Google patent uses finger frames to snap pics with Glass-like devices
If you thought wearing a Google Glass headset was awkward, things could get even weirder. The Mountain View company was awarded a patent this week for tech that enables a Glass-like head-mounted display to automatically take pictures when it recognizes your fingers. Specifically, it snaps a pic when you make one of those finger frames like you’ve seen movie directors use. The patent document also explains that the device can change the orientation of the image based on the positioning of your hands. For example, if you made a circular “O” shape with one hand, you’d end up with a round picture. And the same goes for using two hands to frame a rectangular portrait.
Based on the area that you point out, the device is also capable of making any additional cropping, white balance and exposure adjustments. As is the case with documents like this, there’s no guarantee that the tech will end up in a new version of Glass or any other device. However, reports indicate that Google is hard a work on a new model, so perhaps we’ll find out soon enough how much you’ll need to employ your arms to document your next vacation.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Via: Quartz
Source: USPTO
LG straps the G4 to a drone and shoots an amazing promo video
There’s no debating that the LG G4 has an amazing camera, but what better way to show that off than to use it to shoot an entire promo video from a drone? LG decided to do just that in their latest promotional video showcasing the LG G4’s video capability.
The amazing video is thanks part to its 16-Megapixel camera, but more to the f/1.8 lens that LG have equipped the G4 with.
LG have preserved the video in its natural format and say it doesn’t include any post-processing enhancements, which is impressive if it’s true since the promo video looks impressive. It does get a little shaky at times, but considering it’s a phone strapped to a drone, it handles it pretty well.
Would this promo video make you buy an LG G4?
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Nest’s home security camera comes to the UK
Last month, Nest unveiled two new products that could make your home a whole lot safer: a revamped Protect smoke alarm and a wireless Nest Cam security camera. Both quickly debuted in the US and now, they’re available in the UK too. The new £159 Nest Cam is clearly inspired by Dropcam — the startup that Nest acquired last year for $555 million. The hardware offers some useful improvements though, such as a magnetic base (with tripod mount) that can be easily attached to most home surfaces. It also shoots in 1080p and uses eight built-in infrared LEDs to record and detect motion after dark. You can check the camera’s live feed from your phone and “soon” Nest will be launching its Aware cloud backup service (£8 per month) so you can review anything from the last 30 days.
The second-gen Protect, meanwhile, is slightly smaller and curvier than its predecessor, with a new “split-spectrum sensor” that better detects both fast and slow-spreading fires. There’s also deeper integration with the Nest companion app, which lets you silence deafening alarms from your phone and test the device’s various speakers and sensors. Just like the previous model, all of this will set you back £89 online and in stores.
Filed under: Household, Google
Source: Nest Cam, Protect (UK)
Leica’s Q camera is beautiful, expensive and totally worth it
Leica is known for making cameras that are too expensive for most people. Its latest one, the Leica Q (Typ 116), is no exception. You can tell a lot about its high value simply by glancing at it; the gorgeous magnesium alloy and matte black finish makes it look exquisitely premium. There are also little details around the chassis to make you further appreciate its design, including an area that allows your thumb to rest comfortably while you’re shooting. At roughly 23 ounces (640 grams), the Q isn’t exactly lightweight, but doesn’t feel heavy either — its mass is distributed perfectly throughout. But OK, enough about the appearance. How does this $4,250 camera actually perform in the real world?
As expected, Leica’s new shooter is feature-packed, with a 24-megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor, an ISO range of up to 50,000, a 3-inch (high-res) LCD display, NFC, WiFi and a contrast-detect autofocus system. Along with that, you’ll also get 1080p video (30 or 60 fps), a 1,280 x 960 electronic viewfinder, mechanical and electronic shutter types, as well as a free copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6. As you’d expect, that solid spec list bodes well for everyday use. The Q produces crisp images and HD videos, even in low light. That’s largely thanks to its full-frame sensor, which Leica says was custom built and designed to work in conjunction with the Summilux 28mm f/1.7 fixed lens.
The Q’s menu system is simple to navigate and a pleasure to use too, while an array of physical dials provide quick access to the shutter and exposure settings. Additionally, the Summilux lens has three rings that let you manually control your aperture, focus and macro. What you won’t find here, however, is an optical zoom; instead, there’s a 35mm or 50mm crop mode. Sure, that’s not the best option, but at least it works well for most close-up shots. Battery life, for its part, is quoted at 300 shots, and the camera had no problems reaching that number — the power levels do shorten noticeably when shooting video, although that’s to be expected.
Simply put, the Leica Q is one of the best compact cameras I’ve ever used. Is it worth the $4,250? If you have the money, without a doubt. And if you don’t? If that’s the case, I wouldn’t fret about going with a less expensive, yet slightly similar, option — such as Sony’s A7 II, which happens to offer a wide selection of lenses. The thing is, with the Leica Q, you’re paying for more than satisfying picture quality and elegant design; it’s also about owning a great product from a prestigious and luxurious brand. The real question is: How much does that matter to you?
To view full-resolution sample images shot with the Leica Q, click here.
Filed under: Cameras
Sony’s balloon photo app is now available in Beta on the Google Play Store
Sony’s new balloon photo app is not just another camera app that lets you take pictures and add captions and other designs, well, it is to an extent, but what’s different about this app is that it lets you add thoughts directly to your photos.
The new balloon app is still in beta, and it’s very similar to the voice balloon app the company already have, which lets you add captions to your photos based on voice dictation. Since the app is in beta, it seems Sony are trying to gauge the direction to take this but at the moment you’re able to select previously taken pictures, add and edit text, and drag balloons around the picture.
You can download the balloon photo app beta for free from the Google Play Store and no doubt this one will be updated with some cool new features as the company decides what they’re going to do with the functionality, but it’s certainly one to keep your eye on.
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#ICYMI: Freezing lasers, tweeting video games and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Microsoft debuts a Kinect-based room mapping system that understands furniture; we watch LEDs change color as they’re frozen in liquid nitrogen (because science!) and a programmer creates a game whose code fits into a single Tweet.
From the cutting room floor: Google rolls out 60 FPS video playback for its mobile app so now the walkthrough on your phone matches the gameplay on your console.
Let the team at Engadget know about any interesting stories or videos you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Sony to invest billions in its image sensor business
Sony’s mobile division has been having a tough time lately, but the company’s image sensors are still proving hugely popular in the smartphone and wider camera markets. In a bid to play to its strengths, Sony is looking to invest heavily in additional production capacity for mobile image sensors.
To raise the necessary funds for this expensive investment, Sony will be issuing new shares for the first time since 1989, which caused an 8.25 percent fall in Sony’s share price. The company is planning to raise around $3.6 billion through a combination of selling new shares and convertible bonds.
Of the total, much of the proceeds are earmarked for investment into additional production capacity for smartphone image sensors, such as those used in Apple and Samsung products, as well as its own handset line-up. Despite high demand for Sony’s cutting edge camera modules, its current production capacity is preventing the company from maximising its revenue.
In April, Sony Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida stated that the company would be investing ¥210 billion in image sensors during the current fiscal year and ¥80 billion on camera modules. The company is also expected to more than quadruple its operating profit for the 2016 fiscal year, following a company-wide restructuring program and strong sales of digital sensors.
For Sony, this is part of a broader plan to focus on its strongest products – music, movies, gaming and device components. We will have to see what this means for the company’s struggling mobile hardware business in the coming years, especially as Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai hasn’t ruled out abandoning the market all together.
IndieVice brings pro camera capabilities to smartphones (this one actually does)
Let’s give you a bit of background details before we move onto this new product, shall we?
The word “professional” gets thrown around way too much in the mobile industry. A plethora of manufacturers keep saying their smartphone cameras and accessories are meant for professionals, but I have always said that’s pure madness and bad marketing. Not only because they are abusing the word’s vague definition, but because features like an f/1.8 aperture, a high amount of megapixels or a “blurry background” don’t make a mobile camera a pro tool.
Yes, mobile devices can be pretty damn awesome at taking photos and video, and a good artist can make amazing content with it, but the truth is that at the end of the day size does matter. More specifically, hardware matters; and hardware quality is often at the mercy of size. For example, a larger good quality sensor will always perform much better than a good quality sensor on a smartphne (which would obviously be small).
Glass and stability also matter a lot in a camera, factors which are also impacted by size. Will there ever be a product that really allows for a mobile phone to become a professional camera? I can’t promise that just yet, but the closest I have ever seen a smartphone becoming a “professional” camera is with the IndieVice.
The IndieVice team has taken it to Kickstarter to try and fund their project. What is this IndieVice thing, though? Well, it’s pretty much a case and set of tools that give your smartphone the hardware it needs to become a more suitable professional tool. It has a dark viewfinder that allows you to look at the feed with no light pollution. There’s also a handle on top for adapting to complicated shooting positions.
Not pro enough? Throw in the ability to switch lenses, use an adapter for other SLR lenses, mount a GoPro camera and attach all sorts of professional accessories (lighting, microphones, etc.) to your smartphone. Now we got a winner. And the wireless zoom control adds a touch of simplicity we simply haven’t seen on mobile yet.
To be honest, this is the first time in a long time I am actually excited about a photography/videography product on Kickstarter. And early bird specials start at only $125 for the IndieVice Pro model with Bluetooth remote. By the way, this product is “universal” and is said to work with most phones, regardless of manufacturer, model or OS.
IndieVice has reached about half of its goal, which is set at $40,583. The important factor here is that the project still has 29 days to go! The only bad news is they won’t be shipping these until March 2016, so it will be a waiting game. I am definitely signing up with my next paycheck. Are you?
Z Camera & Private Gallery(Review)
With nearly everyone having access to a camera conveniently tucked away in their pocket or purse, it has become essential to have a camera that is productive, fast, and gives you multiple photo processing features at a moment’s touch. Z Camera is a light-weight stock camera replacement with customizable features, quick switching between photo, video, beauty modes, and the ability to hide photos in a private gallery.
Features:
- Amazing filter – Many filters available when photograph and photo-editing.
- Real-time filter – Preview your photos before you take photo.
- Fastest capture – Just 1s to capture photo after press the shutter button.
- Simple interface – Intuitive interface, and quickly switch to video and selfie.
- HDR – Open HDR to improve images captured in low light, and backlit scenes.
- Beauty selfie – Just one tap to beautify your photo.
- Private gallery – Keep your private photo safe.
- Video mode – Record video via front facing camera or rear camera.
- Photo Mode – Tons of options, you have the following features flash on/off, set a timer, front camera for selfies and wefies, and also a filter icon.
- Beauty Mode – Take quick “beautiful” enhanced images.
Z Camera has three capture modes: Video, Photo, and Beauty. By swiping your finger left or right, you have the ability to navigate effortlessly through the three modes. Also packed into Z Camera is a Private Gallery. To access the Private Gallery you have to open the Z Gallery that is downloaded along with the app. While in Z Gallery you have three tabs, “My Album”, “Other Album”, and “Private Album”. In Private Album, you are able to set a 4 digit security code in order to restrict access to the images stored in the Private Album.
Zero Team was very thoughtful to incorporate a Private Album. It’s awful when you let someone look at your photos and they continue to scroll past what you intended them to view, and the Private Album keeps their eyes off of those pictures that you don’t want them to see. Although, the Private Album should either be hidden or have an option to long press a title or a section in the app to activate it.
It is never a good idea to easily display Private Album; that’s why the Google Play Store is full of dummy cover apps that allow you to easily and securely hide your photo/video contents. Luckily, Zero Team has baked this feature into Z Camera.
Another complaint I have is the watermark. I was misled by what the watermark feature was. I just assumed that the watermark would allow me to easily have my name or hashtag placed on my photos. I was wrong, the watermark is Z Camera’s name. It would be a very useful feature if Z Camera allowed you to create your own watermarks. This would be a great feature to easily take and post watermark images to your social media networks.
After using Z Camera, I was really impressed with the ample selection of filters that I could quickly apply to my images. Although, after taking images, I realized the quality of the photos came out grainy and had a lackluster pop. I took photos with and without filters and the quality and colors were not comparable to my stock Samsung Note 4 camera.
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With the plethora of alternate photo apps available, Z Camera doesn’t stand out from the crowd. Although, it will give you multiple filter options and a different look from your stock camera. Z Camera is useful and allows you to take photos or videos quickly although more isn’t always better.
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Qualcomm touts support for hybrid camera auto focus
Smartphone camera technology has once again come into focus with the launch of this year’s flagships smartphones and Qualcomm is keen to remind us that it is helping to support some useful camera features. Specifically, Qualcomm has been boasting about its support for hybrid Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) and Laser Auto Focus systems. So let’s see what all the fuss is about.
Leading the way in smartphone auto focus technology is PDAF, which is commonly found in DSLR cameras and has shown up in smartphone sensors too. This is a popular technology as it can be built directly into the image sensor, removing the need for many additional hardware parts. PDAF works by using a number of masked pixels in opposing corners of the sensor. The distance between them means that light enters them slightly out of phase, which can then be used to correct the lens until the pixels are in phase. However, this is a bit of a trial and error process and can still be less than perfect in dark environments.
Laser Auto Focus is a quite different technology, which fires infrared light out from the extra hardware parts and detects the length of the physical object that you’re pointing your camera at by timing how long it takes for the light to return. You will likely remember Laser Auto Focus technology from the LG G4, G3 and Lenovo VIBE Shot smartphones, which can very quickly focus the handset’s camera when looking at objects close by. The only real limitation here is the range of the laser.
By combining these two technologies into a hybrid system, Qualcomm claims to have you covered for focus in every environment. The slightly cheesy video below gives a pretty good overview of how these both work.
Traditional smartphone auto focus systems rely on a technique called contrast focus, where your phone’s processor analyses the full picture to figure out the correct focus by polling through all of the possible focus points and picking the best one. Clearly that takes a lot more time than this hybrid system and can’t be used for proper depth data, which makes tracking moving objects much more problematic.
Despite all the drum beating, hybrid systems aren’t a new thing in the smartphone world. The LG G3 made use of contrast and laser focus, while the Samsung Galaxy S5 mixed contrast and phase detection methods. However, a combination of all three techniques is clearly the best of all worlds, albeit with a higher cost of production.
Flagship camera focus:
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Of course, numerous hardware companies are actually producing these boat pushing bits of hardware, but processor support is important to help bring these technologies to consumers quickly and in a wider range of products. Qualcomm’s mid-tier Snapdragon 615 chipset supports Laster Auto Focus and the Snapdragon 810 can work with both Laser and PDAF, if an OEM partner so choses.
How high on your list of smartphone priorities is cutting edge camera technology?
AIVAnet 