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Cameras and Imaging
Logitech backs Vid software release with seven new webcams
By Mick Webb
19:03 August 1, 2009 PDT
Logitech recently launched its own simplified take on video chat software called Logitech Vid - and now there's a raft of new hardware to bundle it with. The company has announced a new series of – count ‘em – seven webcams, ranging from your standard fare to the flagship Pro 9000 model featuring Carl Zeiss optics and 16x9 widescreen video at 720p. Read More
Olympus Stylus-7010 has a little chassis and bigger features
By Alan Brandon
20:01 July 27, 2009 PDT
Olympus has announced the newest addition to its fashion-oriented ultracompact digital camera line: the Stylus-7010. The new 1-inch thick model featuring 12MP resolution and a 7x wide-angle/long-zoom lens (equivalent to a 28-196mm zoom) plus some tuned-up shooting modes and "Magic Filters" for in-camera editing. Read More
Canon announces new Hybrid Image Stablization technology
By Jeff Salton
01:41 July 23, 2009 PDT
Canon has developed optical image stabilization technology that compensates for angle camera shake and shift camera shake. The Hybrid Image Stabilizer (IS) technology will be incorporated in interchangeable single lens reflex (SLR) camera lens planned for commercial release before the end of 2009. The company says this is the first lens of its kind to incorporate technology that addresses both types of camera shake. Read More
Portable stereo recorder meets handycam
By Jeff Salton
20:46 July 22, 2009 PDT
A portable camcorder that records MPEG-4 SP video format at 30 frames per second - in stereo - has been released by Zoom. The Q3 Handy Video Recorder combines 640 x 480 resolution video recording with studio quality audio through two built-in condenser microphones. Read More
Samsung hopes you’ll flip for its new HMX-U10 ultra compact HD camcorder
By Alan Brandon
02:30 July 21, 2009 PDT
Samsung has announced its entry into the ultra-compact HD camcorder market with the HMX-U10. The diminutive 2.2" x 4.1" x 0.6" unit shoots 1920x1080 video, 10MP still photos and features an ergonomic bend in the body which Samsung says will reduce stress on your wrist and arm... but at only 3.4oz, we wonder how much stress the MHZ-U10 can cause? Read More
Holographic laser projection technology to transform any surface into a touch screen
By Darren Quick
01:02 July 21, 2009 PDT
Light Blue Optics (LBO) has received an injection of funds to further its development of, among other things, a holographic laser projection technology. The big news is that this technology can be touch-enabled, meaning any flat surface, such as a table, can be instantly transformed into a touch-sensitive display, eliminating the need for a touch screen and allowing users to directly interact with multimedia content. Read More
iBum chair automatically photocopies your butt
By Loz Blain
04:25 July 16, 2009 PDT
Since the invention and proliferation of the photocopier, office clowns around the world have been united in a single desire - particularly around Christmas party time. Ignoring the jagged, buttock-splitting hazard of broken glass and the virtual certainty of dismissal should they be discovered, thousands of pranksters annually drop their strides or hike their skirts and enjoy the age-old ritual of photocopying their bums for their innocent co-workers to find in the out tray. Now, a Japanese designer has facilitated the process by designing a chair that automatically scans and prints a photo of your backside. Call me a traditionalist, but if it's not naughty, a bit dangerous and a blatant abuse of equipment, I can't see why you'd bother photocopying your bum at all. In fact, to me, the iBum chair seems to remove all fun from the act whatsoever. Read More
New technique reduces processing power needed for facial recognition
By Darren Quick
18:08 July 14, 2009 PDT
The human brain has an amazing capacity for recognizing patterns, particularly faces. While we are able to differentiate different faces with apparent ease, computer facial recognition systems have a much harder time of it, relying on powerful computers and complex models to accurately identify the majority of differences between faces. This has held facial recognition systems back from being widely adopted, but now researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) have developed a technique that significantly reduces the amount of computer power required without compromising accuracy. Read More
Muvi Micro claims the title of 'world’s smallest camcorder'
By Darren Quick
07:44 July 14, 2009 PDT
The Muvi Micro Camcorder is small enough to carry with you everywhere to ensure you’re always ready to capture those unexpected video capture-worthy moments. Measuring just 5.5 x 2 x 2 cm and weighing 50 grams the Muvi is small and light enough to hang around your neck ready to capture VGA (640 x 480) quality video, which is stored on a Micro SD card. Read More
New Panaboard continues the evolution of the Electronic WhiteBoard
By Gizmag Team
22:27 July 13, 2009 PDT
The concept of the whiteboard seems distinctly old school and analog, but effective collaboration practices never die as the evolution of the electronic whiteboard at Panasonic continues to bear testimony. The new Panaboard UB-5838C Widescreen and the UB-5338C whiteboards incorporate a color scanning feature, so users can accurately print the outcomes of brainstorms, complex diagrams or ideas, in full color. Read More
Shake, rattle, and roll: Sony’s feature packed HD Handycam CX520VE
By Alan Brandon
22:44 July 12, 2009 PDT
Sony has announced its new flagship HD camcorder, the Handycam HDR-CX520VE. Equipped with three-way image stabilization as well as a new sensor, lens, and image processor, the CX520VE provides what Sony calls its best picture quality ever. Shooting full HD video and surround sound, the unit also features 64GB of internal memory and GPS “geotagging” of video clips. Read More
MIT’s ‘flexible camera’ replaces lens with fiber web
By Alan Brandon
23:40 July 8, 2009 PDT
Imagine that instead of carrying a camera in your jacket pocket, your entire jacket was the camera. That is the promise of a new type of light-detecting fibers developed by researchers at MIT. The team from the Institute's Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) has developed light-detecting fibers that, when woven into a web, act as a flexible “camera”. Fabric made from these fibers could be joined to a computer to create a large, foldable telescope or made into a soldier’s uniform to provide greater situational awareness. Read More
Video perfection tool catches up with TV cop technology
By Darren Quick
03:39 July 3, 2009 PDT
Anyone who has watched CSI or any of the Law & Order franchises has no doubt witnessed a well groomed police technician magically clean up fuzzy security camera vision, thereby providing the detectives with the vital number plate or the face of a criminal at the push of a button. The truth is, of course, far removed from such TV fantasy – at least it has been until now. A new video “perfection tool” developed by researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) helps investigators enhance raw video images to improve the quality at which the images were originally recorded. Read More
Magic Lantern unofficial firmware for the EOS 5D Mark II shows Canon how it's done
By Darren Quick
17:06 July 1, 2009 PDT
Canon might want to consider putting a certain Trammell Hudson on the payroll. Hudson has developed an enhancement to the firmware of the Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR camera to make the already impressive camera an even more attractive option for shooting professional video. Dubbed ‘Magic Lantern’, the new firmware includes both audio and video fixes and is a completely open platform, meaning users are free to extend the Magic Lantern firmware themselves. Read More
Pentax announces tough new compact - the Optio W80
By Paul Ridden
07:03 June 30, 2009 PDT
Whether you're the rugged outdoor type or just accident prone, Pentax is aiming to make your life a little easier with the release of the Optio W80 compact digital camera. The Optio W80 is dustproof, waterproof to 16 feet, has an operational temperature range starting at a chilly -10 degrees Celsius and can withstand a drop from 3.3 feet. Read More
Fastest astronomical camera will produce out-of-this-world pictures
01:28 June 23, 2009 PDT
While the twinkle of stars may delight poets and lovers, for a scientist it’s simply evidence of the atmospheric disturbance that blurs and distorts detail in deep space images. Combining an incredible 1500 exposures a second capability with an extremely sensitive CCD220 image sensor, the OCam camera is able to analyze and correct these distortions, enabling pictures taken through Very Large Telescopes (VLT) on Earth to be as sharp as those taken from space. Read More
Olympus goes back to the future with the retro-styled E-P1 digital camera
By Alan Brandon
18:05 June 19, 2009 PDT
A modern reinvention of the classic Pen camera from the 1960s and 70s, Olympus' E-P1 rolls a compact point-and-shoot form factor and full-size DSLR features together in a way that seems to defy categorization. There's something undeniably appealing about a 12.3-megapixel camera with interchangeable lens system, 720p high definition video, image stabilization and stereo audio recording that you can carry in a classic leather half-case, but the E-P1 is almost as notable for what Olympus left out. Alan Brandon zooms in for a closer look. Read More
Universe made simple with release of Meade ETX-LS automated telescope
22:31 June 15, 2009 PDT
Amateur astronomers around the world have cause to celebrate as the first completely hands-off self-aligning telescope becomes available. First shown as CES in January, the Meade ETX-LS telescope uses a range of technologies, including GPS, magnetic sensors and a built-in CCD camera, to automatically determine its own location and then find any of more than 100,000 celestial objects. Read More
Panasonic releases 'two of the world’s lightest HD camcorders'
By Darren Quick
00:46 June 15, 2009 PDT
At just 0.5 lbs each, Panasonic's two new high definition (HD) camcorders are almost half the weight of the company's first AVCHD offering released in 2006 which tipped the scales at just under a pound. While a pound may not sound like much anyway, any weight loss in a device that may need to be carried at eye level for extended periods of time is good news for tired arms everywhere. Read More
Eye-Fi launches wireless memory card for pros
22:35 June 11, 2009 PDT
Eye-Fi, makers of the world’s first wireless memory card, has expanded its range with a new SDHC memory card aimed specifically at professionals and photo enthusiasts. The Eye-Fi Pro is a 4GB wireless memory card that supports RAW images and allows direct peer-to-peer connectivity between camera and computer, without the need for an internet connection. Read More
Cisco PVC300 Internet camera brings Big Brother to small companies
By Alan Brandon
17:06 June 11, 2009 PDT
Cisco’s new PVC300 Pan Tilt Optical Zoom Internet Camera provides a suite of surveillance features aimed at small companies who want to keep a watchful eye on their employees and business property. Designed to operate on existing wired networks, the PVC300 provides two-way audio, motion activated recording, automatic alerts and full-motion live video that can be viewed from virtually anywhere on an Internet-enabled PC or mobile phone. Read More
DigiLife DDV-JF1 puts HD video recorder AND projector in your pocket
By Alan Brandon
01:48 June 9, 2009 PDT
What’s the use of shooting HD video with your pocket camcorder if you can’t immediately share your cinematic masterpiece with your friends? That seems to be the question Life Technologies is answering with their new DigiLife DDV-JF1, a combination HD video recorder and pico projector in one compact unit. Read More
JVC monitor fully in the picture
By David Greig
19:30 May 27, 2009 PDT
JVC has just released a 42-inch HD LCD monitor, the Xiview LT-42WX70, designed specifically for high-end digital SLR camera buffs and professionals alike. The 120Hz, 180p monitor lets pro or enthusiast see – and play with – the subtle colors, details and textures of their images. Read More
Samsung releases slimline SPF-87H Digital Photo Frame
By Gizmag Team
07:43 May 22, 2009 PDT
Slim is in. As flat screen TVs strive for a wafer-like profile so do their diminutive digital photo frame cousins, and at 23 mm (.91 inches) thin, Samsung's SPF-87H is not about to buck the trend. The unit's 8-inch, 800x480 resolution LCD screen has a 500:1 contrast ratio and there's 1GB of on-board memory loadable via SD slot or USB. Read More
PENTAX announces advanced K-7 digital SLR
By Alan Brandon
21:36 May 21, 2009 PDT
PENTAX has announced its new flagship DSLR camera, the K-7. The K-7 brings welcome updates to the PENTAX digital SLR line, and now offers many of the features that photo enthusiasts have come to expect from a high-end DSLR, including a redesigned body, a new 14.6-megapixel image sensor, and the ability to shoot HD video. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
