News $20 disposable digital camera

From USA Today:

A disposable digital camera enters the market at $19.99
By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Jonathan Kaplan thinks digital cameras are too hard to use, so he decided to do something about it.

Kaplan, 36, is the CEO of Pure Digital Technologies, a scrappy start-up devoted to bringing digital photography to the masses. His solution: no wires, memory cards or having to connect the camera to the computer.

Pure Digital makes the world's first truly digital one-time-use camera. It has been on the market for more than a year but is slated to go prime time Monday when CVS, the nation's largest drugstore chain, puts it on its shelves. The Disney World resorts and Longs Drugs will be selling it later this year as well.

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A 2.1 Mega-pixel disposable digicam for 20 bucks? Hmm.. How long do you think it will be before "disposable" becomes "free" with a simple hardware/software hack?

 

$20 for a 2.1Mp CCD isn't too bad either, a hardware hack would make for a very nice webcam as well

 

Whats the point of a disposable one? if its digital, you can erase and rewrite data cant you? And even if it is disposable, you probably have to take it home and plug it into the computer before you can throw it away.

However, useful if your away from home and need a camera quick.

 

if eny one accualy doese a hack and make it reusable and all tell me

 

The first version from Dakota digital is easily hackable with an old palm cradle and a spare USB cable. The second version, the pv2, including the one with a color LCD, has not been hacked yet. for more information, try here or here or try here for attempts to hack the pv2 version.

also, the datasheet for the lcd can be found here. Might be interesting to try to interface with a computer.

 

how much did the pv2 cost

 

The cost is 19.99 or 18.99 depending on where you go for the color lcd one. I am not sure about the others though.

edit: forgot to mention, slashdot had an article on this today here.

 

do people think oil grows on trees?

 

Not the point of a disposable camera. It's for people who don't want to buy a full camera, but want to take pictures. Essentially, you go to the store and buy one of these things, take pictures and return the whole camera to get the pictures developed. You don't keep the camera. The whole digital thing is so that you can preview the pics and delete ones you don't want to keep.

 

So essentially the $20 charge is a rental and processing fee? I like the idea of that.

How many times have you had a trad. disposable camera developed, only to discover that half the snaps are rubbish or haven't been exposed correctly?

At least with this, you know all the pics you've taken will be worth the time and money to get printed / processed.

 

Well, no. The processing fee isn't included. Essentially the $20 is for the "rental" of the camera only, the processing is extra. Yea, it's a lot more expensive than their film counterparts (~$7 for the film cameras depending on the brand), but by adding the lcd and ability to delete pics, you will be assured that you won't get ones that you don't want.

 

Has anyone found one? I've gone to all the CVSs around here and no one knows what I'm talking about. (One woman actually had the nerve to tell me that no such thing EXISTED! When I told her people had them, she said "Well they haven't been released publicly." Hey, lady, ever heard the words "The customer is always right"!? Guess which CVS I'll never step foot in again... anywho, back on topic...)

One guy said they "were doing something with cameras tomorrow, but [he] doesn't know what" So I'll go back there in a couple days... But the other 4 stores had absolutely no idea what I was asking about...

This is in Texas, BTW

 

/OT If you are going to buy somthing that has an expiration date from CVS, Make sure its not expired. You would be suprised whats expired on the shelves.

 

/me checks the sobe I just finished drinking...

 

I have a box of these, and possible access to a processing machine. how can I help the project

 

Where did you get them??? I STILL haven't seen one!

 

Holy **** with the thread revival i saw my last post and said WTF when did i say that??

 

I work for Pure Digital...

 

can i have one

 

Can you find out when they're ACTUALLY going to be in stores?? Obviously USAToday was WAY off.
I'd kill for one, especially with the job I may or may not be taking in December. To have a digital camera that I could erase pictures on before developing would be the greatest thing since sliced bread, honestly. I would actually rather have that camera than sliced bread.