Cameras, Printers & Scanners - Page 7

GoPro has an instant threat in Garmin, with Garmin announcing its new Virb Ultra 30 action camera, which features everything the GoPro does, and more.

Garmin's new Yirb Ultra 30 shoots 4K video at 30FPS, has a built-in LCD touchscreen, and incredible 3-axis stabilization. The list doesn't end, with the Yirb Ultra 30 capable of livestreaming to YouTube, as well as voice commands where you can start recording by saying "Okay Garmin, start recording". There's GPS capabilities, as well as other sensors that will display how fast, far, and high your movements are - right into the video if you want.

Wired has a review on Garmin's new Virb Ultra 30, saying that "Video quality is on par with GoPro's top-of-the-line Hero4 Black. Dynamic range is good, colors are pretty accurate, and the image is sharp, maybe even a hair sharper than GoPro's. It has nearly all the same options for framerates, resolutions, and shooting modes as GoPro, too. It even has an "Expansive Mode" which is analogous to GoPro's SuperView. Basically, it takes a 4:3 image and then squishes it into 16:9 so you see more at the top and bottom of your frame. It's the mode you want to use whenever the action is close to the camera (surfing, mountain biking, snowboarding, gratuitous selfies)".

GoPro might have the action camera market right now, but we all know how quickly things can change with a capable competitor with a product that's cheaper, and possibly just as capable.

Chinese giant Xiaomi has announced that it's upcoming Yi 4K action camera will cost just $249.99 while its competitor in the GoPro HERO4 Black Edition costs $499.99 - double the asking price from Xiaomi and its Yi 4K action camera. Xiaomi provides an LCD screen on its Yi 4K action camera, something the HERO4 Black Edition lacks, but is included on the Silver Edition.

Xiaomi's new Yi 4K action camera has a 1300mAh battery that's good for 2 hours of 4K 30FPS recording, which is pretty damn good considering the HERO4 Black Edition isn't capable of recording more than an hour at the same 4K30 standard. Xiaomi is offering a bundle package with a selfie stick and Bluetooth remote, which will cost $30 more at $279 total.

We all know 360-degree and VR cameras are the new thing, but HumanEyes Technologies has just unveiled a flashy new camera known as Vuze.

Vuze rocks 8 x 1080p camera, two on each side with a 120-degree horizontal/180-degree vertical field of view. When it all works together, Vuze captures 360-degree video at 4K 30FPS. Better yet, you can control Vuze through the Android and iOS applications for Vuze.

The company will be providing post production software that will be capable of near real-time processing that will allow Vuze owners to process a 60-second clip in less than a minute. HumanEyes also has some footage on their YouTube page, but the video stitching isn't perfect, something the company says it's working on right now. What about price? How does $799 sound? For $799, you'll get the Vuze, a VR headset, mini tripod, and Vuze Studios. Vuze Studios is the company's VR production and editing software.

Facebook is reportedly working on its own standalone camera app, alongside its own live video app platform. The company is hoping people will create, and share more content, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Their sources also say that the app will have two standout features: still photos, and the ability to broadcast live video, quickly. Thanks to video/picture sharing services like Snapchat, Facebook is wanting to jump into the same pool, and it makes complete sense.

Facebook already has plenty of apps and services for sharing photos and videos, acquiring the likes of Instagram. Facebook is reportedly seeing original content, like status updates and other personal sharing, is on the decline - so this new injection of competition against Snapchat could work. The social network says that the amount of sharing done in your News Feed is at "similar to levels in prior years".

Most people have probably not heard of the name Hasselblad, and for those who do know the company, it has been a while since they've been in the headlines. Hasselblad is an iconic company, making cameras since 1941 and have been involved in some of the most iconic photos of all time.

The Beatles' Abbey Road cover, the black and white portrait of Steve Jobs, and the first photos taken on the moon from the 1969 moon landing were all shot on Hasselblad cameras. Well, the company is back with the new H6D camera, available in two forms. The first is a huge 50-megapixel offering, while the second is an insane 100-megapixel camera.

Both of them rock a new autofocus system that is capable of locking onto specific points, such as a subject's eye, so that the photographer can track it and adjust composition. The H6D also rocks features that we have on smartphones and compact cameras, like a touchscreen and 4K video recording. As for price, the 50-megapixel version costs $27,000 while the 100-megapixel camera rocks a huge $33,00 price - and for these prices, you won't get a lens - they're extra.

Described by Gizmodo as measuring in at "one two-thousandth the thickness of a human hair," we have recently learned that some Australian scientists have just created the world's thinnest camera lens.

Lead by Dr Yuerui (Larry) Lu from The Australian National University, this research project was made possible thanks to the utilization of molybdenum disulphide crystal. The exact measurement for this invention sits at 6.3 nanometers, with new lens being explained by Dr. Lu to be "the perfect candidate for future flexible displays," further commenting that it can withstand "high temperatures, is a lubricant, a good semiconductor and can emit photons too."

Seemingly being created as a 'wonder lens', don't expect this to be hitting the retail shelves anytime soon, but it's a groundbreaking study nonetheless.

Panasonic's GH4 camera is the camera of choice for many YouTubers and video enthusiasts, as it's capable of shooting 4K video at 30FPS, with a consumer-orientated price point. Well, Panasonic's next-gen GH series camera is set to knock off some socks, and some.

According to Japanese publication Nikkan, Panasonic's new GH5/GH6 camera will shoot 6K video at 30FPS. This means that each frame of the 6K video is shot in 16 megapixels, meaning you can grab 16-megapixel still photos from the 6K video - an awesome feature.

Panasonic also teased their new 8K-capable consumer level camera in May 2015, where ephotozine reported: "Panasonic announced plans for future 4K and 8K video and photo features, including 4K at 60fps and 120fps, as well as the ability to take 33 megapixel still images from 8K video footage. They say they are planning to have this technology ready for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. No further information was given at the time".

MWC 2016 - Alongside the announcement of the G5 smartphone and LG 360 VR, LG has unveiled its new LG 360 CAM. From the product name, you've probably guessed it's a 360-degree camera, and you'd be right.

The LG 360 CAM features two 200-degree cameras, both rocking 13-megapixel sensors, capable of capturing 360-degree videos and photos. LG 360 CAM features a 1200mAh battery, and 4GB of internal storage. LG 360 CAM will shoot 2K videos with 5.1-channel surround sound, thanks to the three microphones on the LG 360 CAM.

LG 360 CAM is also capable of shooting 360-degree content for Google Street Video, and YouTube360 content.

Sony is teasing its next-gen image sensor, Exmor IMX318, which will be powering the next wave of smartphones. The sensor is packing an insane 22.5 megapixels, which means we'll be shooting 4K video without a problem, with an image quality we've never seen before.

With smartphones getting thinner and thinner, and consumers (including myself) not liking protruding cameras out of the back of the smartphones - including the huge sellers like the iPhone and Galaxy range from Samsung, the new Sony Exmor IMX318 should change this. Sony hasn't compromised image quality to get its Exmor IMX318 thinner, as it's a type 1/2.6 stacked CMOS sensor with 22.5 megapixels of shooting power - providing better IQ in a smaller, more compact size, with increased performance.

Sony says its new sensor is the industry's first to feature a built-in high-speed hybrid autofocus, which is as fast as 0.03 seconds, with built-in 3-axis electronic image stabilization technology for video. The company expects to begin shipping its new Exmor IMX318 in May, which should be perfect timing for the Galaxy Note 6 and the upcoming iPhone 7.

Some of you will remember the ThingMaker, a 60s Mattel product that saw you pouring liquid plastic into metal molds to create crude toys. In a clever move, Mattel is bringing the ThingMaker back as a 3D printing device.

The updated device works in tandem with either an iOS or Android app, wherein you design figurines, jewelry and the like, then send them wirelessly to the ThingMaker, at which point it makes a thing. The app includes basic blueprints, and new parts for existing designs can be printed. Mattel says integrating brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels into the app is part of its longer term strategy.

Safety is of course a concern, and Mattel has handled it by implementing doors that automatically lock when the printer is in use, and making the printing head retracts out of reach when it's not doing its thing, preventing kids from touching it.