cam
Latest
HP's Designjet 3D series start shipping to wealthy European prototypers
Just three months after HP bought itself into the 3D printer market by making a partnership with established player Stratasys, the company's first Designjet 3D models are now shipping in Europe, set to start churning out bits and bobs soon. HP is offering two models, the plain Designjet 3D and the Designjet Color 3D which, wait for it, prints in color. We don't know what the multi-hue model will set you back, but the base model clocks in at €13,000 -- about $17,500. That's roughly $2,500 more than a low-end, non-HP Stratasys additive fabrication printer will cost you, and we're not sure what else you're getting for that premium beyond the little chrome HP badge stuck on the top. Expensive? Sure, but we remember a time when color laser printers cost more than cars and now look at 'em, selling for less than $200 shipped. Funny how their toner cartridges aren't any cheaper...
Sony DSC-TX5 waterproof camera sprung from a leak
Think Sony would be happy with just making its latest shooter waterproof and calling it a day? Not a chance. Early information on this as yet unannounced compact indicates a 10fps burst mode, 4x optical zoom with optical image stabilization, an intriguing image stacking mode for reduced noise in high ISO shots, and full 1080p MPEG-4 movie recording. 1080i / 60fps AVCHD video is also possible, apparently, and if recent trends are continued the DSC-TX5 will also be able to store media on SD cards. Hallelujah. You'll find a couple more water-soaked images after the break, and the official launch is expected to take place at PMA 2010.
Philips Cam, Muse and Ariaz mark a renaissance for the boring PMP
This is soon enough to market that it's hard to blame the iPod nano specifically for its appearance, but either way it seems that the Philips Cam is the newest member to the oh-so-small club of MP3 / camera combos. The new player is joined in its life of crime by the new Muse and Ariaz, which at last offer a higher-end aspect to Philips' long-lackluster PMP lineup. The Cam does up a 1.8-inch screen, 8GB of storage and a 2 megapixel camera for $100, but the Muse has a full 3.2-inches of touchscreen, 16GB of flash, SD expansion and HDMI out for a mere $50 more. The Ariaz finds a simpler calling, with a 2.4-inch LCD, HDMI, 8GB and an $80 tag. We'll have to play with these to see if they're worth taking home from Walmart, but we're glad to see Philips is trying to stay in the game -- we can't all be lucky enough to be Zune HD owners.
Liquid Image Summit Series Snow Goggles heads-on
Even the most exuberant fan of 3D displays and tablets has to admit to feeling a tiny bit jaded at this point. To sate the need for variety we went off exploring the quirkier booths and located this head-mounted video and stills camera being demonstrated by Liquid Image. We laid hands on a non-functional prototype, but as far as feel and comfort go, the few seconds we had these on led to no complaints. There's an overwhelming amount of padding around the eyes, probably kinda important when you're flying down the hills, and a tint to the visor keeping sunlight at bay. Recording can be done at 720 x 480 resolution and up to 5 megapixels for snapshots. The Summit Series will be available in July (perfect timing for a winter sports product!) for $149. %Gallery-82498%
Sony finally lets you use SD memory on Handycams, freshens up pro shooters with SSDs
Sony has just announced yet another mad plethora of Handycams, this time spreading its back-illuminated Exmor R sensor throughout the whole range. With it comes the ability to expand storage via Memory Stick, SD or SDHC cards, much improved "quick AF" functionality, as well as a six-blade aperture producing a more appealing "bokeh" -- quite an advanced consideration when talking about humble consumer recorders. The flagship XR550V (250GB HDD) and CX550V (64GB SSD) models also feature a wide-angle G lens, 12 megapixel stills, assignable manual control dial, and dedicated mic and headphone inputs. On the professional front, the company is offering the AX2000 and HXR-NX5U, with both recording AVCHD at rates up to 24MBps and producing 1080p footage. A 20x optical zoom is also nice, but for the $3,500 price of the cheaper AX2000, we'd expect nothing less. Check out the source links below for further details, including full pricing and availability.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Whether you want them to or not, there's a good chance you've got a family member or two (or more) that feel compelled to capture every single moment on video, including those times when all you're doing is sitting around watching previously recorded memories. That's just an inevitably we face each and every family gathering, and if you must endure, might as well get them the best possible fidelity, right? Then again, maybe you are that memory-capturing individual -- in either case, we think we've got a few suggestions to maximize your holiday enjoyment. %Gallery-80100%
Canoe's targeted ads set sail for households with income to spend
The six cable companies involved with Canoe Ventures -- Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House -- will be turning loose the targeted ad technology that has been in the works for a while now. Especially in the midst of the economic crunch, you just know that tax brackets are going to drive the tailoring of the bespoke ads, which go by the friendly name of CAM (community addressable messaging). Fully interactive ads will have to wait for tru2way, so for now CAM 1.0 will swap in one of two versions of a spot, depending on whether the destination is in a zone designated as "over $100,000." We foresee some interesting water cooler discussions ahead as coworkers report seeing different ads at halftime and thus give away some personal info.
Microsoft planning new Zunes and webcams on September 9th?
So we know that Microsoft is gearing up to launch those new "Blue Track" mice on September 9th, but Ars Technica says that there's a good chance we'll be getting new webcams and -- surprise! -- Zunes as well. Sadly, the new mice might still be the most exciting things on the ticket -- the LifeCam VX-5500 and LifeCam Show NX-8000 are pretty much just webcams, and we're not expecting anything Zune hardware-related beyond bumps to 120GB and 16GB and perhaps that blue flash number. Still, there's a chance we could be surprised by those rumored new software and service announcements, but Microsoft's going to have to reach deep into the wow box to steal attention from a certain black-turtlenecked raconteur who'll be taking the stage in Cupertino to announce some minor new PMPs that day as well. Let the games begin!
iPhoneCam streams video from your iPhone over WiFi
A fancy mirror contraption not quite what you had in mind for video conferencing on your iPhone? Fret not, friends; Ecamm Network is back at it, this time devising a way to stream video from the camera -- at 30fps, no less -- to the Mac of your choice over WiFi. Even better, the clever cats hooked it up with Bonjour, so the Mac just sorta sees it as a camera without any configuration needed. The possibilities are pretty endless (or limited, depending on your point of view), but we suppose it's nice for iPhone owners to instantly have a free, remote cam for iChatting, if nothing else. The download isn't available yet, but Ecamm is teasing that they just might be willing to demo it at their Macworld booth this week.[Via TUAW]
Twenty20's VholdR wearable camera catches your sick moves
When you're seriously shredding on your semi-dangerous vehicle of choice (bike, motorbike, personal jetpack, electric unicycle) and you need to capture some of your "moves," you're going to be reaching for something like the VholdR. Well, you probably won't be reaching for it, since Twenty20 says this is "wearable," and though it looks similar to the company's helmet camera, we think you're supposed to put it somewhere else. Regardless -- you'll at least be reaching for the record button... er, switch. The small camera will supposedly capture all your freshest moments with its 192 degree rotating lens, twin laser alignment, "fine line" compression engine, and shockproof, splashproof aluminum enclosure. Finally, a device which is equally matched to your daredevil-like, extreme lifestyle. Available during "the holiday season" for $349.99, and ready for preorders right now.
Sony intros 5MP NSC-GC1 handheld camcorder for the YouTube crowd
It's with mixed emotions that we announce the latest Sony camcorder, as even it has shamelessly hopped on the YouTube bandwagon and catered a product specifically to those looking to snag their own 15 minutes seconds of fame. 'Course, we can't help but love the five-megapixel sensor crammed into the five-ounce device -- which enables it to capture video in MPEG-4 at 15fps QVGA or 30fps VGA resolutions -- but Sony makes no secret that the standout feature on the Net-sharing CAM is its ability to pre-format footage and easily publish content to sites such as YouTube and Crackle. Additionally, the device sports a built-in flash, 4x digital zoom, a 2.4-inch color LCD, and a rechargeable Li-ion that only lasts about 90 minutes per charge. Thankfully, Sony doesn't plan on charging an awful lot for this shooter either, as interested buyers can snatch one up for just $200 this September.[Via CNET]
Digicam tech goes wafer-thin, cellphones cheer
It's kinda exciting when new tech comes along that promises a digital camera chip size reduction of 50 percent and cost reduction of 30 percent. That's precisely what has been announced from Tessera Technologies, and cellphone makers worldwide will join in the glee in the near future if they'll be able to slave even more size off of teeny, tiny slim sliders and clamshells. According to Tessera's OptiML product announcement, the "simultaneous manufacturing" allows for the cost and size reduction while still allowing for digital optical zooming and auto-focus, all without any moving parts. Derek Zoolander would be proud.
KTF's surveillance canine beams snapshots via HSDPA
It just makes sense that the same Korean provider that offered up a pet translator service would attempt to give back to the owners, as KTF has launched a robotic puppy that just melts the hearts of gizmo-lovin' gals abroad. Specifically, it garners a crowd of individuals wherever it's at, and then pulls double duty as an undercover surveillance agent, snapping mobile images and channeling them straight to your cellphone via HSDPA. For the paranoid 'rents in the crowd, this here ought to be a perfect way to monitor what really goes down in the house while you're away for the weekend, and while it's no guard dog per se, the evidence this bad boy captures could indeed be quite frightening. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
HDTV finally comes to head
This is what we have been missing in the HDTV game. We have seen HDTV cameras in newsrooms, studios, helicopters and even on the bow of a speed boat, but we have yet to see HDTV by way of one of these helmet cams. For good reason too as who would want one of those monster cameras on their head? But thanks to Iconix, we should start seeing nausea-inducing high-def shots from peoples noggins real soon. They have produced a super-miniature 3CCD 720p/1080p cam. This little boy weighs in at the super-duper-light weight class at 2.3oz and is less then two inches square. But this small package comes with a price; a $16,000 price. Still, who can put a price on even more high-def action?[via DVguru]
Sony's CyberShots: 10 megapixel DSC-N2 and 7.2 megapixel DSC-T50
If you've been craving that hot, 3-inches of touchtastic screen riding atop double-digit megapixels then check it pixel junkies, 'cause Sony's here to sate that need. The CyberShot DSC-N2 is just what we expected following those leaked images and specs: 10.1 megapixels from a tiny 1/1.7-inch CCD, 52MB of on-board memory, a massive 3-inch touch-screen LCD, and an all-too-familiar image-stabilized 3x optical zoom lens in a 6.6-ounce followup to the DSC-N1. The DSC-T30 also got a bump with the announcement of a new top-end T, the 7.2 megapixel DSC-T50 which ditches some of the mechanical buttons 'round back by introducing touch-sensitive control to the existing 3-inch LCD. This 4.6-ounce cam still maintains the same Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 3x optical lens with image stabilization but drops the built-in flash memory by 2MB to 56MB. Get your Sony Style, pre-oder on starting tomorrow or wait for these to go retail in October at $450 for the champagne gold DSC-N2 and $500 for the DSC-T50 in your choice of silver, red, or black. Peep the DSC-N2 after the break. [Via Digital Camera Review]
"3rd-i" cam for spyin' on the go
There are undoubtedly less proprietary ways to go about doing this, but if you're looking for a quick, painless way to get a PC-free camera feed to your phone, a British operation by the name of 3rd-i reckons they have the answer. The concept is simple enough: take your garden-variety video cam, strap on a GPRS modem, and call it good for £199 ($370). Besides accessing live video and up to 30 days of archived footage via pretty much any Java MIDP 1.0- or 2.0-enabled phone, the unit can be set up to immediately text you upon detecting motion. Not bad -- in fact, we'd strongly consider using 3rd-i's cams to secure the Engadgetmobile, but the dual band 900 / 1800 support just doesn't cut it in these parts.[Via Crowdedbrain]
Sony files for the spiffy new Eye Toy
Remember that neat little "secret component" everyone was talking about last month in regards to some extra hardware? You know... the next-gen Eye Toy? Well here's the return of it as Sony has filed big number 2006-178948, which is the patent for a new camera that "will recognize every move and position of an object and will translate these actions accordingly to an object inside a game." What used to take multiple cameras now takes one, thanks to a patented mapping technique.It's like motion capture for the average Joe. But what ever happened to that Israeli company called Prime Sense? Weren't they supposed to come into the scene with their own interactive device which sounds a lot like this one? Well at any rate, Sony is on the move to get this camera inked in their name. Let's hope they don't step on any toes with this, because they haven't had the best of luck in the patent area lately.Could the camera also have videoconferencing features added into it as well? Thanks to Avistar and company (and the magic of licensing), this new Eye Toy could be your next long-distance video phone. Yet another testament to Sony's desire to bring the PlayStation brand out of "For gamers only" territory and into a wider audience.[Thanks, Fan]
Creative announces DiVi CAM 525D
Creative's just announced the DiVi CAM 525D, a typical run of the mill digital video camera that also doubles as a 5 megapixel still camera. The pocket-sized camera will record MPEG-4 video at VGA resolution and 30 frames per second and uses SD cards for storage, maxing out at 2GB (it also has 32MB of built-in memory). The camera also packs a fair bit of PMP functionality, incuding realtime recording from any source via its audio/video inputs, and playback of MP3 and WAV audio and AVI video. And that 2.5-inch LCD should make playing back your video at least roughly as bearable as using an iPod. Price is $229 US but, like most things Creative, its only available in Singapore for now.
Eye of Judgment video from E3
Better late than never! Here's some footage of Eye of Judgement, which is like real life card playing meets next-gen hardware. If more immersive applications like this can take advantage of the PS3, then Sony just might give that Wii controller a run for its money.[Thanks for the tips!]
