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Lytro camera hands-on (video)
You knew Lytro was up to something, but with its infinite focus light-field powered camera out of the bag, how does it actually stack up in real life? In a word: novel -- you certainly won't be tossing your regular camera for this shooter, at least not in its current incarnation. Still the concept of shoot now, ask focus questions later is revolutionary, so hop on past the break for our initial impressions. %Gallery-137034%
Lytro introduces world's first light field camera: f/2 lens, $399, ships early 2012
Ready for the world's first consumer light field camera -- you know, the spiffy kind that can infinitely focus? After demoing the tech earlier this year, Lytro's unveiled the world's first shipping product -- a little something it calls the Lytro camera. Within the anodized aluminum frame, the consumer-friendly camera totes an f/2, 8x zoom lens which utilizes an 11-mega-ray light-field to power all that infinite focus magic. It's instant-on and the rubber back-end wields only two physical buttons: one for shutter and the other for power. The company's added the ability to change the focus on-camera, a task accomplished via its touchscreen glass display. It'll ship in two versions: the $399 8GB flavor can hold 350 pictures, and comes in graphite or blue, followed by a $499 16GB model, which sports an electric-red finish and stores up to 750 images. Pre-orders go live at Lytro's website today, and will ship in early 2012 on a first-come first-serve basis. Our hands-on impressions are here, with PR and sample images after the break.%Gallery-137041%%Gallery-137039%%Gallery-137017%
Chipworks throws an iPhone 4S under its infrared microscope, finds Sony-sourced image sensor
Look closely. Can you spot it? That gray abyss is actually an infrared image by Chipworks revealing an iPhone 4S' Sony-branded, 8 megapixel CMOS sensor. Looks like Howard Stringer wasn't bluffing to Walt Mossberg back in April, after all. At the time, it was reported that Apple's usual sensor supplier, OmniVision, was experiencing production delays, prompting speculation that Sony would eventually usurp the position. While the iPhone 4S that Chipworks looked into seems to confirm this, it's pointed out that Apple does have a habit of "dual sourcing" components (with its contacts saying this should be no different), so Sony may not be the sole supplier this time around. What ever the case, there's no denying that the iPhone 4S takes some stellar shots. You'll find more information -- including X-rays of the 4S -- at the source link below.
The Daily Grind: Are you a screenshot junkie?
For some of us, the screenshot button that most games feature is essentially a way to save embarrassing or inflammatory conversations for later laughter or blackmail. But for other players, it's the window into a game and it will be worn down to a nub before too long. Whatever your program of choice, some players bring out their inner photographer in-game, producing galleries of images rendered with astonishing care and attention to detail. Of course, screenshots are a great way to get a sense for the look of the game, and having a large collection of them is certainly an advantage when you're writing for a site that uses a lot of different shots as header images. Much like any other part of the game, some players love it and some players kind of ignore it. So where do you fall? Do you absolutely adore capturing screenshots? Or is it something that just happens occasionally, sometimes accompanied by looking back and wishing you'd gotten a picture? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Turbine celebrates Rise of Isengard's launch with monsters and movies
"The more we pretend that Middle-earth is safe, the blacker the enemy's shadow grows," an ominous voice proclaims at the start of the Rise of Isengard launch trailer. While Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion was officially slated to be released today, Turbine jumped the gun and got it out yesterday afternoon -- complete with patch notes. We'll be digging deep into Rise of Isengard this week on Massively, including broadcasting it on Massively TV and analysing the first few days of play in the next Road to Mordor column. To celebrate Rise of Isengard's arrival, Turbine is treating its fans to an inspirational launch trailer and several new screenshots demonstrating the fearsome might of Saruman's forces. You know the drill: screenshots below, trailer after the jump! %Gallery-9579%
PlanetSide 2 opens up a comm-link to the players
Creative Director Matt Higby has stepped up to the plate to take a few swings at an introductory letter for PlanetSide 2 on the title's official website. Higby begins by laying out his past experience at SOE, citing his enthusiasm for working on the PlanetSide sequel and introducing the team working on the project. The meat of the letter comes as Higby presents the core pitch for the game. "Our goal with PlanetSide 2 is to create a game where you will fight against and alongside thousands of players, competing simultaneously and directly against one another in massive battles featuring intense infantry action as well as incredible air and ground vehicle combat," he writes. "All of these features come together to deliver what we feel will be not only the world's best MMOFPS, but the ultimate online FPS experience." Included in the letter are two brand-new screenshots from the game showing soldiers stalking the enemy on an alien world. You can check out those images as well as past PlanetSide 2 pictures in the gallery below. %Gallery-127964%
Gomite Tiltpod magnetic tripod: snapping awkward family photos just got easier
Nothing ruins a Kodak moment faster than taking a timeout to set up a tripod, which is why the folks at Gomite went magnetic when developing its tiny new Tiltpod. Designed for compact cameras or video recorders, magnets enable users to sidestep the whole "screw-in" process that typically eats away precious pre-shot moments. The underside is made of an elusive "grippy material," enabling it to perch easily on rocks, car hoods, bathroom sinks or any other odd place you may want to recall vividly. Kind of like a cheaper version of this guy, the Tiltpod is available online now for a cool $17.95. For those still struggling to grok the purpose, there's a gallery's worth of explanation just below. %Gallery-133307%
Visualized: the Apple mothership
We've already caught a glimpse of Apple's proposed science fiction museum new campus in Cupertino, but screen grabs just don't do this behemoth justice. A recently released set of renderings of Apple Campus 2, as it's known to the city of Cupertino, however, give it that proper otherworldly glow. According to the accompanying proposal, the building will take up a measly 2.8 million square feet, contain a 1,000-seat auditorium and research facilities totaling 300,000 square feet. Really? Is that all? If architectural renderings are your thing, hit the source link for some building-plan booty. %Gallery-130561%
BlackBerry Monza 9860 photos emerge, ready to take the world by Storm
If photos of a new handset are taken without Mr. BlurryCam involved, launch day is likely close at hand. Such is the tale of the BlackBerry Monza 9860 -- aka the Monaco, the Storm 3, or a plethora of other code names. Regardless of the title, it's an all-touchscreen, 1.2GHz device yet to be announced or even acknowledged by its maker. But since when does that ever stop the leaks from piling up to monstrous heights? A new batch of images showing off the fabled handset has come to light, giving us a respectable peek at the phone's outer beauty; unfortunately, we didn't learn anything new here. The image above suggests this particular machine is AT&T-bound, but we're not entirely convinced -- it could be a test device that's unlocked and using the carrier's HSPA+ network -- especially since T-Mobile's supposedly landing the Monza as early as this week. Perhaps it's even the "shiny, new and social all over" product expected to be announced tomorrow. The puzzle pieces are definitely getting put together, eh? Check out the gallery below for the latest stunning shots. [Thanks, Ratnesh] %Gallery-129121%
New PlanetSide 2 screenshots show troops in action
In our opinion, there can't be enough news about Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming PlanetSide 2 these days, which is why we'll enthusiastically shake hands with Tony Park if we ever meet him. Park heads up The9, the Chinese publisher for PlanetSide, and he's posted a couple new screenshots of the hot title on his blog. These PlanetSide 2 pics show armor-clad soldiers getting into position for action. It's interesting to note the distinctive colors that will surely help teammates differentiate friend from foe. We heard a lot about this sequel to SOE's PlanetSide at Fan Faire, including the trailer, a general overview of the game, and an in-depth look with the developers. You can eyeball the new pics in the gallery below! %Gallery-127964%
Twitter announces integrated photo-sharing service, improved search
Well, it's not exactly a good day for anyone that placed their bets on a Twitter-linked photo service. As expected, Twitter today announced its own integrated photo-sharing service, which will launch "over the next several weeks" and let folks upload an image and attach it directly to their tweet from Twitter.com -- the same functionality is also said to be coming to its official mobile apps "soon." The service isn't completely in-house, though -- Twitter has partnered with Photobucket to actually host the photos. In more immediate news, Twitter has also announced that a "completely new version" of Twitter search is rolling out today. It promises to deliver more relevant results for searches and trending topics, as well as related photos and videos that will be displayed next to your results (which can also be browsed and explored in-depth). Head on past the break for a quick demo video.
Western Digital Photos app on iOS and Android update allows sharing directly to WD TV Live Hubs
The latest version of the WD Photos app for iOS and Android devices has a new trick, it can directly share photos from your mobile device to a WD TV Live Hub set-top box. The press release calls it the first smartphone-to-HDTV sharing app, but we've seen similar concepts from Verizon's Flex View and apps that use DLNA to share media from mobile to the TV or TV connected devices. Still, one button press sharing is a neat trick and with the addition of the free app may be a nice feature to compete with other set-top boxes like the Roku family, Boxee Box or the Apple TV's tight iTunes / iPhoto integration. Users can grab the apps from iTunes or the Android Market at the links below, there's more details available in the press release after the break.
TUAW's Daily iOS App: Piclings
Piclings is an interesting one. It's a platformer, which means you guide a little character named Picazzo around a series of levels, picking up various coins and power-ups. It's cute enough, but the real draw is that Piclings lets you create your own levels by taking a picture with your iPhone's camera or using a picture you've already taken. You can use a level editor to design maps or let the app convert the image automatically, so even if you're not a great designer, any picture you've taken works. It's pretty intriguing. Obviously, it doesn't work perfectly all of the time, but that's kind of the game -- to see just how the app converts a picture that you take. Unfortunately, the controls are kind of hinky (you float around according to a meter rather than jumping like a normal platformer), but navigating is easy enough. There's also no real overall goal. You can earn achievements and collect things in the levels, but there's very little pushing you through the game as a whole. Game Center integration extends the gameplay a bit, and you can even "share" levels by passing your pictures around. Piclings is a good idea, and while it's not quite the best implementation, it's definitely worth a look for US0$.99 as a universal app, especially if you're interested in seeing how the picture levels work.
The iPad 2 is highly unpopular... as a camera
Photo sharing site Flickr tracks and publishes the device origin of all the photos that are posted to its site. With over 4.5 million users uploading photos daily, this data set is enormous. Stats from a month ago show the iPhone 4 is at the top of the heap of not just smartphones, but of digital cameras as well. Currently, over 4,000 daily users upload photos taken with their iPhone 4. Over 7 million photos have been uploaded since the iPhone 4 launched last June. Moving to the iPad 2, the stats are pretty abysmal. A month ago, only nine users were uploading iPad 2 photos. Today, that number has climbed to a meager 22. If the camera was a key feature of the tablet, you would expect to see a lot more than 22 people uploading per day, especially with the millions of iPads that are circulating in the wild. I hate to say it, but my own usage reflects this trend. I use my iPhone 4 all the time for taking photos and sharing them with friends. The camera on the iPad 2, though, has not been used once since I bought the tablet a month ago. If you have one or more of these devices, do you use them in the same way? [Via Electricpig]
Eden Eternal announces closed beta date
Eden Eternal has been moving quickly along the development track ever since our first look at the title scarcely a month ago. Today we've learned that Aeria Games has announced the title's closed beta starting date: June 2nd. As part of the Eternal Guardians, players will have a chance to shape the destiny of the world -- while getting a little fun in for themselves as well, of course. Eden Eternal will have to work hard to distinguish itself from a similar crop of brightly colored cartoony MMOs, but the fact that it offers so many options -- the chance to switch between all of the classes out of combat, build up player towns, and fight in real-time combat -- speaks in its favor. We have seven new pictures of Eden Eternal for you to peruse while we count down to June 2nd, and if you want to learn more about this title, check out our extensive interview with Aeria Games. The company promises an "avalanche" of closed beta events for participants, so head on over to the site to get your name on the roster! %Gallery-120523%
RockMelt browser resurrects itself as iPhone app
Remember RockMelt? Neither do we, mostly, but the "social browser" -- which debuted for the Mac and PC late last year -- is back and more portable than ever. The minty fresh iPhone version plays nice with Facebook and Twitter, as well as a few other social-type things you're probably doing with your phone already. If you're a devoted user of the grown-up version, however, the networky app is probably worth a download for its ability to sync with its desktop counterpart. Peppily-soundtracked video after the break, a must-watch for those who believe in second chances. [Thanks, Mikey]
Sony Photo Movie Creator app builds video collages, vacation slide enthusiasts applaud
Nothing brings back the memories of your wedding, family reunion, or Bar Mitzvah quite like a sappy four-minute slideshow video with the soothing sound of John Mayer over it. Thanks to Sony, Android and iOS devices are on the receiving end of a new video app that will let us capture these cheesy memories easier than ever. Dubbed Photo Movie Creator, this app grabs your desired photos plus music, and then cranks out a cute little movie using one of the 18 preloaded themes. What's more, you can then share your slideshows on Facebook, as we're sure your friends would absolutely adore every precious moment as you do. Head over to the Android market now for this $2.49 app (free trial available), or you can wait for the iOS version due May. Demo video after the break.
The Road to Mordor: Middle-earth scrapbook
Even for a four-year-old MMO, Lord of the Rings Online is singled out as one of the most visually lush titles on the market. From its sweeping vistas to its intricate ruins, LotRO is a screencapper's dream. I know I'm not alone in wearing out my screenshot button, and whenever I play, I'm constantly on the lookout for a good photo-op in the middle of saving the world. Unlike some MMOs, LotRO skews more to the "realistic" side of the visual spectrum without descending into the creepy, plasticy, uncanny valley that I've seen elsewhere. Instead, the art team created a place with solemn character, exuberant life, dreadful decay and rich history. Long after I grow bored of the game's mechanics, I suspect that I'll still be very much in love with its looks. Guess I'm shallow that way! So today, I'm going to present to you 37 of my favorite screenshots that I've taken over the past year in the game. Some are chosen for their significance; some, for their details. But most were picked simply because I thought they looked rad. Join me on a scrapbooking journey through the world -- and when you're done, hit the jump to read my commentary notes for each (many pardons for the awkward setup, but we're having issues with the galleries showing captions)! %Gallery-121186%
Facebook planning facial recognition for picture uploads? (update: yes!)
It is indeed less earth-shattering than that alleged (and, it turns out, false) Google app we heard about a few days back, but one of our loyal readers has stumbled across what appears to be an up-and-coming (and thus far inactive) facial recognition feature in his Facebook privacy settings. And, you know what? We have found the same thing! Although we are somewhat mollified by the prospect that this bad boy (when and if it becomes active) will only highlight our mug in pictures uploaded by friends, we bemoan the possibility that even more of our lives will be spent untagging ourselves from embarrassing party snaps. Update: Looks like this is the same ol' "box around the face" update that's been gradually rolling out for quite some time. Is it new to you? It's enabled by default -- but feel free to disable it in your privacy settings. [Thanks, Philip]
Smithsonian captures 201,000 wild photos with automated cameras
We have this big, fang-filled, claw-sharpened big cat all up in our grill thanks to the researchers at the Smithsonian, who have created a new database filled with over 201,000 pictures of elusive animals in their natural habitats. These candid shots were made possible with motion-activated automated cameras scattered around the world, and feature over 200 species of birds and mammals, and here's most impressive part -- these photos are au naturel. That's right... there's no editing here, these are untouched raw shots straight from the rain forests of places like Peru and China -- which allow us to see these magnificent creatures as scientists do. If you want more info or desire to check out these wild photos, hop over to the source link or check out the gallery below. %Gallery-118866%
