Scent-dispensing chips help researchers snap wild wolverines
Wildlife experts in the US have a cunning technique to track “high-elevation” animals such as wolverines, lynx and gray wolves. Small survey stations known as “camera traps” use tempting scents to lure them in, before snapping a quick shot that can be used for research. The problem? The scent runs out after a few weeks, forcing conservationists at places like Woodland Park Zoo and Idaho Fish and Game to trek out and replace them manually. Microsoft researcher Mike Sinclair has been working with Dr. Robert Long, a senior conservation fellow at Woodland Park Zoo, and Joel Sauder, a wildlife biologist for Idaho Fish and Game, on a solution. The trio have developed an ultra-low power control processor, powered by lithium batteries, that’s programmed to dispense just three millilitres of liquid scent through a tiny peristaltic pump each day. Just enough to lure the animals, but more importantly, the hardware can last six to nine months without any maintenance.
Source: Microsoft, Woodland Park Zoo
Google engineer explains why your Nexus 5X is taking upside down photos
If you’ve been playing with a Nexus 5X and third-party camera apps, you may have noticed some of them are shooting photos upside down. Weird, right? Well, it turns out it’s a pretty rare issue caused by how Google had to mount the camera sensor in the Nexus 5X to make everything fit.
The Nexus 5X has a camera sensor that’s mounted in reverse landscape, instead of the typical portrait orientation that everyone expects. To compensate for that weird orientation, Google’s new camera APIs account for that and keep things displaying the right way. Unfortunately, there are still many apps that use Android’s older API, and that’s where users are seeing problems.
The Nexus 6 actually saw some of these same problems at launch, but only with the front-facing camera. Since the front cam is less frequently used than the rear camera, it was less widespread than what we’re dealing with now.
The good news here is that your Nexus isn’t broken. You’ll just have to wait for app developers to update their applications to use Android’s newer API.
source: reddit
Come comment on this article: Google engineer explains why your Nexus 5X is taking upside down photos
Google explains why some Nexus 5X pictures are the wrong way up
If you recently splashed out on a brand spanking new Nexus 5X, you might be wondering why some of the images you take aren’t the right way up. It turns out that it’s a quirk of how the device was manufactured, thanks to a little insight from Google’s Eino-Ville Talvala. After users began to complain about the issue on Reddit, the engineer popped up to explain where the problem comes from, and how to fix it.
Via: XDA – Developers, SlashGear
Source: Reddit
The Hexo drone is your flying selfie companion
Hiring a film crew to capture your action sport exploits can cost thousands of dollars an hour while trying to take selfies as you barrel full-tilt down the side of a mountain is a great way to wind up in traction. But with the HEXO+ UAV from Squadrone Systems, you won’t have to do either. This semi-autonomous aerial camera platform pairs to your phone via Bluetooth and faithfully tracks movement, keeping you (or at least your phone) centered in the shot. I recently took an early production model out for a walk at San Francisco’s Fort Funston to see how well the HEXO+ actually performs and wound up starring in my own low-speed action flick.
ICYMI: Astronaut recruitment, kegels for men and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A Kickstarter project called KGoal Boost is aimed at helping men strengthen their kegel muscles (the ones at the base of the pelvis) and we had to give it the ICYMI treatment. NASA will begin recruiting astronauts for a new class on December 14. And Lytro announced a new virtual reality camera that would change the traditional multi-camera set-up to collect VR content and turn it into needing only one (very expensive) camera.
New reports say Samsung shutting down digital camera business
New reports coming out of South Korea indicate Samsung is in the process of shutting down their digital camera line of business. The move appears to include both the portions of the business unit that produce products like the Samsung NX1 smart camera as well as the parts that produce sensors like the APS-C hybrid sensor used in the Samsung NX500. Sources indicate the personnel are being moved to other divisions like medical devices or the smartphone division.
Some have noted that Samsung’s sensors, like the one used in the NX500, are considered some of the better image quality sensors on the market, so the loss is not good news for photographers. However, with some of the personnel moving over to the smartphone division, that business unit may benefit from their expertise with cameras, which seem to be one of the big selling points for smartphone manufacturers in mature markets.
Do you see this as a good strategic move for Samsung?
source: Asia Economic
via: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: New reports say Samsung shutting down digital camera business
GoPro shows off footage from its first camera drone
GoPro’s first-ever camera drone might not be ready until the first half of 2016, but that doesn’t mean it will leave you completely in the dark about what this machine can do. The action cam company has posted its first footage from a prototype of the as yet unnamed quadcopter, and it’s clear that the end product will at least merit a close look. The brief teaser shows extremely stable footage, pleasing colors and a very sharp (at least 1440p) picture. These certainly aren’t novel — just ask DJI — but it’s evident that GoPro isn’t messing around with its entry into robotics.
Source: GoPro (YouTube)
Sony confirms purchase of Toshiba’s image sensor business
A few days ago, rumors surfaced which suggested that Sony was preparing to close a deal to purchase Toshibas’ CMOS image sensor business. Today, Sony has confirmed that this is the case, although no financial details have been disclosed. The two have a contract to complete the deal by the financial year ending March 2016.
Sony also recently announced that it would spin off its image sensor business into a separate division, called Sony Semiconductor Corporation, in order to help keep the group competitive. The newly acquired business will fall under this new division, and all of Toshiba’s fabrication facilities, equipment, and employees at its plant in the southern Japanese city of Oita are set to come under the division’s control. As a result of the deal, approximately 1,100 employees are set to be transferred between the two companies.
Sony is notably the largest player in the image sensor business, and the division is viewed as highly important for the company, especially given its struggling mobile sales. Its Exmor RS image sensors have proven particularly popular in smartphones, catering across mid-range and premium segments of the market, which has allowed the company to profit from the success of its competitors. In fact, all of the smartphones that recently topped the DxOMark camera benchmark are packing Sony image sensors.
Read more: Who’s who in the smartphone camera business
For Toshiba, the deal comes as part of a restructure following an accounting scandal in which they overstated about $1.3 billion in earnings. Sony’s announcement states that the deal will allow Toshiba to “devote its resources to products where it has a high technological advantage”.
This deal ensures that Sony will remain on top of the image sensor industry and should see the company continue to profit a market hungry for improved camera technologies.
HTC’s quirky action camera drops to $50
When HTC launched the Re Camera last year, it was difficult to recommend. The image quality was pretty underwhelming, especially in comparison to GoPro’s extensive lineup; when you can snap similar photos with your smartphone, that’s a real problem. It could have worked, however, as a cheap throwaway action camera, but its $200 price-tag made it a difficult impulse purchase. Now, that’s finally changing. The waterproof device has been slashed to $50 in the US, making it a fun, rugged little snapper for the great outdoors. Instead of putting your expensive phone in harm’s way, you can strap this periscope-styled device to your bike, helmet or backpack. The photos and videos it produces aren’t the best, but they should be good enough to share on social media. Given the company’s financial woes, we suspect HTC won’t be making a sequel anytime soon either.
Via: The Verge, Android Police
Source: HTC
EyeEm gets a design overhaul and new features
EyeEm is a photo taking app in which users can make a name for themselves by editing their photos to perfection.
EverEm just got a major design overhaul which brings material design elements to the table. EyeEm is currently used by millions of people around the world. The newest update makes it easier to navigate, edit your pics and sell your best shots. It also brings an enhanced layout to edit photos and has new options included.
With EyeEm users can connect with photographers around the globe and pick up tricks from each other. Using an option, users can even find creatives nearby all through the app. And with version 5.5, you can now share your photo edits with the community. Open edit is also now open to everyone. EyeEm’s Follow feed has been totally redesigned to match Google’s material design code. Below are some screenshots of what’s new, as well as how the revamped design compares to the older design.
Come comment on this article: EyeEm gets a design overhaul and new features
AIVAnet 