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'Aftermath' is a 360-degree walkthrough of the Camp Fire devastation
Camp Fire, the tragedy that killed at least 85 victims and destroyed around 14,000 homes across Paradise, California, continues to torment as residents start returning to the ruin as of yesterday. News channels around the world have been offering a sober look at what little is left behind the walls of fire, but not long after disaster struck, former Lytro exec Steve Cooper already sensed the need to capture a proper first-hand account of this unprecedented catastrophic event. With help from his firefighter friend at the scene plus CAL FIRE's media team, the filmmaker eventually arrived in Paradise on November 13th -- day five of Camp Fire -- with his SUV and 360 camera to commence his two-day shoot. The result was the aptly named Aftermath, a seven-minute 8K 360 video documentary now available on YouTube.
Lytro is shutting down, but some employees may head to Google
Lytro made a name for itself by allowing you to take a photo and then change the focus point after the fact. Its "Light Field" cameras never really took off, though, and neither did its pivot to pro-styled cameras and virtual reality. Now the company has announced that as of today it won't be "taking on any new productions or providing professional services as we prepare to wind down the company."
After Math: Business as usual
While most everybody's eyes were glued on the happenings at GDC 2018 this week, the rest of the business world quietly continued turning. Google offered $40 million for the Lytro camera company, DJI constructed a legion of drones for a construction crew, 2 million Spotify users nixed the ads on their free service and the President decided to start a trade war with China. Numbers, because how else will you figure out how much more your electronics and appliances will cost?
Google is reportedly acquiring Lytro for around $40 million
Lytro burst onto the scene in 2011 with its then-unprecedented "light field" technology that powered an oddly-shaped camera with the ability to refocus pictures after they're taken. The first $400 camera arrived in 2012, however, after a pivot to virtual reality (where its technology creates photographs and videos that you can move around in to experience from different angles) and pro cameras, TechCrunch reports the company will be acquired by Google. According to unnamed sources, Google is mostly grabbing the company's technology and patents for about $40 million, with some employees having already departed.
Lytro shuts down its multi-focus photo sharing platform (updated)
Remember Lytro's cool, but kinda gimmicky "light-field" photography? It let you take pictures without a defined focus point and post them on a special online platform, where users could click on which part they wanted to be sharp. It never caught on with consumers, and Lytro discontinued its pricey Illum camera (above) and switched gears to video and VR. Up until recently, though, users could still post the interactive "living pictures," but Lytro has announced that as of November 30th, the platform (pictures.lytro.com) has been killed.
Lytro's first pro movie camera is designed for visual effects magic
While there are plenty of advanced digital movie cameras, most of them aren't really designed for the modern realities of movie making, where computer-generated effects are seemingly ubiquitous. You'll still have to bust out the green screen if you want to put those real actors in a digital world. Lytro might have a better way, though. It's introducing the Lytro Cinema, a movie camera built with digital effects in mind. Since Lytro's light field technology captures a massive, 3D picture of the environment (755 RAW megapixels at up to 300FPS), you might never need a green screen again -- you can accurately determine the objects you want to keep in a given scene.
Recommended Reading: I let my mom use Tinder to find me a date
This Is What Happened When My Mom Ran My Tinder for a Month Clay Skipper, GQ Mom knows best, right? Well, here's the story of a 26-year-old who installed Tinder on his mom's phone and let her find him a date. As you can probably guess, hilarity ensued.
ICYMI: Astronaut recruitment, kegels for men and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A Kickstarter project called KGoal Boost is aimed at helping men strengthen their kegel muscles (the ones at the base of the pelvis) and we had to give it the ICYMI treatment. NASA will begin recruiting astronauts for a new class on December 14. And Lytro announced a new virtual reality camera that would change the traditional multi-camera set-up to collect VR content and turn it into needing only one (very expensive) camera.
Immerge is a ball of Lytro cameras for VR video
Lytro first made a name for itself with a small rectangular camera that did one magical thing: It allowed you to refocus photos after you've taken them. It did this trick thanks to some complex software and the camera's unique light field technology that captures millions of rays of light. Last year, Lytro applied its light field technology yet again with the Illum, a DSLR-like camera with an even larger image sensor and more robust hardware. Over the past year, however, Lytro has been hard at work applying its light field expertise in a whole new arena: Virtual reality. Today, the company has announced the result of that work. It's called the Lytro Immerge, and it's the essentially what Lytro is calling the first ever light field powered professional VR capture camera.
Researchers reduce VR sickness by letting your eyes focus
Virtual reality has unlimited potential, but it could make you sick. Stanford researchers are trying to solve that problem by tapping another new tech, light-field cameras. You see, VR devices can cause fatigue and nausea because of the "flat plane" 3D images they produce. Since those images don't contain any depth information, your eyes can't focus on near and far objects like you would in real life. Our brains want physical actions (like focusing) to jibe with what we see, so any disconnect can make us sick. And if companies can't solve this "VR sickness," the tech may go the way of 3D TVs.
Lytro to focus on VR and video with $50 million investment
Lytro -- maker of "shoot now, focus later" cameras -- is diving into the virtual reality and video market, following an investment of $50 million led by GSV Capital. The market shift means Lytro will lay off 25 - 50 of its 130 employees, and at the same time hire new folks with expertise in VR and video. Lytro is best known for its tubelike, selective-focus cameras released in 2012, though its newest model, the Illum, is a high-end SLR-style device. The company has been feeling out its target market for a while, and while we thought the new camera was better than its predecessor, VR might turn out to be a better fit for Lytro overall.
Lytro's Illum camera is expensive, but less gimmicky than we thought
Back in 2012, Lytro's first camera introduced folks to its light-field imaging tech -– letting users tweak focus, perspective and depth of field after a photo is taken. However, that first-gen camera's peculiar body and low-res output limited its appeal. Now, with the $1,599 Illum, Lytro's back, looking to elevate its unique approach from mere curiosity to a legitimate photographic tool. I spent some time with the beefy new model to see how far the company's come.
Lytro's light field camera tech to boost night vision and space imaging
Lytro wants other companies to use its light field photo technology to improve their devices, and not just photography wares. In order to do that, the company outed the Lytro Development Kit (LDK) as part of its Platform initiative. At first, you might think this if for other consumer device makers, but it goes way beyond that. In the announcement, the outfit tossed out some examples of more commercial R&D-type scenarios for its imaging know-how. "Since Lytro's inception, we've continually been approached by a number of organizations wanting to collaborate with us on a wide variety of new applications," said CEO Jason Rosenthal. Things like NASA improving its imaging in space and Army Night Vision projects are already using the kit, and there's potential for things like a gadget that analyzes soil samples for scientists. There's a hefty fee to get access to the goods, so this is definitely a B2B move, but it'll certainly be interesting to see the results.
Feedback Loop: Crowdfunding perils, dying passwords, cameras and more!
It's time for the latest edition of Feedback Loop! We discuss the dark and sometimes disappointing side of crowdfunding, ponder whether passwords are dying, look for point-and-shoot camera suggestions, share the cheapest ways to get HBO and talk about overly hyped gadgets. Head past the break to talk about all this and more with your fellow Engadget readers.
Daily Roundup: Xperia Z2 Tablet review, Amazon's phone and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Lytro's new light-field camera looks like an actual camera, costs $1,599
If Lytro's first camera offered us a sneak peek at the promise of light field photography, the company's second-generation product swings those doors wide open. A far cry from the toy-like appearance of its predecessor, the $1,599 Lytro Illum looks and feels like a genuine full-fledged camera meant for a more professional crowd. The innovation doesn't stop at just looks either, as the Illum is a much more serious effort at light field photography, with cutting-edge optics, a larger sensor and a whole lot of computational power that might make the Illum the most technologically advanced camera to land in consumer hands.
Nokia releases its Refocus app for all PureView Lumia smartphones
Unveiled at its Lumia launch event in Abu Dhabi in October, Nokia has finally made Refocus, its Lytro-like variable depth of field app, available to all PureView Lumia devices. The tool makes use of Scalado's imaging technology to change the focus of a photo using "clever algorithms," while also adding deeper color using a feature found in other Nokia apps called "color pop." Nokia's new app integrates with SkyDrive to host your photo, creating a unique page on Nokia's dedicated Refocus website that can be shared via email, SMS or Facebook. If you own a Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 925, Lumia 928 or Lumia 1020, you'll need the Amber update installed to enjoy the app. Lumia 1520 owners can grab it when the device goes on sale in the coming days.
Lytro software update lets you view images in 3D
A nice little, erm, shift in focus for everyone's favorite consumer-facing light field camera. Thanks to a software update to the desktop and iOS versions of the camera's app, users will be able to display Perspective Shifted images in three dimensions using 3D-enabled TV. Lytro Desktop 3.1 and Lytro Mobile 1.2 are available for your downloading pleasure today. The company also marked the release of a Cobalt Blue version of the camera. You'll only be able to pick that one up through Apple's site.
Lytro's selective focus camera finally coming to the UK starting at £399 (updated)
Assuming you haven't given up on the idea, you'll soon be able to buy a Lytro light field camera in the UK -- even though it's been on US shelves since early last year. To remind you, it works by combining a fixed f/2.0, 8x optical zoom lens with an 11-"megaray" sensor to create a layered 1,080 x 1,080 "living picture," in which the focus can be changed later by viewers. For those who waited all this time, there is a consolation: Lytro recently enabled the camera's WiFi chip, allowing you to see images on any iOS device via a companion app. The 8GB model in graphite, electric blue, seaglass or moxie pink will run £399, while a 16GB offering in "red hot" will be priced at £469. You can grab one after July 22nd at Dixons Travel, Harrods or John Lewis -- to see how it works, check a sample image after the break. Update: Lytro has just informed us that the "seaglass" color isn't available in the UK yet, so adjust your matching fashion plans accordingly.
Lytro announces iOS app, unlocks hidden WiFi feature in camera
Today's news brings a pleasant surprise for Lytro camera owners. It turns out the that each one of the small light-field cameras has had a hidden WiFi chip inside, waiting to be turned on. Well, the time for activation has come with the release of a new firmware update which activates the WiFi. And just in time for the release of Lytro's new iOS app. The app, called Lytro Mobile, connects to your iPhone via the WiFi transmitter and allows you to view camera images from your iOS device. Once you activate the app simply click the Camera feature and you will be told to select WiFi from the Lytro's menu screen. Once you tap the WiFi option on your Lytro screen you will be able to wirelessly upload images directly to Lytro.com. The mobile app has other tricks up its sleeve. You can use the app to refocus a picture via Perspective Shift, add captions and geotagging, and share your live pictures via your favorite social network, message service or SMS. The app also allows you to use the Lytro to make GIF images from pictures you've taken. The firmware update and app are available now from Lytro and the App Store respectively.
