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Engadget giveaway: Win an HD Pan & Tilt camera courtesy of VTech!
Once you leave the house, there's no looking back, at least not unless you've outfitted your crib with a remote monitoring system. VTech offers a an easy-to-use solution with its HD Pan & Tilt camera, which provides live streaming video and two-way talk via the MyVTech Cams app. This Wi-Fi device offers in-app gesture controls to pan and zoom, giving you a clear view of your at-home surroundings, even in the dark. Along with the peace of mind that video provides, you can also have a two-way chat with any person or pet in the room (comprehension is up to you). You can also get motion alerts while you're away, for in-home security. This week, VTech has provided us with one of its VC931 HD Pan & Tilt cameras for one lucky reader. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning some extra peace of mind with this VTech monitoring camera. Winner: Congratulations to Chris Z. of Milton, WA!
The best baby monitor is a simple night-vision camera
As a tech reporter, I've been pitched a whole host of smart baby monitors recently. That's partly because I work here, and also because I have easy access to an infant with whom I can test out such gadgets. Nanit, Cloudtot, Neebo, Owlet and Knit (to name a few) all claim that they can soothe the brows of novice parents like myself. But the more time I've spent with Project Nursery's 5-inch HD Video Baby Monitor, the less I want the extra bells and whistles. They're nice, for sure, but they aren't essential to the fairly simple practice of parenting.
Nanotechnology discovery could lead to low-power night vision
Night vision technology is essential on the modern battlefield but is not without its shortcomings. Conventional night vision goggles (NVGs) have been compared to looking "through toilet paper tubes" on account of their drastically diminished peripheral view. Even the top-of-the-line L-3 Ground Panoramic NGVs -- the ones used by US special forces during the Osama bin Laden raid -- are heavy, cumbersome and require an external power source. However, a breakthrough discovery out of the Australian National University could give us NGVs that are no thicker than a pair of normal sunglasses.
UK cinema staff will wear night-vision goggles to fight Bond (piracy)
Night vision is slowly working its way into mainstream use. An example of this comes with a report from the Telegraph that says cinema staff in the UK will use military-grade night vision headsets to combat piracy during the UK's early run of the new Bond romp Spectre. Like something lifted straight out of a Bond film, staff will don these goggles in auditoriums across the country to catch those who are trying to record the movie for illegal distribution. A manager at a UK cinema told Engadget that for high-risk titles such as this, extra measures against piracy are fairly standard -- but we wager not quite so apt for the movies as in this case.
New military goggles combine nightvision and thermal imaging
Nightvision and thermal imaging play similar -- but very distinct -- roles on the modern battlefield. Soldiers utilize night vision to illuminate their darkened surroundings while thermal imaging is employed to illuminate darkened targets. But until now, soldiers have had to carry separate imaging systems for each, which negatively impacts how quickly they can switch optics and acquire their targets. BAE Systems, however, announced Monday a new kind of optic that packs the functionality of both into a single unit.
New fighter pilot helmet delivers night vision without goggles
Fighter pilots have access to helmets with amazing abilities. However, they still have to strap on heavy night vision goggles to fly in the dark -- an all too literal pain in the neck. Much to aircrews' relief, BAE Systems wants to make that clunky headgear a distant memory. Its brand new Striker II helmet includes a night vision camera that projects its footage on to the visor's high-resolution display, giving the pilot a good look at the outside world without the need for extra equipment. The tech should be far more comfortable during lengthy missions, especially in sharp turns where G-forces make any added weight feel that much worse.
Review: Night Vision app designed to take videos and photos at night
There are literally dozens of night vision apps in the App Store, all designed to let your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch see better in the dark. The developer of the Night Vision app (US$3.99) says that he's developed some complex algorithms over the last two years to let your camera perform much better in a very dark room. The app supports both cameras on your device, and lets you see adjustments in real time before snapping the photo. You tap to focus, and there is a digital zoom, although I view all digital zooms as next to worthless. Once your photo has been taken, you can save it out to the camera roll, email it or share via Twitter, Facebook or Dropbox. Using the app is easy enough: You can try and shoot in color, but camera chips do a bit better in mono, so I tried that too. Mono photos have the traditional green, night vision look.The app supports HDR, and while you are framing your photo, you can slide the amplifier gain up and down. In a very dark room, illuminated by only a faint nightlight, the image looked pretty detailed and relatively noise free. However, when I tried the same shot with the unaided iPhone 5s camera, the results were pretty similar. It seems that Apple's camera and software has really been improved since I tried low-light photos on my iPhone 4s. Still, in a really dark room, you could push the Night Vision app even further, although with a pretty big noise penalty. I don't think Night Vision is useful for clandestine surveillance work, but certainly in some situations, it can see more than the unaided iPhone or iPad camera can see. It's just not that dramatic a difference. The same developer has a night camcorder app that we reviewed without too much enthusiasm for its marketing technique, but we found the app performed OK. As mentioned, there are many free Night Vision-type apps in the App Store. Most get pretty low ratings because user hopes are greater than what these things can do. Night Vision, as reviewed here, seems to do a bit better than the free apps I looked at, but don't expect miracles. Night Vision is a universal app, and requires iOS 6.1 or later. It's been optimized for the iPhone 5.
Belkin's NetCam WiFi Camera with Night Vision keeps an eye out for ghosts while you're out, hooks up with iOS / Android
Out of town for Halloween and worried that your empty house is getting filled with ethereal catburglars? You can't even see what they're taking! Belkin's got a solution for you with its new Wi-Fi NetCam, feeding your iOS or Android device (iOS 4.2 and up; Android 2.2 and up) a streaming video of, well, anywhere you decide to puts its NetCam. Belkin thankfully doesn't expect you to leave on your house lights while out of town, which is why the NetCam comes equipped with night vision, "for clear viewing even in low or no light;" also -- as Ghost Hunters tell us -- for spotting apparitions on the spectral plane. And great for catching your 14-year-old before he walks out at midnight with a carton of eggs! The Belkin Wi-Fi NetCam is available now for online order directly from Belkin or via Amazon at $130, and arrives at US retailers in the coming months -- the NetCam app is already available on the iOS App Store and Google Play. We can't help but think it'd be a great pairing with Belkin's WeMo Switch, especially considering it'll take you one step closer to the Back to the Future 2 future we were all promised.
iPhone, iPad optics add night vision for covert missions
The iPhone and iPad are consumer devices, but they're powerful enough to be used in a variety of industries, including the military and law enforcement. One such military tool is a new hardware and software system from Special Operations Apps that lets you attach an iOS device to military grade optics like an infrared imaging system, night vision equipment, or laser range finder. The product works with current optics and will be sold as the Operations Apps/System for Optical Attachments system, also known as [SOA]2. In the [SOA]2 system, the smartphone or tablet will become a heads-up-display that'll let the user easily view their field of view without squinting or having to keep one eye on the ocular and one eye on their surroundings. The app supports geo-tagging and high-definition video recording so users can mark their location and save what they see for later review. A future version will include facial and object recognition as well as advanced targeting. The company completed testing and is now demonstrating the technology to law enforcement, defense contractors and government security agencies. [Via SlashGear] Show full PR text Military-grade optics meet iPhone and iPad via US Night Vision and Special Operations Apps [SOA]2 new technology hardware and software renders comprehensive integration TAMPA, Fla., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) -- The Apple iPhone, iPad, and military-grade optics can now be seamlessly and simultaneously integrated to deliver mobile data-recording, navigation, and instant situation-analysis in a comprehensive solution to debut at this week's SOFIC, according to its developers. Special Operations Apps/System for Optical Attachments - also known as [SOA]2 - can allow geo-tagging in the standard Military Grid Reference System in frame-stamped high-definition video, geo-located and accurate within seven (7) meters. The integrated smart device can be attached permanently or temporarily to optics, weapons, or equipment, according to K. Dominic Cincotti, founder of SOA and its affiliated company, MW Research and Development, Inc. "In addition to the Apple iPhone 4S and the New iPad," Cincotti said, "we're also excited about the platforms and devices like the Windows phones, the Android, the Lumia 9000, and the Nokia PureView, with its game-changing 41-megapixel camera." He added that all of these are under consideration for [SOA]2 development, and his companies are in continuing talks with Nokia. Generation III night vision devices, long-range day optics, infra-red imaging systems, and laser range finders, among others, can now be configured with commercially available smart devices - including the iPhone 4S and the New iPad - from the [SOA]2 cluster of newly patented and patent-pending hardware and software. The Dream Team To produce [SOA]2, Cincotti's companies led the program development with proprietary solutions, including an intellectual property cluster for attaching mobile smart devices onto weapons. Cincotti established a Joint Teaming Alliance (JTA) with US Night Vision, Hoodman USA, and Jonathan Springer, the US Army captain who created the critically acclaimed Tactical Nav App that has been soldier-deployed in the fiercest combat zones. "This is the Dream Team for optics, US Night Vision hardware, and software, and a chance for us all to help customize the future," Cincotti said, "and with the US Army's announced intention to issue smart devices to soldiers, [SOA]2 is the best use of the newest technology and the army technology already in hand." US Night Vision's vice president of sales and marketing, Chris Byrd, said "With [SOA]2 and USNV Hardware, warfighters can use their smart devices as a calibrated, heads-up display for optics to improve situational awareness. No longer will they have to squint through a scope and close one eye - or be locked into goggles." "We are taking military-grade optics and turning them into mobile high definition data-recording navigational and analysis systems," Byrd said, "while still maintaining the integrity of the original optics that have already been purchased in previous acquisition cycles." Tactical Nav's developer, CPT Springer, said, "Bottom line up front, this joint teaming alliance is about integrating the best uses of technology we have right now and putting this technology into the hands of our combat soldiers downrange." "The soldier already knows these mobile smart devices," CPT Springer said, "it's already in his pocket, and he's already an expert at using it." [SOA]2 completed testing earlier this month in North Carolina, Cincotti said, and at SOFIC the Special Operations community, law enforcement, government security agencies, and major defense contractors will have the opportunity to schedule meetings for field demonstrations and to discuss inclusion in the [SOA]2 program. "We do our best to answer and anticipate the needs of special operations," Cincotti said, "and we are looking forward to continued input from the operators and SF soldiers as [SOA]2 progresses to adoption and deployment." Intellectual Property Cluster [SOA]2 comprises a cluster of interlocking intellectual property, including issued patents, patents pending, and proprietary IP. SOA and MW R&D have been issued two patents already this year, executed three patent filings addressing mobile devices on weapons, and filed more than a dozen US and international patents in the last five years. US Night Vision has a patent pending, and Hoodman USA has a patent on their products. Special Operations Apps/System for Optical Attachments [SOA]2 includes: Multi-use Optics Case Integrator Adapter Rings machined from Ultem 2300, which is virtually unbreakable and super-lightweight Hoodman System Accessories, now modified for mobile devices for [SOA]2, including Day/Night Solutions to reduce glare and light bleed A proprietary software platform that includes a range of Special Operations-specific tactical navigation apps, integrating various optics hardware and mobile-device capabilities Future iterations of [SOA]2 now being developed by Cincotti's companies are expected to deliver Facial and Object recognition and advanced targeting, on smart phone platforms, as well as on iPads and tablets. The Tactical Nav App will feature tracking of a unit, or an individual within a unit, and a "John Madden-style" tool that allows for mark-up. US Night Vision, founded in 2001 and located in Roseville, CA, has been providing federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the US Military, with advanced night vision, thermal imaging, infrared and lasers. The company handles the exportation of night vision systems following U.S. Department of State, ITAR guidelines. In addition to the exclusive line of US Night Vision products, manufactured and assembled at the Roseville facility, the company is also a national distributor for L3 ETO (Electron Tube Operations), FLIR GS (Government Systems), FLIR CVS (Commercial Vision Systems), Laser Technologies, Inc., and a point of sale for L3 Warrior Systems, Laser Devices Lasers and other related optics and accessories. Hoodman USA, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Torrance, CA, manufactures digital camera tools, including Glare Fighting LCD Loupes, Ratcheting variable angle viewers, the fastest, longest lasting CompactFlash memory cards and the world's first steel-plated, ruggedized SDHC memory card line. Hoodman has more than 500 dealers in the US and around the world. CPT Springer, while a Battalion Fire Support Officer in Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne, began developing what would become the Tactical Nav App. He spent more than $30,000 of his own money to create the app, now available for download on the iTunes App Store. From Bloomberg A New Science of Stealth January 2012's Popular Science cover story, Invisible Warriors and the New Science of Stealth, reports the two biggest new tech advances in modern camouflage, as "Camo Gets A Makeover." Popular Science (The Future Now) reported SOA's development of site-specific camouflage using an app and a mobile smart device that combines photographs of a given location into customized, terrain-specific patterns that can be digitally printed directly onto a garment or fabric. One new camo technology in the Popular Science article is simultaneous camo stealth, in which multispectral countermeasures are simultaneously deployed for manned and unmanned vehicles, equipment, hardware, and weapons, for maximum tactical advantage. Another SOA breakthrough, the CamoScience™ app, was featured in CNN and NBC TV news programs last year, demonstrating the power of iPhone-like smart devices with feature-rich app attributes, including geo-positioning, augmented reality overlays, and Area of Operation HD in-camera imagery. In 2009, intellectual property created by MW R&D garnered a $43 million contract award for its licensee. The CamoScience™ commercial effort is led by Cathlena Spencer, SOA chief technology officer, teaming with Apple iTunes award-winning developers of the Theodolite App, a best-selling navigation app. For MW R&D/SOA, Dave Mullins, a veteran operator with experience on four continents, leads in-house subject matter experts, along with Mark Tocci, a veteran Ranger and a patent-pending inventor. The Special Operations Apps/System for Optical Attachments in-house team included Sam Thompson, physicist, veteran of NASA's Mars Rover project, and a patent-pending inventor; and Ronnie Medina, veteran special forces operator and project consultant. The Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) is an annual event, bringing together more than 7,000 attendees from government and industry and featuring more than 350 exhibiting companies. Special Operations Apps is a privately held company based in Wilmington, NC, strategically situated between Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune and convenient to Virginia Beach, VA.
Logitech Alert 750n adds wide-angle night vision for improved indoor snooping, we go hands-on
Unable to sleep soundly because of the lingering fear that someone's rummaging around your living room? Logitech's newest surveillance gizmo, the 750n Indoor Master System, should ease your worries, since it adds 130-degree night vision and illuminates whatever's lurking in the darkness at a distance of up to 50 feet. Like Logitech's older products, such as the Alert Master, the 750n records video at 960 x 720p, and it uses the same HomePlug adapter for installation. If you're already feeding your paranoia with a Logitech Alert Master, you can upgrade to the night-vision capabilities with the 700n Indoor Add-On Camera. The products cost $300 and $230, respectively, and will be available before the end of the month, but you can join us after the break for our impressions.
Tokyoflash reveals Kisai Night Vision wristwatch, makes telling time fun again
Tokyoflash is on the loose once more, and this time it's introducing a concept that has been in the works for months on end. The Kisai Night Vision -- which was made official moments ago, first appeared on the company's blog as a mockup in August of 2010 -- and as they say, "what a difference a year makes." As of today, the LED wristwatch is up for grabs, constructed with black stainless steel, sub-surface LEDs, a hexagonal form factor and support for USB recharging. Despite your initial assumptions, it's actually capable of displaying both time and date, and there's even a built-in alarm with a "light-up animation." Fancy! It's available in black with blue, green or red LEDs, and if you order soon, you'll be able to snag one for $129 / £79 / €89; procrastinators will face a sticker of $149 / £91 / €103. Take a shufti in the gallery below. %Gallery-133304%
SA Photonics high-res digital night vision system makes you look like Hello Kitty's cyborg cousin
Given, it might make you look like the love child of Robocop and a cartoon kitten, but SA Photonics' High Resolution Night Vision System (HRNVS) could mean smoother night flights for the US military. The light weight head mounted display couples high resolution imagery and an impressive 82.5 degree field of vision -- previous devices offered a range of only 40 degrees. What's more, it provides clearer peripheral vision, virtually non-existent halo effects, digital image enhancement, and night vision recording. The headset was designed in collaboration with the US Army and the Air Force Research Laboratory, which means these robo Sanrio helmets might actually get some play. Full PR after the break.
Swann DVR4-2600 kit is 4 cameras and 500GB worth of remotely-accessible home security overkill
We've seen IP cams before, inexpensive ones like the DCS-930L from D-Link that get the job done with no frills, rather fancier ones like the Logitech Alert system that offer a premium feel -- at a premium cost. But nothing quite like this. It's the Swann DVR4-2600, a system that comes with four separate cameras, each offering a "high resolution" VGA that are about 10 years past a time when VGA could reasonably be called "high resolution." They do, at least, offer 65 feet worth of night vision and all-weather functionality. There's also a 500GB DVR included that can be connected directly to a TV or accessed remotely from a plethora of mobile apps covering everything from Android and iOS to Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian. You can get e-mails whenever your prisoners guests move and, the pièce de résistance, the kit includes four theft deterrent stickers. If those don't keep the crooks away, maybe the rottweiler* will. Full details in the PR below. %Gallery-116998% *Rottweiler not included.
Visualized: Kinect + night vision = lots and lots and lots of dots (video)
You know what you see when you flip on your Xbox 360, turn out the lights, and don a pair of night vision goggles? Dots. Lots and lots of little dots, courtesy of Kinect's infrared depth sensor. Judging by the videos that have been uploaded to YouTube, this is the kind of thing that will entertain the whole "hackey sack and Rasta hats" crowd for years to come, and to be honest, we're kind of digging it ourselves. Hell, we might even have to dig out that old Bob Marley black light poster. See for yourself after the break.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: wind power, shoe power, and the world's largest laser
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. This week Inhabitat showcased several smart new technologies that harness clean green energy from unexpected (and undeniably awesome) sources. Volcanoes may be the bane of air travel as of late, but Indonesia has hatched a plan to harness their geothermal might to produce 4,000 megawatts of power. Meanwhile The Netherlands is turning the tide on hydroelectric power by upgrading their dikes with energy generating underwater turbines. In other news, harnessing energy from stars may seem like an out-of-this-world proposition, but that's precisely what scientists are attempting to achieve as they fire up the world's largest laser in an attempt to grasp the holy grail of energy: nuclear fusion. And speaking of out-of-this-world developments, this week Japan announced plans to launch its solar "Ikaros" spacecraft, which will sail through the stars using rays of light. While keeping stride with these developments we also looked at several innovative technologies that stand to shape the future of consumer tech. Looking to put some punch in your step? Then try these energy generating piezoelectric shoes on for size. We also brought an eye-opening new night vision technology to light that is so thin, lightweight, and cheap that it can integrated directly into eyeglasses, car windows, and cell phone cameras. Even our canine friends are getting high-tech upgrades -- check out this geo-tagging rescue dog jacket that can be used by people in peril to transmit emergency messages. Finally, this weekend marks the start of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, which we're celebrating by showcasing the top six futuristic pavilions that harness high-tech green building strategies. But if you only check out one, make it the amazing interactive Dream Cube, which is made from recycled CD cases and features a stunning LED-laden facade that changes color with a wave of the hand.
IR-detecting OLED film could mean cheap night vision on everything
Night vision, once the exclusive property of military special forces and dreadlock'd aliens, has over the past few years become far more accessible for the everyman -- even everymen with small pockets. But, we could be on the verge of a green-screen revolution if research taking place at the University of Florida, led by Dr. Franky So, comes to fruition. He and his students are working on OLED film that is excited by infrared. Multiple layers of the stuff convert that light into a spectrum that we can see and, if all goes well, could be inexpensively layered onto anything from glasses to car windshields. So is indicating this film could start production in 18 months, but given the accuracy of original predictions regarding monstrously huge yet inexpensive OLED displays we won't exactly be holding our collective breath over here.
DIY iSight night vision camera
Now that most all Apple computers come with their own built-in iSight, the standalone iSight has taken a bit of a back seat. It always was a gorgeous piece of Apple art, though, and I really wanted to use it in a functional way. An easy way was to attach it to the Mac mini I have in the baby's room, acting as a video baby monitor, but the iSight doesn't do that well in low light, and of course works not at all in no light. And while the audio was just fine, there are some neat new "push on motion" capabilities in camera monitoring software that I liked. It will even record on motion, thanks to today's update. "Night vision" is predicated on the idea that infrared light bounces off of objects the same way that any other kind of light does, only that our eyes can't see IR light. So while a room could potentially be brightly lit with an infrared light source, you would see only darkness. Fortunately, camera CCDs aren't human eyes and many are as sensitive to IR light as they are to the visible spectrum. So, ostensibly, all you need is an IR light source. Heck, even a television remote control would do the trick, albeit dimly. The problem is that cameras that are not intended as night-vision cameras have an IR filter built-in so that the camera's reaction is limited to light sources the human eye can see. And, specifically, on the external iSight, that filter is a coating that's bonded to a small block of glass inside the iSight. Now I had a project. After first scoring a broken iSight on Craigslist, should I need parts, I took the iSight apart, took out the glass block, and removed the IR coating in a quick bath of sulfuric acid. [Do not try this at home unless you know what you are doing, please. –Ed.] You could see the film slide off the glass. Once the iSight was reassembled and an IR light source applied, bingo! Night vision. The only downside has been that because sulfuric acid is a bit of a blunt-edged instrument (to put it mildly), whatever was giving it the ability to correctly sense the rest of the red is now gone. In the gallery, you can see the result in the last image. Ah well. If I ever want it to return to regular function, I can drop in the intact lens from the broken iSight. But for now, the increased range is a great asset. My iPhone is a little monitor that follows me around the house and pushes notification of any motion. Special thanks to Jason Babcock, for blazing the trail on iSight tear-downs. %Gallery-79853%
Minox NV mini II makes night vision pocketable
There's certainly no shortage of portable night vision gear available for those that often find themselves out and about at night, but there's few quite as pocketable as Minox's new NV mini II scope, which (as you can see) is almost small enough to fit on your key ring. You'll still get 2x magnification despite that diminutive size, however, and a built-in infrared illuminator for "perfect vision" even in complete darkness. Still no word on a price, but this one should be available from all your usual night vision retailers by the end of the month, if it's not already. [Thanks, Stephen V]
AstroScope 9350EOS-FF adds night vision to your Canon DSLR
Looking to put together a really complete bag of camera gear? Then you might want to give some consideration to Electrophysics' new AstroScope 9350EOS-FF, which will add some night vision capabilities to the full-frame Canon DSLR of your choice. As you can see above, the module fits between the lens and camera body, and thankfully maintains all the necessary electrical connections and doesn't impede on all-important features like image stabilization. The module itself will also give you some variable gain control to adapt to different lighting situations and reduce noise, and it supposedly eliminates any vignetting of images, which can be a bit of a problem with other night vision rigs. No word on a price just yet, but it looks like it should be rolling out to dealers now.[Thanks, Zoltan]
Samsung's SCH-W760 with infrared video conferencing is ready for your parole hearing
We get it. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes when you're staring into the sad abyss of an empty Tennessee fifth, the idea of initiating an impromptu video conference in total darkness seems mighty compelling. That's where Samsung's SCH-W760 with 7.2Mbps HSDPA and front-facing infrared camera can help. It's available now in Korea and could be the difference between making a solo bed-spin performance or 3- to 6-months served at county for violating your restraining order. The choice is yours for KRW580,000 or about 445 of the green stuff.