Sensor Wins Nobel; Megapixels Get PR

The Inventors of the CCD (Charge Coupled Device) Sensor - the technology which eventually killed film photography and ushered in the digicam era - have won this year's Nobel Prize in Physics. But how many of you know what kind of sensors your digital or mobile phone cameras have? In one of the greatest marketing scams of the gadget world, the industry has managed to convince the public that one metric ie. megapixel is the sole number to pay attention to, when in reality, sensor size (and quality) is far more important. Ever seen an ad boasting about sensor size? Also, have you wondered why your mobile phone pictures are so poor in spite of sporting higher megapixels than some older Digital SLRs? Well, this clip from ET Now's weekend show Technoholik should give you an idea: So next time you're choosing a digital camera, silently thank Messrs Boyle and Smith of Bell Labs and check the internet for sensor specifications instead of falling for the "great megapixel myth" - which btw, we've also cracked for you, here on Technoholik.