Hasta La Gadget!

It didn’t take long for hackers to use the Kinect to create 3D models by scanning real world objects. Microsoft has also pitched in to the scene, but an upstart company from Austin, Texas could introduce the next step in affordable 3D modeling. They’re working on a portable 3D camera that can scan objects and show the resulting 3D model in real-time.

Lynx Laboratories believes that its Lynx A camera is vastly different from similar efforts because it packs significant power in a portable and affordable device. Those are relative terms of course – after all, the Lynx A measures 11.5″(H) x 8″(W) x 1″(H) and weighs 6 lbs. That’s because aside from its 3D sensor, the camera has a 14″ LCD, a 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 CPU, an unspecified “powerful” GPU, 500GB of storage, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI out, two joysticks and four buttons. It also has a battery that’s good for up to 4 hours. So what can this chunky point and shoot do? You can use it to scan physical objects or surfaces and also for motion capture.

As of this writing, you can reserve your own Lynx A camera by pledging at least $1,799(USD) on Kickstarter. I can’t wait for all this neat 3D tech to become mainstream.

[Lynx Laboratories via Engadget]

This omnidirectional camera, currently under development by Ricoh, takes a full 360° panoramic image in one shot.
“It has two fish-eye lenses, each of which covers 180 degrees. The camera combines the two pictures, and sends them via Wi-Fi to a tablet or smartphone for viewing. The idea is, the pictures you take arrive automatically.”
“When viewing it like a regular panoramic image, you can also see up and down. When you pull out from the image, it finally becomes a circle, …

Despite an unfortunate lack of product introductions, largely due to the recent influx of new models at Photokina, there was plenty of excitement on the floor at Japan’s annual CP+ trade show. The promise of new point-and-shoots brought us out to Yokohama, but non-stop manufacturer-sponsored entertainment at the exhibition hall, most often not in any way related to the devices on display, kept us coming back.

At Nikon’s booth, Japanese dancers clad in a variety of “urban” dress, remained in constant motion in an effort to demonstrate the autofocus abilities of the company’s latest 1 Series cameras. At dozens of other stands, models, often surrounded by groups of attendees, held camera brochures in an array of different poses. And, at Casio, female presenters spoke of the company’s “speed revolution” in front of dozens of amateur photographers, each clicking away as if under a looming deadline. All in all, this relatively small exhibition is an experience not to be missed. So, even if you weren’t able to visit this year, you can join us inside Pacifico Yokohama in the video after the break.

Filed under: Announcements, Cameras, Nikon, Canon

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They’re the compact cameras point-and-shooters have been waiting for, wrapped up in deliciously retro shells, and so forgive us if we drool a little over Fujifilm‘s new X20 and X100S cameras. Officially unveiled at CES and brought out for some shutterbug time at CP+ in Japan, the pair of cameras follow on from the already cult-status X10 and X100, with boosted autofocus, better sensors – 16-megapixels in the X100S and 12-megapixels in the X20 – and more.

The X100S takes the fundamentals of the original X100 and then bumps up the sensor, but it’s the on-sensor phase detection autofocus that makes the big difference in the hand. Fujifilm claims it’s now the world’s fastest, in fact, and it’s certainly clear from the moment you start snapping that the whole process is improved. Even the time to turn on and be ready for shooting has been trimmed.

Manual focus is also refined, with a new UI that combines the full frame and a magnified portion, while the electronic viewfinder has jumped in resolution, from 1.4m dots to a far more detailed 2.35m. However, the buttons, dials, and other controls are still the same as on the X100, which should make transitioning from one camera to the other more straightforward.

As for the X20, that does away with the X10 and introduces a new sensor, the X-Trans CMOS measuring in at 2/3-inch and 12-megapixels. It keeps the zoom lens – no great hardship, given the X10′s 28-112mm equivalent zoom was speedy and satisfying already – and F2-2.8 aperture, as well as the neat power control triggered by winding the zoom ring right back in.

The X-Trans sensor uses the same color filter array as in the X100S (and, indeed, the well-esteemed X-Pro1 rangefinder) and a backside-illuminated sensor, rather than the X10′s more pedestrian system, and the upshot should be crisper shots and improved low-light performance. At $600 – versus the X100S’s $1,300 sticker – it’s also something of a bargain.

Fujifilm X100S and X20 hands-on is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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If you’re a fan of James Bond movies or other flicks where spies have to sneak into someone’s office and take pictures of secret documents, you’ll love this new product from Hammacher Schlemmer. The gadget is called the Pen-Sized Scanner and it’s retro spy tech with a futuristic twist.

While it is actually a functional ballpoint pen, you can also use its integrated five-megapixel imaging sensor combined with an autofocus lens to snap close-up images of documents and other items whenever you want. The images are taken at a resolution of 2048 x 1536. When you press the shutter button down halfway, the pen camera even shoots a red laser outline around what it will be taking a picture of. That makes it easy to ensure that you are lining up the portion of the document you want to copy.

The camera pen has 1 GB of integrated storage allowing it to store up to 1000 pictures in JPEG format, though you can only capture about 300 images per battery charge. The pen also has a built-in microphone allowing you to record voice memos in WAV format. The Pen-Sized Scanner is available right now for $124.95(USD).