Hasselblad, a company known mostly for making professional medium-format film and digital cameras, announced its plans to release a small mirrorless camera meant to bring the coveted Hasselblad name to a broader market. The project is dubbed “Lunar,” possibly because it costs as much as a moon rock. More »
Vuzix has revealed its latest augmented reality headset, the STAR 1200 XL, featuring transparent lenses for overlaying digital graphics on top of the wearer’s view of the real world. Billed as see-through eyewear, the STAR 1200 XL offers a Wide Field of View (WFOV) perspective for 35-degree graphics, with each eyepiece running at WVGA 852 x 480 resolution.
The STAR 1200 XL builds on Vuzix’s previous STAR 1200 headset which we tried out last year, broadening the field of view of that model so as to make the augmented reality world more immersive. As well as the dual displays there’s a detachable 1080p HD camera, based on the Logitech C920, which can be used to track the real-world so that computer graphics are locked into place in the wearer’s perspective.
It can be swapped out for a more compact camera, around one-quarter of the size and weight, though limited to either 1600 x 1200 (at 5-7fps) or 640 x 480 25-30fps video capture. Each camera shows up as a regular USB webcam to your PC.
There are also sensors for tracking movement, removable if you want to save weight, and removable earphones. The control box has a battery good for up to 7hrs usage, with inputs for VGA, component, and composite video sources; you can play back 2D or 3D content.
None of that Google Glass queue-jumping comes cheap, however. The Vuzix STAR 1200 XL is up for preorder at $4,999, targeted at AR developers with a free copy of the company’s own maxReality Autodesk plugin, though other AR authoring apps should work too.
Vuzix STAR 1200 XL see-through AR headset gets even more immersive is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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NASA currently controls its deep space missions through a network of huge satellite dishes in California, Spain and Australia known as the Deep Space Network (DSN). Even the Voyager 1 probe relies on these channels to beam data back to Earth as it careers away into space. More »
Hasselblad announced today that it will be introducing a new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) called the Lunar early in 2013, something which you can be pretty sure will appeal to a very limited pool of potential buyers. Hasselblad is basically saying as much, calling the Italian-designed camera the “ultimate luxury” in MILC systems, and describing a device made of top-end materials including carbon fiber, titanium, wood, leather and even gold. The final price will be somewhere around €5,000 (US$6,530), so start saving those pennies.
The Lunar will be looking to strike a balance between professional features common to advanced DSLRs, including full manual controls, as well as ease of use for less experienced photographers. The camera is designed to work with both E-mount and A-mount lenses from Sony, and also employs a 24-megapixel full-frame APS-C. It also has an electronic viewfinder with 100 percent coverage, 1080p HD video recording, and an ISO range of 100 to 16,000, with a battery life of up to 430 minutes and Memory Stick or SDXC for storage.
The Lunar is actually the first result of a partnership between Hasselblad and Sony also announced today, that should see the release of several more products, including additional MILC bodies and new products for both the DSLR and compact camera markets. The Swedish company is clearly looking to get in to more of the consumer end of the photography market, after having operated as a highly specialized manufacturer of most medium-format film and digital cameras aimed at professionals.
As for the Lunar, it’s a lot pricier than most other MILCs, but it’s also pretty gorgeous judging by the renders Hasselblad sent over, something consumers in its target bracket should appreciate. Check out its good looks in the gallery below.
Motorola outed its first Intel-powered smartphone today: the Razr i. The debut, strategically planned in London, raises questions of whether Motorola can claw back market share in Europe — where it’s been hammered as Android buyers opt for Samsung’s Galaxy range of devices (before Sammy, it was HTC making all the running).
The Razr i is also interesting because it’s Intel’s first smartphone from a very recognisable mobile maker. Earlier this year the Intel-powered Orange San Diego launched in partnership with UK mobile network Orange. A third Intel-powered phone, the ZTE Grand X IN, is due to arrive this month.
But neither Orange nor ZTE have the brand stature of Motorola — which is now owned by Google and still commands a sizeable chunk of the US market. ComScore pegged Motorola’s share at 11.7 percent last month, behind Samsung, LG, and Apple. Not ‘knock it out the park’ performance, by any means, but considerably better than it’s doing in Europe. In the three months ending July 2011, ComScore calculated Motorola’s share of the smartphone market in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK at just 3.6 per cent — versus 31.7 per cent for Samsung and 34.6 per cent for HTC.
Playing tech specs top trumps is one way for Motorola to try and claw back market share in Europe — price could be another. Moto says the Intel chip inside the Razr i can achieve speeds of 2GHz — making it faster on paper than high-end rival devices, such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S3, although, being single-core, it’s arguably less suited to certain tasks like multitasking.
As an Android OEM Moto also has to worry about standing out from the ‘droid-packing crowd — and adding Intel chips is certainly one way for it to differentiate from Samsung and HTC. But, as Gartner analyst Roberta Cozza notes: “Power and performance is just one part of the smartphone market — it’s also about apps and ecosystems.”
Add a question mark over whether the Intel brand cachet can translate from PCs to the smartphone space — tiny blue creatures jumping around on a phone might be more likely to conjure thoughts of bacteria than ‘OMG I must buy this phone’ — and leaning on Intel for a comeback remains a gamble for Motorola.
“Power and performance need to be translated into benefits the consumer can understand — such as responsiveness,” says Cozza. “The Intel logo — to the average consumer — is not going to say very much.”
Partnering with Intel may have one big bonus for Moto though: marketing support. And with Android behemoths like Samsung so dominant in Europe, Moto needs all the marketing help it can get here.
From a technology point of view, Intel’s chips themselves have yet to conclusively prove themselves as offering something worth sitting up and taking special notice of in the ARM-dominated smartphone arena.
Like the San Diego, the Razr i includes a photo burst model that allows a continuous sequence of photos to be snapped — 10 in less than a second. But photo burst modes are not unique to Intel-powered phones — both HTC and Samsung have added similar continuous shooting features to their phones this year.
Intel also makes claims of improved stability for its chips running Android — but it has had to concede that not all Android apps are compatible with its chips (some 5 percent aren’t, at the last count) so it’s been a case of swings and roundabouts thus far.
Setting aside the specs and technical capabilities of the Razr i, the biggest differentiator may well be price. No official price has been announced yet but judging by the Razr M’s tiny $99 toll and the mid-range pricing of the Orange San Diego, the Razr i might come packing its own competition-undercutting price tag.
On the question of why Intel has chosen Europe as its smartphone testing ground, Cozza reckons it’s possible the carrier landscape has given it more of an ‘in’ here. In addition to the Orange San Diego, Intel chips have also found their way into a Russian carrier-branded smartphone — Megafon’s Mint device. It would seem that even a company as huge as Intel can benefit from a little helping hand when it’s trying to break new ground.
IHS Screen Digest analyst, Ian Fogg, also makes the point that Intel’s chips don’t currently support LTE — which precludes them from being launched in the US, and makes Europe, where 3G still dominates, a more obvious choice despite Moto’s relative weakness here.
The Razr i launch is also “a big vote of confidence by Google in Intel’s technology,” Fogg adds.
Update: Motorola provided the following statement explaining why it’s chosen a European launch for the Razr i: “We chose to hold our RAZR i launch event in London as the device will be available through a wide range of carriers across Europe and Latin America and will be rolling out over the next few months.”
Apple’s iPhone 5 will be launching in a matter of days but it seems that for those living in Paris, France and who did not pre-order the device, there is a slight chance that you might be out of luck if you were hoping to pick it up from any of the two Apple stores in Paris. According to reports, workers at both of Apple’s Parisian stores have threatened to go on strike if their demands are not met. This includes an increase in pay, a water fountain and lunch vouchers. It might seem a little odd but apparently one of the stores is located in an expensive part of the city which could explain why workers might want to be compensated for their meals at the very least. Negotiations with Apple were reportedly underway since July but we guess both sides did not reach an agreement. Will their demands be met in time for the iPhone 5 queues? We guess we will have to wait and see!
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Rumor: iPhone 4 discontinued by Sprint with iPhone 5 release?, iPhone 5 parody video is hilarious,
One of the good things about Blizzard is that they release games on both Windows and Mac at the same time so players don’t have to wait. Well if you are a Mac user and you’re bummed that there was no OS X support for Guild Wars 2 at launch, cheer up as ArenaNet has announced that support for Mac has arrived. The support will unfortunately be arriving in beta form but we guess it’s better than nothing, right? The beta client should be available for download today via the Guild Wars 2 website via the Account Management page, and the good news is that it’s not a separate purchase which means that if you were to make the switch from Windows to Mac or vice versa, you will be able to download the game for either operating system. No word on when the final release of the Mac version will be available as it is subject to the input of those who have played the beta version. So if you’re a Mac user and would like to get in on the Guild Wars 2 action, head on over to the Guild Wars 2 website or check out their FAQ for the details.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Guild Wars 2 manages to sell over 2 million copies, Guild Wars 2 digital sales back in stock, live-action trailer released,
What do you see when you look through a Lensbaby? Well, take a gander for yourself — that image just above was shot with the company’s new Spark. The $80 selective-focus optic is available for Canon and Nikon mounts, and brings f/5.6 shooting with a 50mm focal length, and, of course, that trademark Lensbaby bokeh. We caught up with the new lens at Photokina, and unlike many of the cameras we’ve seen so far, we were permitted to shoot some sample images.
Snapping with any Lensbaby takes a fair amount of practice and patience, but the Spark is designed to simplify the process somewhat, with an interior barrel that prevents you from venturing too far past the focal plane, along with a more straightforward design — simply frame your shot, focus and bend the lens towards your subject to blur out any other elements in the scene. Calculating exposure with the Spark can take some work, so we tweaked and cropped our sample images just a bit — besides that, what you see is what you get, so click through our gallery below to see the Spark, shot by another Spark. So meta.
Filed under: Cameras, Peripherals
Lensbaby Spark delivers selective focus for 80 bucks, we go hands-on (sample images) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’ve ever wanted to cosplay Dragon Ball with Super Saiyan hair, it looks like you will be able to do so if you were to pre-order the upcoming Dragon Ball Z Kinect from Amazon. According to Amazon’s product description, it seems that if you live in North America and you were to pre-order the game, you will be able to get a Goku Hair Hat.
“Pre-order Dragon Ball Z for Kinect and get a Goku Hair Hat. The Goku Hair will be packaged with the game. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Limit one per household. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time.”
The Goku Hair Hat is apparently the image pictured above. We’re not sure if that is the actual product or if it’s just a placeholder, because if it was the former we have to say it looks pretty cheap and not very impressive. Either way we’re sure that with or without the Goku Hair Hat, Dragon Ball fans will still buy the game so if that’s you, you can head on over to Amazon and place your pre-orders.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance cancelled for Xbox 360 in Japan, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the no. 1 selling console in the US for the 20th consecutive month,
If Capcom’s upcoming Resident Evil 6 is a game you’re looking forward to and you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription, you’re in luck as it seems that the latest demo of the game is currently available for download. It is expected to be different from the demo that was offered when Dragon’s Dogma was purchased but since we don’t own an Xbox Live Gold subscription, we are unable to confirm that. However based on comments of those who have tried it, it is different and is apparently quite fun which should give gamers some insight as to how the final version should be like. The demo is also expected to make its way onto PSN later today, so PlayStation 3 owners will also be able to get a taste of the demo. If you have managed to download the game, let us know in the comments below on how it is treating you!
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: First Resident Evil 6 DLC gets detailed, Capcom announces Resident Evil.net free online service,
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