ScubaDiving
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Google Street View gets its first underwater panoramic images, ready for desk-based scuba expeditions (video)
After working on its sea legs for some time, Google Street View is ready to take users on virtual scuba expeditions through six living coral reefs with the first underwater panoramic images to hit the service. In partnership with The Catlin Seaview Survey, Mountain View created the on-rails snorkeling experiences using undersea pictures from Heron, Lady Elliot and Wilson Islands at the Great Barrier Reef, Molokini Crater and Hanauma Bay in Hawaii and the Apo Islands in the Philippines. Combined with views from Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan, the new underwater tours might make for a respectable, desk-based vacation. Interested in paddling through the briny depths? Head past the break for a short preview or hit the source links below to dive right in.
iGills accessory turns iPhone into a dive computer, lets you film underwater
Not quite ready to leave wandering the briny depths up to robots, but still crave some undersea tech? The freshly released iGills Smart Diving System can help. With a polycarbonate housing and free companion app, the setup turns your iPhone into a fully featured recreational dive computer and logbook that can plunge up to 130 feet into the drink. Once connected to the waterproof case's 30-pin dock, handsets gain access to depth and temperature sensors in addition to six buttons for in-app navigation. Not only does the software provide vital dive information, it also allows users to take stills and videos of their underwater excursions through a glass camera port. If you're pining for an iOS-assisted diving experience, the iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S-compatible rig will set you back $330. Check out a quick clip of the accessory, complete with requisite rock music, after the break.
Underwater Scuba Mask Camera does photos and videos, lets you breathe
You know, having to lug a camera around while diving just spoils the fun, not to mention the slight chance that you'll also need your hands to fend off some underfed sharks. Chinavasion may have solved this problem with its $116.99 Underwater Scuba Mask Camera, which sports a snorkel plus 4GB of storage, and does 1280 x 960 for both still pictures and videos -- pretty impressive resolution for the latter, although picture quality and frame rate remain a secret. Operation is also seemingly easy -- rub the magnetic ring for one second for a picture or two seconds for a video, then the mask vibrates accordingly to confirm capture. You best be feeling photogenic, Flipper! %Gallery-82948%
