nightvision
Latest
Samsung's SCH-W760 features night vision cam for Blair Witch-style video calls
On the surface, the new SCH-W760 looks like a totally typical midrange Korean domestic market slider: 3 megapixel camera, DMB reception, Bluetooth, and a semi-notable 2.8-inch AMOLED display. You know, the usual. A closer look reveals one very interesting feature, though -- it features a front cam sensitive to infrared spectrum so that you can hold grayscale video calls in complete darkness. Beyond scaring the poo out of friends with your spooky, grainy, low-res visage and holding the occasional video conference from the confines of an unlit closet, we have absolutely no idea what practical value this offers -- but look, ridiculous features are what exotic new handsets are all about. Well played, Samsung. The W760 hasn't yet been officially announced, though it'll apparently be coming to SKT, so keep an eye peeled (and bring a flashlight).
Genius bringing WiFi boombox, night vision IP camera concepts to CES 2009
You may be inclined to just associate Genius with corporate-level mice, ho hum speakers and the occasional pen tablet, but the outfit is looking to expand its horizons at CES next month. It'll be bringing along a pair of concepts that are evidently leaning towards release in the mysterious future, the first of which is a 2.4 GHz Wireless Stereo Speaker System. The three-piece package presumably contains two satellites and a subwoofer, with the knobs and ports maintaining a low profile. The wireless range reaches up to 100-feet and the inbuilt 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack ensures that practically any source will work. Moving on, we've got the IP Cam 350TR, which is constructed with "the most advanced night vision technology to secure any home or office efficiently." The integrated light sensor automatically fires up six infrared LEDs when in a dark / dim environment, and there's also a microphone tucked away to capture live audio. Pricing for both is listed as TBA, which isn't shocking given the "concept" status; full release is after the jump.
eMagin's SXGA OLED-XL microdisplay: perfect for night vision goggles, HMDs
eMagin's no stranger to the head-mounted display game, and it's showing a bit of experience by playing up a new technology that could revolutionize the way you and two other people on the planet watch videos on the subway. You know, just how Geordi La Forge would have it. All that aside, the company is using the Night Vision Conference in London to showcase its next-generation SXGA (1,280 x 1,024) OLED-XL microdisplay, which offers up "digital signal processing in a compact package (0.77-inch diagonal active area) requiring less than 200 mW of total power under typical operating conditions of 100 cd/m2 in full-color." Whether or not you're geeked out on the specs, eMagin's hoping to catch your attention by cramming this stuff into night vision apparatuses, thermal / medical imaging applications and of course, all manners of simulation devices. Samples are set to ship next month.[Via I4U News]
Xenonics SuperVision Tactical Package does night vision in HD
Traditional night vision kits aren't anything extraordinary, but Xenonics is taking things beyond the pixelated output we're used to and going straight to HD. The outfit's SuperVision Tactical Package comes packed with a high-definition night vision device, a SuperVision IR Illuminator and mount, a Snyper Tactical illumination light, additional circuit-protected rechargeable Li-ion batteries, additional CR 123 batteries, a battery charger and a waterproof SKB case for those treks through the moat. Granted, this here bundle is aimed at police departments and security firms more than mere consumers, but who's to say you can't have a little fun in your own backyard once the sun heads down?
VHS camcorder viewfinder hacked into night vision headset
Let's face it -- that VHS camcorder you're still holding on to would probably do you more good as a Salvation Army donation than anything else, but if you've got even a single DIY bone in your person, don't hand it over just yet. The same fellow that brought you the $40 spy glasses is at it once more, this time concocting a night vision "headset" with just a VHS camcorder viewfinder, a dozen ultra-bright LEDs, black / white mini camera and a few other nuts and bolts. After all was said and done, we're left with a device that enables you to easily see in darkness and record your journey. We know, you can't wait to tell your SO how right you were about hanging on to that clunker for one more year, so after you return, click on through for the instructional video and get to work, you hear?
iKey unveils night-vision compatible keyboards
We're assuming the "bloom" caused by using traditional backlit keyboards with night vision goggles is really only a problem for a small handful of you, but if you're in the military (or just really want to bring that sci-fi aesthetic to your den), iKey's new line of night vision keyboards is probably right up your alley. Normal LEDs can be hard to read with night vision gear, but iKey's units use filtered LEDs that avoid those nasty flareouts -- which also means your ability to blind Buffalo Bill with a keyboard is no more. Thanks a lot, iKey.
US Army trials hybrid vehicle, sports night vision / remote weaponry
This certainly doesn't mark the first case in which the US Army has fiddled with hybrid vehicles, but the Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV) that the military is currently testing out most definitely ups the ante in other areas. The diesel-electric hybrid truck touts an insanely rugged frame designed to "sustain the concussion of a roadside bomb," and after it brushes off that weak attempt to render it immobile, the remote weapons system should inflict a fair amount of vengeance on the enemy. Moreover, the highly-spec'd machines also feature night vision capabilities, touchscreen controls, swarms of video cameras, and ballistic-grade glass to boot. Unfortunately, the limited fleet of MSVs are currently being recognized as "concept vehicles" to be used for demonstration purposes alone, but we're sure there's a number of defense contractors that could piece together a slightly less vicious version for your own garage if you've got the loot to back it up.
ColorPath night vision trades in green for the whole rainbow
There's no doubt that night vision scopes, binoculars, and cameras have revolutionized numerous after-dark activities -- from soldiers navigating the battlefield to rescue teams searching for lost hikers to serial killers stalking terrified FBI trainees in suburban basements -- but the whole green hue thing could really use an update. Enter Boston-based Tenebraex Corp., a jack-of-all-trades company that has invented such various vision-related products as software for the color blind and anti-reflective covers for military lenses, and which is now poised to introduce its ColorPath, um, color night vision scope this summer. Targeted mainly at field surgeons or munitions experts who need to discern different shades for certain critical procedures ("cut the RED wire!," the Tenebraex site helpfully notes), the new devices consist of a regular night vision scope attached to a pair of rotating filters "that vary the intensity of light coming from different colored objects;" the user's brain then "interprets these variations as differences in color," and sees objects at red, blue, yellow, etc. Let's hope that the military decides to invest in these $6,000 scopes and help bring this tech into the hands of the common man, but if not, we're sure ColorPath still has a bright future capturing young celebrities / celebutantes in compromising positions.[Via Slashdot and Boston Globe]
Researchers develop cheap, effective nanoparticle infrared detector
MIT's venerable Technology Review reports that a team of Canadian researchers led by Edward Sargent have devised a highly sensitive infrared chip that could potentially make night-vision goggles and other imaging devices both cheaper and more effective by using, what else, nanotechnology. The system involves spinning a glass slide or silicon chip to evenly coat it with a special solution of conducting nanoparticles called quantum dots -- something that can be done for as little as $17 per square meter, Sargent says. With the solution, the chip is able to pick up both the near and short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands, allowing for accurate night vision even in cloudy conditions. What's more, Sargent says the technology could also be applied to medical devices, since SWIR light can apparently easily pass through tissue at no risk to the patient. Your guess is as good as ours as to when we'll actually see any of this outside of the lab, but with the promise of higher yields than traditional fabrication processes, there's definitely an incentive to push this tech out the door.[Via Medgadget]