Brief Description: There are some Springboard modules for the Visor that really show just how "cool" the Visor is.  One of these modules, the eyemodule by IDEO, allows you to take simple pictures wherever you go.  Read the review where I take the eyemodule to an Astros game at Enron Field.
Product Details
Name: eyemodule
Company: IDEO
Size: 2.8125" x 2.125" x 0.625"
Weight:  1.1 oz.
Memory: 48K on Visor when inserted
Hard Cover Compatible: No
Price: $149.00

There are some Springboard modules for the Visor that really show just how "cool" the Visor is.  One of these modules, the eyemodule by IDEO, allows you to take simple pictures wherever you go.

Physical Specifications

If you want to impress your friends, take the eyemodule out of your Visor and tell them it's a digital camera, put it into your Visor and give them a demo.  When the eyemodule is inserted into the Visor, it adds only 15 mm to its length and does not add anything to the Visor's depth.  You will feel a difference in the Visor's weight as the eyemodule weighs 1.1 oz, but this is nothing compared to carrying around a digital camera with you.  The hard cover that comes with the Visor will not work while the eyemodule is inserted, so cases like the RhinoPak 2000 will need to carry the eyemodule in one of the pockets.  The eyemodule's label is non-intrusive and will not deter from the overall look of the Visor, especially if you have the graphite Visor.  The eyemodule comes in any color you want, as long as it's graphite. 

To take pictures, hold the Visor horizontally and point it to your target while aiming, using the Visor's screen as a viewfinder.  Snap photos using the button on the right side of the eyemodule, then press the Up button on the Visor to keep the image or the Down button to discard the image.  You can also press the Up button to snap a photo.

Usability

When you insert the eyemodule, there is an initial splash screen and then the Visor turns into a viewfinder for any photos that you take.  Then When files are synced, your images become .jpg files in the default name of  dd_mm_yy_hh_mm_ss_am/pm.jpg, and by default are placed in C:\eyemodule\<username>.  The eyemodule is not required to be in the Visor when transfering images to your desktop.

There are a surprising number of options that comes with the eyemodule software.  You can take images in three different formats:

• 320x240 color (187K)
• 320x240 black & white (37K)
• 160x120 black & white (9K)

The button to the right of the Viewfinder is to view your images.  Press the Up/Down button to move among your photos when you have one on screen.  Here you can also zoom in on any 320x240 image, beam it to someone, and pull up the information on the image.  On the Information screen you can change the name of the image, modify its category, add a note, or mark it private.  I really like the fact that I can beam the eyemodule application to someone, and then beam any pictures to that person.  The eyemodule app, along with any pictures, stays on the Visor even when the eyemodule is not in the Springboard slot.

Next to the Viewer button is the Image List, where you can delete a single image or an entire category.  On the Preferences screen, you can set defaults for image format, default category, and whether to backup the images that are taken.

So how well do the pictures look?  It depends on the situation.  Because there is no flash, you will need a lot of light for decent color photo; greyscale pictures seem to do better when there isn't much light.  In these photos of our kitten, Sabrina looks fine in greyscale, although the picture is a little grainy.  The color photo of Sabrina has very little color in it because the lighting in our home isn't the greatest.

I wanted to get some good examples of daytime/nightime photos, so what better way than to go watch an Astros game outside at Enron Field!  The daytime pictures look pretty good, although they are a little fuzzy.  The text from the scoreboard is very easy to read with the naked eye but is difficult to make out in these photos.  The sky, however, looks great, and the late afternoon photo shows a good range of colors as the sun begins to go down.

Nightime photos of the scoreboard were worse.  The words "Enron Field" are the only lighted words that can be read in the photos.  Any lights in the pictures are blurred together, making it impossible to ready any lighted text.  There isn't much color differentiation, and the players look extremely tiny on the field, when they can actually be easily seen.  The one thing that this eyemodule sorely lacks is a flashbulb.

Looking at these pictures, the eyemodule may not look too hot, but that depends on your intent.  If you are planning to take professional looking photos or will be photographing in poor lighting, the eyemodule is not for you.  My favorite thing about the eyemodule is its "coolness" factor.  Every time I take it out in public for test shots or to show a friend, it definitely draws a crowd.  When I took the photos at Enron Field, I ended up showing an usher the camera.  When I showed it to some classmates at college, the professor was so interested in the Visor that she wrote down Handspring and asked if it was traded publicly.   You could also use the eyemodule to take photos of whiteboards, although you will need to be very close to them to take a clear picture -- otherwise, your photo will be entirely white.

I also like the small size of the eyemodulel, especially in comparison with a normal digital camera.  It is, however, too large to be inside the Rhodiana Visor Case or the E&B Slipper Visor.  It will however, fit in the Otter Box 2000, the RhinoPak 1100, and the RhinoPak 2000, although you won't be able to strap it against the Visor hard cover in the Rhino cases.  The diminutive size of the eyemodule makes it seem like the kind of camera James Bond would use, and the eyemodule could probably be used to take secret photos if the lighting was good enough.  (I hope to one day get a chance to test this theory )  But the eyemodule is best suited for impromptu photos of our everyday lives.  Luckily enough, the conduit saves photos to your computer -- this means you can then e-mail all of those wonderful impromptu shots to your friends!

Conclusion

If you can handle the high price and want to show off how cool your Visor really is, the eyemodule is a great way to do it.  It doesn't take high quality pictures, but its small formfactor makes the eyemodule easier to take with you than a normal camera.

Criteria
Features 3
Usability 4
Setup 5
Cost/Benefit 2
VisorCentral Rating : 

Pros
- Small formfactor
- Easy to use

Cons
- Low resolution
- Images are fuzzy
- Needs good lighting