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RED Hydrogen One graphic outlines the holographic phone's specs
RED has been dribbling out details of its much-delayed Hydrogen One phone for a long time, but getting a proper summary of its features has been... difficult. Thankfully, director Phil Holland has stepped up to the plate. Now that the first pre-orders are shipping, Holland has published a "tech overview" infographic showing just what you'll get. Some of them you may be very familiar with, such as the 5.7-inch "holographic" LCD, dual front and back cameras and the pogo pin connector for add-ons. Others may be relatively new to you, such as the 6GB of RAM, 4,500mAh battery and the "deep cavity" stereo speakers.
Facebook and RED unveil their Manifold 3D VR camera
Facebook and RED are finally ready to show their 3D VR camera after months of teasing. They've revealed Manifold, a ball-shaped array that uses 16 of RED's Helium 8K sensors (with 180-degree Schneider lenses) to capture a complete, 60FPS VR video in one scene, including depth information. The The result is high-quality 360-degree video that reacts when you move your head. You might not walk directly through a video, but you wouldn't be stuck in one camera position when watching with an Oculus Quest or a similar six-degrees-of-freedom headset.
Netflix alliance helps filmmakers meet its stringent video demands
Netflix doesn't care whether its content comes from small producers or large studios, but cash-strapped filmmakers might blanche at its strict video quality requirements. To make it easier to figure out what to buy or rent, Netflix has launched the Post Technology Alliance. It's partnered with camera, editing, color correction and encoding companies to show producers exactly what equipment they'll need to create Netflix shows from start to finish.
RED shares official Hydrogen One smartphone porn
The RED Hydrogen One could be the phone of our bleeding-edge dreams, or it could be too good to be true. It sports an impressive holographic display and it's modular, allowing owners to bolt on accessories as they see fit. The Hydrogen bucks current design trends, too, opting for rugged, scalloped edges and a massive camera surrounded by carbon fiber. Until now, RED has only shown off renders of the phone and we've gotten a first-hand look at it, but this week founder Jim Jannard shared actual press photos of the Hydrogen.
NVIDIA's Turing GPUs can process 8K video in real time
You and I won't likely be working with 8K video anytime soon, but a lot of the movies and YouTube videos we enjoy are shot in that format. NVIDIA announced that with camera company RED's help, it has solved one of the thorniest problems with 8K. The latest Quadro RTX Turing GPUs will support real-time 8K playback and effects, significantly speeding up workflow for video editors, compositors and colorists. Eventually, the tech will make it possible for all of us to play videos in 8K glory, once we graduate to supported monitors and TVs.
RED's Hydrogen One phone is delayed again
We've been following the development of RED's holographic smartphone, the Hydrogen One, for awhile now. But apparently, we'll have to wait awhile longer before it's available for purchase. After myriad delays, the phone was set to come out this month, but certification setbacks mean that won't happen. But happily, the company has now provided firm dates for the RED Hydrogen One.
OnePlus 6 now comes in red
Earlier this year, the OnePlus 6 was described as a "big step closer to the perfect smartphone," even if it was missing wireless charging and a microSD slot. Perhaps the company can make up for those missing features by offering the handset in an even nicer finish than the one before. Say hello to the OnePlus 6 Red.
A closer look at RED's audacious Hydrogen One phone
In a van sitting between the high school from Pretty Little Liars and the Stars Hollow gazebo from Gilmore Girls, RED founder Jim Jannard takes out his smartphone — the Hydrogen One — and starts whipping through demos with me. We're at AT&T's Shape entertainment conference at Warner Brothers Studios and this might be the most surreal hands-on experience I've ever had with a phone. Then again, this might be the most surreal smartphone I've ever used.
RED is building an 8K 3D camera for its holographic phone
RED is partnering with a company called Lucid on an 8K, 3D prosumer camera that will work with its incoming Hydrogen One smartphone, Lucid announced. The device -- shown above in prototype form at RED's Hydrogen One party -- has two synced 4K cameras that capture and convert video and images to 8K 4V (.h4v) files. Those can then be displayed in 3D on the Hydrogen One's "holographic" display, and later uploaded to YouTube, Facebook and RED's own content hub.
Watch a mesmerizing New York flyover shot with a 12K camera
Some folks believe that 8K TV is overkill, but cinematographer Phil Holland just flaunted video of New York City captured in sweeping 12K. He used three RED Weapon Monstro 8K VistaVision cameras (turned sideways) mounted on a special rig called the Shotover K1 Hammerhead. The videos were then stitched together to create a 12K, 48fps film with each frame equivalent to 100 megapixels, using a sensor area roughly equivalent to 645 medium format film.
RED's Hydrogen One will be available at AT&T and Verizon this summer
Today, AT&T and Verizon both announced they will carry the first holographic smartphone, the RED Hydrogen One. AT&T is touting a release date of "later this summer," but it should be noted that this phone has been delayed twice already, and there's no word on a final price or ship date. August 2018 seems to be the current target, though.
Facebook and RED are building a camera for 3D VR video
Most VR video isn't immersive in the truest sense. You can spin around, but you can't lean forward or step to the side to get a better view. Facebook and RED are helping to fix that -- they're partnering on an "all-in-one" camera that offers six degrees of freedom for 3D and 360-degree video capture. The team-up will combine Facebook's depth detection technology with RED's low-light performance to record all the 3D information in a scene (not just those in well-lit areas) to give you the freedom to walk around in a video.
Ogling Apple's Product RED iPhone 8 Plus
Continuing a tradition that began with a special edition iPod Nano in 2006, Apple is gearing up to sell Product RED versions of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in stores tomorrow. To commemorate the occasion, we've taken possession of a new iPhone 8 Plus to ogle and, erm, yeah: it's red. A really nice, deep red. Unlike last year's Product RED phones, Apple did the right thing and paired the deep red glass-and-metal frame with a black front. (That unfortunately means we can no longer crack jokes in Slack about 2017's "Canada edition" iPhones.)
Apple's red iPhone 8 and 8 Plus go on sale tomorrow
For over a decade now, Apple has worked with HIV/AIDS charity Product RED, raising over $160 million for the non-profit to date. That money comes from the sales of scarlet-colored covers, cases, Apple Watch bands and rarer, special edition devices. A recent rumor suggested the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus would be next to receive the Product RED treatment, which has just been validated by Apple. The deep red editions will be available to buy online tomorrow and in stores from Friday April 13th for the same price as existing models.
Apple may unveil red iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models this week
Apple may be poised to spice up the iPhone 8's color selection much as it did for the 7 series last year. MacRumors has obtained a Virgin Mobile memo claiming (Product) Red versions of the 8 and 8 Plus will be announced soon, possibly as early as April 9th. It's not clear whether they'll ship this week (Virgin would be taking pre-orders), but we wouldn't expect a lengthy delay between the press release and availability. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (who has historically been an accurate source of Apple leaks) backed up the story.
RED reveals a 5K camera sensor designed for outer space
In a bit of a surprise, RED Camera unveiled its most light-sensitive Super 35 sensor to date for the Epic-W cinema camera. The 5K Gemini sensor, much like the one on Panasonic's GH5s, has a dual-ISO mode that lets you choose between dynamic range and light-sensitivity. "Images exposed at ISO 3200 in low-light mode will be just as clean as images exposed at ISO 800 in the standard mode," said RED in a YouTube video (below) explaining the tech.
RED and Sharp team up on 8K monitor technology
Cinema camera company RED is working with Sharp on new 8K technology, according to Phil Holland, a cinematographer who works closely with RED. He has been testing an unreleased, prototype 70-inch 8K TV, and comparing it against a Sharp 4K model using 8K aerial footage he shot in LA. From seven feet away, "which is within the ideal viewing distance for a 70-inch screen based on THX's numbers," the difference is like "looking at a decent fine art print versus a really good one," he said.
RED teaming with Foxconn on smaller, cheaper 8K cameras
Foxconn plans to build smaller, cheaper 8K cameras in collaboration with cinema company RED, Nikkei reports. "We will make cameras that will shoot professional-quality films in 8K resolution but at only a third of current prices and a third of current camera sizes," CEO Terry Gou told reporters. RED currently has several 8K models, including the 3.35 pound, $30,000 Epic-W 8K (above). That means Foxconn could conceivably produce an 8K camera that costs around $10,000 and weights just over a pound -- less than many DSLRs.
Panavision's latest cinema camera has an 8K RED sensor
Nearly every blockbuster film used to end with "Lenses and Panaflex camera by Panavision," but now it's more likely that your favorite movie was short on Arri or RED. Panavision is trying to flip that equation, however, by adopting one of its rivals' key pieces of tech. Its latest cinema camera, the Millenium DXL2 uses RED's Monstro 8K VistaVision sensor, giving it 16-bit, 8,192 x 4,320 RAW output with a claimed 16 stops of dynamic range.
RED's Hydrogen One smartphone will ship this summer
RED's much-hyped Hydrogen One smartphone is edging ever-closer to market, according to an update from its creators. In a thread on the camera company's reduser forums, the makers of the holographic-display phone have revealed pre-order will open "probably in April," with an official ship date "sometime in the summer". Details beyond this are vague, but according to the post carrier support for the phone is "unprecedented" and social media partners will include "big dogs."
