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Insert Coin: Zcapture offers 360-degree photos of objects in 15 minutes (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Sure, crafting flawless 360-degree photos of objects can be a slog, but Jared Bouck's taken to Kickstarter betting that his solution can whip up such pictures and make them web-embeddable in as little as 15 minutes. Dubbed Zcapture, the hardware packs a rotating platform for items and cooperates with custom software to edit and produce the images without additional post-processing. As it stands, the gear works with cameras that boast external shutter controls (specifically Canon and Nikon models at the start), but stretch goals may bring support for other shooters, including IR header compatibility for point-and-shoots. With an Arduino at its core, and coupled with a circuit board packing additional ports and headers, the box is designed with modding in mind. In addition to snapping photos, Zcapture can even be used as a rotating base for 3D scanning. If you're wondering just what the system is capable of, just take a look at Bouck's work at Rotate 360 Studios, where he's made product shots for the likes of Foster Grant, Reebok, Xi3 and others. A USB-powered mini Zcapture along with the software is priced at $150 (or just $100 for the program), while other kits range from $300 to $690 for a fully-loaded version paired with soft box lighting. If the project meets its $46,000 funding goal, the contraption is expected to ship in December. With a little over $4,000 pledged so far, we hope -- if not for our review photos, for our eBay listings -- that it hits its goal before the two-month deadline.
DIY Paintball Turret unleashes wireless havoc at 34 rounds per second
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/DIY_34_Round_per_second_Paintball_Turret'; The appeal of the Paintball Turret can pretty much be summed up in its inventor's own words: "It shoots things." What grabbed our attention, though, is just how sophisticated the contraption appears to be. Two years in development, Jared Bouck's turret fires 34 balls per second (per second!) and is designed to be carried as a backpack for rapid deployment. Invent Geek also claims that it can be controlled via heads-up display from up to half a mile away. Full plans and a material list are promised as is a video demonstration. Until then, you'll have to make due with the detailed assembly history just beyond the read link. This could change paint warfare and the tactics used by curmudgeonly neighbors to protect their lawns, forever.
The ion cooled PC (and smog generator)
You know that ionic "air purifier" grandma shouldn't use due to health risks? If only you could repurpose the ion generator to create a silent PC... just think of the geek cred! Well, the kids over at Inventgeek did just that and created what they are calling the "first ionic cooling system" ever developed for a completely silent, high-end gaming rig. Sure it'll cost you about a grand for the modification gear, but in the end you'll be pushing 325 cubic-feet of air per minute at 0.0dBA without any moving parts or increased power consumption. Hey, that's what they're saying. Oh there's still the risk of living room smog, but that Inconvenient Truth is certainly better than drowning in a vat of vegetable oil now isn't it silencers? Be sure to click the read link for all the DIY gore. [Via Hack A Day]
