Most approaches to capturing 3D models of real-world objects involve multiple cameras that are rarely cheap, and are sometimes tricky to calibrate. The University of Glasgow has developed a method that ditches those cameras altogether. Its system has four single-pixel sensors stitching together a 3D image based on the reflected intensity of light patterns cast by a projector. Reducing the pixel count lowers the cost per sensor to just a few dollars, and extends the sensitivity as far as terahertz wavelengths. Real-world products are still a long way off, but the university sees its invention as useful for cancer detection and other noble pursuits. Us? We’d probably just waste it on creating uncanny facsimiles of ourselves.
Via: New Scientist
Source: University of Glasgow
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In these trying times we live in, I know it can be hard to imagine any hope for humanity that doesn’t involve blasting off into space and just starting over. But to remind us all the world isn’t doomed just yet, here’s a compilation video of positive, inspirational videos caught by Russian dashboard cams. There are people stopping and waiting for animals, drivers helping push each other’s cars out of the snow, and a whole bunch of people jumping out of their cars to help old ladies cross the street. I really encourage you all to take the five minutes out of your day to watch it. So the next time you’re wishing the world would just burn after reading some piece of depression in the news, remember: in Russia, right now — at this exact moment — someone’s getting out of their car to make sure somebody’s grandma gets across the road safely. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Hit the jump for the video, you really should watch it.
This Khan Academy Project video by Karl R.C. Wendt shows you what’s exactly inside a cheap digital camera. Wendt explains a bit about what’s inside a camera and, more important, why this camera in particular is so bad.
Getting inside electronics is considerably more difficult than it was back in the day when manufacturers actually pasted schematics to the inside of some electronics cases. While the folks at iFixIt and other open source groups have been trying to break down today’s hardware to better understand its innards, most cases are quite hard to break into let alone disassemble.
While the more electronics-savvy among you will find these videos quite boring – this camera is pretty simple inside and costs about $ 20 – it’s still a nice way to explain to folks what exactly they’re buying when they pick up a bargain basement digicam.
Leica has long been a high-water mark in photography, and its digital offerings are no exception. Today, the company took the covers off of four new models in its lineup, owing to Photokina getting underway tomorrow. The D-LUX 6, V-LUX 4, M, M-E and S are all going to be on display at the show, and each boasts not only Leica’s signature killer looks, but also enhanced internals to match.
What you might notice if you’re a fan of Leica’s line is that the naming on the M and S-series shooters seem out of step with past versions, since they don’t include a number to indicate their relative place in the overall line. That’s because Leica’s taken a page out of Apple’s iPad naming conventions book, dropping the sequence and merely iterating on the hardware itself. The new M is a successor to the M9 rangefinder, and the S succeeds the S2. The D-LUX 6 and V-LUX 4 both replace earlier numbered versions of the same, of course.
Starting with the most affordable of these new cameras, the V-LUX 4 offers a 12.1MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, with a built-in 4.5-100mm f/2.8 zoom lens, ISO sensitivity ranging from 100 to 6400, and a burst rate of 12 fps at maximum resolution. It supports SDXC media, and captures video at up to 1080p with a cap of 29 minutes per clip. The sensor is new on the camera, as is the one stop higher maximum ISO and it basically stands as Leica’s answer to an entry-level DSLR, albeit with a fixed lens. The V-LUX 4 retails for $ 899 and will be available in November 2012.
The D-LUX 6 brings a new f/1.4 -2.3 4.7 to 17.7mm zoom to the compact camera, along with a 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor and ISO sensitivity ranging from 80 to 12,800. It handles video recording at 1920×1080 at 60 frames per second, and has a 1.4MP resolution electronic viewfinder. The much faster lens and full HD video recording should be welcome improvements over the original. The D-LUX 6 will be available for $ 799 as of November.
Next up, there’s the M-E, a paired down version of the current M9 that should appeal to budget shoppers (relatively speaking – it still retails for $ 5,450 body only). The M-E operates an entry-level device for the Leica rangefinder line, providing an 18MP CCD sensor, with high light sensitivity and an emphasis on photography essentials, including straight up manual focus. The M-E overall is an interesting statement, and one that will probably appeal to a lot of core photographers looking to hone their art without the frivolities that things like scene modes and video shooting have brought to most digital photography. It’s available now from authorized Leica dealers.
By contrast, the new Leica M offers the frills, including a 24MP full 35mm sensor, which blends elements advantageous to CCD sensors like good color rendering with a CMOS design. 1080p video capability is also present on this monster, along with a 3-inch display protected by Corning’s fabled Gorilla Glass, all protected by a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body. The M’s frills will cost $ 6,950 for the body when it arrives in early 2013.
Last but not least there’s the new Leica S, priced the same as many decently equipped small cars at $ 21,960 for body and available as of December. It pushes the envelope for medium format digital photography, thanks to a new image sensor and board that offers impressive buffer performance for continuous shooting (up to 32 consecutive, full resolution 37.5MP images at 1.5fps) as well as a new predictive autofocus system for better capturing moving subjects. The S also offers integrated GPS and a ton of other features that are no doubt worth dropping 20 grand on, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Alongside this refreshed camera lineup, Leica also dropped new S-series lenses, including a 24 mm f/3.5 prime ($ 7,450.00), a 30-90mm f/3.5-5.6 general purpose zoom ($ 9,950) and a 120mm f/5.6 tilt/shift lens ($ 6,950). So maybe like me you’ll just be looking at all this new gear and drooling rather than pulling out your credit card, but that’s some damn good dreaming material for amateur photographers.
If Panasonic didn’t have attention from movie producers before, it just might as of this week. Joining the quickly developing tradition of camera makers producing elaborate short movies as technology demos, the company has let cinematographer Philip Bloom wield (and tease) a “brand new G camera” to record Genesis, a fast-paced mini-drama showing a man’s race to meet his love before it’s too late. While Bloom can’t talk much about the hardware in question until the 17th, he’s allowed to confirm that the upcoming Micro Four Thirds body relies on a “superb” 72Mbps All-I codec for video — letting it capture a sprint through the streets without the compression artifacts of the AVCHD format used by most mirrorless cameras. Panasonic’s upcoming shooter also touts “much improved” results in the dark, Bloom says. It all sounds very tempting, especially if it turns out that Panasonic’s inadvertent leaks are for the same camera we see in action here. The full movie is available after the break, and Bloom has the behind-the-scenes details at the source link.
Filed under: Cameras
Future Panasonic G camera’s 72Mbps movie-making prowess teased through speedy drama (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If Panasonic didn’t have attention from movie producers before, it just might as of this week. Joining the quickly developing tradition of camera makers producing elaborate short movies as technology demos, the company has let cinematographer Philip Bloom wield (and tease) a “brand new G camera” to record Genesis, a fast-paced mini-drama showing a man’s race to meet his love before it’s too late. While Bloom can’t talk much about the hardware in question until the 17th, he’s allowed to confirm that the upcoming Micro Four Thirds body relies on a “superb” 72Mbps All-I codec for video — letting it capture a sprint through the streets without the compression artifacts of the AVCHD format used by most mirrorless cameras. Panasonic’s upcoming shooter also touts “much improved” results in the dark, Bloom says. It all sounds very tempting, especially if it turns out that Panasonic’s inadvertent leaks are for the same camera we see in action here. The full movie is available after the break, and Bloom has the behind-the-scenes details at the source link.
Filed under: Cameras
Future Panasonic G camera’s 72Mbps movie-making prowess teased through speedy drama (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As you may or may not know, Photokina’s taking place in Cologne, Germany in a few days, which has caused a plethora of cameras to make an appearance before they’re even made official. The latest round of unannounced, leaked shooters brings us a couple of Leicas, including the high-end, LX7-esque compact pictured above and a superzoom that takes a design cue from its smaller sibling. Unfortunately, details like pricing and availability are still at large, but with Photokina right around the corner, it won’t be long before we know more about this sleek pair. For now, head past the break to check out an extra pic, where you’ll find the larger member of the two posing for the camera — ironic, huh?
Continue reading Pair of unannounced Leica cameras get leaked ahead of next week’s Photokina
Filed under: Cameras
Pair of unannounced Leica cameras get leaked ahead of next week’s Photokina originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Secrets have been hard to keep in the camera world lately, and now Olympus has undergone its second leak in as many days, but this time with a couple of higher-profile actors — the E-PL5 and E-PM2 mirrorless cameras. Both will use the Olympus E-M5 sensor with TruePic VI image engine and touchscreen, and are reported to be priced at €399 ($ 520) for the E-PM2 with a 14-42mm kit lens (in silver, below the break) and €599 ($ 780) for the E-PL5 with the same lens, shown above. That follows earlier leaks from Sony, Fujifilm and others, along with two upcoming lenses from Olympus that were also outed ahead of time. Hopefully, there’ll still be a couple of surprises left when Photokina rolls around next week.
[Image credit: Digicam Info]
Continue reading Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2 interchangeable lens cameras leak into view
Filed under: Cameras
Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2 interchangeable lens cameras leak into view originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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I dunno, I thought it was pretty common knowledge that a cat who’s allowed outside will get into any and all the trouble it possibly can. I guess some cat owners just have a hard time accepting their precious little Mittens or Missy is out there running around killing things, hanging out in storm sewers, and having promiscuous sex with multiple partners. Come on, that’s all cats do! (Plus sleep. Oooh — and piss right next to the litter box if they feel you don’t clean it often enough)
While only 30% of roaming house cats kill prey — two animals a week on average — they are still slaying more wildlife than previously believed, according to research from the University of Georgia.
The cats brought home just under a quarter of what they killed, ate 30% and left 49% to rot where they died.
Seeking a window into the hidden lives of cats, the researchers recruited 60 owners in the Athens, Ga., area. Each owner put a small video camera mounted on a break-away collar on the cat in the morning and let the cat out, then removed the camera and downloaded the footage each night. Each cat’s activities were recorded for seven to 10 days. The cats usually spent four to six hours outside every day.
Cats aren’t just a danger to others, they’re also a danger to themselves. The cats in the study were seen engaging in such risky behavior as crossing roadways (45%), eating and drinking things they found (25%), exploring storm drains (20%) and entering crawl spaces where they could become trapped (20%).
And perhaps most disheartening? Four of the camera-wearing cats were discovered to be keeping entirely different human families on the side. Haha — Macy only considers herself HALF your cat! Man, that’s hurtful. You let her out and BOOM, she’s cheating on you with some other crazy cat-lady.
Hit the jump for a video with some worthwhile cat-cam footage.
There’s no doubt iPhone accessories are a dime a dozen nowadays, but every now and then we come across one or two that vigorously stand out from the rest of the peripheral pack. Here’s where Mophie’s newly introduced Outride comes in, which clearly — and as the company’s quick to point out — takes a heavy cue from GoPro’s action shooters. All inspirations aside, though, the Outride iPhone companion’s pretty well-stacked on its own, with Mophie offering an integrated polycarbonate case / mounting system that features waterproof and high-impact protection to help the daring folk during those intense, rush-filled adventures. Additionally, Mophie’s taking things beyond the hardware and also announced a free application to pair alongside the Outride unit; this will give people a place where they can create a profile and share their video recordings with other riders. The outfit’s pricing the iPhone 4 / 4S accessory starting at a peaceable $ 130, and it should be up for grabs around “mid-September.” In the meantime, there’s an extra pic and PR right after the break, for anyone interested in catching a different view and the conclusive word from the Juice Pack maker.
Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras, Peripherals
Mophie’s Outride turns iPhones into action cameras, comes with dedicated app and starts at $ 130 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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