Time Machines: Say 01100011 01101000 01100101 01100101 01110011 01100101!

Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills.

Today the world can easily be captured in 1s and 0s for our viewing pleasure. The hardware behind this capability all started as a DIY lab project in 1974 to test out some new gear, and the result was a Frankenstein-like device that would eventually lead to world-changing advances in photographic technology. Head on past the break for the full story.

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The Olympus Stylus 1 delivers DSLR performance in a compact form factor

olympus-stylus-1Olympus has once again redefined the enthusiast compact camera market segment by bringing together a slew of features that are found across its camera range in the new Stylus 1. Specially designed to target semi-pro shooters who want optical brilliance, it comes along with DSLR operation, convenience and portability, being a one-size-fits-all package. Apart from that, the Olympus Stylus 1 will also come with an i.ZUIKO lens which incorporates the outstanding optical quality of the Olympus ZUIKO interchangeable lenses. Right at its heart lies a large 1/1.7-inch BSI CMOS sensor and TruePic VI image processor, where it will be accompanied by extra features such as a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) that can also be found on the award-winning Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Wi-Fi connectivity so that you are able to capture and sharing anywhere.

Sporting a newly developed, ultra-slim 10.7x (28–300mm) high-power i.ZUIKO lens, it will deliver constant f2.8 brightness across the zoom range, making it versatile enough to capture wide to telephoto shots while delivering pro-quality stills with beautiful, defocused backgrounds and crisp images, never mind that you are shooting even in low light conditions. The large diameter lens will also come with a powerful, built-in VCM image stabilization mechanism which virtually eliminates camera shake and blur. Not only that, its lens is also able to capture stunning macro shots even from as close as 2” away.

Whenever you are not making use of the lens, it will retract fully into the camera body, placing it behind a removable automatic lens cap, allowing the Stylus 1 to fit into a coat pocket without batting an eyelid. The Stylus 1 will also feature a Fast Touch AF system from the Olympus PEN series for near-instant, precision focusing thanks to the tiltable LCD touchscreen monitor.

Not only that, there is also Full HD video recording capability, while you will also have Art Filters thrown into the mix with bracketing option, five Art Effects and Photo Story, too. The Olympus Stylus 1 will arrive later this December for $699.99 a pop, although there is only one color to choose from – black.

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[ The Olympus Stylus 1 delivers DSLR performance in a compact form factor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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