HTC's looking to make more than better pixels!

So, the other day I talked to you about the 'Ultra Pixel' in the new HTC One.  Now I'm excited about that... but there's a new feature that HTC kept a little bit quiet about.

This one is mundane when you first think about it, but revel on it a little more and you start to realize that... hey, here's a company doing some innovation.

It's a new type of microphone sensor that will make a better sound pick up.  2 microphones.

http://blog.htc.com/2013/03/htc-one-distortion-free-recording/

Now, you may think of something like "hey, we have noise cancellation" already - which is true... you're not thinking of '2 mics' properly.

Noise cancellation is meant to listen to the background around you, then compare it to what you're saying into the microphone.  The parts of audio that are the 'same' are the bits that'll get 'cancelled' (the only thing that'll be different should be your voice, left loud and clear).

This Twin-Membrane goes a step further.  Let me explain with a camera example.  Back when I sold cameras there was this new type of CCD that came out - the SUPER CCD from Fuji, which technically had 2 sensors for every 'pixel'.

One pixel registered for low light, one pixel registered for high light.  Put them both together and combine the images and you get a higher range of 'range' from the photo.

If you're familiar with HDR photos, it's along those lines.  Take 3 photos.  1 under exposed (dark, but you get detail in normally really bright areas), 1 normal, 1 over exposed (bright, but you get detail in normally black/dark areas).

The twin membrane microphones do something similar.  Listen to something on a quieter register, and then something on a louder register.  Sandwich it together to determine what's 'focal' and you have clear clear audio.

Pretty cool hunh?

I love gadgets in my gadets.  This HTC One is definitely becoming my version of gadget porn.  Is it my 'next'?  Hmm... I'm starting to sound like Tom.