Sony shows eco-friendly digicam concepts
By
Mike Tomkins
(Tuesday, June 5, 2007 - 16:29 EDT)
The Japanese website Impress DC Watch has posted information on a press conference held in that country by Sony Corp.
The conference, held in the eight-storey Sony Building in Tokyo's Ginza district, aimed to show a range of environmentally friendly concept products under the "Odo" brand. Included were the "Spin'n'Snap" digital still camera, "Crank'n'Capture" digital video camera, "Push Power Play" display device, "Pull'n'Play" stereo headphones, and "Juice Box" solar array.
Of the five products, Impress DC Watch's article focuses mainly on the unusual "Spin'n'Snap" digital still camera. The device has a housing that expands in the middle to reveal a lens. On either side of the housing are two holes that serve both as simplistic viewfinders, and a charging mechanism: you insert the index finger of each hand in the two holes, and spin the device to create a charge with which to capture a picture. A cutout notch in the back of the device accomodates the bridge of your nose when the camera is held to your face, and the shutter button is located at the top right corner along with two LEDs to display charge information.
A second device covered in the DC Watch article is the "Push Power Play" display, which features a roller on its base that is again used for charging. Roll the device on a flat surface much like a child would roll a toy car, and after sufficient charging you can then use the display to view images captured on the camera.
The "Juice Box" solar array is also briefly described by DC Watch. Essentially it unfolds to reveal a small solar panel with which it charges. On completion of charging, you fold the device back up and it can function as a power source for the "Spin'n'Snap" or "Push Power Play" devices.
The article contains few details on the "Crank'n'Capture" digital video camera or "Pull'n'Play" headphones beyond their power generation methods. As you'd expect from the names, the video camera is charged by a hand crank, and the headphones by pulling out their retractable cord. All five devices can be seen in the photos accompanying the page.
One final note in the article is that all of the "Odo"-branded products were designed by the Sony Design Center in Los Angeles which first opened in late 2005.
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