What can happen in a lifetime? A lot, I’m sure, with a couple of “once-in-a-lifetime” moments thrown in there for good measure.
Anthony Cerniello recently went to his friend Danielle’s family reunion, where he brought along still photographer Keith Sirchio. Using a Hasselblad medium format camera, Keith shot photos of various members of her family, from her young cousins to her much older relatives.
Each image was painstakingly scanned using a drum scanner at the U.N. in New York. There, Anthony’s real work began. He carefully selected which of the family members who had the most similar features and edited their images. He then called in animators Nathan Meier and Edmund Earle to tie everything together using After Effects and 3D Studio Max.
Using these programs, the duo morphed and animated the still images to render them to be as likelife as possible. Artist George Cuddy was then brought in to smooth out the finer details, like the eyes and the hair, which he achieved using Nuke – 3D visual effects software.
The result is the very impressive clip above. It seemingly shows one person go through various stages of aging, when in fact, it’s actually several generations altogether.
As expected, 3D printing technology is getting more and more accessible. While there are numerous printers on the market in the $1000-$2000 price range, there are only a couple which dip significantly below that pricepoint. While I broke down and ordered a bargain-priced Buccaneer for myself – that project has already closed on Kickstarter. In the mean time, you might want to check out Zim, a new 3D printer with prices starting at $599(USD).
Made by Zeepro, the Zim 3D printer is designed to be a compact, easy-to-use device, capable of producing models up to 5.9″ x 5.9″ x 5.9″ This is substantially larger than the printing area on the Buccaneer and the Cubify Cube. Its makers claim a speedy 110 mm/s print time, which bests even the Makerbot Replicator 2X. But the Zim has got another trick up its sleeve. The printer will be available in a dual-head configuration – which I presume will be sold at the higher $899 price mentioned in their press release.
This will allow it to print objects with two different colors at the same time. You can also use the second print head to output water-soluble PVA plastic, so you can make support structures for 3D objects which can be easily removed in water.
The Zim will interface easily with smartphones, tablets or PCs via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and it’s also got a small camera built in so you can monitor your 3D print jobs remotely.
Here’s a quick rundown comparing specs between the Zim and its closest competitors:
Only time will tell if Zeepro can deliver on its promises, but the Zim sounds impressive for the price.
Zeepro plans on opening up its Kickstarter campaign this Friday, September 13th. You’ll want to bookmark their website and set a reminder if you’re interested in pledging.
Digital cameras are built into just about every gadget these days. But that doesn’t mean they’re always the most convenient way to capture video footage. This little gadget aims to change that, by placing a wearable camera on your body that can shoot video POV video in a snap.
The MeCam is a compact camera that can be pinned to your clothing or worn as a necklace. It shoots 720p video at a 65-degree viewing angle, and can capture audio from up to 20 feet away. One nifty feature of the MeCam is the ring of infrared LED lights around its lens, which help it capture video in low-light conditions. Content is sent from the MeCam to your computer via USB.
Best of all, the MeCam is very inexpensive, with prices starting at just $49.99 (USD) for the 4GB model, which captures appx. 1 hour of video. Another $10 ($59.99) buys you the 8GB model, and $20 more ($69.99) gives you 16GB – or about 4 hours of video. You can order the MeCam now over at their website.
Yep, the rumors were spot-on. At the 2013 IFA trade show, Sony revealed two of the most unusual cameras you’ll ever see. The Cyber-shot QX10 and QX100 Lens Cameras pack all of the necessary hardware inside a tiny cylinder, save for a viewfinder. Why? Because the two point-and-shoot cameras are meant as an upgrade for people who use their smartphone as their main camera. Now their phones can just be viewfinders, or even ditched altogether.
Remember the WVIL camera concept that appeared in 2011? The QX cameras are a lot like that. As Sony Alpha Rumors leaked a couple of weeks ago, the QX100 (seen above) has the same lens and 20.2mp CMOS sensor as the beloved RX100 Mark II camera while the QX10 (below) shares the lens and 18.2mp sensor of the WX150 point-and-shoot. Both cameras have their own battery and a slot for a microSD, microSDHC or a Memory Stick Micro card.
As you’ll see in the pictures and videos below, Sony is pushing these cameras together with the newly introduced Xperia Z Android smartphone. In fact, Sony is selling a plastic case that makes it easier to attach the QX cameras to the Xperia Z. Makes you wonder about the other Sony device in the images eh? It’s safe to assume that both the Xperia Z and the mystery device support NFC, which is the easiest way to pair the cameras to a phone. But the QX cameras can also be used with other Android phones and even iOS devices via the Sony PlayMemories app and a Wi-Fi connection.
To be clear, both QX cameras can be used on their own, but if you can afford either camera chances are you also have an Android or iOS device. If so, you can use the cameras’ clamp to attach them to your mobile device. Then get the PlayMemories app so you can use your device as a viewfinder, like so:
But as was imagined with the WVIL, you can keep a QX camera detached from your mobile device to make it easier to shoot from odd heights or angles…
…or to include yourself in the shot:
Then you can view, save or upload the photo or video on your mobile device using Sony’s app. The cameras will stay connected to your mobile device up to about 30ft., but the connection will likely be cut off if there are walls or other thick objects between the two devices.
Here’s Sony with more about the QX100 and QX10:
The cameras seem like great ideas for casual users, but they do have a couple of tradeoffs, most notably the way they connect to a smartphone. If you’re fortunate enough to have an NFC enabled phone, connecting to the lens cam is as easy as touching the two devices together, which automatically authenticates and connects them via Wi-Fi. However, if you don’t, you’ll have to manually connect them via Wi-Fi. It’s not clear if this creates an AdHoc Wi-Fi network between the phone and the lens, or if it requires a Wi-Fi infrastructure connection to be available. I’d assume it’s the former, which would mean your smartphone will be temporarily disconnected from any live Wi-Fi connections while connected to the camera. Then there’s the process of taking pictures with the camera. I have not tested either of the cameras, but David Pierce of The Verge did. Skip to about 0:40 in The Verge’s hands-on video below and you’ll see what I’m talking about:
Not exactly smooth, eh? Then again, unless you have the Nokia 1020 the QX cameras are significantly better than your phone’s cameras. Ultimately that should be their main selling point. You can pre-order both the QX100 and QX10 from Sony’s online store or from Amazon. The QX100 costs $500 (USD) (its big brother, the RX100 costs $750) while the QX10 costs $250 (the WX150 costs $400).
A couple of years ago we looked at a couple of film cameras that you had to assemble before you could use them. The Bigshot camera is just like those cameras, except it’s digital and has a companion website that includes a lot of related information. The idea is to introduce people of all ages not just to photography but to technology in general.
The Bigshot digital camera kit comes with all of the parts and tools you need to build and process your photos, including a screwdriver, a micro-USB to USB cable and a pair of 3D glasses. That’s right, once you’ve put it together you can use the camera to take 3D images as well as panoramic shots to go with the normal mode. The camera has an internal battery that you recharge using the cable, but it also has a dynamo and a hand crank so you can power it yourself. It also has a free software for processing and sharing images.
But as I said earlier, the kit is only half of the Bigshot’s appeal. Its website has dozens of pages of helpful and easy to understand articles related to the camera. There are pages explaining the science behind the parts, an assembly guide and more. The articles make it a lot easier and fun to learn while you assemble and use the camera.
You can order the Bigshot camera from its official website for $89 (USD). I wish Ben Heck or some other modder would release a similar kit for a gaming device.
I don’t know if 3D cameras ever took off or are taking off, but a simple invention could hasten their downfall. It’s called the Kúla Deeper, an add-on for standard DSLR cameras that uses mirrors to create two side-by-side images or videos.
The Kúla Deeper attaches to 72mm DSLR lenses by default, but Kúla will also release additional lens adapters for other lens sizes. The add-on has four high precision mirrors that create two images and then reflect those two images on the lens. You can immediately enjoy the stereosopic 3D on your camera’s LCD display with the glasses that come with the Kúla Deeper. Kúla will also release a free software called Kulacode that will let you convert the images and videos you captured into various 3D formats.
Cross your eyes and pledge at least €59 (approx. $78 (USD)) on Karolina Fund to get a Kúla Deeper as a reward.
Nintendo’s announcement of the Nintendo 2DS is one of the most surprising developments in the gaming world this year. As an entry-level variant of the Nintendo 3DS, the 2DS can play all 3DS games and thousands more DS games. But unlike the 3DS and the 3DS XL, the 2DS can’t be folded. It’s upper screen also can’t display stereoscopic 3D, hence the lose-lose situation regarding its name. It’s an honest name, but for some people it will be like being told that a Honda Bivic exists. And it’s a Civic.
According to Kotaku, the 2DS’ screens are the same size as the ones on the 3DS. The lower screen is still a touchscreen and the 2DS will also come with a stylus. But as you can see its Circle Pad and face buttons are on the upper half of the device. I think the buttons were shifted up so that the shoulder buttons – which are at the top of the device – will still be within your index finger’s reach while your thumbs are on the Circle Pad and face buttons.
Aside from the “slate” form and the lack of a stereoscopic 3D display, the 2DS has a few other deficiencies compared to its big brothers. For one, it only has a mono speaker, but you can still get stereo audio via its headphone jack. It also has no physical Wi-Fi switch; you’ll have to toggle that from within the menu. So it’s a lesser device, but that means it also has a lower price. It will only cost $130 (USD), $40 cheaper than the 3DS and $70 cheaper than the 3DS XL.
*Update: Kotaku also shared Nintendo Europe’s nifty comparison chart (pdf) between all three 3DS models.* The Nintendo 2DS will be available on 10/12/2013, which is also the day Pokémon X and Y are released. That timing should help push units right from the get go; it will be enough for many people to see that the 2DS can play the latest Pokémon game. But only time will tell if Nintendo’s questionablenamingscheme and hilarious yet also depressing decision to ditch their system’s main feature will pay off.
Will customers think that there are 2DS games? Or that the 2DS can’t play 3DS games? Will developers still care about the quality and functionality of stereoscopic 3D in their 3DS games? Will Nintendo finally realize that they have to come up with a practical naming scheme for their devices? Seriously, why didn’t they just name it the 3DS Jr.?
More and more cameras are being released with Wi-Fi built-in so users can share photos and videos online straight from their camera. Sony tries to stay ahead of the curve with the NEX-5T,the first interchangeable lens camera to have NFC connectivity. File transfer doesn’t get more idiotproof than this.
As of now, the NEX-5T’s NFC connectivity will only work with Android 4.0+ devices that also have NFC. If you do have such a device, just tap it to the camera to get your photos and videos. You can also use your NFC-enabled mobile device as a remote viewfinder and shutter control for the camera.
But don’t worry if your phone or tablet doesn’t have NFC. You can also share media from the NEX-5T through Wi-Fi, you just have to use Sony’s PlayMemories app. Another convenient technology in the NEX-5T is its 3″ touchscreen. The screen can tilt up to 180º upwards – and its image flips over at that point, making it easier to take selfies. Your bathroom mirror will miss you.
The NEX-5T has a 16.1mp APS-C CMOS sensor, the Bionz image processor, light sensitivity of up to ISO25600 and is compatible with Sony E-mount lenses. It will also be compatible with Minolta A-mount lenses through an adapter.
Tap your browser to Amazon or Sony’s online store to pre-order the Alpha NEX-5T. It costs $550 (USD) without a lens and $700 with an E-mount 16-50mm lens included.
Computers and sensors are quickly decreasing in cost and size, making it easier than ever before to build smart gadgets or robots. From accelerometers to thermal sensors, electronics nowadays can detect and record a variety of events and objects in their surroundings. Here’s one more sensor to add to your robot overlord-in-training. It’s called Pixy, a camera that identifies objects through color.
Pixy was made by Charmed Labs and embedded systems experts from Carnegie Mellon University. It’s actually the team’s fifth version of a smart and low-cost vision sensor, which they previously called the CMUcam. What separates the Pixy from other image sensors is that it only sends a small amount of data and it has its own microprocessor. These traits make it possible to integrate the Pixy even to microcontrollers like the Arduino.
Pixy identifies objects using “a hue-based color filtering algorithm”, which supposedly makes it consistent under different lighting conditions. It can also identify hundreds of objects at once. The image below is a screenshot of PixyMon, an open source debugging program for Pixy.
As you’ll see in the video below, Pixy can also track moving objects. That’s because it updates once every 20ms, fast enough to keep up with an object moving at 30mph. You can then gather Pixy’s data through UART serial, SPI, I2C, digital out, or analog out.
Pixy can be taught to “remember” up to seven different objects, but you can expand its memory by using color codes. Color codes are simply stickers or strips of paper with two or more different colors. Color codes increase Pixy’s color-coded encyclopedia from seven to several thousands.
Pledge at least $59 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Pixy and an Arduino cable as a reward.
What will you build with Pixy? A security camera that texts you when your cat goes out? A color-seeking water bomb? A clown-loving machine? A drone that follows you around? A box of crayons that can tell you what color you picked? A weapon that works only on people wearing red? A LEGO sorter that can tell you which pieces are missing from your collection? A camera that automatically takes pictures of the sunset? A wearable assistant for colorblind people? A ticker that counts which Premier League referee hands out the most yellow cards? A useless machine that won’t turn itself off if you’re wearing the right color? Are the things I’m saying even possible?
3D printing has come a long way, and it’s going to go even further, when everyone can easily purchase an affordable and fast 3D printer for their homes. We’ve seen lots of intriguing items output using 3D printing tech, and now a Dutch artist created this 3D printed skateboard.
Sam Abbott’s twin-tipped skateboard design was a bit too large for the 3D printer of 3DprintUK and their competition, but they managed to print it in 3 sections. The deck was assembled and joined together with numerous connector pins. The board is textured quite nicely on its underside, and there are plenty of cool details, which will make any skateboarder lust after it.
I wonder when I’ll be able to whip up something like this on a 3D printer at home. Hopefully pretty soon!
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