It’s assumed that one day factory line robots will eventually take over all aspects of manufacturing, freeing humans from the monotony of repetitive tasks. But integrating a robot into an assembly line is incredibly expensive and complicated—and Rethink Robotics hopes to eliminate those roadblocks with Baxter. More »
Esoteric camera company Hasselblad may not be ready to launch its “ultimate luxury” mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to shout about the new Lunar from the rooftops. Revealed today and set to hit the market early in 2013, the curvaceous camera is expected to use an APS-C 24.3-megapixel sensor with 25-point AF and Full HD video recording, sourced from Sony’s NEX-7.
There’s also the promise of a 3-inch HD display and an OLED viewfinder – Hasselblad says the latter will be “revolutionary” though it’s not entirely clear why – along with ISO 100-16,000, 0.02s shutter release, and 10fps burst shooting. Twin flash options, external microphone support, the choice of auto or manual settings in video recording, and various smart modes including face recognition are all promised.
The company has been apparently playing with wooden mockups to get the grip right, but the final Luna camera itself will use a far broader – and more esoteric – range of materials. Carbon fiber, titanium, wood, leather, gold, and other precious metals are all tipped for inclusion, and there’ll be support for custom grips and other detailing.
The Lunar will support both E-mount and A-mount lenses, and is expected to arrive on the market in Q1 2013, priced at around €5,000 ($6,533).
Hasselblad Lunar promises otherworldly photos for $6.5k is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Oh, and if the Hasselblad Lunar isn’t quite rich enough for your blood, why not take a look at the H5D medium format camera? The device looks a good deal like its predecessor, maintaining a similar video camera-esque form factor, with an optical viewfinder that extends from the front of the body to the back, above a larger, brighter, easier-to-read display. You’ll also find a smaller, monochrome display on the top of the camera to the right of the optical viewfinder. The H5D’s also a bit more ruggedized than its predecessor, with improved waterproofing and larger controls — and it certainly does feel like a big, sturdy camera.
As with the Lunar, the version we played with is still in prototype stage and wasn’t quite functioning perfectly, much to the chagrin of the Hasselblad rep. When the camera hits in December (functioning properly, no doubt), it’s going to start at a (perhaps not surprisingly) pricey €13,000 here in Europe, going all the way up to €30,000, depending on whether you opt for the 40-, 50, or 60-megapixel variety — because hey, what’s another €17,000, right?
Continue reading Hasselblad H5D brings the megapixels to Photokina, we go hands-on (video)
Filed under: Cameras
Hasselblad H5D brings the megapixels to Photokina, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Twitter’s iPad app is sometimes the neglected stepchild of its mobile app family: newer features usually come to the Android and iPhone versions first and are handed down to the iPad later, if they come at all. The company is making amends for that in style with a major update to the iPad version as of today. Whether you like them or not, expanded tweets are now baked in and will optionally show some photos, videos and web links within the timeline rather than disrupting the entire experience. The Connect, Discover and Me sections we’ve seen elsewhere also come to the tablet-tuned app, albeit at the expense of more quickly finding direct messages and lists.
You’ll soon notice a much more visual spin on people’s profiles, regardless of whether or not Apple’s slate factors into the daily routine. Both the Twitter site as well as the official Android and iOS apps now show a header photo behind the bio to provide a little more color than avatars and background pictures can manage. If you’re on one of the mobile platforms, you’ll also see a photo stream in the profile that will help relive memories without hunting down individual tweets. The phone and tablet makeovers require an update to shine, so hit the relevant source link if you’re ready for a prettier (if not always more functional) social experience.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile
Twitter revamps its iPad app for expanded content, adds header photos and image streams originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
TechCrunch, Twitter (1), (2) | 
App Store, Google Play | Email this | Comments
Knowing the accuracy of the iPhone 5 leaks and the increased number of photos of the 7.8-inch iPad parts from the same sources, I have almost no doubt that this is a real, fully working Apple iPad mini. That means that the launch must be really close right now. More »
In case the newly announced Leica M simply isn’t astronomically expensive enough — or charity-minded enough, as it were — Apple’s senior VP of design Jony Ive is working with the German photography company on a one-off version set to be auctioned for charity. Given the M’s baseline price of €6,200 (about $8,100), we’re guessing the one-of-a-kind version designed by one of the world’s most influential designers is going to fetch a pretty penny at auction. Like, “sell off one of your extra homes” kind of money. Leica head Dr. Andreas Kaufmann announced the collaboration last night during a Leica event at Photokina — an event that Ive himself was reportedly set to appear at — where he said that the auction will be done with U2 frontman (and longtime friend of Ive) Bono Vox. The latest Leica M debuts in early 2013, though we won’t see the fruits of Ive and Leica’s collaboration for some time as the camera’s design has yet to begin.
Gallery: Leica M
Filed under: Cameras
Apple’s Jony Ive tapped to design one-off Leica M for charity auction originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Anyone who ever watched the science fiction series Star Trek knows that the way the enterprise traveled through space was using a warp drive. The warp drive in the series pushed the starship the faster than light travels allowing it to get to far-flung parts of the universe quickly and easily. According to scientists, creating an actual warp drive may not be as unrealistic as it once seemed.
According to the scientists, warp drive would manipulate space-time to move the starship by taking advantage of a loophole in the laws of physics. The concept for a real warp drive was offered in 1994 by a Mexican physicist named Miguel Alcubierre. However, subsequent scientific investigation determined that the warp drive suggested would require prohibitive amounts of energy.
Physicists are now saying that this warp drive could be feasible by making adjustments to it that would enable it to run on significantly less energy. The warp drive suggested by Alcubierre would have a football-shaped spacecraft attached to a large flat ring that encircles it. The ring would potentially be constructed from exotic matter and would cause space-time to warp around starship.
That warping of space-time would create a region of contracted space in front of the ship and an area of expanded space behind the ship, propelling the ship forward. The ship would stay inside a bubble of flat space-time that wasn’t being warped. The physicists believe that the concept spacecraft would be able to achieve an effective speed of roughly 10 times the speed of light, all without breaking the cosmic speed limit.
Previously, estimates were that such a warp drive would require a minimum amount of energy equal to the mass energy of the planet Jupiter. However, scientist Harold White from the Johnson Space Center proposed modifying the shape of the ring encircling the spacecraft from flat to a shape resembling a rounded doughnut. That change in the shape of the ring encircling the spacecraft would allow the warp drive to be powered by a mass about the size of a spacecraft like the Voyager 1 probe. White also noted that the intensity of the space warped could be oscillated over time reducing the required energy even further.
“The findings I presented today change it from impractical to plausible and worth further investigation,” White told SPACE.com. “The additional energy reduction realized by oscillating the bubble intensity is an interesting conjecture that we will enjoy looking at in the lab.”
[via Space.com]
Warp drive may be more possible than scientists previously believed is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
I think this is one of the strangest off-the-shelf computer cases I’ve ever seen. Lian Li has announced the launch of a odd little computer case that resembles an old-fashioned train. The case comes in two versions, and one version of the case can even move on its track.
The case is designed to hold mini-ITX motherboards and has three slots for 2.5-inch hard drives. The case also has a pair of USB 3.0 ports on the side and ships with an integrated 300 W 80 Plus certified power supply. The CK101 case measures 185 mm wide by 258 mm high by 515 mm deep and is made from aluminum.
The train case has a single external slim optical drive bay and has a single 120 mm rear fan. The Lian Li CK101 Standard PC case, which doesn’t move, will sell for $229(USD). The CK101 Premium version that does move back and forth in its tracks will sell for $379.
The Lian Li PC-CK101 Train case will be available at the end of September.
The Lunar has landed — at Photokina, at least. Hasselblad was showing off a slew of different designs for the forthcoming camera — and while we were told that its still in prototype mode (both from company reps and signage on the device itself), the camera seemed to be in mostly working order. The first thing you’ll notice, once you get past the space-age design, is the fact that the camera really does feel like a rebranded Sony NEX device slipped into a new shell, and as such, it takes those Sony e-mount lenses. And on the back, you’ll find that similar collapsible display.
That said, it really does feel quite nice in the hand — the device we played with had a leathery grip — there are a number of carbon fiber and wood options available, as well. All of this is punctuated by a metal top with large metallic knobs, and inside you’ll find an APS-C 24.3 megapixel sensor. The Lunar will start at €5,000 when it launches in Q1 of next year. And in case that’s not rich enough for your blood, you can tack a “significant” amount onto that by getting the models decked out in pricier materials.
Gallery: Hasselblad Lunar hands-on
Filed under: Cameras
Hasselblad Lunar mirrorless camera hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Google and Fox are teaming up to make the movie selection on Google Play much better. That is to say, better in the way of 600 new titles added to the storefront. More »
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
