alongside the phone in black, blue, mint, pink, purple, white and yellow. In a world filled with case leaks for unannounced hardware, we can't help but feel strange seeing a bonafide cover before we've officially laid eyes on the device it's made for.

LG EXPANDS ACCESSORY OFFERINGS WITH PREMIUM SMARTPHONE CASE

Convenient QuickWindowTM Case for LG G2 Available in Seven Colors

SEOUL, July 30, 2013 - LG Electronics (LG) will be introducing a line of premium cases for its upcoming flagship device, LG G2, to be available at the same time as the smartphone. The aesthetically beautiful case, QuickWindow, is the newest addition to LG's growing premium smartphone accessory lineup, which includes cases, headsets and portable chargers.

An opening or "window" on the cover of QuickWindow allows users to glance at various information displays without having to open the cover flap. With only a light swipe of a finger, the QuickWindow UX will appear in the window which users can view while on the go. Information that can be viewed through the QuickWindow cover include a clock, weather report, alarm, music player, incoming phone call details and incoming text messages.

"LG's newest premium accessory delivers practical and stylish options while protecting the smartphone, which for many consumers is a significant investment," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Our smartphone designers have in mind the type of case they'd like to see on their designs. So it made a lot of sense for LG designers to share with our customers their vision of the perfect accessory."

The QuickWindow case for the LG G2 will be available in seven different colors, including black, white, pink, purple, blue, mint and yellow. The cases will be available simultaneously with the launch of the LG G2.

 

Sure, Mountain View slowly infused Maps with Zagat content after acquiring the brand, but now it's revamped the outfit's mobile apps on Android and iOS, along with its website, to boot. As you'd expect, users can wield the apps and website to find venues with searches and map-based browsing, and catch up on news and videos from the service's editors. In this fresh incarnation, Google's lifted a registration requirement that was previously necessary to peruse reviews online. Schmidt and Co.'s redesigned experience only covers restaurants and nightlife in nine cities, but will include hotels, shopping and other points of interest in a total of 50 US cities over the coming months. In the meantime, Zagat promises its existing ratings and reviews for spots in those markets will soon be available on the web. Hit the bordering source links below to grab the reimagined applications.