Mar 24

Avaak Vue Gen 2 wire-free video monitoring hands-on

Posted in: camera, hands-on, Today's Chili
Peeping Toms and would-be spies, rejoice! The Vue wire-free video cameras have reached the second generation and now add motion detection and a more rugged outdoor version to the mix. Pricing is a mixed bag: kits start at $199 and include a motion detection camera, the base station, and the mounting base. Extra cams can be had for $159 for an individual outdoor camera with motion detection, indoor camera with motion detection is $129, and a run of the mill indoor camera is $99. The brilliant bit here is this is pretty much a zero setup affair: attach the cameras to the included magnetic mounts (with adhesive, no less), fire up the base station, and off you go. As with many devices launched recently, mobile apps are key, and the Vue’s apps are a decent bunch. We had a peek at both the BlackBerry and iPhone flavors — Android is also supported — and either will allow video from the remote cameras to be recorded, some small amount of zoom and pan, grab screen shots, and have a peek at all your cameras at once. The required online service to manage it all is free for the first year and $19.95 per year after; you can keep opting for the free version after the first year, but lose the mobile app support, pan / zoom, and all recording features. What’s the fun in that? More pics in the gallery below!

Gallery: Avaak Vue Gen 2 wire-free video monitoring hands-on

Avaak Vue Gen 2 wire-free video monitoring hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 24

Microsoft application creates 3D model using a cellphone, blows our minds

Posted in: camera, cellphone, Microsoft, smartphone, Today's Chili, touchscreen, video

Using your smartphone to take regular, or heck, even 3D images, is so last-gen — thanks to Microsoft’s Interactive Visual Media Group, we shall soon be able to use its new app to generate virtual 3D models. For example, if you want to capture that Ferrari on your neighbor’s driveway, you’ll need to circumambulate it while shooting around 40 photos. The final product, which is compiled using some beefed up PhotoSynth magic as each shot is uploaded to the cloud, is a beautifully crafted 3D model that can be panned around surprisingly smoothly. Hit play on the video below to feast your eyes on Redmond’s new trick.

[Thanks, @scienceben]

Continue reading Microsoft application creates 3D model using a cellphone, blows our minds

Microsoft application creates 3D model using a cellphone, blows our minds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMIT Technology Review  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Mar 20

Permanent anti-fog coating could mean end to steamy specs

Posted in: camera, canada, lenses, research, Today's Chili

Unless you’re blind, or just plain out of the loop, you’ve probably noticed a proliferation of folks rocking spectacles as accessories of late, but for those of us who wear the things out of necessity, there’s no taking ’em off when our lenses fog up. Lucky for us, a team of Canadian researchers have patented a new permanent anti-fog coating that they claim is the first of its kind. To make sure the stuff wouldn’t wash away, the crew applied four successive layers of molecules to a transparent material (either glass or plastic) before overlaying it with polyvinyl alcohol, allowing water to spread uniformly and avoiding the steamy-windows effect. The result? A super durable, multilayer coating that won’t rub off, regardless of the freakish conditions you and your face encounter. Its creators see endless applications for their invention, including windshields, visors, camera lenses, and, of course, eyewear. Now that that’s out of the way, we suggest they concentrate their efforts on sweat-less nose pads.

Permanent anti-fog coating could mean end to steamy specs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashdot  |  sourceUniversité Laval  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Mar 18

Fujifilm FinePix X100 reviewed: a stunning shooter through and through

Posted in: camera, digital camera, DigitalCamera, review, reviewed, Reviews, Today's Chili

All we really knew about Fujifilm’s FinePix X100 was that its looks (and pricetag) could kill, but Photography Blog has discovered that the gorgeous magnesium machine takes fantastic photographs too. You won’t actually be able to see any of them at this very moment — as it seems the website’s images are down — but the publication liberally praised the sharpness and lack of noise afforded by that F2 Fujinon lens, calling the X100 “right up there with the best APS-C sensor cameras on the market” in terms of image quality, and with “the best build quality of any camera that we’ve ever tested,” too. Strong words, to be sure, but the camera’s not without its quirks, including an obvious one — that 23mm lens is fixed to the camera’s front. Without a zoom, you’ll need to get up close and personal with your subjects to get that perfect shot, and yet it also lacks a mechanical focus ring (it’s a focus-by-wire affair here), which can make it difficult to quickly get your bokeh on. The publication remarks that both autofocus and manual focus are fairly slow, there’s no manual option at all when recording videos, and focusing macro shots requires switching to a separate mode that switches off the the optical viewfinder. Still, if you weren’t sold at first sight, you probably are now. Kiss your tax refund goodbye, folks — it’s been spoken for.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Fujifilm FinePix X100 reviewed: a stunning shooter through and through originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePhotography Blog  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Mar 15

HP TouchPad with rear-facing camera truly augments reality (video)

Posted in: augmented reality, AugmentedReality, camera, HP, Today's Chili, touchpad, video

Besides the fact that it isn’t shipping, HP’s TouchPad also can’t shoot video or take flash pictures out its backside. Fact is, the TouchPad announced back in February only has a single 1.3 megapixel camera up front. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop HP from presenting the fictitious device above at its HP Summit 2011 event yesterday to demonstrate a truly augmented reality. But hey, let’s not allow trivialities like facts get in the way of a story you’re trying to pitch to investors and analysts. See the video clip after the break.

Continue reading HP TouchPad with rear-facing camera truly augments reality (video)

HP TouchPad with rear-facing camera truly augments reality (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 06:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PreCentral  |  sourceHP  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Mar 14

RED EPIC-M stars in gorgeous vid, RED ONE jealously shoots the footage (video)

Posted in: camera, Today's Chili, video

By now you’re probably familiar with the $58,000 RED EPIC-M and what it can do, but it’s hard to properly admire its hand-machined beauty from a distance. We can’t ship you a unit, of course, but we’ve got the next best thing: close-up footage of the compact 5K beast shot with another RED camera — the original 4K RED ONE M-X. Lousiana post-production company Digital FX lovingly fondled EPIC-M #98 on camera, not to mention goodies like the Bomb EVF and 5-inch touchscreen LCD, and you can watch, drool and share your oh-so-envious thoughts with us right after the break.

Continue reading RED EPIC-M stars in gorgeous vid, RED ONE jealously shoots the footage (video)

RED EPIC-M stars in gorgeous vid, RED ONE jealously shoots the footage (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 12

Researchers create microscopic disposable camera to see up in your guts

Posted in: camera, digital camera, DigitalCamera, medical, Today's Chili

It’s true, a team of researchers have created a one-cubic-millimeter throwaway camera, and if they have their way, it could be peeking inside you in the next year. The new tiny shooters, which sport a 250 x 250 pixel resolution, are created using a streamlined process in which the lens and sensor wafers are affixed before being cut into a series of 28,000 little cameras — eliminating the need to mount and wire each one individually. This new mode of production cuts back on cost significantly, allowing physicians to throw away the little guys after routing around in your intestines. According to the camera’s creators, their diminutive invention could make its way into your doctor’s office as early as 2012.

Researchers create microscopic disposable camera to see up in your guts originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrunchGear  |  sourceFraunhofer  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Mar 11

Smithsonian captures 201,000 wild photos with automated cameras

Posted in: camera, photography, Photos, pics, pictures, research, Today's Chili
We have this big, fang-filled, claw-sharpened big cat all up in our grill thanks to the researchers at the Smithsonian, who have created a new database filled with over 201,000 pictures of elusive animals in their natural habitats. These candid shots were made possible with motion-activated automated cameras scattered around the world, and feature over 200 species of birds and mammals, and here’s most impressive part — these photos are au naturel. That’s right… there’s no editing here, these are untouched raw shots straight from the rain forests of places like Peru and China — which allow us to see these magnificent creatures as scientists do. If you want more info or desire to check out these wild photos, hop over to the source link or check out the gallery below.

Gallery: Smithsonian Wild caught on camera

Smithsonian captures 201,000 wild photos with automated cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSmithsonian Wild  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 11

Microsoft’s OneVision Video Recognizer can detect, identify, and track your face on video… so smile!

Posted in: camera, live, Microsoft, research, Today's Chili, video

Here’s your classic case of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Microsoft’s Innovation Labs have just demonstrated a OneVision Video Recognizer algorithm that’s powerful enough to perform face detection duties on a running video feed. It can recognize and track humanoid visages even while they’re moving, accept tags that allow auto-identification of people as they enter the frame, and can ultimately lead to some highly sophisticated video editing and indexing via its automated information gathering. Of course, it’s that very ease with which it can keep a watchful eye on everyone that has us feeling uneasy right now, but what are you gonna do? Watch the video after the break, that’s what.

Continue reading Microsoft’s OneVision Video Recognizer can detect, identify, and track your face on video… so smile!

Microsoft’s OneVision Video Recognizer can detect, identify, and track your face on video… so smile! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Next Web  |  sourceMicrosoft Innovation Labs  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Mar 10

Sony working on a Cyber-shot camera with 3G cellular connectivity?

Posted in: camera, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, rumor, rumors, sony, Today's Chili, Wireless

If the warm, soothing waves of IEEE 802.11 are beaming down on your location, there are certainly several ways to send pictures directly from your camera to the cloud, but Sony’s reportedly prototyping a camera that won’t need a single bar of WiFi to get your upload on. Our friends at gdgt cite anonymous sources that say Sony’s got a camera with a built-in 3G modem in the works, and we’re not talking about a cameraphone. While Sony’s cellphone CMOS sensors may have improved, gdgt says the prototype unit will probably be a dedicated point-and-shoot, though the publication says their moles aren’t sure it’s actually coming to market. If it does, though, here’s hoping it comes with some Whispernet so we don’t have to foot a monthly or (perish the thought) per-picture bill!

Sony working on a Cyber-shot camera with 3G cellular connectivity? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcegdgt  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,