iFAKE: Photos turn out to be shopped, and will iPhone 5 have a changeable camera lens?

IF your palms were getting all sweaty at the allegedly leaked pictures of the alleged iPhone 5 last month, you weren't the only one.

UPDATE: As the internet reels from being tricked again by the iPhone rumour brigade, even more details haves surfaced online, showing that Apple applied for a patent for a smartphone with a changeable camera.

is Apple really toying with the idea of letting picture-loving iPhone users change lenses on the iPhone 5, or are they just toying with our emotions?

Apple's application for a "back panel for a portable electronic device with different camera lens options" included a diagram reminiscent of an opened iPhone with labelled parts.

The application described a design to let users change lenses that typically are fixed in the backs of smartphones to act as eyes for cameras.

"It would be desirable to provide a structure for a compact device that allows the end user to reconfigure the optical arrangement of the device while retaining the benefits of assembling the device using a pre-assembled digital imaging subsystem," said a copy of the patent application available online.

The latest rumour comes as the web was tricked into thinking images of a potential iPhone prototype was real after some fairly convincing photos were published on Apple rumour site, 9to5Mac.

Thousands of people were tricked into thinking they were real.

Turns out the photos were renderings created by Flickr user, Martin Hajek based on alleged iPhone parts that were leaked by Apple rumour website, 9to5Mac.

Mr Hajek seemed pretty pleased with himself, boasting on Flickr that he'd even tricked Gizmodo into believing they were real.

"You would think Gizmodo of all blogs would be able to tell a leaked prototype from a leaked rendering!," he wrote on Flickr.

We'd like to join Mr Hajek on the high moral ground, but we too were one of the fooled.

Don't get excited. This is not an iPhone 5. It's a digital rendering based on 'leaked' iphone 5 parts. A fake, basically. Picture: 9to5mac

Meet the New PC: Not the Same as the Old PC

Microsoft SurfaceRevolutions are chaotic: They upset the status quo, and leave old ways of doing things behind. The PC, once the spearhead of the personal digital revolution, may seem antiquated alongside sexy new tablets and smartphones. In reality, however, the PC is an intimate participant in the current revolution, changing its own nature to respond to new usage models and a new generation of users. If anything, Microsoft’s recent announcement of the Surface--a Windows 8 PC posing as a tablet--demonstrates the PC’s flexibility and relevance in the modern digital era.

The new computing revolution is upon us, driven by a legion of users and developers creating new ways of interacting with data, and with one another, in an always-connected world. And the new PC has stepped up to address the needs of users and application builders who have never known a world without the Internet. Apple and Microsoft are creating uniform operating environments, enabling a seamless transition from mobile phone to PC or Mac, all connected via cloud services. Windows 8 is leading the way, with the same OS core at the heart of Windows Phone 8, Windows RT, and Windows 8 on the PC.

The PC is undergoing its most radical makeover since the advent of the IBM PC three decades ago. Pundits like to call this the "post-PC era," but the PC remains the hub of our digital lives. Call it a PC, call it an Ultrabook, call it Surface--it’s still a personal computer to the core.

The New Revolution

Always-on connectivity, the cloud, and easy mobility define today’s personal technology revolution. Users have had a role in the revolution, embracing digital media consumption instead of viewing digital devices as mere tools. Users of smartphones and tablets--in particular, iPhone and iPad owners--blazed the trail. As in the early age of the personal computer (before the IBM PC), the nascent smartphone market was highly fragmented, with diverging views of what users wanted. These days, after the rise of the iPhone, almost all phones look startlingly similar. Having a data plan with your smartphone is now mainstream; it wasn’t always that way.

UltrabooksAfter a slow start, PC makers are now embracing the change. Inspired by the MacBook Air, Intel’s Ultrabook program is driving mainstream adoption of ultrathin, ultraportable PCs that make far fewer compromises than the netbooks of recent memory. The majority of these designs--including Apple’s--are based on Intel hardware.

The new generation of Ultrabooks has been relatively slow to adopt the always-connected model, as surprisingly few units are shipping with built-in cellular broadband. As true 4G networks become more widespread, that might change, especially as cloud storage becomes more integral to the operating system. Apple is already pursuing this idea with iCloud, and Microsoft will be integrating its SkyDrive service into Windows 8.

Ultrabooks are only one response to the changing market, though. Microsoft’s new Surface tablets show how PCs are evolving in other directions. The Surface RT model is locked into Microsoft’s app store, much as Apple’s iPad is locked into iTunes. But the Surface Pro is really an ultrathin PC in a tablet skin, with a fully functional Windows desktop and the ability to run most Windows applications.

Cloudy, With a Chance of Apps

While the notion of running software from the cloud isn’t new, it is gathering steam. Google has led the charge, and Google Docs has seen rapid adoption. Microsoft has been pitching Office 365 (a collection of hosted productivity apps) to businesses. Even games are running on the cloud, with companies such as Gaikai and OnLive offering games on cloud servers and delivering interactive streams to user desktops.

Unified Operating Environments

Both Apple and Microsoft are driving toward unified operating environments across smartphone, tablet, and personal computing platforms. In some ways, Microsoft is ahead of the curve. Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone 8 will offer nearly identical user experiences. With the release of iOS 6 and Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Apple is taking another step along the road to user-experience integration.

Not all users are on board with unified environments, though. Windows 8 seems to be particularly polarizing. Running the Metro interface on a desktop system, or even a laptop PC, seemed to be a baffling decision on Microsoft's part, until the announcement of the Surface. Windows 8 and the Surface are closely intertwined, and it’s clearly the direction Microsoft wants to take the operating system--and its users.

Photographing Fireworks, Step by Step

Here's how to take beautiful photos of summer fireworks, plus a look at the equipment you'll need.

For the photographer, winter certainly has its share of iconic subjects, such as Christmas trees, snowmen, and icicles hanging from a roof. But there's nothing quite like the excitement of shooting summertime fireworks. Done right, fireworks photos are dynamic and colorful, and they convey a sense of action better than almost any other kind of still image. Read on to learn how to capture some exciting fireworks photos of your own this summer.

(Almost) Any Camera Will Do

Though photos of fireworks look impressive, you don't need specialized gear to get good results. You can use almost any digital camera to capture fireworks, as long as it offers either some degree of manual exposure control (so that you can dial in the right ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings) or a fireworks scene mode designed to do the work for you.

Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXREven point-and-shoot cameras can meet the challenge. The Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXR, for example, hits the sweet spot for portability and simplicity--it's a superb compact camera that, when set to fireworks mode and stabilized to minimize image shake, can take some excellent fireworks shots.

Canon PowerShot SX10 ISCompact cameras eschew features for portability, however. If you like to tinker with your exposure settings, consider an advanced point-and-shoot like the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS. It has a convenient swiveling LCD for shooting unusual angles, such as over the top of a crowd or low down on the ground. A wealth of exposure options let you dial in the one-touch fireworks mode or take more control with shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure settings.

Nikon D90If you have a choice, though, I recommend enlisting a true digital SLR. Digital SLRs tend to generate less noise in the lengthy exposures you'll need to capture fireworks, and they have advanced features such as manual exposure control and external shutter release to minimize shake when you're taking the photo. The Nikon D90, for example, is a favorite not just because it was the first digital SLR to incorporate high-definition video recording, but also because it provides excellent image quality, Live View mode, and face detection for those times when you're not shooting fireworks.

Stabilize Your Camera

The most important rule for shooting fireworks: Use a slow shutter speed so that you can record those dramatic, colorful light trails as they explode through the sky. But no matter whether you're using a point-and-shoot or a high-end digital SLR, you'll need some sort of support to capture a sharp image, free from the blur that results when you hold a camera in your hands.

A simple, inexpensive, and lightweight tripod is all you need. Keep the tripod head loose so that you can quickly move it around to frame the exploding fireworks, while the tripod legs prevent jiggling.

If you don't want to haul even a compact tripod around, consider using a monopod--since it has just one leg instead of three, it won't be as steady as a tripod, but it can be a reasonable compromise. You could also prop your camera on a solid surface. Some photographers like gadgets such as The Pod (essentially a bean bag with a tripod mount in the top) for steadying the camera on rocks, fences, and other platforms.

You should also avoid touching the camera when the exposure starts, so you don't jiggle it and blur the photo. You could try to use the camera's self-timer to trigger the exposure, but you would have to trigger the exposure in advance to anticipate the best fireworks moment. A better solution is to invest in a wireless remote or a shutter release cable, both of which let you take the photo without touching the camera.

Point-and-Shoot Fireworks

If your compact camera or advanced point-and-shoot has a fireworks mode, enable it. This mode automatically adjusts the camera's settings for a nighttime exposure. Want to know what's going on behind the scenes? On most cameras, the fireworks mode will turn the flash off, set focus to infinity, disable exposure compensation, and lower the ISO. For the most part, I find that a preset fireworks mode achieves good results for simple shots.

Some point-and-shoots that lack a fireworks mode may still permit you to adjust the settings. Here are some good settings to try, if your camera allows.

Low ISO: Set the camera to its lowest ISO setting to minimize digital noise.

Focus on infinity: Turn off automatic focus and set the camera's focus to infinity so that it doesn't search helplessly for a subject in the dark. Don't have a manual focus control? Use the camera's landscape mode, which also sets the focus to infinity; the low light will encourage the camera to shoot at a slow shutter speed and capture the light trails.

Set the aperture: Dial in an f/stop somewhere between f/8 and f/16. That will help prevent overexposing the scene and avoid light "blooms" coming from the explosions in the sky.

Slow down the shutter: Pick a value between 1 second and 16 seconds for your shutter speed. The longer the exposure, the more fireworks you'll capture in the same frame, and the longer your light trails will be. For really long exposures try covering the lens with your hand or the lens cap between bursts to avoid overexposing the picture.

Shooting With a Digital SLR

If you own a digital SLR, you'll have an easier time--and more options--when setting up your camera for fireworks.

In a nutshell, you'll want to dial in the lowest ISO, throw the camera into full manual mode, choose a small aperture opening (try starting at f/8), and pick a slow shutter speed with an exposure time of between 1 and 4 seconds. After you take your first few pictures, review them to see if you're getting realistic color. If the bright blue, orange, and red fireworks all look kind of white, you should use the same exposure time but close the aperture a bit and try again. That means changing your f/8 setting to f/11 or perhaps f/16. If the fireworks are too dim, open the aperture to f/5.6 or f/4.

Most SLRs have a bulb mode that leaves the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter release, giving you total control over the exposure. When the fireworks launch, press the shutter release to start the exposure. Hold the button down until after the fireworks have bloomed, several seconds later. If you go for superlong exposures, you should cover the lens between fireworks

Get a Wide Angle on the Scene

While you might be tempted to zoom in to get close-ups of the action, I recommend that you use the wider end of your lens's range--or, if you're using a digital SLR, switch to your wide-angle lens. You'll be able to capture more fireworks in a shot and even frame the action against a skyline or other recognizable objects in the foreground.

Of course, you can experiment by changing your zoom range throughout the evening. Just remember that if you zoom in too tightly, you'll have trouble knowing exactly when and where the fireworks are going to do their thing, and you'll end up missing the action.

As you prepare for summer fireworks, remember that capturing the action is often more art than science. Experiment with a range of shutter speeds and aperture settings over the course of the event. If the weather is uncooperative, take advantage by incorporating umbrella-covered spectators into the scene. And don't forget that your photo editing program's cropping tool can sometimes bring a distant fireworks blast front and center, turning a mediocre shot into a keeper.

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Source : PCWORLD