Budding photographers tired of their images looking like a bad guy leir in Batman may want to pick up the Camera Cube to keep their photos balanced and straight.
Based on the same design as a contractor’s construction level, the bubble design enables photographers to precisely align their camera on all three axis’ to create a solidly level image. All your camera needs is a hot shoe flash mount to snap the cube on top of. Then users merely make sure the bubbles are within the leveling lines.
Features include:
• Attaches to any hot shoe • Perfectly level photos, every time • 1″ x 1″ x 1″ cube • Spend less time editing, more time shooting • 3-axis level so you can shoot horizontally or vertically
And while it will help anyone take a straighter image, when composing an image, chances are you’ll lose the composition while looking up to see if the bubbles are within the leveling lines. So the Camera Cube is probably better suited for when photographers are using tripods for those locked down, stable images. And with a tripod’s three adjustable legs, sometimes it helps to have a measurement to be sure that all three legs are evenly adjusted up or down. And the CamCube comes in handy for that as well.
For those of you that are just dying to capture those ultimate moments when you’re out on your bike or any other situation where you’re doing stunts, there is this USB Action Camera. It can be strapped inside a car, onto a bike or even to the top of your helmet (which hopefully you’re wearing). Then you can show off both your awesome and not so awesome moves. You could even use it to capture moments when your friends are doing something particularly stupid.
The small camera has 640 x 480 VGA at 30 frames per second. It has a built-in SD card slot and is expandable up to 2GB. It weighs a total of 80g and is of course a hands-free camera. It will work just fine with most video editing software and will function with both Macs and PCs. You can purchase it for ¥ 9,800.00 or about $103 from Geek Stuff 4 U.
Considering the number of 3D movies in the theaters this summer, as well as those coming this holiday, one can’t help wonder if we are entering into a 3D era that will not end as abruptly as it did in the fifties.
Fujifilm has now announced that they are putting out a camera that can take 3D images. At first I thought that this was a camera that could produce prints that would be 3D, with certain glasses, but apparently, I was wrong.
According to my source, “to view the 3D images, users can put them on a special 3D enabled digital photo frame or print them with a special 3D printing process that needs no glasses to view”.
It can accomplish this wondrous feat using dual lenses that are spaced out just like human eyes. This technology is not cheap, as this 10 Megapixel camera is priced at $600. The digital photo frame for this camera is about $200.
Here’s the real kicker. These three-dimensional prints are at a record $5 each. That’s probably too expensive for the average consumer, but if someone wants a 3-D pic of themselves, this Fujifilm camera could be good as a carnival gag or something.
As I recall, I remember seeing a TV ad in the eighties that featured a camera that could take 3-D images. I don’t remember the company that made it, but it clearly did not catch on. Then again, I seem to remember a barrage of 3D movies back in the early eighties, and that fad quickly died.
Phones are just about all the same thing over and over. Yes, the high end phones have some cool features, but it’s the same type feel. Not many really shake things up and make an attempt to really change things up. This watch could never be defined as classy and it’s definitely not going to have as cool of features as your iPhone, but at least it is a little different from the rest.
No, I’d probably never rush out and purchase one, but you have to appreciate the manufacturers that don’t just release the same thing over and over. This phone has a built in 1.3MP camera along with being able to tell the time. Alright, so it being able to tell the time is a pretty obvious function. It also has an FM radio, Bluetooth, an MP3 player and a 1.3-inch touch screen. You can purchase it for $137.70 from i-Pmart. It does ship clear from China though, so you can expect it to come with some hefty shipping fees.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 ($299.99 direct) continues the trend of widescreen displays elbowing traditional 4:3s aside. After all, the wider 16:9 aspect ratio has become common with laptop screens, monitors, and (of course) HDTVs—shouldn't we be taking pictures in 16:9, too? Luckily, the T90 has more to offer than just widescreen-ready images. Though we wish its battery life and some aspects of its image quality were better, by and large it's still an impressive camera at a compelling price.
The overall build of the T90 is identical to its predecessor, the Cyber-shot DSC-T77). It's a slim camera, measuring 2.38 by 3.75 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighing 5.3 ounces. Most of its features are controlled via its 3-inch touch-screen LCD, but buttons that toggle zoom, power, shooting and playback, and shutter release are physical buttons on the top of the camera. They're all comfortable to use and make shooting a breeze (unlike the Nikon S60, which has the zoom control on the touch screen). The front of the camera has a shield that covers the lens; pull it down to turn power up and back down over the lens to shut down. The lens has 4X optical zoom through a focal length of 6.18–24.7mm (the 35mm equivalent: 35-140mm), with corresponding maximum f-stops at f/3.5 and f/10. View VideoThe LCD on the T90 is much better than the 4:3 one on the less-expensive Cyber-shot w230, which showed a lot of motion blur. Even so, the 16:9 screen on Canon's PowerShot SD960 IS has much richer contrast. For another $50, you can step up to the Sony Cyber-shot T900, which offers a 3.5-inch touch screen with a whopping 921,600 pixels for extremely sharp picture viewing. (The T90's display uses 230,400 pixels.)
The user interface on the T90 is easy to navigate, and the information displayed onscreen never feels cluttered. When you're shooting, most of the options are labeled with icons, but when you click on one, you get a short description of what it does—a good way to learn how to operate the camera.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90For the most part, the T90 is lightning fast. It can power on, focus, and snap a shot in an average of only 2.6 seconds, and it averaged just 1.89 seconds between shots—you can't get any better than that unless you move up to a D-SLR or buy the Casio Exilim EX-FC100, which can shoot 30 6-megapixel shots in one second. The Shooting-Digital.com shutter lag test revealed that the T90 isn't particularly special in this area: It averaged 0.63 second of lag. The Canon SD960 IS averaged almost 0.2 second faster, 0.45 second.
In the photography lab I use the Imatest suite to measure objective image-quality factors. Overall, the T90's images are on par with cameras like the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS and Nikon Coolpix S610c, but not in the same league as the Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR and Canon PowerShot SD990 IS which both deliver extraordinary image quality for point-and-shoots. The T90's noise levels are acceptable up to and including ISO 400, which is good for shooting in well-lit conditions or with the flash.
Imatest results showed the T90 has superb sharpness. A 12.1-megapixel sensor should capture at least 1,800 lines in the center of the image (typically the sharpest area); the T90 captured an average of 2,274 lines, which is excellent. This number shouldn't drop by more than 30 percent toward the edges, and with the T90 it didn't: It captured an average of 1,856 lines—also excellent.
The T90 is held back a bit by a small amount of blooming: In very brightly lit conditions, objects hit with bright light emit what looks like a glow or haze. Blooming softens the image, but the intensity is minor, unlike with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48, which has an extreme case of blooming that completely softens the overall image. The Finepix F200EXR and Canon SD990 IS don't have this issue at all.
A little distortion was visible at both the lens' widest-angle and telephoto positions. At the wider angle, barrel distortion was evident but not horrible; moderate amounts of chromatic aberration (color fringing) were also present. At the telelphoto position, pincushion distortion was evident but not too heavy, and there were insignificant amounts of chromatic aberration here as well.
The T90 is loaded with shooting features, including Face Detection, Smile Shutter, automatic scene selection, and red-eye reduction. In playback mode, you can edit photos with red-eye removal, blur and dim, crop, resize, sharpen, add monochrome around a point, paint, and stamp.
High-definition video recorded by the T90 looks terrific, but at times is also afflicted with blooming in bright environments. Video is captured as MP4 files at 1280-by-720 pixels, at 30 progressive frames per second (720p30). The T90 allows for optical zooming while recording video, which is also nice. Audio captured in the video sounds good when you play it back on a computer, but the playback speaker on the camera itself is extremely quiet.
Connectivity on the T90 is a serious problem. There's only one output for everything: a "multi-use connector." The camera comes with a special "multi-connector-cable" that plugs into this output and turns it into USB and composite video for your TV. (You can purchase a component HD cable, as well.) If you lose or forget this "multi-connector-cable," you're in "multi-trouble."
While I don't conduct an official battery rundown test, it's safe to say that most point-and-shoots can last an entire week of testing on a single charge. This camera, however, could not. Every Sony touch-screen camera I've ever tested had dismal battery life, and the T90 was no different; it required multiple charges during my week of testing.
All told, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 is a well-rounded choice. It's a good performer in terms of image quality, speed, ease of use, and build—and its 16:9 LCD provides well-above-par experience in both shooting and playback modes.
The little gold coloured chip pictured here is actually the worlds most sensitive camera that is capable of capturing planets orbiting distant stars.
The camera is made here in the UK and is named the OCam CCD200. The sensor is to be used in VLT’s (very large telescopes) and will capture images at a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels… yes, you heard me correctly… 240 x 240 pixels which makes it 1/20th of a megapixel. But, the reason for this is that it will shoot 1500 images per second which makes it extremely sensitive that allows it to capture planets orbiting planets of nearby stars.
This breakthrough camera is without an equivalent anywhere in the world,” says Norbert Hubin, head of the Adaptive Optics for ESO space agency. “The camera will enable great leaps forward in many areas of the study of the universe.”
The camera is the fastest and also very sensitive which means that pictures captured have around ten times less digital noise then the current VLT sensors. I can’t wait to see pictures captured using the OCam.
It would be tough to find a superzoom camera with more features than Canon's 10-megapixel PowerShot SX1 IS ($599.99 list), which offers terrific image quality, a powerful 20X optical zoom, and the ability to capture (and easily export) full HD video. The user interface is fast and straightforward, and you also get some manual controls. Sony's $499 Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 looks as if it will be a serious (and more affordable) contender in this category, but the SX1 is an excellent choice for those looking for an easy-to-use superzoom camera.
For its size, the SX1 is pretty light. It weighs only 1.29 pounds—including its whopping 20X optical zoom lens, which has a focal range of 5 to 100mm (35mm equivalent: 28 to 560mm) and maximum f-stops of f/2.8 and f/5.7. (A chunkier Canon D-SLR, such as the EOS Rebel XSi, can weigh 1 pound without a lens.) But the SX1's 2.8-inch LCD screen is a mixed bag: Its 16:9 aspect ratio is great for properly framing shots to fill widescreen displays, but it shows images with black bars to the left and right if you shoot in the more traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. This reduces the LCD's active width to 2.25 inches, downright tiny for a camera of this size and caliber. The 4:3 screens on the less-expensive Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 and ($399) are 3 inches, dwarfing the SX1's LCD, and the cameras sport impressive 20X and 24X optical zoom lenses, respectively.
The SX1 offers an auto mode, face detection, and a number of scene modes, as well as fantastic manual controls. A scroll wheel to the right of the LCD allows for quick changes to the shutter speed or f-stops. The controls and interface are identical to those of the Canon PowerShot SD990 IS: comfortable, large when they should be (shutter release, zoom trigger, scroll wheel), and easily accessible to all of your fingers. I was less impressed with the electronic viewfinder (EVF). This tiny LCD, mounted where the optical viewfinder usually is, may be a good alternative to an optical viewfinder on a point-and-shooter, but it's nowhere near the quality of a D-SLR's viewfinder. It's as if you're looking through a VR headset instead of binoculars. And you can't look at it for too long—motion blur on the LCD screen soon becomes wearying.
The camera uses a CMOS image sensor (usually found in more expensive D-SLR cameras, like the Rebel XSi) as opposed to a CCD sensor (typically found in point-and-shoot models). Running the SX1 through our photography lab and real-world testing showed that its CMOS sensor did not help the SX1 deliver SLR-level image quality: This camera is basically a very solid point-and-shooter, producing great shots in good light but noisy ones in low-light situations.
About as fast as a point-and-shoot camera can get, the SX1 was able to turn on and snap off a shot in an average of 1.9 seconds; between shots you have to wait only an average of 1.5 seconds. The Shooting-Digital.com shutter lag test showed that the SX1 averaged a mere 0.43 second of shutter lag. If you want faster operation, you have to step up to a D-SLR.
In our photography lab, I use the Imatest testing suite to measure image quality objectively. Since the SX1's lens has such a long focal length, different areas of the lens deliver varying results. In the positions I tested, results were excellent: The center of the images averaged 2,152 lines per picture height, which means photos will be sharp. (For comparison's sake, the 10MP Fuji FinePix z200FD averaged only 1,439 lines, for a much softer image.) In some lens positions, the outer regions of the lens captured an average of 1,700 lines, because of distortion and color fringing (which is to be expected from cameras with extreme optical zoom). Other portions dropped as low as 1,200 lines, which is still acceptable for a superzoom camera.
But you shouldn't expect D-SLR performance from the SX1, especially when it comes to image noise. When shooting at ISO 1600, which is used for capturing images in low light, the SX1 performed well for a point-and-shooter, but the Canon EOS Rebel XSi delivers only 47 percent of the noise the SX1 does. On my tests there was also some chromatic aberration, which suggests that color fringing could be visible in images. My time with the SX1 outside the lab supported Imatest's results. Images looked crisp (and I was able to get extremely close to my subjects thanks to the long lens), but the high-contrast areas of corners had slightly noticeable color fringing.
HD video recordings look and sound terrific. The camera captures at up to 1,920-by-1,080 resolution at 30 progressive frames per second, and you can even capture still images while you're shooting video. Video is captured as MOV files, which can easily be dragged, dropped, and played on any PC or Mac. Mounted on the side of the camera is an HDMI port, which makes it a breeze to connect the camera to your HDTV for video and audio playback. Unfortunately, the HDMI port does not support "Consumer Electronic Control," a clever new feature that allows your HDTV's remote to control other HDMI-equipped devices.
Unlike many digital cameras, the SX1 is powered by four AA alkaline batteries. Personally, I'd rather have one rechargeable battery, but being able to stock multiple spares in a camera bag can be a nice thing. Canon claims a fresh set of batteries should yield approximately 160 shots, but keep in mind that HD video recording requires a considerable amount of power, so if you're shooting a lot of video, be sure to have those spares on hand.
The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is a solid choice if you're looking to upgrade from a pocket point-and-shooter to a camera with extreme optical zoom, HD video capture, and quick performance. If you want a higher level of image quality and more speed, you'll have to move up to a D-SLR, like the Nikon D5000 or the Canon Rebel T1i, both of which capture HD video. But if all you want is an easy-to-use camera that gets you closer to the action than your typical shooter can, the SX1 could be it—if you can afford the $600 price.
The results are in and it's finally time to unveil this year's winners. From May to September you voted in your thousands to crown the winners of the biggest gadget awards of 2008, the Garmin T3 gadget awards!
Gadget of the Year: Apple iPod Touch 32GB Best Music Gadget: Apple iPod Touch 32GB
It isn’t the first time Hitachi has sent shockwaves in the video industry, but it’s certainly the first time anyone has bothered to cut the cord between camera and receiver. Demonstrating a prototype at CEDIA this week, Hitachi executives showcased the means by which the camera, dubbed the WOOO, can stream HD video to a TV display completely wirelessly. The Wooo was able to AVCHD video and stread it across a standard IEEE802.11g module using SSDIO. The TV was able to receive it thanks to a wireless receiver plugged into it and acting as an access point. A few things have to be worked out, however.
Chief of which, is that the camera has to use two separate servers to stream live and recorded video. Live Video uses the Hitachi IPTV server feature to deliver the signals to the HDTV, but has to then switch to Hitachi’s DLNA server for streaming prerecorded video. No big deal, as long as it works. But twice as much of anything tends to mean confusion or, breakage. And that translates to being expensive. The concept is proven as sound, which means it’s only a matter of time before we finally get the ability to simply hit play and place the camera on top of the TV without dealing with crawling behind the TV to connect the cords.
There's no question that cell phones are the Mother of All Convergence Devices. In the past 10 years, bland, single-purpose cell phones have assimilated digital cameras, media players, PDAs, GPS devices, camcorders and much more. This is a welcome trend. Convergence means we get to carry these toys everywhere we go -- without filling our pockets, wearing a Batman utility belt or lashing a dorky fanny pack to our midsections. Cell phones are great for convergence because we always carry our phones. Stand-alone digital cameras, Global Positioning System devices and others might be left at home most of the time, but anything built into the camera goes everywhere. But phones aren't the only objects carried everywhere. Sunglasses, wristwatches and pens go, too -- and that's why they're getting the convergence treatment. Suddenly, a new generation of these gadgets is shaking up the gizmosphere.
Here's what's new:
MP3 camera sunglasses
Music-playing sunglasses have been around for a while, and the newest versions from Oakley Inc. offer integrated MP3 electronics and Bluetooth connectivity to your existing player. A huge number of copycat music-playing sunglasses have emerged as well. One particularly nice alternative to Oakley, from iSonic, plays MP3s and also lets you record voice notes.
Secret spy sunglasses designed to record pictures or video are also nothing new and are usually available at very high prices from shady spy shops and online catalogs. Spy sunglasses typically have the lens hidden in the frame with a wire that leads to a pocket where the actual camera is concealed.
New sunglasses take all this to a new level.
Camcorder Spy Sunglasses bring the spy-camera concept in from the cold. Cables are unnecessary because all camera electronics are built directly into the frame.
I think it's a great way to carry a regular camera all the time, but it's a lousy "spy" camera. It doesn't look like a regular pair of sunglasses. And it doesn't have a hidden or wireless shutter button -- you have to reach up and click the button in order to take a picture.
The built-in camera/camcorder features a 1.3-megapixel camera with 2GB storage built in, plus a microSD slot for additional storage. It connects to your PC via USB. The glasses cost $186.
Another product called Aigo Camera Sunglasses takes eyewear to a new extreme by combining both the Oakley MP3 concept with the built-it-all-into-the-frame idea. These glasses do it all, and without external wires. (There is a wireless remote for snapping pictures.) You can buy them from Brando Workshop for $165.
Cell-phone-enhancing watches with style Camera, MP3 and even cell-phone wristwatches have been around for a long time. Some of these can be pretty extreme. But they also tend to be extremely ugly and bulky.
But one company makes watches that actually look good enough to wear for business meetings or going out at night. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB makes several lines of wristwatches that control functions on your cell phone via Bluetooth. These watches alert you to calls with watch vibration, and they show caller ID. They let you answer or mute calls, control music on your cell phone, or get Short Messaging Service alerts -- all without taking the phone out of your briefcase, purse or pocket. Sony Ericsson has been selling two stylish lines of men's Bluetooth watches, the MBW-100 and MBW-150, for some time. This week, the company rolled out a new line for women, which does the same things the men's watches do. The MBW-200 comes in three styles: "Sparkling Allure," "Contemporary Elegance" and "Evening Classic." Truth be told, I never thought I'd used the words "sparkling allure" on Computerworld.com, but these watches are designed to look like regular, fashionable watches, setting them apart from the hundreds of clunky, MBW-100geeky microchip-enhanced wristwatches on the market. The MBW-200 will become available next month at as-yet-unannounced prices.
Audio, ink and digital pen
Digital pens have been around for years. Some of them are simple digital voice recorders, enabling you to record voice notes or entire meetings. Another major kind of digital pen is much more sophisticated. Digital ink pens track the movement of the pen itself to capture what's written. The most compelling general-purpose and newish product combines both of these capabilities, then tosses in a pinch of synergy to do something no other electronic pen does. The Livescribe Pulse digital pen lets you hit the "record" button to tape audio -- say a university lecture or business meeting -- and use the pen to take real notes on paper with actual ink and digital ink, all at the same time. The magic is that the audio and notes are synchronized. All you have to do is tap part of your notes, and the pen will replay the audio recorded while you were writing what you tapped on. The pen itself is a marvel of miniaturized electronic intelligence. And you have to use special note paper, which has sound-control buttons printed on the bottom (play, pause, forward, reverse, etc.) that actually work when you click on them with the pen. Once you've imported everything onto your PC (Mac is not supported), you can search the audio file by searching for keywords or phrases you scribbled in your notes. The Livescribe Pulse digital pen costs $150 or $200, depending on storage capacity.
So move over, cell phone. You're not the only gadget carried everywhere. A new generation of intelligent sunglasses, wristwatches and pens provides incredible new functionality, and they're ready to go everywhere.
Sony has introduced the first high-definition camcorder with both Smile Shutter and face detection technologies. The HDR-CX12 Memory Stick Handycam camcorder is capable of recording full 1920 x 1080 HD video and 10-megapixel photos on Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo media and any Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) media cards. Using the Smile Shutter technology users can capture smiling photos and record video at the same time. When activated, the technology will detect and automatically take a photo when the subject smiles - without having to switch to photo mode or press the photo button. It also features child and adult prioritization so one can capture photos when the intended subject group smiles. The camcorder can even detect and capture a smile while in standby mode - just aim the camcorder and capture smiling moments. "Advanced technologies such as 'smile shutter' make memory capture automatic so you can relax and enjoy the moment at hand," said Kelly Davis, director of camcorder marketing at Sony Electronics. "Leveraging these key technologies across multiple product lines is another example of Sony's commitment to anticipate consumer needs by making video capture more seamless, easy and fun." In addition to face detection technology, the camcorder is packed with features such as ClearVid CMOS sensor with Exmor-derived technology for video detail and clarity, a BIONZ imaging processor, an advanced Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 12x optical zoom lens and Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization for smooth video and clear photos. The model has a 2.7-inch LCD Plus screen, Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound recording and a built-in zoom microphone. It has an assignable dial that can be customized to manually control focus, brightness and white balance. The camcorder will ship with a supplied 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) media card, along with a handy-cam Station cradle for DVD creation with its One Touch Disc Burn button. Also bundled is Picture Motion Browser software to easily view, organize and store video and photos on a compatible PC. The HDR-CX12 camcorder will be in stores early August for about $900.
The Sony CyberShot DSC-H10 high-zoom digital camera is now available in India. According to Sony, this camera is an ideal choice for those who find it difficult to capture close-ups from a distance. This 8 mega pixels camera is loaded with a powerful Carl Zeiss 10x optical zoom lens and long-range flash. The DSC-H10 has a face detection technology helping it identify and focus up to 8 faces in a single frame and also adjusts focus for the right exposure. Its sports shooting mode quickly focuses on fast-moving subjects. The camera with the combined feature of high shutter speed and continuous auto-focusing is able to take fast-action shots and ultimately reduce the shutter lag. If you have a problem while shooting in high-contrast or back-lit scenarios, this may be an option for you. The camera is able of capturing balanced images in such conditions with its D-Range Optimizer (DRO). Through its in-camera hardware processing, this technology also modifies the range from highlights to shadows, the result being more natural and evenly exposed images. With the camera's built-in slideshow function, users can create slideshows set to varied music options. Besides, a full 1080 high definition resolution helps connect the camera to a compatible HDTV set. This new camera from Sony is priced at Rs 15,990. It comes with accessories such as wide and telephoto conversion lenses, filters, batteries, travel chargers, sports packs and cases.
Panasonic recently announced the Lumix DMC-FX500 - the company’s first digital camera with a 3-inch touch-screen LCD – also featuring a 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens, 5x optical zoom and 10.1 megapixels. Panasonic recently announced the Lumix DMC-FX500 — the company’s first digital camera with a 3-inch touch-screen LCD – also featuring a 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens, 5x optical zoom and 10.1 megapixels. The FX500 features a dual control system using touch-screen and joystick operation, the ability to record high definition (HD) video and advanced intelligent auto (iAuto) technologies. "With the FX500’s touch-screen operation, we are giving our consumers a new interface that we think will prove extremely intuitive during playback, photo organization and of course – helping to take high-quality photos," said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "The FX500 represents a new flagship model for Panasonic, as we add brand-new capabilities to our already popular, slim and stylish FX-Series of LUMIX digital cameras and we introduce another model that features a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens." Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode is an advanced system of technologies that engage automatically, so the user does not have to change any settings. Maximizing the iA mode, users can go a step further and easily set auto focus and exposure by simply touching the screen. The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX500 will be available in black and silver models for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399.95 in the US by May 2008.
Budding photographers tired of their images looking like a bad guy leir in Batman may want to pick up the Camera Cube to keep their photos balanced and straight. 
