Specifically, Google’s QR Code Scanner API has been updated for use in Google’s QR Code Scanner (QR Code Scanner) system app, as well as for integration into other apps. If a developer uses this API, the user does not need to grant camera permissions, saving the developer the time of designing the scanning functionality themselves.

The API utilizes Google’s native machine-learning technology to parse the QR code and only outputs a Barcode object to the application to protect the user’s privacy. The exact technology is unknown, but AI amplification technology has already been used in other areas of media.

According to Android expert Mishal Rahman, this new auto-amplification feature is included in the latest version of the ML Kit Barcode Scanning API library, which can be integrated into apps (and also downloaded via the Google Play service), as well as in a separate QR Code Scanner API version 16.1.0. Rahman writes that this simple QR code scanning feature will likely be available on devices running Android 13 or later since their QR code scanners use the same ML Kit barcode scanning library. And according to screen footage from X (formerly Twitter) user AssembleDebug, the feature may have already begun to be pushed through GMS.

It’s unclear how effective this new feature will be for Android phones with low-quality cameras, or if it will appear on devices other than Google’s own Pixel.

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The top 5 Best flagship camera smartphones in 2022

Talking of flagship devices, these are the top-tier premium devices that are available for purchase. The devices in consideration on this list have undergone intensive testing to determine their camera abilities. On the list, we have two Android devices, two iOS devices, and another entry which isn’t much of a surprise.

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

The Chinese tech gaint is no stranger to the top place on lists of the best camera smartphones, and this year they reclaimed their top spot. This device became official with a feature that stunned the entire smartphone industry, a variable aperture. The 50MP main camera lens of this device can be adjusted to control the amount of light that passes through the lens, hence making depth adjustment possible.

Also with this device’s series, Huawei made a switch to its in-house imaging powerhouse, the XMAGE system. It makes use of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC for its processing abilities, the chip only supports 4G connectivity since Huawei is still enduring sanctions. All these camera and processing features put together make the Huawei Mate 50 Pro top of the list on DXOMARK camera ranking with a score of 149. To learn more about this device’s specifications, price, and availability, click this link.

Google Pixel 7 Pro

This is the second Pro device from the Google Pixel brand that uses the Tensor processor for advanced security and photography abilities. For this device, Google makes use of its new processor, the Tensor G2, bringing some improvements to the photography abilities of the device. Also, the smartphone comes with a triple rear camera setup holding a 50MP main wide camera, a 48MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide lens.

Bringing the Google Tensor G2 together with the power camera combination of this device made it possible for it to secure itself a spot on the top 5 camera smartphone list. This is the most affordable device in our top 5 flagship camera list, sitting at a price range below $900. The Google Pixel 7 Pro grabs a score of 147 on DXOMARK’s global camera ranking after a series of testing.

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

With the launch of the Magic4 series, Honor took the top spot on DXOMARK’s camera ranking for a while. After its testing, the flagship smartphone got a score of 147 making it the top-performing camera device, displacing the Huawei P50 Pro. This device launched with a focus on cinematography and photography, with tons of modes for taking videos and pictures.

Some of its specifications include a quad camera setup housing two 50MP wide camera lenses, two 64MP lenses, and a 3D TOF sensor. For its processor, it comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC for image and other processing needs. Comfortably, this device takes third place on DXOMARK’s camera ranking, sharing the same points with the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Coming in fourth place is the iPhone 14 Pro Max flexing the Apple Bionic A16 Bionic chip. This is one of the first devices from Apple to drop off the screen notch after its adoption with the iPhone X series. Well, the front camera cutout is not the only improvement this device comes with, as it also steps up its camera abilities.

The rear camera comes with three camera lenses, among which are a 48MP wide lens and two 12MP lenses. Coming in fourth place, this device is the best iPhone one can get when looking at its camera abilities. To learn more about this device, click on this link.

iPhone 14 Pro

Following its bigger sibling, the iPhone 14 Pro sits on the top five best camera smartphones of 2022. When it comes to specifications, the two devices are very similar, the only differences they bear are their screen sizes and storage capacity. On DXOMARK’s ranking, both the 14 Pro and Pro Max have a score of 146 sitting a point below the Honor and Google Pixel flagship devices on this list.

These are the top-performing flagship devices when it comes to camera abilities, and all five devices are available for purchase. The Honor Magic4 Ultimate is a hard one to purchase since it is only available for purchase in the manufacturer’s home market, China. We are about to welcome the next-generation devices from all brands on this list, so we will provide an update on the 5 best flagship camera smartphones once all brands have put out their new entries.

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01, the lens of the light capacity
Let’s start with the basic concept: the lens can be light, when taking pictures, the lens first light, and then the light will be transmitted to the CMOS imaging. The amount of light in the lens can affect the degree of light and dark photos.

The relative aperture of a lens is expressed as “effective aperture ÷ focal length”.

Yes, both focal length and aperture affect the amount of light that comes in, so now you know why telephoto lenses have smaller apertures.

Lenses are also marked with the size of the “relative aperture”, for example, 1:2, which means that the maximum relative aperture of the lens is 1:2 and it is a constant aperture lens. Another example is 1:2.8~4, which is generally the maximum relative aperture of 1:2.8 at the shortest focal length and 1:4 at the longest focal length.

The chart below shows the relative apertures of 1:4-5.6

Calculate the aperture so that you understand it thoroughly

2. Aperture value F
   The F value and the f/value we usually see are the “aperture factor”, which is the reciprocal of the relative aperture, i.e. “focal length ÷ effective aperture”.

If the relative aperture is 1:2.8, the corresponding aperture coefficient is F2.8 or f / 2.8, making the fraction a whole number, which is much simpler.

For example, for a standard 50mm lens with a maximum light diameter of 29.5mm, the maximum relative aperture is calculated as 29.5mm ÷ 50mm = 1:1.7 and the maximum aperture is calculated as 50mm ÷ 29.5mm = F1.7. This can also be interpreted as setting the light diameter to 1 and the focal length to 1.7.

The larger the F value, the smaller the aperture and the smaller the light intake; the smaller the F value, the larger the aperture and the larger the light intake.

3. How to calculate the aperture value
   Common aperture values are F1.4, F2, F2.8, F4, F5.6, F8, etc. Each aperture is 1 stop adjacent to the other, and the amount of light intake is 2 times the relationship.

F1.4 is 1 stop larger than F2 and the light intake at F1.4 is twice that of F2. In practice, F1.4, 10s, and ISO100 produce the same brightness as F2, 10s, and ISO200 and the same brightness as F2, the 20s, and ISO100.

In addition to apertures 1 stop apart, there are apertures 1/3 stops apart, such as F5.6, F6.3, F7.1 and F8, each with a 1/3-fold difference in light intake, allowing greater flexibility in exposure control. If you are shooting in shutter priority mode, the ISO is also set to a fixed value and only the aperture is automatic. If the camera currently gives you an aperture of F6.3, and you increase the exposure by 0.3EV using exposure compensation, the camera will set the aperture to F5.6.

So how are numbers like 1.4, 2 and 2.8 calculated?

If we are taking a picture with the 50mm lens above and the aperture is now F1.7, to increase the aperture by one stop, we have to make the area of the illuminated circle 0.5 times larger. The area of the circle is πr², and to make it twice as large (2πr²), you have to make r √2 times larger, which is approximately the same as multiplying it by 1.414.

Thus, the aperture value becomes 50 ÷ (29.5 x 1.414), which is transformed to (50 ÷ 29.5 ≈ 1.7) ÷ 1.414. Thus, the difference in aperture values between adjacent stops (2 times) is 1.414 (√2) times. The difference in aperture values between adjacent 1/3 stops (1.3 times) is √1.3 times. f2 × √2 is F2.8, f2.8 × √2 is F4 and f5.6 √1.3 is F6.3.

The post Why is the larger F, smaller the aperture, how is F2\2.8\4 calculated? appeared first on TechGoing.

If you’d like to know more, you’ll have to wait a few years and see what happens. A shift in strategy for Netflix, as Hastings acknowledges, would be “against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription,” if the company were to implement an ad-supported model.

“Consumers who want to pay less but are willing to put up with advertising” are now being targeted by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

As of Tuesday, Netflix appeared more receptive to ideas it had previously rejected after reporting that it had lost subscribers for the first time in a decade. The value of Netflix stock fell by a quarter. Earlier this week, the company announced that its subscriber base had decreased in the first quarter of the year. In a decade, the most popular streaming television service saw its subscriber base shrink for the first time. In a statement, the company blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the quarter-over-quarter decline.
As of March 31, Netflix had 221.6 million subscribers, a slight decrease from the end of last year’s first quarter. Net income for the most recent quarter was $1.6 billion, down from $1.7 billion in the year-ago period for the tech company based in Silicon Valley. Following the release of the earnings results, Netflix shares fell by 25% to $262 in after-market trades.

Even if Netflix were to launch an ad-supported service, it wouldn’t be the first. Hulu, Peacock, and even HBO Max have plans that allow customers to pay less (or, in Peacock’s case, nothing) in exchange for having their shows occasionally interrupted. In addition, Disney has announced that by the end of the year, it will offer an ad-supported version of Disney Plus.

Netflix believes that the lack of affordable broadband internet service and smart televisions, as well as subscribers’ sharing their Netflix accounts with people who are not in their homes, is stifling its growth. As many as 222 million households are paying for Netflix, but more than 100 million other households don’t pay for the service, according to the streaming giant.

When it comes to monthly fees, Netflix currently charges Rs. 149 for the mobile plan, Rs. 199 for the basic plan, Rs. 499 for the standard plan, and Rs. 649 for the premium plan. While Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says he is proud of the company’s “price spread,” the company’s deep market penetration means that Hastings has limited options for increasing revenue other than raising prices. One way the company might increase its customer base and open up new revenue streams is by offering a free or low-cost tier that is supported by ads.

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