Camera toss photos can be wonderful, but they’re notoriously hard to pull off. Nikon just filed a patent for a technology that would make high-flying photography a snap. Does Nikon seriously want people to throw their cameras? More »
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we’ll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You’ll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won’t stick around long.
If you’re looking to get a jump on some of your holiday shopping, perhaps this round of tech deals will provide the necessary motivation to do just that. A 60-inch Sharp AQUOS 1080p LCD HDTV tops the group, and a smattering of components round out the lot. Keep and eye on those pesky discount codes and rebate links, though, because we’d hate for you to miss out. Head on past the break to peruse the whole list.
Filed under: Cameras, Misc, Home Entertainment, Storage
Slickdeals’ best in tech for October 15th: 60-inch Sharp AQUOS LCD HDTV and a slew of components originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The RED Scarlet is one of the more respected cameras in the film industry (especially among independent filmmakers), and because the company had to unbox a few for a super secret project, they have a few “battle tested” cameras to offer up on the cheap. More »
These days there are plenty of opportunities to take interesting photographs from unusual angles, including strapping tiny digital cameras to birds. But some early aerial photography was rather more clunky—and used massive cameras strapped to the breasts of pigeons. More »
Ever wonder how Google can make such grandiose claims for the sheer amount of Street View imagery it collects? Here’s how. Google’s Masrur Odinaev has posted a snapshot of a central mapping car parking lot that shows dozens of the camera-equipped Subaru Imprezas amassed ahead of future runs. While it already represents more Street View cars in one place than anyone outside of Google would normally ever see, what’s most impressive is remembering that this addresses just a portion of the entire vehicle mix — aside from the local cars you don’t see in the photo, there are extra units worldwide providing street-level coverage alongside tricycles and underwater expeditions. Odinaev’s look reminds us just how much effort is needed to make Street View a common feature — and that there are are legions of Google staffers whose low-profile work goes a long way towards making our navigation easier.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation, Internet, Google
Visualized: Google Street View car fleet gets ready to conquer (and map) the world originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Many high-end smartphones are equipped with 8MP to 12MP image sensors, and offer either an illuminated sensor or a flash, or a combination of both. For many, the camera on their smartphone is the only camera they own, or is the primary one they use, while the proliferation of photography apps, such as Instagram, make smartphones a one-stop solution for most consumers’ image-taking needs. How do these camera stack up against digital cameras, though? Pretty good, according to a study by DxOMark Mobile.
The biggest downside to smartphone cameras versus regular digital cameras is image noise, which is the result of the incredibly small sensors used in smartphones. The smaller image size causes less light to reach the sensor, resulting in noisy photographs. Depending on the smartphone, the noise may be reduced using filters that result in slightly blurred or otherwise degraded images. The iPhone 5, which was rated by Consumer Reports as having the best camera on a smartphone, has more artifacts than the Galaxy S III, for example, but the Galaxy S III has overall poorer image quality due to using image filters to reduce noise.
Videos, however, are another story. Many high-end smartphones offer 720p HD video recording, while a select few offer 1080p recording, such as the Galaxy Note II. The Galaxy S III scored very high in video quality at 71, outranking many digital cameras, including the Canon Powershot S1000, which ranked in at 66. The S1000 is only one year old. DxOMark noted that high-end smartphones provide “incredible advantage over quite recent DSCs.”
Ultimately, DxOMark’s study showed two things: one, that mobile cameras have come a long way from the 0.1MP Sharp camera phone of years gone by, and two, that consumer level digital cameras are going to have serious competition in the next few years. For the time being, however, most modern smartphones still offer inferior image quality compared to the equivalent modern consumer digital camera. Consumer camcorders, however, have officially been trumped by mobile devices.
[via DxOMark]
Smartphones beat 5-year-old digital consumer cameras in quality is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
We’re quite familiar with ruggedized camcorders here at Engadget, be they from GoPro or Contour. However, Sony recently entered the extreme video fray with its Action Cam, and we got the chance to do a little POV recording with one. The videos produced were on par with what we’ve seen from the Action Cam’s competition — a nice wide view and decent quality. While we’ve seen other such cams have trouble with color balance, the Sony’s was accurate both indoors and out and it adjusted to transitions from dim to bright environments quickly. And, while the SteadyShot image stabilization tech didn’t eliminate all the shakes in our videos, it did noticeably reduce them. That said, you don’t have to take our word for it, head on past the break and see the results for yourselves.
Continue reading Sony’s Action Cam… in action (video)
Sony’s Action Cam… in action (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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There’s a large contingent of photo enthusiasts online who will dismiss a photo straight away if they find out it was taken with a smartphone. The rally cry of “get a real camera” can be heard echoing through the rafters of comment sections for many websites. We think everyone should have a dedicated camera, but a good photo is a good photo, regardless of the gear used to take it. More »
Sony’s A99 marks the first time in years that the company has built a full-frame pro rig to compete with the big boys from Canon and Nikon. The hardware impressed when we got our hands on one a month ago, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding — or in the photos in this case. So, we jumped at the chance to spend some time shooting with an A99 equipped with a 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens. Want to know how Sony’s latest and greatest performed? Head on past the break to find out.
Gallery: Sony Alpha A99 DSLR sample shots
Sony Alpha A99 DSLR sample shots and video, plus comparison with the RX1 full-frame compact originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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When last we got a new iPod touch, the fourth-generation from 2010, it was so thin relative to other devices of that era we said it looked like “a toothpick.” Its 7.2mm thinness was unparalleled — at the time. But now, just two years later, the iPhone 5 is less than a half-millimeter thicker, and that is of course packing a lot more wizardry inside. Suddenly, that toothpick is looking a little portly, which means it’s time for the touch to lose a little weight.
Enter the fifth-generation iPod touch, the 2012 model that has slimmed down to a mere 6.1mm in thickness. It’s also about 10 percent lighter — despite being grafted with a new 4-inch Retina display. Not only is it bigger and thinner, but it’s far faster and has hugely improved cameras on both the front and rear. The perfect PMP package for $299? Click on through to find out.
Gallery: iPod touch review (2012)
Continue reading iPod touch review (2012)
Filed under: Cameras, Portable Audio/Video, Apple
iPod touch review (2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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