Apple interested in LightField Camera for future iPhone
LightField Technology is widely regarded to be the biggest photographic invention since the Camera obscura. Thus, it is not very surprising that one of the biggest innovators in the fields of computers and mobile electronics is also interested in using it: Apple.
Before his death last October, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs asked to meet Lytro founder Ren Ng. On the afternoon of that same day in summer 2011, Ng raced to Palo Alto and personally introduced his Lytro camera, after which the two talked about technology, cameras and product design.
Jobs asked him to outline the specific ways in which the two companies could collaborate.
What struck me the most was how clear his communication was,” Ng said. “His eyes were just so brilliant. His glasses kind of levitated off his nose. I told him we drew a lot of inspiration from the iPad. He really smiled. It was clear it resonated.
If Apple really plans to design an iPhone with included LightField camera, it will probably still take a few years to overcome the technical obstacles. After all, Lytro has managed to condense case studies of the last 15 years into the smallest device currently possible.
3 Responses
[…] for some time, according to Adam Lashinsky’s book “Inside Apple”, and has even invited Lytro founder Ren Ng to Cupertino in order to talk about LightField technology, and ways to implement it in mobile […]
[…] was submitted (September 22, 2011) is quite interesting, as Lytro founder Ren Ng reportedly met with Steve Jobs just a few months earlier to demonstrate the Lytro camera before product launch and discuss […]
[…] since before Lytro released their first-generation light field camera, as Ren Ng was reportedly invited by Steve Jobs himself to discuss the technology’s potential. The company has even patented some of their own […]