panorama
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GigaPan Epic Pro robotic camera mount gets upgraded to firmware version 171
The GigaPan Epic Pro has been privy to the making of some pretty monumental and highly detailed panoramic images, and now the gigapixel gadget is getting an upgrade. The latest firmware update to the robotic camera mount brings even more exposures per position, a "dedicated mirror lock-up" for bulky lenses, and a time display that tells you how long it will take to work its panoramic magic. Among other things, the update also includes a set of new aspect ratios and the ability to take time lapse panoramas. If you're already packing a GigaPan Epic Pro, you can download the update at the source link below for free -- a brand new rig, on the other hand, will set you back a substantial $900. That ain't cheap, but there's a reason it's called the GigaPan Epic Pro. Full PR after the break.
Carnegie Mellon's GigaPan Time Machine brings time-lapse to panoramas
We've already seen GigaPan technology used for plenty of impressive panoramas, but some researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have now gone one step further with their so-called "GigaPan Time Machine" project. Thanks to the magic of HTML5 and some time-consuming (but automated) photography, you can now "simultaneously explore space and time" right in your web browser -- that is, zoom in and around a large-format panorama that also happens to be a time-lapse video. If you don't feel like exploring yourself, you can also jump straight to some highlights -- like the like the construction of the Hulk statue at the CMU Carnival pictured above. Ht up the source link below to try it out -- just make sure you're in either Chrome and Safari, as they're the only compatible browsers at this time.
World's largest indoor photograph shows off fancy old Czech library
If you think Google's seven-gigapixel renderings of world famous art museums are impressive, get a load of this: a guy named Jeffrey Martin just produced a record breaking panoramic photo of a reading room in Prague's Strahov monastery library, and it's got the internet giant's Art Project beat by more than 30,000 megapixels. Not that Google's pictures are anything to scoff at, but the 40-gigapixel, 360 degree, 283GB image is something of a digital masterwork. According to Wired, the photograph, taken in February on a GigaPanBot-mounted Canon 550D, is comprised of 2,947 unique images that took a computer program more than four days to stitch together. If you're a fan of 18th century European literature, Franz Anton Maulbertsch's trompe l'oeil paintings, or just ridiculously detailed digital photography, you can peep the image in its entirety at the source link.
Olympus SZ-30MR shoots 1080p video and 16MP stills simultaneously; Tough TG-810 is 'crushproof'
Olympus just loosed a trio of compact cameras. Let's start big with the €329 SZ-30MR. According to Olympus, the 30MR packs a backlit CMOS sensor with 24x (25-600mm) optical zoom and Dual Engine TruePic III+ processing. It also lays claim to being the first to simultaneously record 1080p video while shooting 16 megapixel stills -- a feature Oly dubs, Multi Recording. The SZ-20 lacks the MR and dials back the zoom to 12.5x but costs a relatively modest €219. Olympus also announced a silver or black TG-810 compact for €299. First and foremost is the cam's claim for ruggedness: crushproof at a weight of 100kg (220 pounds); waterproof to 10 meters (32.8 feet); shockproof at a distance of 2 meters (6.56 feet); and freezeproof a temps to -10 degree celsius (14 degrees F). Otherwise, it boasts a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, a 5x (28-140mm) optical zoom, 720p movie mode, TAP control (for gloved use), GPS, and an electronic compass. All three cameras feature a 3-inch LCD; HDMI; high ISO and sensor-based mechanical image stabilization; smart panorama, 3D photo, pet detection, and beauty modes; and SDXC and Eye-Fi card compatibility. Look for them to hit retail in March.
One Shots: Almost to the end
When it comes to protracted battles, EVE Online may well have cornered that portion of the MMO market. With different corps fighting every day for sovereignty in different systems, you never quite know what you're going to stumble into. For those of us who don't go too far into dangerous territory, we have One Shots like the enormous panoramic shot sent in to us today by FalconX Blast, who writes in to explain: "[This] is a shot of the station in 6VDT in the Fountain region during day five of our 23/7 siege of the hostile system. We've maintained a constant rotation of 600-1000 pilots in system and destroyed every hostile tower, and only the station remains in enemy hands. Tomorrow morning is the enemy's last chance to save the system and its assets." Since I had to cut this screenshot up a bit to show some detail (otherwise it would have been 98 pixels tall when resized), I'm also making the enormously full-sized panorama shot available, if you're curious to see it in full detail. Ever wanted to share a cool moment from your day of MMO gaming with the world? Well, if you're in the mood to share, we're glad to help. Just snap a great screenshot and email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you credit for sending it in. %Gallery-112285%
Blizzard comments on video games addiction documentary
Video game addiction is hardly a new subject around these here parts, but it still remains a much-discussed and controversial topic even so. Today, BBC investigative journalism program Panorama will add to the conversation with an in-depth look into the causes of gaming addiction and the consequences of players who become a little too hooked. The episode, titled "Addicted to gaming?", is expected to come down harshly against the practices of video game studios. According to CVG, it's no surprise that the documentary is airing the very night that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm launches, as Panorama uses WoW as one of its key examples. One of the stories follows the tale of Chris Dandos, a teenager who stopped going to school to play WoW for up to 20 hours a day. In response to the episode's focus, Blizzard released the following comment: "Our games are designed to be fun... but like all forms of entertainment... day-to-day life should always take precedence. World of Warcraft contains practical tools that assist players and parents in monitoring playing time."
360 Panorama brings sharing, simplicity to iPhone pano photos
We first looked at 360 Panorama back in July when it debuted against other panoramic photo apps, including Boinx's You Gotta See This and Debacle Software's Pano. On sale now for just US$0.99 (regular price $2.99), Occipital's panorama application has been updated to add what developer Jeff Powers calls "streetview sharing." This new sharing feature (a "hosted immersive viewing experience") allows you to upload your panoramas and access them from any web browser, whether that browser supports Flash or not. When viewed, you can flick and drag to see the panorama from any angle. Follow through the "read more" link to view a sample embedded panorama that I created at a local cemetery, which showcases the hosted interaction. You can easily share your panoramic creations with family, friends, colleagues and clients. All they need is a browser.
Google offers up Liquid Galaxy blueprint, make a panoramic Google Earth of your own
Not everyone has the wherewithal to purchase eight 55-inch HDTVs and a dedicated Linux server for each, but if we just described your corporate budget, Google's got everything else you need. The company just open-sourced the code, scripts and even the physical blueprint for its massive Liquid Galaxy rig late last week, letting folks buzz Google Earth natively across loads of screens. If you're ready to build your own, you'll find all that good stuff at our source link; if you first need a refresher course on why it's worth the dough, there's a lovely video after the break.
LG's Optimus 7 gets previewed by Korean newspaper, has voice to text feature?
You know how we abhor machine translation, but this rumor was too juicy to pass up -- the Korea Economic Daily reportedly got hands-on with LG's Optimus 7 (aka E900) way ahead of release, and if we're reading this right, the Windows Phone 7 device will be capable of writing your text messages, emails and status updates just by hearing you speak. The publication also reports it's got a 3.8-inch, 800 x 480 screen (rather than the 3.5 or 3.7 inches we've heard before), a 1500 mAh battery, 16GB of built-in storage and a 1GHz processor. There's also apparently "automatic panorama" feature where you simply pan the camera to take stills and stitch them together, which sounds a lot like the Sweep Panorama dealie Sony recently added to its Cyber-Shot lineup. Can we expect a US version to have these features? Hard to say. Even should this preview be wholly legit, speech-to-text would probably need quite the overhaul to tell English from Korean -- and let's not even get started on Engrish.
70-gigapixel panorama of Budapest becomes world's largest digital photograph
It's just been a few months since a 45-gigapixel panorama of Dubai claimed the title of world's largest digital photograph, but it's now already been well and truly ousted -- the new king in town is this 70-gigapixel, 360-degree panorama of Budapest. As with other multi-gigapixel images, this one was no easy feat, and involved two 25-megapixel Sony A900 cameras fitted with 400mm Minolta lenses and 1.4X teleconverters, a robotic camera mount from 360world that got the shooting done over the course of two days, and two solid days of post-processing that resulted in a single 200GB file -- not to mention a 15-meter-long printed copy of the photograph for good measure. Of course, what's most impressive is the photo itself. Hit up the source link below and start zooming in.
Sony's latest Cyber-shots boast 3D sweep panorama, background defocusing
It's getting to be that time of the year again -- time for Sony to expand / refresh its Cyber-shot lineup. Say hello to the 14.1 megapixel T99 and the 12.2 megapixel WX5 and TX9. All three feature BIONZ processors and 32MB internal memory (no word on external options). The T99's your underwater-capable option, capable of shooting sweep panorama shots submerged as well as 720p 30fps HD video -- or if you want something of an upgrade, the TX9 is also snorkeling-friendly, but itself can tout Full HD 1080i video recording, a Sweep Multi Angle for "3D-style" imagine, and the 3D sweep panorama with which the NEX series was just graced. Another neat trick of the Tx9 is its "background defocus" that gives you the DSLR-like effect of sharp foreground images with a blurry background (c.f. most of our headlining phone review images). If you're willing to sacrifice water resistance for a 5x optical zoom and Sony G lens (the previous two feature 4x and Carl Zeiss) while still retaining TX9's cool 3D tricks, you're gonna want the WX5. At this point, they carry no price tag, but you've got a bit to wait anyway: the trio will all debut in mid-September. Update: Akihabara News is reporting these cameras also support TransferJet. Additionally, AV Watch has listed some expected prices for Japan, so without further ado: the WX5 for 35,000 yen (about $400), the TX9 for 45,000 yen ($512), and the T99 for a more budget-friendly 29,000 yen ($330). %Gallery-97122%
Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware
Think Sony ain't serious about 3D? Think again. The Japanese giant has just outed a promised firmware update for its ultra-slinky NEX series of shooters that will allow users to shoot 3D panoramas. Panorama stitching was already one of the touted features on these cameras, but with a little extra software magic they'll now be able to collect "depth information" as well. We don't know how strong a 3D effect you're going to get, but since this is a free upgrade and a new way to play with your toy, we suggest grabbing the firmware first and asking questions later. Hit the source link for the download.
Sony's NEX3 / 5 cameras priced, June release date leaked (update: official)
It looks like Sony's having a field day right now in Japan, making its official reveal of the NEX3 and NEX5 cameras, the "ultra-compact" DSLRs with interchangeable lenses we saw back at PMA. The presentation is going on as we speak, and the rumor sites seem to suggest Digital Photography School posted (and subsequently pulled) a review of the NEX3. Quesabesde, however, still has its preview of the not-quite-Micro Four Thirds shooters live, and is also listing some specs and prices. First with the technical details: the NEX3 has a 14.2 megapixel sensor, support for Memory Stick and SDXC media, 720p / 30fps video, and an articulating 2.95-inch LCD. The NEX5 boasts AVCHD 1080i video, and we're not sure yet as to other differences between the pair. As for pricing, the bodies on their lonesome appear to be worth about €250 and €350, respectively -- that's $320 and $448 in US currency. Throw in a 16mm f2.8 lens for €250 and you're now looking at a minimum of €500 (or $640) to join the fray. The kits are said to be going on sale in June. Sony's official site hasn't updated yet, but with any luck we'll get the legit scoop in very short time. Update: Sony made it official, says a firmware update will be released this summer to capture stereoscopic 3D sweep panoramas. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]%Gallery-92716%
World of WarCrafts: WoW art for your computer
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself; contact our tips line (attention: World of WarCrafts) with your not-for-profit, WoW-inspired creations. If you spend a lot of time at your computer -- and what WoW devotee doesn't? -- you've probably got a soft spot for game-related wallpapers. This week, we've got trio of computer art we bet will have you booting up to a whole new look. World of Wallpapers has been putting out simple yet stunning WoW wallpapers for some time now. The problem isn't finding one you like; the problem is picking a single favorite for your desktop. (Personally, I'm planning to solve that problem with a slideshow screensaver of my top picks.) Go wide with these panoramic views of the wide world -- literally -- of Azeroth. Creator Cybear has been hard at work creating panoramic views of areas that will be changing come Cataclysm. (As of this writing, he had yet to settle on a final host for the files; please be patient should the bandwidth be temporarily exceeded. They're worth checking back for!) While we're on the subject of artwork, if you use Firefox as your web browser, head over to GetPersonas.com and check out the growing collection of WoW personas, which add artwork to your web browser's borders and function areas. We'd been waiting to mention these until more were available, but a tip from reader Akussa (thanks!) showed that the selection is coming along nicely. World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by e-mailing lisa (at) wow (dot) com with your not-for-profit WoW-inspired creations.
GigaPan Epic Pro robotic camera mount shipping in April
We found GigaPan's Epic 100 robotic camera mount to be an impressive if not entirely practical solution when we got our hands on it back in May of last year, but it's unfortunately of little use with a full-size DSLR. GigaPan is set to fill that gap with its new Epic Pro model, which it's just announced will be available in April. This model will accommodate DSLR and lens combinations up to ten pounds, and give you a 7.2V, 4300mAH rechargeable battery (as opposed to the AAs used in the smaller models), along with a few new features like a multiple triggering option to take multiple shots at each image position. Of course, the Pro model also comes with a pro-minded price -- $895, to be specific.
Macworld Expo: Jim Rea talks about the early days of Mac development
When Apple first introduced the Macintosh, there weren't many authorized third-party developers around... even fewer unauthorized ones, when you think about it. One guy did manage to sneak in the back door and ship his app for the original Mac on an accelerated schedule: Jim Rea, the founder of ProVUE Development. The company's original database for the Mac, OverVUE, was the 2nd commercial app to ship for the platform (Microsoft's Multiplan was #1). The DB application later evolved into Panorama, which continues to run on the Macs of today. Jim was kind enough to share some of his memories from the early years, and update us on the soon-to-ship Panorama version 6. Both videos are in the continuation of this post.
One Shots: Quiet night in Old Tarantia
It's been a while since someone has sent in a panoramic screenshot from a game, but we're glad to have a chance to showcase another lovely large image for you. This one comes to us from Zypher in Age of Conan and is quite enormous -- and richly detailed -- at its full size. Since there wasn't much of a note to go along with this other than to let us know it was a "nice view of Old Tarantia", we're going to flesh it out with a bit of back-story, courtesy of the excellent AoCWiki entry: Old Tarantia sits at the end of a huge bridge that leads to the rest of the bustling city, divided elsewhere by high walls and guarded gates. It uses its own docks and has a massive gate sitting on the Road of Kings. All are patrolled regularly, and watched for dangerous visitors. It is the root of the city itself, where the rest of the capital grew outward from, and is the base of the royal palace of King Conan himself. The shining towers of the palace rise high into the sky, overlooking the rest of the city and, some might say, the rest of Aquilonia. Are you leveling through the treacherous lands of Hyboria? If so, we'd love to see some screenshots from you. If not, that's okay -- we can use all the One Shots we can get, from any MMO! Just email those to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit. %Gallery-9798%
How would you change Gigapan's Epic camera robot?
Gigapan's Epic camera robot is an interesting beast, and calling it a niche device would be understating things rather dramatically. We had the opportunity to take an Epic 100 for a spin earlier this year, and we're guessing that a few of you adventurous photographers have managed to pick one up since. If so, we're curious to know how you're enjoying things. Are you satisfied with the panoramic results? Is it snappy enough? Versatile enough? Any modifications you'd like to make if you were leading up the redesign? Toss your thoughts in comments below, cool shutterbug?
Super-panoramic showdown for Mac
There are several photo-stitchers available for Mac (and several for iPhone as well), and most do a stellar job for stitching together 3-4 images into a panoramic image. However, I recently completed a project that required stitching together hundreds of images into some very large panoramas of several locations around beautiful Peoria, Illinois. What I found is that some of the programs which do admirable work on small stitching jobs performed very poorly on larger-scale panoramas. I tried several programs with varying results, and you can check out my showdown below.
GigaPan Epic 100 hands-on and review, panorama style
You're already well aware of what GigaPan's wild camera robot is capable of when its in masterly hands, but have you ever wondered if such a device is practical for folks who don't have excellent seats for events such as Presidential inaugurations or the Arirang Mass Games? We've been toying around with an Epic 100 for the past week and change, and now that we've had a moment to upload a few of our own panoramas, we figured we'd toss our two pennies into the ring. Eager to know if this gigapixel image creator is really worth its avoirdupois in cold, hard cash? Head on past the break to find out.