Google Glass to to bring camera tech to your eyes

<div class="ex"><p align="center"><img alt="Google Glass to to bring camera tech to your eyes" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/glass_photos.jpeg"></p><p>Google Glass has been spotted in the wild once more, this time on the Charlie Rose Show in the US.</p><p>The augmented reality glasses system sounded like a pipe dream when it was first shown off by Google but this is the second time an employee has worn them in public.</p><p>There were some new features shown off in the interview, including some picture-taking functionality.</p><p>This time the wearer was Sebastian Thrun from Google X, the cooler and better name for what was Google Labs.</p><p>On the show, he apparently took a picture of the titular host with the Google Glass system and posted it straight from the device.</p><h4>Through the looking glass</h4><p>There’s been no word on the full functionality for Google Glass, but having a camera built into the device is key to how the glasses will work – given they will be using augmented reality tech.</p><p>According to Thorn, you will also be able to compose emails by talking to the glasses and have incoming messages pop up while you are wearing them.</p><p>The glasses are also thought to sit higher up on the face than a normal pair would but this is so your normal vision isn’t impeded. </p><p>There’s no Google Glass release date but it may well be sooner rather than later, given most people in Google land are seemingly giving them a go.<a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/132733309509/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/1ecbb279/kg/315/a2.htm"><img border="0" src=""></a><img border="0" height="1/" src="" width="1"><img height="1/" src="" width="1"> </p><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/techradar/allnews/%7E3/mcVhz6VozHw/story01.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></p><p><!--END--></p><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="snap_nopreview sharing robots-nocontent"><ul><li class="sharing_label">Want to share?:</li><li class="share-email share-regular share-service-visible"><a class="share-email share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/google-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes/?share=email&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to email this to a friend">Email</a></li><li class="share-print share-regular"><a class="share-print share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/google-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes/#print" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to print">Print</a></li><li class="share-digg share-regular"><a class="share-digg share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/google-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes/?share=digg&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to Digg this post">Digg</a></li><li class="share-facebook share-regular"><a class="share-facebook share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/google-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes/?share=facebook&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share on Facebook">Facebook</a></li><li class="share-reddit share-regular"><a class="share-reddit share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/google-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes/?share=reddit&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Reddit">Reddit</a></li><li class="share-stumbleupon share-regular"><a class="share-stumbleupon share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/google-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes/?share=stumbleupon&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to share on StumbleUpon">StumbleUpon</a></li><li class="share-twitter share-regular"><div class="twitter_button"><iframe allowtransparency="true" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new-technology-news.net%2Fgoogle-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes%2F&counturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new-technology-news.net%2Fgoogle-glass-to-to-bring-camera-tech-to-your-eyes%2F&count=horizontal&text=Google%20Glass%20to%20to%20bring%20camera%20tech%20to%20your%20eyes:%20" style="width: 97px; height: 20px;" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></li><li class="share-end"></li></ul><div class="sharing-clear"></div></div></div>

Google Glass to to bring camera tech to your eyes

Google Glass has been spotted in the wild once more, this time on the Charlie Rose Show in the US. The augmented reality glasses system soun...

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Hands on: Motorola Atrix 2 review

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Hands on: Motorola Atrix 2 review" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_01-470-90.JPG" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_01-470-90.JPG" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> <h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;"> Hands on: Motorola Atrix 2 review</h3> The original Motorola Atrix smartphone was a powerful device that doubled as a pseudo laptop or AV centre - you could connect it to an HDTV in your living room or the LCD on your desk and run a Linux variant with full keyboard and mouse.<br /> The Atrix 2 adds a few twists, and is a powerful phone that falls in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy S2.<br /> One of those new twists is an 8-megapixel camera, now becoming standard on the hottest Android models. We decided to put this upgraded camera through some serious tests, knowing it is the one major improvement to the original Atrix phone, which had a 5MP camera.<br /> <img alt="Motorola atrix 2 review" data-mce-src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_01-420-90.JPG" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_01-420-90.JPG" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> First, an overview of the new model. The Atrix 2 matches up with the specs of the original Atrix - which we're a little disappointed in to be honest, as we'd have liked to see more of an upgrade.<br /> Both phones have a 1GHz dual-core processor, something that Motorola makes well-known when the phone first boots with a striking splash screen that announces the dual-core chip.<br /> Most phones now offer this capability, which handles some processing tasks faster because both cores can simultaneously handle OS requests (say, keep downloading an app while firing up the browser).<br /> <img alt="Motorola atrix 2 review" data-mce-src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_05-420-90.JPG" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_05-420-90.JPG" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> Both phones use Android, although the Atrix 2 now comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. That means more accurate text input, and we found the Atrix 2 did allow us to copy and paste text more easily. Thankfully, the Android 2.3 release also lets you select which camera you want to use (front or rear, something oddly missing from the original handset).<br /> The Atrix 2 has 8GB of internal memory. The back cover, which is very easy to remove, reveals a slot for a microSD card - ours came with a 2GB card but you can boost that up to a maximum of 32GB. Like the Atrix, the Atrix 2 comes with 1GB of RAM.<br /> <img alt="Motorola atrix 2 review" data-mce-src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_09-420-90.JPG" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_09-420-90.JPG" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> The 4.3-inch screen on the Atrix 2 is also a bump up from the Atrix's 4-inch screen. While both phones pumped out an impressive 960x540 pixel resolution, or exactly one quarter the full 1080p resolution on an HDTV, the Atrix 2 does not use the enhanced Pentile subpixel technology that (supposedly) makes photos and videos look a bit sharper. In reality, both phone screens look about the same.<br /> Another similarity: both the Atrix and Atrix 2 use the AT&T HSPA+ network in the US for "4G light" connectivity of up to about 21Mbps, which tends to run much lower than that. In our tests, the Atrix 2 connected at only about 6Mbps on average over several days of broadband speedtests.<br /> Both phones offer a front-facing camera, and we'll explore how well that performs in our full Atrix 2 review that includes several Google Talk sessions between two Android phones.<br /> <img alt="Motorola atrix 2 review" data-mce-src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_04-420-90.JPG" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Hands%20on%20pictures/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix%202/Motorola_Atrix_2_04-420-90.JPG" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> There are a boatload of accessories for this phone - almost too many to count. There's a dock you can use to charge the device and connect it to an HDTV or LCD screen. There are car mounts to use the device as your primary GPS.<br /> And there are countless battery chargers, extra cables, and even a full laptop dock with a keyboard and screen, now newly re-designed for the Atrix 2.<br /> <img alt="Motorola atrix 2 review" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ead05a736420-100.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ead05a736420-100.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> Suffice it to say, the Atris 2 is not a major upgrade from the original. In fact, there is one downgrade. The original Atrix provided a security feature where you place your finger on the screen to unlock the phone that's been removed for the launch of the Atrix 2.<br /> The most critical finding we had, though, is that the Atrix 2 does not really fulfill the promise of the Atrix when Motorola announced the device at CES in the beginning of this year. Namely, that it would be a webtop device you can use with a laptop dock or with any HDTV or LCD.<br /> We really wanted that to work out - a smartphone that's powerful enough to be your mobile device and store all of your data, providing a webtop experience for office and home computing? Sign us up.<br /> <img alt="Motorola atrix 2 review" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/77010accc120-100.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/77010accc120-100.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> But the reality is that the Atrix 2 is still not fast enough for that to work. The webtop still runs too slow for anything but basic web browsing or checking your email and scanning though photos. There's a strange pause when you move the mouse or type on a keyboard that's a hold-over form the Atrix - we'd have expected Motorola to sort this out for the new release.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> <strong>Atrix 2 camera</strong></h4> About the new 8MP camera: it's astoundingly good. We complain frequently about the poor imaging quality of tablet cameras, but the Atrix 2 camera is better than what you'll find in many pocket digital cameras.<br /> You can shoot widescreen photos in 6MP or normal-ratio 8MP shots. With the camcorder setting, you can shoot full 1080p videos. Check out the samples for how crisp and smooth these look.<br /> YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHTfkMAV_I0&hd=1<br /> <img alt="Atrix 2 camera" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/9ddf51eff220-100.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/9ddf51eff220-100.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> <img alt="Atrix 2 camera" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bd59dd590b20-100.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bd59dd590b20-100.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> <img alt="Atrix 2 camera" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c1edfac98a20-100.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/c1edfac98a20-100.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="420" /><br /> The Atrix 2 is one of the best Android phones around, but is it the best? We still want to run some speed tests and compare the photos and videos with several other models, including the Samsung S2, which you'll see in the full Motorola Atrix 2 review.<br /> There is a rumbling on the horizon, and it is the sound of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, a 1.2GHz phone that will come with a near-field communication chip for easier purchases at retail. That phone will ship with the newly improved Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich release with a smart looking UI.<br /> What's really missing from the Atrix 2, though, at least for US buyers is LTE. This faster 4G standard runs at a real-world speed of about 12Mbps - it takes minutes to download a full Hollywood movie on the fly. That's one killer.<br /> The other is the screen. We like the Atrix 2's TFT screen, as it's bright and clear, but the Atrix loses in a side-by-side comparison to the Samsung Epic 4G Touch and S2 with their AMOLED screens. Those detriments put the Atrix 2 a few paces behind the leading Android models.<br /> Yet, the Atrix 2 is a price leader. It costs just $99 with a two-year contract. The webtop connection, 8MP camera, and optional accessories make it one of the top Android phones around - although we can't help but think users will be swayed by the much more aesthetically-pleasing Motorola Razr.<br /> </div>

Hands on: Motorola Atrix 2 review

Hands on: Motorola Atrix 2 review The original Motorola Atrix smartphone was a powerful device that doubled as a pseudo laptop or AV ce...

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Updated: Canon rumours: what you need to know

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /> <img alt="Updated: Canon rumours: what you need to know" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4a02463e15470-75.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4a02463e15470-75.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> It seems like barely a day goes by without a new Canon rumour.<br /> Here on this continually updated Canon rumours page, you'll find the latest news and information on what camera is likely to be announced next.<br /> Got any hot tips? Let us know via our Twitter feed or via email.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Canon 5D Mark III/Canon 6D rumours</h4> The 5D Mark II is more than two years old and is in need of a refresh. The APS-C format EOS 7D puts some aspects of the full frame 5D Mark II in the shade, so it's likely that any successor will take the best from the 7D and implement it into a 5D Mark III or 6D body.<br /> See our full Canon EOS 5D Mark III / 6D rumours page for everything you need to know about any impending release.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IV rumours</h4> <strong>Update October 2011:</strong> It's here! Canon merged both the 1Ds and 1D lines to bring us the Canon EOS 1DX. Aimed at professionals, the camera will be available to buy from March next year. Read our first impressions of the new camera.<br /> It's one of the most hotly anticipated cameras, but it seems as if Canon is determined to keep us waiting for the 1Ds Mark IV.<br /> A flurry of rumours regarding the anticipated specifications of the camera has been circling for some time, but as yet nothing concrete has emerged.<br /> The 1Ds Mark III has proven difficult to buy in recent times, which led some to believe that a Mark IV release was imminent.<br /> See our full Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IV rumours page for everything you need to know, including specs, price and anticipated release date.<br /> <h4 style="font-size: 1em;"> Canon mirrorless rumours</h4> Now that Nikon has finally revealed its version of a compact system camera, it seems likely that Canon will also join the party at any given moment.<br /> However, unlike in the weeks leading up to the Nikon release, we haven't seen much in the way of credible rumours. That said, when Canon recently upgraded the Powershot S95 to the S100, a G12 upgrade failed to materialise, perhaps suggesting that a compact system camera may fill the void.<br /> <img alt="" border="0" data-mce-src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/116916520660/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19867ec7/kg/253-264/a2.img" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/116916520660/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/19867ec7/kg/253-264/a2.img" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" /><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/p1cdxWpeoGM" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/p1cdxWpeoGM" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="1" /><br /> </div>

Updated: Canon rumours: what you need to know

It seems like barely a day goes by without a new Canon rumour. Here on this continually updated Canon rumours page, you'll find the ...

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The New HD HERO2 Camera Has Been Announced By GoPro

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://blog.krama.tv/images/2011/10/hero2-wifi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hero2 wifi GoPro launches HD HERO2 wide angle lens camera" border="0" height="271" src="http://blog.krama.tv/images/2011/10/hero2-wifi.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f8f8f4; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(230, 230, 230); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(230, 230, 230); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(230, 230, 230); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(230, 230, 230); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="GoPro launches HD HERO2 wide angle lens camera" width="368"></a></div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br></span><br> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Twice as powerful as GoPro’s original HD HERO camera, the HD HERO2 enables consumers and professionals to capture and broadcast their lives most exciting moments in professional quality 1080p HD video and 11 megapixel photos. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The new HD HERO2 is now available.</strong></span><br> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;"><b></b></span></span><br> </div>

The New HD HERO2 Camera Has Been Announced By GoPro

Twice as powerful as GoPro’s original HD HERO camera, the HD HERO2 enables consumers and professionals to capture and broadcast their li...

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iPhone camera improvements documented

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="iPhone camera improvements documented" class="aligncenter" height="208" mce_src="http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3228/iphonecameraimprovement.jpg" src="http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/3228/iphonecameraimprovement.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="282" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The creator of the Camera+ app for iPhone has put together an interesting collage showcasing the vast improvements Apple has made to the device's camera since its inception in 2007.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Lisa Bettany used all five iPhone models to take the same picture and produce the startling comparison you can see on the right (click to enlarge).</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The original iPhone's primitive 2-megapixel snapper was largely derided and considered the phone's weak spot, during a time where huge focus was placed on the quality of a handset's camera.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The device steadily improved from 3-megapixels, to 5-megapixels, with the iPhone 4S serving up an 8-megapixel sensor and dramatically improved lens technology.</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> 'Outshines best compacts'</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> On the Camera+ website Bettany says that the new iPhone 4S even beats many of the high-end compact cameras on the market.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> She says: "The iPhone 4S is dramatically clearer and sharper than previous iPhone versions. Using separate focus and exposure in Camera+ on the iPhone 4 & 4S significantly helped create a more balanced exposure.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> "While it's not nearing the same quality as a professional level dSLR, it is comparable to a top of the line compact camera and even outshines it in some ways."</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Check out the Camera+ post to see the comparison in full, featuring all five iPhone models as well as the Canon S95 compact camera.</div> </div> </div>

iPhone camera improvements documented

The creator of the Camera+ app for iPhone has put together an interesting collage showcasing the vast improvements Apple has made to t...

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Opinion: Will the iPhone 4S camera kill off compacts?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="Opinion: Will the iPhone 4S camera kill off compacts?" class="aligncenter" height="211" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/events/iPhone-2011/iPhone%204S/iphone_4s_photo-470-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/events/iPhone-2011/iPhone%204S/iphone_4s_photo-470-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="282" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> As the world went into frenzy last night over the newly launched iPhone, which rather disappointingly turned out to be the iPhone 4S and not the much longed for iPhone 5.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> However, there was one improvement that caught our attention. The improved onboard camera now boasts an 8 megapixel sensor, up from the 5 megapixels on the 4 along with an f/2.4 aperture lens for improved low light shooting. An advanced hybrid infrared filter has also been included, promising to boast more accurate and uniform colours.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The new iPhone 4s is powered by the new A5 chip and iOS 5. Apple claims that the image signal processor in the A5 chip is "just as good as the ones found in in DSLR cameras" and gives you the ability to tap to focus and control focus. Apple also claims that there's zero shutter lag, allowing you to catch action as it happens. To help further with that, the camera app will be accessible straight from the lock screen.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> New advanced algorithms in iOS 5 claim to offer better colour accuracy, better white balance and greater dynamic range.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> On top of all that, it also boasts new face detection which automatically detects whether you're shooting a portrait or a group shot, focusing on the most prominent face in the frame and balancing exposure for up to 10 faces.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Bringing over the LED flash from the iPhone 4, which automatically kicks into action when needed, the iPhone 4S would seem to offer everything that most budget compact cameras currently do.</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Time to leave the compact at home?</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> They say that the best camera is the one you have with you, and of course, everyone always has their mobile phone to hand. As the cameras on board mobiles get better and better, it becomes less appealing to bring along an additional gadget to take up valuable pocketspace.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Taking a glimpse at the sample photos posted by Apple appears to show some incredible results. Particularly impressive is the depth of field capabilities that the f/2.8 lens brings.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> In the pictures, colours light bright and rich with accurate white balance. During the launch event, we were able to steal a sneaky shot.</div> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="iPhone 4s picture" class="aligncenter" height="315" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/events/iPhone-2011/iPhone%204S/iphone_4s_photo-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/events/iPhone-2011/iPhone%204S/iphone_4s_photo-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> If you enlarge the picture to the high-res version you can see that the camera has coped well in the mixed low light conditions of Apple's Covent Garden store. Although the picture itself is rushed, results look very promising at this stage and we'll be keen to test out the camera more as soon as possible.</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Limitations</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> As compact camera manufacturers try to cram their latest offerings full of appealing features, including touchscreens, GPS tracking and digital filters, it's worth remembering that beyond everyday shooting, the iPhone 4S camera still does have its limitations.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Firstly, optical zoom. Even the most basic of digital compact cameras offers 3x or 4x optical zoom, with some, such as the newly revealed Nikon Coolpix S8200 brandishing 14x optical zooms. The iPhone 4S however, offers only digital zoom, which is limited in terms of producing the best optical quality.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Although the iPhone 4S is packed with the LED flash, which should work well for close up subjects, it won't work as well for other situations where the subject is further away. This is where the standard electronic flashtubes in most digital compacts still have the edge.</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Other camera phones</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Of course, the iPhone 4S isn't the only phone to be packing a serious camera punch. Although the iPhone's new camera specifications are impressive, it is really only playing catch-up with other mobile phone manufacturers in the market who have already introduced excellent cameras.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> It is however, the only camera phone to cause a frenzy whenever a new model is released, as proved by the hits to TechRadar during the launch announcement.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> If you're willing to forego the craze and are after a phone with excellent shooting credentials, two models you might want to consider are the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S, which boasts an EXMOR R sensor.</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Conclusion</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> So is the compact camera market in trouble? It's a bit of a cop out, admittedly, but the answer is both yes and no.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> We find it unlikely that anyone who owns the new iPhone 4S (or any other decently specced camera phone) will find it in themselves to lug around a budget compact on a day to day basis. It is this area of the market that has the potential to see most losses.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> However, in terms of image quality, the iPhone 4S is unlikely to be able to compete with some of the premium compacts on the market, such as the new Canon Powershot S100 which has the ability to shoot in RAW, features a 5x optical zoom and a maximum aperture of f/2.0.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> It will be interesting to see how the budget end of the compact market responds to the increasing capabilities of phone cameras, so watch this space.</div> </div> </div>

Opinion: Will the iPhone 4S camera kill off compacts?

As the world went into frenzy last night over the newly launched iPhone, which rather disappointingly turned out to be the iPhone 4S a...

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Fujifilm to launch mirrorless system camera

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="Fujifilm to launch mirrorless system camera" class="aligncenter" height="188" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Fuji%20X100/Fuji%20X100%20review%20samples%20-%20main-218-85-470-75.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Fuji%20X100/Fuji%20X100%20review%20samples%20-%20main-218-85-470-75.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="282" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Fujifilm has announced that it will release a mirrorless system camera into the market in Spring 2012, but declined to reveal any further specs.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo, president and chief executive officer of Fujifilm Shigetaka Komori revealed that the company would launch the new camera next year, stating, "The clear objective is the development of lenses, sensor and processor technology to achieve the highest image quality."</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The company declined to offer any detailed comments on technical specifications or the price of the new camera, saying only that all will be revealed shortly before the camera is launched.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Fujifilm has recently enjoyed success with the retro-styled premium compact Fujifilm X100, which features an APS-C sized sensor along with a fixed-length f/2 lens.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The news comes after reports earlier in the year that Fuji would be launching new cameras by the autumn. We've already seen the X10, launched back in August, but we've heard nothing about a mirrorless system until now.</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Sensor size</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Earlier reports suggested that a Micro Four Thirds sensor would be likely, along with a new range of Fujinon lenses. This would have put the new camera in the same range as the Olympus PEN and Panasonic G series cameras, meaning that lenses could potentially be interchangeable between all three systems.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Speaking to Reuters earlier in the year, Fujifilm stated that they were looking to become the third biggest camera manufacturer in the world, hoping that a re-emergence in the interchangeable lens market would help them achieve this.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Later in the presentation, Mr Komori said that the camera will have "low noise and will surpass the 35mm full-size sensor".</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> A spokesperson for Fuji confirmed to TechRadar that an "interchangeable mirrorless system camera" was in development, but could not give any clearer details. Interestingly, Fujifilm is not using the term "compact system", perhaps hinting at a larger camera, with a larger sensor inside.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> At present, the Leica M9 is the only mirrorless system camera in the world to use a full-frame sensor, while the Sony NEX and Samsung NX range both use APS-C sized sensors, the same found in enthusiast and entry level DSLR cameras.</div> </div> </div>

Fujifilm to launch mirrorless system camera

Fujifilm has announced that it will release a mirrorless system camera into the market in Spring 2012, but declined to reveal any furt...

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New Sony NEX-7 and NEX-5N pictures leaked

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="150" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Sony/sony-nex-leaks-200-200.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Sony/sony-nex-leaks-200-200.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="200" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> New pictures showing the upcoming Sony NEX-7 and Sony NEX-5N have been leaked online.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The images, which appear on Mirrorless Rumours, show the latest cameras and lenses to be introduced to Sony's compact system camera range.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> According to the website, photographers can not only expect two new cameras, but also three new lenses, an adapter containing a translucent mirror, an external OLED viewfinder and a new NEX camcorder.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The Sony NEX-7 is expected to include extra features for enthusiasts that were missing from the NEX-5, along with a revised sensor. The camera is expected to rival the premium Fujifilm X100.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The photo of it appears to show a bulkier design than the NEX-5, with a larger finger grip and extra dials on top of the camera.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The Sony NEX-5N is expected to be a simpler refresh of the NEX-5, offering a new sensor. The picture seems to show the camera has the same sleek build as the NEX-C3, which was announced earlier in the year.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Also expected to be launched later in the month is a Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 fixed-length lens, a Sony 55-210mm f/4-6.3 superzoom lens and a Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS lens.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> An external OLED, thought to use the same technology as the impending a77's viewfinder, is also expected, but is reported as working with the 5N only.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The LA-EA2, an adapter featuring a built-in translucent mirror akin to those found on the a55, is also expected to be unveiled for the NEX system. The adapter will allow autofocus to be used on all E-Mount AF Minolta and Sony lenses used with the NEX system.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The long-awaited Alpha 77 is also likely to be announced before the end of the month. Sony Alpha Rumours are also suggesting the a65, which has the same 24 megapixel sensor as the a77 but with less frames per second shooting, will be revealed too.</div> </div> </span></div>

New Sony NEX-7 and NEX-5N pictures leaked

New pictures showing the upcoming Sony NEX-7 and Sony NEX-5N have been leaked online. The images, which appear on Mirrorless Rumours,...

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Motorola’s Brand New Android Camera Interface is The Bomb

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="233" mce_src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4606/0036540x3881.jpg" src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4606/0036540x3881.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" title="0036-540x388" width="324" />Let me tell you about what Motorola has going on with their two latest devices, the DROID 3 and the PHOTON 4G. More specifically let me tell you in text what’s going on with the PHOTON 4G because I’ve already recorded a video of what’s going on with the camera on the DROID 3 [full review available here on Android Community] and you can see that below for yourself. Both cameras on these mobile devices are essentially the same, slight details moved around between the two but the same new elements in place. On the Photon 4G, which you can see a full review of early this morning both on Android Community and SlashGear, there are three pieces of new functionality, two of which are utterly awesome, that make its camera unique.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;"></span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The first of three new features is a mute button – right there on the screen for when you’re recording film and you want to stop your sound recording for as long as you like. Ever been at an event like a rocket launching and the sound is so deafening that your microphone would never be able to pick up anything distinguishable anyway? Tap that mute button and you’re good to go. Next is the lamp. Just as easy as it is to tap the mute button, you can tap the lamp button and your two LED lights on the back of your device will be lit up as long as you like.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> This means that the lights on the back of your device that are normally reserved for flashing during a photo (or lamping if you’ve got a lamp app outside the camera) will now be able to be used as a flashlight inside your recording of a video. Finally, there’s a manual digital zoom. This isn’t especially helpful as zooming in this way only serves to pull your same sized screen off the viewer and not technically zooming at all, and that’s completely lame save for you WANTING to do such a strange thing, but it SEEMS cool anyway.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> And that’s just the beginning! Check out how these elements work aside the new photo gallery on the DROID 3 in this demo video:</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Then check out this example video recording from the DROID 3:</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Then check out this example video from the PHOTON 4G:</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Pretty awesome!</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> )</div> </div> </span></div>

Motorola’s Brand New Android Camera Interface is The Bomb

Let me tell you about what Motorola has going on with their two latest devices, the DROID 3 and the PHOTON 4G. More specifically let me t...

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Hands on: Polaroid Z340 review

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="150" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Polaroid/Z340/polaroid-z340-200-200.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Polaroid/Z340/polaroid-z340-200-200.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="200" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> We spent some time with the new Polaroid Z340, a new digital camera with an in-built instant printer capable of producing 3x4 inch prints. It will be available at the end of the year.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> When Polaroid bowed out of the instant analogue camera market in 2008, there was a huge uproar.<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />Today, packs of film from the last production days in the factory sell for extraordinary amounts, while the Impossible Project has done its level best to keep Polaroid mourners satisfied.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Now, in a bid to recapture the lucrative market of photographers looking for instant physical prints, Polaroid has announced the Z340.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Using the vintage styling of the classic Polaroid One, lookswise, the camera instantly appeals to fans of the original.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> On the top of the camera is a flip-up LCD screen which you use to compose the shot, as well as review images.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> In practice, it's a little disorientating to use at first. Classically of course, you would have held the camera to your eye to use a viewfinder, which the Z340 doesn't have, so you need to use it with arms stretched out as with most modern compacts.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Given the rather cumbersome build of the Z340 – which is an obvious necessity given that it also houses a printer – it's a little awkward shooting with it arm's length, but this is possibly something to get used to over time.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The buttons on the camera are few and far between – a good thing considering this is meant to be as basic and simple to use as possible.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Obviously the biggest risk with traditional Polaroid shooting is that if the picture was no good, you ended up wasting paper.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> With digital photography, this problem is of course removed. With the Z340 you can even go one step further and make basic edits to a shot, such as cropping, before deciding to print it. You can also add borders, including the classic Polaroid white frame.</div> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="Polaroid z340" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Polaroid/Z340/polaroid-z340-2-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Polaroid/Z340/polaroid-z340-2-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Printing speed is one of the most important aspects of this camera, and using this pre-production model was impressive. The time from taking a photograph to holding the physical print in your hand is around 30 seconds.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The Z340 is equipped with a 14 megapixel million effective pixel sensor, but looking at the image quality from our albeit brief time with the camera indicates that it is not superb. But, who ever bought a Polaroid camera for high quality shooting? The quality is certainly no worse than the traditional prints of old and perhaps even adds to the 'retro' feel of the camera.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">ZINK printing technology</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Although you will have to purchase paper packs for the Z340, because it uses ZINK (Zero Ink) technology, you won't need to buy ink. The process works using thermal technology to produce images, with the paper containing cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals inside the paper that are activated when heated.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> We can see this camera appealing to photographers looking for something a little bit different, perhaps the street photographer who wants to give their subjects a copy of the image, or at parties.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> One of the drawbacks however is the price. At over £200 it might put off the typical 'fun' consumer that the product is so clearly aimed at. That said however, with availability scheduled for December it might see itself at the top of several Christmas lists.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The Polaroid Z340 price will be £229.99 RRP and will be available from December 2011.</div> </div> </span></div>

Hands on: Polaroid Z340 review

We spent some time with the new Polaroid Z340, a new digital camera with an in-built instant printer capable of producing 3x4 inch prin...

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Google+ Widget Included with Google+ App, Pretty Sweet

It’s becoming quite clear that the folks who designed the user interface for Google+ are quite brilliant. One of those people was Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original designers of the first Mac, so I’d hope so. One of the lesser-realized elements in the mobile app portion of the Google+ is the widget, a rather simple and super lovely looking 1

Google+ Widget Included with Google+ App, Pretty Sweet

It’s becoming quite clear that the folks who designed the user interface for Google+ are quite brilliant. One of those people was Andy Hertz...

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Official: Ricoh set to acquire Pentax camera brand and business, get serious about digital imaging

<div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="120" src="http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4121/11x07010656.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" width="360" /></div><br/><em>Reuters</em> is reporting a bit of board room activity in Japan this morning, which could, by the end of today, result in Ricoh purchasing the Pentax brand and camera business from current owner and proprietor Hoya Corporation. The global news agency points out that Hoya's initial acquisition of Pentax, back in 2007, was primarily motivated by its eagerness to acquire Pentax's medical technology, and although the company's had a slew of strong products since then, it probably makes sense for Hoya to pass the digicam work on to someone who might feel more invested in it. For its part, Ricoh also has a well respected line of digital compacts, but lacks the DSLR lineage and experience that Pentax brings. Provided this deal goes through as rumored, and <em>Reuters</em> has three sources who say it's imminent, the only question we've got to ponder is whether the Pentax naming will take over for Ricoh's slightly less recognizable branding or vice versa.<br/><br/><strong>Update:</strong> That was quick! Hoya has confirmed the sale. Thanks, Ben! It is as reported earlier: Hoya will hang on to the rights to manufacture and develop products for the medical field, while Ricoh is gobbling up the Pentax Imaging Systems products with a view to expanding its presence in the consumer digital camera market.

Official: Ricoh set to acquire Pentax camera brand and business, get serious about digital imaging

Reuters is reporting a bit of board room activity in Japan this morning, which could, by the end of today, result in Ricoh purchasing the P...

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Rumor: Seventh-generation iPod nano to add rear-facing camera

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/5642/162628ipodnano7gencase.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 8px;" /><br/><br/>Apple.pro has posted an image which it claims is the rear casing for the next iPod nano. The purported casing shows a hole which would house a rear facing camera. Apple.pro has a history with iPod nano rumors, as they were the first to post an image of a small touchscreen which later made its way into the sixth-generation iPod nano that debuted last fall.<br/><br/>As noted by MacRumors, when the sixth-generation iPod nano was unveiled, many loved its new form factor, but some lamented over the loss of the camera which was found in the fifth-generation iPod nano. If Apple.pro's image is legitimate, it looks like Apple is trying to combine the best features of the two previous nanos into one. MacRumors does note that the camera hole would be obscured by the current clip on the iPod nano, but it's likely that Apple will just narrow the clip to make way for an unobstructed camera view.

Rumor: Seventh-generation iPod nano to add rear-facing camera

Apple.pro has posted an image which it claims is the rear casing for the next iPod nano. The purported casing shows a hole which would house...

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Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="1" height="400" hspace="4" src="http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6172/10x1228bv3light.jpg" vspace="4" width="324" /></div><br /> You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology have built a 1,500-pound X-ray camera that can shoot ten million frames a second and then pointed it at a nearby flash of lightning to try and learn more about it. How did they know where the lightning would strike? Well, in true scientific fashion, they caused it themselves! This was done by shooting rockets into thunderstorms, with attached wires directing the flow of energy down into their target zone. The imagery produced from the X-ray sensor is actually extremely low-res -- a 30-pixel hexagonal grid is all you get -- but it's enough to show that X-ray radiation is concentrated at the tip of the lightning bolt. What good that knowledge will do for the world, we don't know, but we're sure it'll provide nice fodder for the next round of superhero empowerment stories.<br /> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/28/lightning-photographed-by-superfast-x-ray-camera-nikola-tesla-n/"></a><br /> <h6></h6><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/28/lightning-photographed-by-superfast-x-ray-camera-nikola-tesla-n/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>

Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval

You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida In...

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Knockoff 3-in-1 iPad camera connection kit improves Apple's own design

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi5qPYnKKcOd-eFIft88dEYs0m_QLxGfdJqFG9zfLGciqdsl1od2VvtxhHykTg12HIJiIUYGsIJEdBUe6Dyx6QdzpEpYot-fYjJShw9dtWGXTuw_W8G5r79-SZVViwOBFDnEcI1woe8o/s1600/ipad-3-in-1-camera-kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi5qPYnKKcOd-eFIft88dEYs0m_QLxGfdJqFG9zfLGciqdsl1od2VvtxhHykTg12HIJiIUYGsIJEdBUe6Dyx6QdzpEpYot-fYjJShw9dtWGXTuw_W8G5r79-SZVViwOBFDnEcI1woe8o/s320/ipad-3-in-1-camera-kit.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br> Frankly speaking, the vast majority of knockoff gear is a giant leap backwards from the real-deal. This, friends, is one of those fringe cases where the opposite is true. The 3-in-1 iPad camera connection kit (available in black or white) is a single dock connecting apparatus with a trifecta of ports: USB, SD and microSD. In order of mention, you can offload photos from your camera onto your iPad via a direct USB connection, offload photos from your SD card and offload photos from your microSD card.<br> <br>

Knockoff 3-in-1 iPad camera connection kit improves Apple's own design

Frankly speaking, the vast majority of knockoff gear is a giant leap backwards from the real-deal. This, friends, is one of those fringe ca...

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Apple iPad 2 case shows off rear camera and SD card slot

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///classifications/computing/mobile-computing/Tablets%20and%20touchscreens/apple-ipad1-200-200.jpg"> <br /><P>Images of a new <a href="">iPad</A> case have appeared online, prompting much speculation that the <a href="">Apple iPad 2</A> is set to get expandable memory and a rear camera.</P><br /><P>Apple fansite <a href="http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/first-ipad-2g-case-shows-rear-camera-new-curves/">iLounge</A> is reporting that Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen MacTop Electronics has shown off a new case that has space for a rear camera to poke out its head.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Thanks for the memory</STRONG></P><br /><P>A second case has also emerged that seems to show room for an SD card slot – this type of expandable memory would be welcomed but it's surprising if Apple has gone down this road.</P><br /><P>None of Apple's iPods or iPhones have ever been given such a slot - and are unlikely to in the future, if we're honest.</P><br /><P>Other marks on the case show off a new alignment for the iPad speaker and a pop-out door similar to what was found on the MacBook Air.</P><br /><P>All of these 'new' features can be firmly labelled as rumours. However if true, the images of the cases would add flames to the likelihood of an iPad 2 will be released in the near future, with the first quarter of 2011 still a major possibility.</P>

Apple iPad 2 case shows off rear camera and SD card slot

Images of a new iPad case have appeared online, prompting much speculation that the Apple iPad 2 is set to get expandable memory and a re...

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MIT Prof invents camera that sees around corners

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/world%20of%20tech/canon100IS-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor has invented a new digital camera that can see around corners.</P><br /><P>The new camera will allow users to shoot pictures of people and scenes around the corner of a building.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Laser-vision</STRONG></P><br /><P>The tech magic is down to the use of an ultra-short high-intensity burst of laser light which illuminates the scene, by collecting tiny amounts of light that bounce around objects around corners hidden from the human eye. </P><br /><P>A femtosecond laser lets the camera shoot ultra-short bursts of laser light that last for one quadrillionth of a second.</P><br /><P>The MIT team hopes the new camera tech will have numerous useful military applications. </P><br /><P>"It's like having x-ray vision without the x-rays," said Prof. Ramesh Raskar, head of the Camera Culture group at the MIT Media Lab.</P><br /><P>"But we're going around the problem rather than going through it.</P><br /><P><STRONG>"</STRONG>You could generate a map before you go into a dangerous place like a building fire, or a robotic car could use the system to compute the path it should take around a corner before it takes it," added Prof Raskar </P><br /><P>Professor Raskar and his team have been working on developing the new camera tech for the last three years</P>

MIT Prof invents camera that sees around corners

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor has invented a new digital camera that can see around corners. The new camera will a...

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