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Video
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
New Vuzix video eyewear actually look like glasses
03:33 June 26, 2009 PDT
Vuzix has been a pioneer in the world of video eyewear, introducing the virtual reality video visor, the AV310 widescreen experience and now, video glasses that won’t make you look like you’re auditioning for Star Trek. In fact, the new Vuzix Wrap 920AV doesn’t simply combine a 60-inch viewing experience with the look of fashion sunglasses - you can actually see right through the screen into the outside world. Read More
Belkin boosts HD streaming with Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit
By Paul Best
18:32 June 23, 2009 PDT
As web viewing figures begin to put on serious weight, so grow the demands on households’ internet connections. Recent stats show that more than four in five people are watching more internet video than a year ago and the number of videos being viewed has ballooned 10-fold in a couple of years. But speed and bandwidth, which are critical to quality video streaming, remain issues. Belkin’s new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit adapter is helping the challenge of delivering mass entertainment over the internet, achieving 1000Mbps using the home’s existing powerline network. Read More
Wikipedia to open up to video
By Jude Garvey
03:10 June 22, 2009 PDT
The Wikimedia Foundation plans to launch an editable, video encyclopedia to complement its text-based online encyclopedia. Since its launch in 2001, Wikipedia has grown at an astounding rate, with about 65 million visits per month and thousands of volunteer contributors writing, adding to and editing thousands of articles every day. In a multimedia age, adding video hopes to take Wikipedia to a new level. 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
Samsung's all-in-one HD video conferencing monitor
By Darren Quick
22:08 June 18, 2009 PDT
Video conferencing offers businesses a way to save time and money on travel expenses while providing that all-important face-to-face communication. Samsung, partnering with RADVISION, has developed the VC240, a new all-in-one solution that integrates all the components required for high definition desktop video conferencing into a single unit. As well as operating as a standalone desktop HD video conferencing device without the need of a PC, it can also be used as a high-resolution monitor. Read More
No PC required: Brando SATA HDD adapter plays media straight out of the box
By Alan Brandon
18:29 June 17, 2009 PDT
If you like your gadgets to be functional but without all that fussy “styling” or aesthetic design, the Brando SATA HDD Multi-Media Player Adapter may be for you. This no-frills adapter is literally a black box device that lets you play media files from a SATA hard disk, SDHC card or USB storage device on your TV – without the need to use a computer. Read More
Opera lovers Unite: the internet just got more close and personal
By Paul Ridden
17:57 June 17, 2009 PDT
Continuing to lead the field in browser innovation, Norwegian internet company Opera has just announced a brand new development that promises to genuinely open up the internet to absolutely everyone. Opera Unite uses a compact web server inside Opera's latest desktop browser that lets you share your content – photos, music, thoughts and the like. Designed to give users more privacy and flexibility by sharing and serving content directly – without the need for third-party servers – Unite also can run chat rooms and host entire websites. The collaborative web experience has well and truly arrived. 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
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
Sony officially announces PSP Go
By Darren Quick
21:58 June 3, 2009 PDT
Sony has confirmed the rumors and officially announced the updated, slimmed down version of its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming console at E3. The new PSP go features a sliding form factor with the ability to play video and music when closed, or transform into a gaming console when the familiar PlayStation controls are revealed. Read More
VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Leonard Grigoryan tests Paul Kinny's Stereo Acoustic Guitar
By Loz Blain
01:43 June 3, 2009 PDT
The regular acoustic guitar is such a familiar and effective shape that it's hard to get past the bizarre looks of Paul Kinny's 'Stereo Acoustic' guitar - but rest assured, it's built that way for a good reason. While standard acoustics have a sound hole that faces forward, projecting the sound to a listening audience, the Stereo Acoustic's two sound holes are pointed directly up at the player. That means that it's an instrument you play for yourself, sitting right inside the sound, enjoying a huge dynamic range and the natural stereo and chorus effects it produces. We took the opportunity to put these unique - and remarkably affordable - acoustics in the hands of classical guitar god Leonard Grigoryan for a video review. Then we locked Lenny in a cage of microphones to take some studio recordings and demonstrate the gorgeous sounds these oddball guitars can produce on tape. Read More
LG's Wi-Fi enabled BD390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player
By Darren Quick
23:36 May 21, 2009 PDT
At CES earlier this year LG signaled its intention to release stablemates for its first entry into the Blu-ray player market, the BD300. Having already delivered the BD370 earlier this year, LG continues to expand its Blu-ray offerings with the BD390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player. The new player includes all the bells and whistles of the BD370 and adds expanded online content, wireless connectivity and 1GB of built-in storage to the mix. 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
KDDI mobile pico projector
By Darren Quick
23:42 May 19, 2009 PDT
If you’re looking to share some of the video or photos stored on your mobile phone with an audience, then the KDDI pico projector could be just the thing for you. Designed to work with the new KDDI iida G9 mobile phone and the upcoming iidda range, the Toshiba manufactured handset uses DLP display technology. It can project a 480x320 image of between six and 63 inches onto a flat surface or wall up to 8.2 feet (2.5m) away. Read More
Samsung customers get their own online movie store
By Darren Quick
23:43 May 18, 2009 PDT
Online movie stores aren’t exactly a dying breed, but now European owners of Samsung phones, laptops and PCs have a movie store to call their own with the launch of Samsung Movies. Powered by European digital movie retailer Acetrax, the new store will allow users to download the latest Hollywood releases and TV shows for viewing on compatible Samsung devices. Read More
Sony X-Series Walkman packs OLED display and noise canceling technology
By Darren Quick
06:00 May 14, 2009 PDT
Sony has set its PMP sights firmly on the iPod Touch with the new X-Series Walkman. Sporting a similar form factor and much of the functionality of its Apple competitor, the X-Series manages to hold its own with the inclusion of an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) touch screen and integrated digital noise canceling technology. Read More
Getting a grip of Samsung's new ergonomic camcorders
By Darren Quick
17:21 May 4, 2009 PDT
The unabated miniaturization of technology has seen camcorders quickly shrink from bulky, shoulder-supported behemoths to tiny feature-packed devices that fit in the palm of your hand. Samsung’s latest SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 camcorders reject the pistol grip design that some manufacturers have embraced in favor of a horizontal body with the same shiny Touch of Color (ToC) finish as the company’s latest TVs. Read More
China launches rival to Blu-ray
By Paul Best
19:23 April 29, 2009 PDT
Chinese electronics manufacturers TCL and Shinco have launched the first generation of players for China’s own newly developed high-definition video format, China Blue High Definition (CBHD), which is set to rival the existing Blu-ray disc (BD) technology and galvanize the local market. While CBHD and BD have features in common – both use a blue-violet laser to read 12cm high-capacity optical discs – the main difference is centered on price. In China, CBHD players are expected to retail for up to 40 percent less than the cost of BD players. Read More
VholdR ContourHD: world first wearable camcorder shoots HD video
21:30 April 27, 2009 PDT
Action camera specialist VholdR looks to have pulled out all stops with its latest offering - the ContourHD Wearable Camcorder. Billed as the world’s first and lightest HD wearable camcorder, the ContourHD shoots widescreen, 1280x720 HD quality video at 30 frames per second, sports a new 135 degrees lens, a new internal microphone and an innovative twin laser shot alignment system, all wrapped in a self-contained, ruggedized package that weighs just 4 ounces. Read More
New LG TVs first consumer electronics device to playback DivX Full HD video
By Paul Best
23:10 April 26, 2009 PDT
The DivX video codec – which uses MPEG-4 compression – has been a popular feature in an enormous range of electronic devices, especially digital televisions, because of its ability to balance high-quality video against a significantly reduced file size. Now, LG Electronics is planning to launch a new line of digital TVs that can play back full DivX HD 1080p videos – the first device series in the world to do so, according to digital media company DivX. Read More
Scarpar's 60kmh all-terrain twin-tracked Powerboard
By Loz Blain
17:02 April 26, 2009 PDT
It's rare that you see a whole new segment open up in personal mobility - and this one looks like an absolute cracker. The Scarpar Powerboard is an off-road powered skateboard capable of taking on pretty much any terrain other than water. An electric or 4-stroke petrol engine powers two articulated tank-style tracks up to a terrifying 60kmh, using a hand control for acceleration and braking. Mud, grass, sand, snow - the Scarpar is capable of driving over just about anything, including rock piles and even fallen logs. Calling venture capitalists - get this thing to market! Read More
Celeste H Calabro
- July 5, 2009 @ 22:20 UTC
