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Sony's IPELA system: pricey HD video conferencing
The in-laws have been pestering you to do a little video chatting so they can see their grandkids a bit more, right? But we're sure the thought of digging out the 'ol webcam from 2001 brings up repressed memories of jerky, tiny video chatting. Well Sony may have the solution -- albeit an uber-pricey one -- but still, it's a high-def solution in the form of its new IPELA package. The large pictured box (PCS-HG90) converts the captured HD video stream to H.264 (1,280 x 720 at 60fps) and shoots off the data to the receiving box via the Internet -- sending the video of your child's smiling face to his/her grandparents' HDTV. Plus, there isn't a cheap webcam in the system: Sony has bundled a 1.12 megapixel, 3CCD camera to get the best picture quality possible. While this system could theoretically work for remote family reunions, its $42,000 pricetag (you need two of each component, after all) would indicate that these units are aimed more towards the corporate market. Then again, you simply cannot put a price on your parents seeing every last feeding, diaper change, or spit up, now can you?
Alphacam's multi-convergent USB camera: the drinking bird lives!
We'd like to be the first to welcome the drinking bird into the 21st century. Introducing the Neo from the Alphacam kids of Korea. This multifunction device brings a 2 megapixel auto-focus webcam, laser pointer, business card reader, voice recorder, and all purpose text scanner to the show. No pricing announced but it should be shipping already in Korea, you know, in case you're in the hood. Check the Neo snapped in a few more poses after the break.
Marmitek GSMGuard300 will SMS you if it senses danger
You know, there's home security systems, and then there's home security systems. While other more low-budget security systems have webcams that can take pictures of the perp, this Marmitek GSMGuard300 combines the awesome power of window and door sensors with the security tool that should be in everyone's arsenal: text messages. When your door or window is opened, the system will automatically let rip a resounding klaxon and simultaneously will send you a text message. Of course, if you're not near the site an SMS won't exactly save your stuff from being stolen, nor will it give you a visual record of who stole it, but at least thanks to this €479 device, you'll have the piece of mind to know that your fortress has been breached and the slow-ass po-po can be alerted.[Via Red Ferret]
Microsoft Hardware rains down fiery peripheral death
As if to prove a point to their comrades in the Microsoft Windows division, Microsoft Hardware has just launched nine new peripherals to show 'em how its done. We won't trouble you with all nine products, but the four highlights of the launch are plenty to be getting on with. Pictured above is the new Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000, which claims to be the first wireless rechargeable backlit keyboard, and who are we to argue? The 'board features ambient and proximity sensing, while keeping it slim at a mere 1-inch thick, and it should be available next February for $250. Next up is the do-it-all Wireless Presenter Mouse 8000, which stuffs in slide presenter, laser pointer, media remote and laser mouse functionality into its meaty girth. The Bluetooth mouse should be out mid-October for about $100. Microsoft also has the new Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, with high-def laz0r tracking and intense ergonomics, and the new LifeCam NX-6000 webcam, which features 7.6 megapixel stills and 2.0 megapixel video in a minuscule package. The cam should be out in November for $100, while the Laser Mouse 6000 should follow in January for $80. Now, if only we had a shiny new OS to use these with. Keep reading for more pics.Read - Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000Read - Wireless Presenter Mouse 8000Read - Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000Read - Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000
Joystiq hands-on: Xbox Live Vision camera (or: IT BEGINS!)
A small, plain box arrived unexpectedly from Redmond over the weekend containing nothing more than the diminutive Xbox Live Vision camera floating in a sea of amniotic packing paper. No retail box here, just the tiny little camera and its accompanying PR fact sheet ("Microsoft Corp.'s line of Xbox 360™ Authentic Products continues to grow while ..."). The sheet does detail the two bundles that will be released on September 19th, clipped after the break.We hurriedly grabbed some snaps before hooking up the Vision to the ol' 360 and taking it for a spin around the UNO block ... where IT happened. We've grown (abnormally) accustomed to the sort of blue language one finds while playing outside of the confines of your Xbox Live friends list -- this is of course, entirely different than the blue language you enjoy while playing with your friends, but we digress -- but it wasn't ten minutes before we had our first PG-13 exposure. Read on for the entire, sordid tale (with NSFW pictures!).
Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000 reviewed
Our peeps over at PC Mag have gotten their hands on the higher-end of Microsoft's two Live-optimized LifeCams announced last month and, for the most part at least, seem to have dug it, giving it a hefty 4/5 rating. True to Microsoft's claims, they found that the cam was in fact, very easy to use and delivered some nice added features like face-tracking along with the standard pan, tilt, and zoom control. And while they were impressed with the 30 fps, 1,280-by-1,024 (interpolated, of course) video, they found that the audio quality from the built-in mic left a lot to be desired, having to crank up the volume in order to hear each other clearly, resulting in some nasty feedback. An external microphone would obviously solve that problem but, you know, would kinda defeat the purpose. Not surprisingly, the best results also came when using Windows Live Messenger, with some additional audio/video problems cropping up when used with AIM and Yahoo. A deliberate downgrade? Nah, couldn't be.
Robbery averted via Beatles fan webcam in Liverpool
Britain, rightly or wrongly, is crawling with surveillance cameras for spying on its citizenry. But there's a whole class of cameras that could be used for security purposes that MI5/MI6 may have forgotten about: webcams. On Friday, a Beatles fan happened to be watching the webcam that's trained on Mathew Street, a nabe in Liverpool that houses the famous Cavern Club, where the Fab Four got their start. This astute fan watched from his home in Dallas as three perps were breaking into a sports store. He picked up his phone and called the Liverpool police -- and the suspects were arrested. Techmology 1 - 0 Crooks.[Via Reuters]
Sony's iMac-like Vaio VGC-LS1 announced, reviewed
Back in our former lives as sales drones for the big box retailers, we used to cram all our computing gear onto the coffee table, because, well, we couldn't afford a proper desk. We sure wish Sony had been around back then with its all-in-one Vaio VGC-LS1 Media Center desktop, which like the latest generation of iMacs, packs all of the PC components neatly in and around a flat-panel LCD. First appearing in Japan several months ago, the LS1 will finally make it stateside come September, and PC Mag finds the Core Duo-equipped multimedia powerhouse to be a worthy adversary for similar machines from Apple (a wireless keyboard and mouse come standard here) and especially Gateway (its horribly-designed Profile 6 isn't even fit for public display). The LS1 improves upon Sony's previous all-in-one offering, the VA11G, by getting rid of the hardware at the base of the display as well adding ExpressCard and SD slots -- though you still have to deal with an unsightly appendage in the form of a tethered USB IR receiver dongle. The built in TV tuner, dual-layer DVD burner, and 250GB hard drive make this model sound perfect for college students or as a bedroom PC, but the main drawback lies in its lack of HD support: not only is it missing a Blu-ray drive, you're not getting a single HDMI, DVI, or component input for filling that 19-inch, 1,680 x 1,050 screen with high definition goodness. Overall, though, the $2,100 machine comes across as a pretty capable performer with an eye-catching design and only a few, mostly minor drawbacks -- meaning that we would have been proud to give it a home in our dingy little studio apartment.Read- LS1 announcementRead- PCMag review
Xbox Live Vision sneaks onto store shelf
It's a whole month early -- Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera is still due for actual release on 9/19 -- but during a recent Toys 'R' Us run lucky tipster Leo managed to walk away with his very own Live Vision camera, courtesy of an evident stocking snafu. The shiny package includes a headset, the camera, codes for 1 month of Live Gold and a registration key for fan-fave Uno. Of course, we don't suppose he'll be able to get much use out of it until Microsoft launches the device officially, but it makes for a good Flickr set, and some decent bragging rights.
Webcam + CD-ROM lens = instant microscope
Sure, you could just buy one of the many, more capable, ready-made, USB microscopes, but if you're lacking for geek cred, you can also build your own with nothing more than a webcam and a lens salvaged from a CD or DVD drive. This hack courtesy of Kalanda is about as simple as can be, just carefully remove the tiny lens from your optical drive and affix it in place on the webcam with some cardboard and tape (they apparently didn't remove the webcam's lens). The lens is able to double as a microscope because of its very short focal length, which proved to be just right for getting disturbingly close shots of the intrepid DIY-er's hand. We're building one right now, too, because we've been having a hell of time keeping track of our micro-dice during those regular after-work craps games.[Via Make]
"3rd-i" cam for spyin' on the go
There are undoubtedly less proprietary ways to go about doing this, but if you're looking for a quick, painless way to get a PC-free camera feed to your phone, a British operation by the name of 3rd-i reckons they have the answer. The concept is simple enough: take your garden-variety video cam, strap on a GPRS modem, and call it good for £199 ($370). Besides accessing live video and up to 30 days of archived footage via pretty much any Java MIDP 1.0- or 2.0-enabled phone, the unit can be set up to immediately text you upon detecting motion. Not bad -- in fact, we'd strongly consider using 3rd-i's cams to secure the Engadgetmobile, but the dual band 900 / 1800 support just doesn't cut it in these parts.[Via Crowdedbrain]
Hawking's HNC290G wireless webcam sets itself up
Not that a top-5-percenter like yourself really needs your gear to set itself up, but it's always a nicety to save yourself a few minutes doing the configuration dance when your device can do it for you. Hawking's new HNC290G Net-Vision 802.11g wireless camera does that whole UPnP thing to throw up its live 30fps video stream automagically, making it ever easier for you to surveil your abode (or, if need be, surveil someone else's). Expect to ring it up for $130 come August 4th.
Logitech's "high definition" QuickCam Ultra Vision
While the iSight built into your new Macbook (or any laptop-integrated webcam for that matter) might meet your day-to-day needs, Logitech is hoping that their new QuickCam Ultra Vision can significantly raise the production value on your next YouTube masterpiece. For $129, you get a mostly glass lens -- there are still a few plastic elements in there, just less than usual -- that'll open all the way up to f/1.6, making acceptable results possible even in darkness that would turn normal cams into digital noise-filled nightmares. The press release also boasts "high definition" capability from its wide format, interpolation-free 1.3-megapixel sensor, but skimps on the hard resolution numbers, with the product page only making mention of its capability to do "live video up to 640 x 480" at 30fps. (That doesn't sound very HD to us.) Other amenities include a 4-megapixel (there's the interpolation) still camera, USB 2.0 connectivity, RightSound microphone, a heap of cheesy effects and the RightLight 2 metering system, which promises "twice the image clarity of conventional webcams." If you still feel your cinematic needs aren't being met, you can check out the rest of the updated QuickCam line, including the Orbit MP, Fusion, Pro 5000 and the Communicate STX, all which received minor spec bumps. These all should be available by the end of August, so you still have a little time to clean your room before exposing it to the world -- or at least your Skype contacts. [Via Tech Digest]
Asus rocks out with PG191 19-inch gaming monitor
When it comes to gaming monitors, performance is everything, so Asus was off to a good start by endowing its new 19-inch PG191 LCD with a zippy 2-millisecond response time. However, we're not sure that it was also a good idea to build two speakers and a subwoofer into this unit; although they do lend the monitor a rather, um, distinctive look, it would seem that most consumers who are really into their gaming already own a set of dedicated speakers -- and probably a 5.1 or 6.1 setup -- which perform better than the ones Asus is offering here. Also, part of the package is a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera, which may indicate that the company is actually targeting wannabe-gamers with this model -- folks who envy the rockstar lifestyle portrayed by Fatal1ty and friends, but who have yet to begin accessorizing their own PCs. Rounding out the specs are your standard 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, 800:1 contrast ratio, and 320cd/m2 brightness, along with a DVI port, in-game video capture software, and special audio/video settings designed to enhance gameplay. No word yet on pricing or availability, but if the speakers and camera add too much loot to the bottom line, we can't imagine that many real gamers will be interested.
DIY camera for the Nintendo DS
We're all aware that a digital camera/webcam for the Sony PSP is right around the corner, but how many of you knew that you could also snap photos with your Nintendo DS? Don't feel bad; we didn't know it was possible either until we spotted modder Kako's handiwork on YouTube -- apparently he's taken a Treva CMOS chipset, done a bit of rewiring, and written software that allows the unit to output images directly to his DS Lite. We can't vouch for the picture quality, and the frame rates are positively sluggish, but at least this mod gives Nintendo fanboys one less missing feature to defend when the PSP crowd goes into one of those regular, tiresome diatribes listing the many reasons why their product totally "pwns" the little dual screen console -- in fact, you'll probably catch a few examples of said diatribes right here in the comments section of this very post.[Via DS Fanboy]
D-Link launches 3G Securicam DCS-2120 wireless internet camera
D-Link's got a new weapon for anyone looking to keep an eye on burglars and other unwanted trespassers on their premises, the Securicam DCS-2120, a wireless security camera with 3G mobile video support. So now you'll be able to obsessively peep what's going on at your home or business from just about anywhere (with 3G service, that is) via your 3G-equipped phone or PDA. And if that's not enough for ya, the camera also has its own CPU and web server, which'll throw up a live feed that you can access from any web browser, as well as built-in 802.11g for additional networking options, including using multiple cameras. The specs for the camera itself are otherwise pretty standard, with a 640 x 480 resolution capturing video at "up to" 30 frames per second. D-Link's press release says the camera will launch in the U.K. sometime in July for £179.97, but it looks like it's already on sale over here for about $300 US.[Via Tech Digest]
$40 XBL Vision camera & UNO bundle detailed by MS source along with prices & dates for other 360 accessories
Our friendly anonymous source at Microsoft has provided us with a few more details concerning the 360 accessories announced back at E3.Perhaps the most important involves the bundling of the Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset, the popular Live Arcade title UNO, and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 when it releases in the States on September 19, 2006.Granted, this is still an unofficial report (based on a leak of "official" info), so understand that you're probably not gonna get much confirmation from MS until they're good and ready to give it. If you'd like information on what other peripherals are coming out "Holiday 2006" (so sometime in the 4th quarter) and at what price, read on for more.
Xbox 360 camera plus poker equals immersion
After the Microsoft keynote we managed to spend some time with one of the games supporting the 360's camera peripheral, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. In this game, the camera is used to take a frontal and sideways shot of the player's head, which is then turned into a 3D representation of the player.The process takes about three minutes, and is a little rough around the edges, but the immersiveness from seeing your opponents' faces both in 3D and in a superimposed webcam display is undeniable. The PMS Clan ladies demonstrating the game were impressed, describing it as a way to increase the addictiveness and realism of online poker, and wondering when they'd see their own faces in their favourite FPS. However, we find the concept of seeing our own dead bodies disturbing enough without adding our faces to it.
Xbox Live Vision camera, Racing Wheel, Wireless Headset coming this fall
We've been hearing about the camera for the Xbox 360 for so long, that we almost forgot it still hasn't been released. Well, Microsoft finally came clean about the cam, and gave it an official name at the company's E3 event today. The Xbox Live Vision camera will be available this fall, and will allow users to use their 360 for video-conferencing, video-emails and gamer picture customization. Microsoft also announced the Racing Wheel controller for driving games, and a wireless headset, which presumably will bring joy to parents everywhere. All accessories are expected to be available this fall.Continue on for official pictures.
Asustek PW201 20-inch widescreen display with 1.3 megapixel webcam
Just in case you're looking to do some high-res video conferencing while working, Asustek has rolled out a 20-inch LCD display with built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam. The rest of the specs for the display are respectable, if not inspiring: 1680x1050 resolution; 800:1 contrast ratio; all the usual inputs, including DVI and component video. We just hope the included software lets us adjust the webcam's resolution downward, for those times we don't want our callers to see what we really look like. [Via TG Daily]
