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Smartphone cameras are still getting bigger and better by the year, particularly if you look at high-end phones coming out of China with huge sensors and protruding bumps to match. These phones can deliver awesome results, and Im happy to use them in several situations where I would previously have had to rely on a dedicated camera. Just this week I used the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to shoot a Formula One event in Tokyo. But for all the advances that have been made, the laws of physics remain undefeated, and youre still going to get better results from a camera setup thats able to make use of larger lenses and sensors. Phones do need to be able to fit into our pockets, after all, so theres a limit to what can be achieved in that regard. At Mobile World Congress this year, some concept announcements showed that companies are thinking about this reality, coming up with ideas to move mobile photography beyond the constraints of the phone. The question is whether peripheral camera products can ever really be more than a niche curiosity. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/multicore_logo.jpg","headline":"Multicore","description":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It's written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit multicore.blog","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} Xiaomis concept is called the Modular Optical System, and it involves self-contained camera modules that magnetically and wirelessly attach to your phone. While the company doesn’t have concrete plans to sell them commercially, working models do exist I used one. The demonstration unit had a Micro Four Thirds-size sensor with a 17.5mm f/1.4 lens, which comes out to 35mm-equivalent when accounting for the sensors crop factor. It could attach to a Xiaomi 15 phone that had been outfitted with magnets and a window for laser data transfer but otherwise looked normal. The connection felt very secure, and there wasnt any need to fiddle with Bluetooth pairing or any special software once connected, the feed from the camera simply appears in the regular camera app. You can focus the lens by turning its ring or tapping the phones screen. Because the camera mounts to the middle of the phone, the resulting combination feels well-balanced and similar to a regular mirrorless camera. It did make me wish the phone had a dedicated shutter button on the edge, though; using the touchscreen with your hands in that position takes some getting used to. The results, at least as far as I could tell on the phone screen, were excellent. Micro Four Thirds is one of the smaller mirrorless formats, but its still a huge leap over even the 1-inch sensors found in the highest end phone cameras, and pairing one with a fast 35mm-equivalent lens makes for a really useful combination. I was taking pictures of friends in a dark restaurant that clearly could not have been captured on a phone. Realme, a sister brand to Oppo, took another approach. Its Ultra concept phone has a couple of traditional smartphone cameras as well as a third 1-inch sensor thats exposed behind the glass; you can attach a Leica M-mount adapter and a lens of your choice to use with that sensor. This feels somewhat less useful in practice. Theres no electrical connection between the lens and the phone, so adjusting the aperture ring isnt going to be reflected in software; the experience is more like adapting a manual lens to a digital camera. M-mount lenses are all manual focus, however, so there isnt a need for anything like the touchscreen AF solution like Xiaomi came up with. But the sensors 2.7x crop factor means that actual Leica M lenses will have a zoomed-in field of view even a wide-angle 28mm becomes a 75mm-equivalent portrait lens. These arent necessarily new ideas. Realmes is very similar to a Leica M-mount concept Xiaomi put out a few years ago, while Xiaomis own idea of wireless camera modules has been tried before. And Sony made a go of it in 2013 with the quirky QX line, a range of all-in-one cameras that connected over Wi-Fi and clipped onto the back of your phone; one model even featured an APS-C sensor and could work with any E-mount mirrorless lens. Olympus tried something similar in 2014 with the Air A01, a wireless Micro Four Thirds sensor and mount. There have been two big problems with these kinds of products in the past. The first was that they were a hassle to use, forcing you to deal with attachment mechanisms, wireless pairing, and slow connectivity. The appeal of mobile photography is its convenience, and these detracted from that. The second, arguably bigger hurdle is simply that they were separate devices that you had to carry alongside your phone. Thats a big ask for most people. Sonys QX100 had the same sensor and lens as its excellent RX100 compact camera, but it cost almost as much why not just carry the actual camera instead? Sony discontinued the QX line pretty quickly, suggesting it didnt take off with consumers. Things could be different today Xiaomis magnetic mount solution is certainly more convenient but its still hard to see the idea becoming mainstream. Personally, I would be interested in buying something like the Xiaomi concept I used. Id still have several questions, like how much itd cost and how long the magnetic mount would be supported on future handsets, but even in prototype form the idea worked well enough that I could see the extra lens being worth tossing into a tote bag. But for most people, my sense is that it will still be worth paying more attention to built-in phone camera quality for the foreseeable future. Thats the camera youll actually find yourself using. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/multicore_logo.jpg","headline":"Multicore","description":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It's written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit multicore.blog","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
Of all the modern parenting paradoxes, navigating screen time usage might be one of the most complexand divisive. Critics of screen time claim it can negatively impact social skills, behavior, and sleep. Proponents say it can help kids learn about living in a digital world, improve cultural awareness, and serve as a means of communication. Parents say sometimes they just need a break. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the messy middle of it all; like so many aspects of parenting, its all about finding the balance thats right for you and your child(ren). Screen time is just one of many topics explored in Poems of Parenting, a new collection of poetry out April 8 from author and artist Loryn Brantz, a consulting creative director for the beloved kids educational program Ms. Rachel who has won two Emmy Awards for her work on Sesame Street. The mom of two children (one of whom has a disability) offers short, snappy, honest, and often irreverent reflections on everything from trimming tiny fingernails to watching war and famine play out on TV. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/Two-Truths-single.png","headline":"Two Truths","description":"A newsletter that explores the many truths of motherhood through news round-ups, trend reports, and expert-backed deep dives on topics that matter to moms. To learn more visit twotruths.substack.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/twotruths.substack.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} Its exactly the type of content moms need in todays world. So what about screen time? Here, Brantz shares some insight behind her poem on itplus, an important and powerful reminder that applies to many aspects of parenthood. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Loryn Brantz (@lorynbrantz) Youve worked on two beloved kids shows and youve struggled with navigating screen time for your own kids. What insights can you offer parents trying to find the right balance? It comes down to what works best for your family. I would never say, This or that is the right thing to do, because it never accounts for kids with disabilities who may rely more on screen time than others for various reasons. That said, I believe there is such a thing as quality screen time, and I would encourage people to be cognizant of what they put on. Also, when possible, co-watching together, asking questions, or interacting while watching the show is ideal. In our household, there was a lot of pressure to pack in as much early intervention therapy as we could during the first years of my daughters life because of all her developmental delays, so we were very strict with screen time. She was only allowed an hour or so per day in tandem with physical therapy, or as much as needed to distract from medical treatments. It was as stressful as it sounds. Now shes older (and doing amazingly), and her neurotypical little-potato brother watches with her, and were not worried about it at all. Sometimes, after a long day of work and school, spending time on the couch cuddling and watching a movie can be the best thing for everyone. I often think, Wow, I can’t believe I popped these sweet little people out of my body, and now they’re watching TV with me! Life is pretty magical, isn’t it? Every kid is different, and every kids needs are different. How has your work in kids educational programming influenced your own parenting style and strategies? When I was working on Sesame Street at the Jim Henson Co., it was well before I had my own children and I was mostly tapping into my own inner child as far as things I enjoy including The Muppets, Disney World, and picture books. I was making what I enjoy. I figured thats also what a kid would enjoy, too. Nowadays, with my work for Ms. Rachel, I have learned an extraordinary amount about childhood development, not only from the show but through my own experience with early intervention (EI) for my daughter. EI works best when the parent takes on what they learn during sessions and incorporates it into their childrens day-to-day lives. I more or less became a full-time speech, occupational, physical, and special-instruction therapist for the first three years of her life. So now, my work comes from not only a place of genuinely enjoying childrens media, but also thinking about what I would want my own childrenand really, all childrento be watching. Childrens media is so important and needs to be treated as such. Youve said you feel like youve been working toward Poems of Parenting your whole life. Its been quite a journey. This will essentially be my 12th book. So many things set it apart. For one, its the first book that feels like it has a real energy behind it from readers. When I started writing these poems, I immediately began getting messages like, When is the book coming out? or Will you be making a book? And I was just blown away because no one had ever asked me for a book before. Its just a dream come true. . . . After over a decade of pushing and pushing to get books made and in front of people, having people come to me asking for a book is a real pinch-me moment. After starting this book, I also decided it was finally time to take the leap to being a full-time artist and writer, primarily for my own projectswhich has been a lifelong goal. Read more with Loryn Brantz on Two Truths. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/Two-Truths-single.png","headline":"Two Truths","description":"A newsletter that explores the many truths of motherhood through news round-ups, trend reports, and expert-backed deep dives on topics that matter to moms. To learn more visit twotruths.substack.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/twotruths.substack.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
On Tuesday, Brad Schimel, the Trump-backed candidate in the race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, lost in decisive fashion to his liberal opponent, Susan Crawford. Other than the candidate himself, the elections biggest loser is Elon Musk, who spent $25 million on Schimels blowout loss, and whose future in bankrolling the Make America Great Again movement is suddenly up in the air. Musk is not used to this sort of uncertainty. He spent more than a quarter-billion dollars on the 2024 presidential election, a savvy investment that bought him both a de facto Cabinet seat and the obedient silence of Republican politicians who fear that Musk will use his astronomical fortune to finance primary challenges against them the moment they step out of line. Musk saw the Wisconsin Supreme Court as his next conquesta chance to prove his kingmaker bona fides in an important election for the Republican Party, which he framed in startlingly apocalyptic terms, especially for an off-cycle judicial race in a state where he doesnt live: The result, Musk warned on March 30, could decide the future of America and Western Civilization. Wisconsin voters, however, did not see things Musks way. (Or, if they did, they did not share his vision for the future.) Crawford won by 10 points, and Schimel called her to concede a few hours after polls closed. A closer look at the numbers reveals the scale of his defeat: Every county shifted in Democrats favor relative to the 2024 election, when Donald Trump won the state by a bit less than one point. Even in deep-red areas where Schimel beat Crawford by margins in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, Crawford still outpaced Vice President Kamala Harriss performance just four months ago, and sometimes by double digits. Musk has no one to blame but himself. Since November, his antics at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have made him one of the most polarizing political figures in the country: 60% of people have an unfavorable view of Musk, including 46% who say they view him very unfavorably, according to a recent Marquette poll. As it turns out, if you are an unelected plutocrat dismantling the federal government and trying to put hundreds of thousands of people out of a job, and then show up in a new state imploring people to do what you say or else, an appreciable number of them are going to use their votes to tell you to go to hell instead. Musks carpetbagging in Wisconsin was equal parts confident and cringe. He promoted a Schimel campaign event on X, and tweeted a weird caricature of the candidate dressed as Superman, urging his followers to vote for Superjudge. His PAC hosted a pro-Schimel town hall in Green Bay during which Musk spent more time defending DOGE than he did stumping for Schimel, who opted to campaign elsewhere that night. Musk kicked off the event by bounding onto the stage wearing a bright yellow Packers cheesehead hat, which he promptly autographed and then threw out into the crowd in the style of a band lead singer pandering to concertgoers in a city he can barely remember the name of and never intends to visit again. Perhaps most audaciously, Musk dusted off a strategy he employed in Pennsylvania during the closing weeks of the 2024 election, which basically involved turning voter registration into something resembling a sweepstakes. This time, he promised to pay Wisconsin voters who signed an online petition condemning activist judges, and to hand out million-dollar checks to a few lucky winners who had cast their ballots early. Musk modified the terms of his offer shortly after making it, perhaps after learning of a state law that makes it illegal to pay people for voting. Instead, he explained, the million-dollar checks would merely go to spokesmen whod agreed to promote his petition. In a wild coincidence, one recipient, Ekaterina Diestler, works at a company led by well-connected Republicans in the state; the other, Nicholas Jacobs, is the chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans. After Diestler cut a soft-lit promo video in which she explained that she did exactly what Elon Musk told everyone to do: Sign the petition, refer friends and family, vote, and now I have a million dollars, Musks PAC quickly pulled the clip and replaced it with an edited version that omits the word vote. Thanks largely to Musk, overall spending on Tuesdays election cracked $90 million, which makes it the most expensive state judicial election in U.S. history, roughly doubling the record set in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election two years ago. Musk loomed so large over the race that Crawford was happy to treat it as a referendum on him, earning laughs on the campaign trail by referring to Musk, rather than Schimel, as my opponent. This strategy paid off: Turnout was nearly 40% higher than it was in 2023, and Schimel underperformed the other Republican on this years ballotBrittany Kinser, who lost the statewide race for school superintendentby 2 points. In other words, Schimel didnt lose this badly just because Democrats showed up to the polls en masse. Schimel lost this badly because people associate him with Elon Musk, and even some voters who are otherwise inclined to vote for Republicans decided they wanted nothing to do with him. As Crawford celebrated her victory, Musk does what he always does when hes upset: Post. I expected to lose, but there is value to losing a piece for a positional gain, he wrote, which is also how I grieve when my 7-year-old niece hits me with two straight Draw 4 cards to beat me in Uno. Hes since promoted a video from (of course) conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump-adjaent gadfly Roger Stone suggesting that the election was stolen, a time-honored Republican response to election results they do not like. The open question is whether Musks diminishing influence with voters threatens his positions of power within the Trump administration, and within the Republican Party as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Candidates will want his moneybecause candidates always want moneybut the more they clock him as ballot-box poison, the more likely they are to conclude that taking his money isnt worth the trouble of sharing the stage with him. It is probably not a coincidence that the morning after Schimels loss, Politico was ready with a report that Musk and Trump, in the proud tradition of amenable breakups everywhere, have mutually decided that hell soon leave the White House and take on a supporting role instead. The story frames the decision as driven by the statutory 130-day limit on Musks tenure as a special government employee, and acknowledges that hes likely to continue in some sort of informal adviser role. But it also notes a growing number of administration figures who see Musk as a political liability who has served as a rallying point for fractured Democrats. The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board similarly worried that Musks failure in Wisconsin shows that the Trump-Musk governing style is stirring a backlash that could cost them control of Congress next year. Basically, watching Musk write novelty checks was all fun and games until he became one of the most repellent people on earth. Schimels loss does not mean that Musks career in politics is all the way over. The first elections after presidential elections often cut against the party in power, and thanks to the U.S. Supreme Courts enduring passion for money in politics, as soon as Musk overcomes the humiliation of blowing $25 million for a double-digit loss, he is as free as ever to throw himself into the next election that piques his interest. But at the very least, Tuesday showed that there are limits to what his money can buyand that if he keeps coming up empty, he could find himself out of political power just as quickly as he bought his way into it.
Category:
E-Commerce
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