Toshiba Outs More Details On New Project Ara Modules

Toshiba's Japanese website now lists many new details about its Project Ara modules.

Last month, we covered details about Toshiba's Project Ara cameras modules, and since then Toshiba has increased the resolution for two of them. The lowest-end camera now offers 2.1 MP, up from the previously-reported 2 MP; although this seems like a minor change, it does make the camera capable of full HD recording at 60fps.

The mid-range camera gets a bigger improvement, leaping from 5 MP to 8 MP, and it's capable of recording at 30 fps at its max resolution. This new camera also boasts a more energy efficient design that the company claims will reduce power consumption by around 15 percent compared to other 8 MP cameras.

In addition to the camera modules, Toshiba is working on a media bar module, which utilizes the 8 MP camera mentioned above and includes an audio codec and a speaker.

There's also a display module in the works that will work with LCD and OLED displays and contains an audio codec with microphone and headphone connections.

Probably the most interesting modules being developed relates to connectivity. Utilizing both RF and IF, Toshiba has a module already in production that could potentially control your entire house, including TV, air conditioning and security.

Toshiba is currently producing Wi-Fi modules, too. Although details on which 802.11 standards will be supported are still unknown, the top-tier module will have NFC technology built in. 

Toshiba has big plans for NFC. A video produced by the company demonstrated the use of NFC using a prototype module and two tablets.

Companies have the ability to produce cheap NFC cards that can be placed inside of posters and other items. By simply pressing the NFC reader against the card inside the poster, users could load webpages. Using two devices together, users could easily send a website from one device to the other.

Using a smartphone and TV with NFC technology, for example, you could begin watching a video on your phone and then continue playback on the TV. All you would have to do is touch the two devices together.

Toshiba indicated that many of these modules are currently in production, which means we could see them in upcoming Project Ara devices in the near future.

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