Hasta La Gadget!

Eking out more power from solar cells is an ongoing challenge for scientists, and now architect André Broessel has developed a spherical glass energy generator that’s said to improve efficiency by 35 percent. Acting as a lens, the rig’s large water-filled orb concentrates diffused daylight or moonlight onto a solar cell with the help of optical tracking to harvest electricity. In certain configurations, the apparatus can be used for solar thermal energy generation and even water heating. In addition to the oversized globe, Broessel has cooked up a mobile version of the contraption for domestic use and an array of much smaller ball lenses with dual-axis tracking that offers 40 percent efficiency. These devices aren’t the first venture into concentrated photovoltaics, but they are likely among the most visually impressive. If the Barcelona-based architect’s vision of the future comes true, you’ll be seeing these marbles incorporated into buildings and serving as standalone units. Hit the source links below for the picture spread of prototypes and renders.

Filed under: Alt

Spherical glass lens concentrates sunlight by up to 10,000 times, boosts solar cell efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imaging has been defined by glass lenses for centuries, and even fiber optics haven’t entirely escaped the material’s clutch. Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences might have just found a way to buck those old (and not-so-old) traditions. A new 60-nanometer thick silicon lens, layered with legions of gold nanoantennas, can catch and refocus light without the distortion or other artifacts that come with having to use the thick, curved pieces of glass we’re used to — it’s so accurate that it nearly challenges the laws of diffraction. The lens isn’t trapped to bending one slice of the light spectrum, either. It can range from near-infrared to terahertz ranges, suiting it both to photography and to shuttling data. We don’t know what obstacles might be in the way to production, which leads us to think that we won’t be finding a gold-and-silicon lens attached to a camera or inside a network connection anytime soon. If the technology holds up under scrutiny, though, it could ultimtately spare us from the big, complicated optics we often need to get just the right shot.

Filed under: Cameras, Science

Harvard makes distortion-free lens from gold and silicon, aims for the perfect image (or signal) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon is one of the biggest names in the photography industry and offers a number of digital cameras and camcorders. The company’s products range from high-end, very expensive professional-grade DSLR cameras to cheap nearly disposable point and shoot cameras for beginners. Canon has announced that it’s celebrating a new milestone in the production of its EF lenses.

Canon built its 80 millionth EF lens on August 3 of this year. The company hit the 10 million mark in 1995, and by 2001 had constructed 20 million EF lenses. Canon took another five years to reach the 30 million mark and in 2008, the company had produced 40 million EF lenses. When Canon’s EOS Digital SLR cameras took off, production of EF lenses boomed as well with the 50 million unit milestone coming in 2009.

That means between 2008 and 2009 Canon constructed 1 million EF lenses thanks to its popular digital cameras. By January of 2011, the number of EF lenses constructed had reached 60 million and only nine months later, production had reached 70 million. It has now been nine months since that 70 million mark was hit in 2011, and Canon is celebrating 80 million lenses produced in its EF series.

The EF lens was first introduced with the EOS SLR camera system in March of 1987. Canon says that its line of EF lenses has included a number of world’s first technologies, including the Ultrasonic Motor, Image Stabilizer, and multilayered diffractive optical (DO) elements. The current Canon line of EF lenses has 76 models.

Canon builds 80 millionth EF lens is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today announced the expansion of the popular Nikon 1 Advanced Camera with Interchangeable Lens System with the addition of the Nikon 1 J2 camera and the 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens to provide users with amazing image quality and stunning 1080p HD video in a portable, powerful package. The Nikon 1 System, including the new Nikon 1 J2 and the 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm lens, is engineered from the ground up to give users the freedom to capture and connect with others to share life experiences.
A …

This week Panasonic is bringing the heat with new cameras, lenses, and more, all in one wallop – in this case, it’s the LUMIX G X VARIO 45-150 mm Telephoto Zoom Lens. This piece of hardware is ready to be your new interchangeable telephoto zoom lens for your Micro Four Thirds System standard camera. The LUMIX G VARIO 45-150 mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS45150) brings on a giant zoom range of 45-150 mm (35 mm camera equivalent: 90-300 mm), and can bust out telephoto shots with the best of them.

Inside this lens you’ve got Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) which will make clear shots of any situation, even if someone sneaks up behind you to flash a hand in front of your shot – no more blur for you! You’ve also got a stepping motor for smooth action in both photos and video. This lens is made for the LUMIX G series, of course, so it’ll bring on added benefits for that lineup.

NOTE: Have a peek now at our hands-on experience with a whole collection of Panasonic devices revealed this week!

With the LUMIX G line of cameras, this lens will work with its high-speed, high precision AF System as well as every other feature listed above and below. This lens is composed of 12 elements in nine groups, working with two aspherical lenses for uniform sharpness as well as one UHR (Ultra High Refractive Index) lens. You’ll have smoothness in even the out-of-focus areas with this lens’ seven aperture blades while a multi-coated lens element will make sure you’ve got minimal ghost and flare.

This lens will be available in black or silver with a “sophisticated metal look” and its pricing as well as its availability will be announced soon.

Panasonic H-FS45150 45-150 mm Telephoto Zoom Lens revealed is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.