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Friday, August 05, 2011

RED EPIC scores a Canon EOS mount, Laforet gets some extraordinary footage (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/05/red-epic-scores-a-canon-eos-mount-vincent-laforet-gets-some-awe/

We've seen some mind-blowing footage from RED's EPIC, as one might expect from a $39,500 camera with a 5K sensor and up to 120 fps video capture (at 4K). But video shooter and all-around photo wiz Vincent Laforet got to take an exclusive early look at the company's new Canon EOS mount, which pairs the EPIC-M with Canon's enormous collection of top-quality glass, including the 600mm f/4 L lens Laforet used for his shoot at Mono Lake in California. That lens, used with a 2x Canon teleconverter and the RED's multiplication factor, yields a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 3400mm, which as you'll see in the video below, enabled some pretty incredible video captures. RED has yet to officially announce availability for the Canon EOS mount, but has shared that it will cost $2,000 (pennies compared to the EPIC's $58,000 kit price), and will be constructed of titanium -- tasked with the critical responsibility of reducing movement during those extended-lens shoots. Jump past the break for Laforet's sample video, or check out his blog post at the source link for the full rundown.

Gallery: RED EPIC-M Canon EOS Mount

Continue reading RED EPIC scores a Canon EOS mount, Laforet gets some extraordinary footage (video)

RED EPIC scores a Canon EOS mount, Laforet gets some extraordinary footage (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ricoh GXR Leica M-mount module gets a September ship date, lets you swap lenses with one sensor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/05/ricoh-gxr-leica-m-mount-module-gets-a-september-ship-date-lets/

Sure, you've seen cameras with interchangeable lenses -- you might even own one or two -- but a cam that lets you swap out the sensor with the lens? Now that's pretty unique. Ricoh's GXR has been around since 2009 and does exactly that, with four lens / sensor combos, including two zooms and a pair of fixed lenses. Now, the company has confirmed that its new Leica M-mount module will ship on September 9th, letting you use your existing Leica lenses with the GXR. The module includes a 12.3 megapixel APS-C sensor and has a 27.8mm Leica M bayonet mount, with support for RAW image capture and 720p video. It also has an "open" price, which means it's still anyone's guess as to how much you'll be shelling over. But if you own a collection of Leica glass and are interested in experimenting with such a unique sensor-swapping camera system, you're probably somewhat open to open pricing.

Ricoh GXR Leica M-mount module gets a September ship date, lets you swap lenses with one sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DollyCam app lets you stabilize iPhone 4 videos, we go hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/05/dollycam-app-lets-you-stabilize-iphone-4-videos-we-go-hands-on/

Apple's iPhone 4 can serve as a great little camcorder when you're in a bind, but it's never been our go-to cam for video shoots. Not only is its small sensor not best suited for high-quality HD shooting, but the smartphone form factor can be awkward to hold, resulting in shakier than normal footage. A new app called DollyCam, which also supports iPad 2, helps soften the blow of the latter, letting you successfully stabilize videos -- with a few drawbacks.

We took our iPhone 4 out to test a watermarked free version of the app in New York City, shooting a scene first with the phone's native app, and then with DollyCam. It won't replace a hardware solution like the Steadicam Smoothee, but it's significantly cheaper and more convenient. The only major issues we noticed were related to softened sound capture of all things (pay close attention in the video past the break), and the fact that the app can't process in real-time, so a minute-long video clip will need about five minutes to process. The app does crop your footage slightly, as can be expected. You'll also need to remain in the app as it's processing, though you can also stabilize videos later, after completing your shoot. Overall, it's an acceptable solution, especially considering the $2.99 price tag. Jump past the break to see original and stabilized clips, and browse through the gallery below for a quick look at the interface.

Gallery: DollyCam video stabilization for iPhone 4 hands-on

[Thanks, Jon]

Continue reading DollyCam app lets you stabilize iPhone 4 videos, we go hands-on (video)

DollyCam app lets you stabilize iPhone 4 videos, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Hat hackers demo Square card skimmer, feed it stolen credit card numbers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/05/square-found-to-be-ripe-for-fraud-turned-into-card-skimmer/

Square

Here's some more fun out of Vegas, this time involving Jack Dorsey's Square and a little thing we like to call credit card fraud. Researchers from Aperture Labs (seriously) held two demonstrations at the Black Hat Conference. The first used a script, written by Adam Laurie, to convert stolen credit card data into a series of audio tones that were then fed to the Square app via the headphone jack on a phone -- removing the need to have a physical card. A second avenue of fraud, also using code authored by Laurie, turned the Square dongle into a skimmer. It intercepted incoming data, which is unencrypted, and spit out human readable numbers that could easily be used to clone a card. New hardware that encrypts information pulled from the magnetic strip is in the pipeline but, until then, it seems everyone's favorite smartphone-based payment service has some troublesome holes to fill.

Black Hat hackers demo Square card skimmer, feed it stolen credit card numbers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, August 04, 2011

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/lenovo-ideapad-k1-review/

Let's do a roll call, shall we? Who doesn't have a Honeycomb tablet to shill in the states? Acer, ASUS, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba all have something to their names, with Dell possibly bringing its China-only Dell Streak 10 Pro here too. Until now, Lenovo was one glaring exception. The company already had a head start selling the LePad tablet in China, but it was only last month that it announced not one, but two Honeycomb slates for the US market: the IdeaPad K1 for mainstream consumers, and the ThinkPad Tablet for business users (and a fair share of geeks, too). Now, we could easily roll our eyes at how saturated the market for Android tablets is becoming, but Lenovo isn't just any old OEM. The brand has won such an avid following that we bet the company could have essentially slapped its name on a plain-Jane black slab and waited for loyal fans to line up.

In fact, though, you're in for a bit more than name recognition. The K1 goes after mainstream consumers with a winsome design, sure, but also a software package designed to make Honeycomb easier to use, and to help ensure that flummoxed, low-tech users don't have to spend too much time downloading apps out of the box. What's more, it ships with Android 3.1 and has a two-cell battery that promises up to ten hours of battery life. Oh, and the 32GB model rings in $499, undercutting the 32GB iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 by $100. But is that enough for it to stand out? Let's see.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad K1 review

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad K1 review

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Inc. aims to please advertisers and your eyes, making all mags tablet-friendly by year's end

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/time-inc-aims-to-please-advertisers-and-your-eyes-making-all-m/

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/time-inc-aims-to-please-advertisers-and-your-eyes-making-all-m/

Do you love reading Time magazine on your tablet, but wish you had the same luxury with all of its related offerings? Oh boy, do we have fantastic news for you. As it stands, select Time Inc. publications are supported on the iPad, Android Marketplace, TouchPad, and Next Issue Media's store, but now the company has announced plans to make all 21 of its mags available on tablets by the year's end. Furthermore, support for the Nook Color will be added by the end of August with digital versions of Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Fortune. Current subscribers to the print editions won't be left out either when it all rolls out, as they'll be able to opt-in for free upgrades with digital access. The decision is apparently tied to increasing "digital reach" for advertisers, but hey, ad-support isn't totally lame. Right? Full PR just past the break.

Continue reading Time Inc. aims to please advertisers and your eyes, making all mags tablet-friendly by year's end

Time Inc. aims to please advertisers and your eyes, making all mags tablet-friendly by year's end originally appeared on Engadget on T! hu, 04 A ug 2011 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SnapX lets your Macs share a single Cinema Display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/snapx-lets-your-macs-share-a-single-cinema-display/

Got a pair of Macs laying around, but don't want to shell out for two Apple Cinema Displays? We don't blame you, those things are expensive. A little company called Kanex has a solution for you though, the SnapX. SnapX is, at it's heart, simply a port switcher that lets you connect two DisplayPort-equipped Macs to a single Cinema Display. But, the glossy $70 adapter does have a few neat features, like USB pass through for firing up the iSight camera and a clip for securing it to the base of the monitor. The SnapX is available for pre-order now and starts shipping to Apple devotees in September. One more pic and some PR await after the break.

Continue reading SnapX lets your Macs share a single Cinema Display

SnapX lets your Macs share a single Cinema Display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hackers break into Subaru Outback via text message

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/hackers-break-into-subaru-outback-via-text-message/

We've already seen SCADA systems controlled by Google Search, and now the Black Hat Technical Security Conference is offering up yet another slice of cringe-inducing hacker pie. A pair of pros from iSec Partners security firm was able to unlock and start the engine of a Subaru Outback using an Android phone and a process they call war texting. By setting up their own GSM network, they were able to snatch up password authentication messages being sent from server to car, allowing them the option to ride off in a brand new crossover. Apparently, your car isn't the only thing in danger of a war-texting takeover, however, as the team says there are a slew of devices and systems, accessible over telephone networks, that are vulnerable to similar attacks, including A-GPS tracking devices, 3G security cameras, SCADA sensors -- and thus the power grid and water supply -- home automation, and urban traffic control systems. Somehow this group of otherwise innocent looking New York texters appears a whole lot more sinister now.

Hackers break into Subaru Outback via text message originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Projector Lenses the Size of Pencil Lead Are Big News for Smartphones [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5827515/projector-lenses-the-size-of-pencil-lead-are-big-news-for-smartphones

Sharing pictures of your kids used to be easy—whip out the wallet-sized photos and pass. Now, you pull out your phone and squint. With these new millimeter-cubed projector lenses, squinting, like wallet photos, may become a thing of the past.

The FLGS3 Series, from the Alps company, are asymmetrical glass lenses that measure a minuscule 1mm x 1mm x .8mm apiece—roughly the size of two clicks worth of pencil lead—and are low-loss, meaning they transmit 73% of the light beamed in. Being low-loss, they require less light input, which leads to reduced power consumption. And being so small means that they generate less heat.

Beyond their traditional uses in optical communications and submarine cables, you might soon find them incorporated into projectors even smaller than today's Picos or even embedded directly into smartphones. So, rather than having your cubicle buddies huddle around your miserable 3" screen, you'll be able to proudly show off your kids on the office wall.

[Alps via Ubergizmo]

The Problem With Google+ Is That It's Work Facebook [Google+]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5827429/the-problem-with-google%252B-is-that-its-work-facebook

The latest issue of Wired contains an essay arguing that social media isn't social. Oddly, the piece inadvertently nails why I'm skeptical about Google Plus:

The best evidence that social media isn't really about personal connection? Marketers love it. It seems like every business from taco trucks to GE is hoping to use social media to put a personal face on its brand.

Sure, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr are marketing havens now. But none of them started off that way. There was, in fact, real skepticism as to what a brand would do on Twitter for its first few years.

Those services took off precisely as places where interactions were personal, and it was only later, after enough people congregated there and began having conversations and interactions, that brands jumped in. It's the same story of blogging, and the Web itself.

It wasn't until late 2008 that brands were really began to get on board on Twitter, after it had been around for more than two years. Likewise, Facebook ignored and shunned brands in its early years. First, there were conversations, which caused brands to begin listening.

By contrast, Google+ has been a brand magnet from the beginning, which makes me deeply skeptical of it.

The social media services that work best—Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Foursquare— are often non-obvious to marketers (be they corporate or personal brand builders) when they launch. Anything that's really game-changing (see also: blogs) is typically so unfamiliar that it's met with corporate and media skepticism if not derision. But in today's more social-media savvy environment, brands hit the ground running on Google Plus. (Especially the media.) They jumped ahead of the conversation.

Despite Google's prohibitions, brand after brand has been creating Google+ profiles—often only to see Google pull them. And with Google being slow to allow corporate accounts, brands have sought other ways to fill the vid. This has led to some hilarious results, like poor Michael Dell wasting his time in a Google+ Hangout, trying to connect with customers.

My boss, Joe Brown, calls Google+ "Work Facebook." (Nevermind that LinkedIn is also Work Facebook.) Google+ feels like work, because everyone is trying so damn hard to work it. It is a deep, dark hole of self-promotion. And that makes it boring.

Successful social media is social. First and foremost. The modern landscape may be littered with marketers, but you can't ignore how we got here.

Social media must first play host to meaningful conversations if it is to be successful. It must be a forum where friendships can be created, strengthened and preserved. I'd argue that the most successful people and brands using social media are precisely the ones who are the most real, and the most deeply personal. Reveal something about yourself, even if it's that you are an idiot, and people will follow. For a social network to work, it has to be fascinating and fun.

In short, before you can make it work, you have to make it play. But when brands and self-promotors lead the way, there's nothing interesting to see.

And for Google+, that's still the problem.

Mapnificient Is the Greatest, Most Useful Maps Invention In a Very Long Time [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5827682/this-is-the-greatest-most-useful-maps-invention-in-a-very-long-time

Mapnificient is the best idea I've seen in a very long time. It allows you to pick your location, set an amount of time and then find exactly where can you go using public transportation in that time. Absolute genius.

I can see myself using Mapnificient on a daily basis, limiting my searches for bars, cafés and restaurants by time rather than space. And I can see myself using this for the next time I have to rent an apartment, to see exactly what areas are within 30 minutes of the Gawker's office, which is my maximum time when it comes to travel in NYC using the subway or the bus.

It is so damn useful that it makes me wonder why Google or Bing Maps hasn't implemented this yet. I hope Stefan Wehrmeyer makes an app for all iOS, Windows Phone 7 and Android as soon as possible. [Mapnificient—Thanks Jordi!]

The Pioneer Elite TV Is Back: Is It the Greatest LCD TV Ever Created? [TVs]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5827697/the-pioneer-elite-tv-is-back/gallery/

The Pioneer Elite line was one of those wonderful things you really wanted but knew you'd never be able to afford. Then Pioneer stopped making them. And now they're back—just as stellar looking and crazily priced as ever.

The new active 3D 1080p Elite sets—available at 70 inches for $8500 or 60 for a modest $6000, are heralded by the two companies as literally the best-looking LCD TVs ever created. But it's an odd setup. In truth, they're really Sharp TVs—not Pioneer displays. The guts are out of Sharp's factories, and even pack the same Quattron image as other sets (though they've given it a new, more expensive-sounding name). You'll also find full array LED backlighting, local dimming, a claimed 720 (!) Hz refresh, and the standard suite of wireless-enabled apps (Netflix, YouTube, et al.). So what's Pioneer lending? They say the new Elites are a collaborative effort, with Pioneer adding their video processing experience to essentially help Sharp make a TV considered worthy of the Elite tag. It's sorta marketing BS! But the TVs also look fantastic.

The old Pioneer Elites were renowned for their super duper deep blacks and great contrast, and the new Elites—despite being made by another company—are equally impressive. While I'm not sure the image annihilates competition (Samsung's high end offerings are still god damn incredible looking), there's no doubt the tag-teamed Elites look great too. Do they look $8500 great? Probably not. That's an astounding amount to spend on a panel, and the gains over sets priced thousands are probably not worth it. But they're there. This is the new money is no object TV. Both the 60-inch and its giant brother will be out this month.

CTL intros new line of 'super-slim' LED monitors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/ctl-intros-new-line-of-super-slim-led-monitors/

CTL intros new line of 'super-slim' LED Monitors

Last we heard from CTL, the Portland-based company was pushing the rather underwhelming 2goPad SL10. We may not have been impressed then, but CTL's attempting to win us over again, this time with a set of three new LED monitors. Available in small, medium, and large, the 22-inch LP2151, 24-inch LP2361, and 27-inch LP2701 all offer 1920 x 1080 displays, 1000:1 contrast ratios (5000000:1 dynamic), two millisecond response times, and HDMI and VDI inputs. They also sport a helpful anti-glare coating and are apparently a quarter of the thickness of "traditional LCD monitors" -- whatever that means. Not exactly earth-shattering specs, but at $216, $258, and $330, we suppose they're not insanely priced, either. Hit the source links for more info, and check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading CTL intros new line of 'super-slim' LED monitors

CTL intros new line of 'super-slim' LED monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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7-inch Sharp Galapagos A01SH tablet sees formal introduction, hitting the US 'this year'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/7-inch-sharp-galapagos-a01sh-tablet-sees-formal-introduction-hi/

How much is that tablet in the window? The one with the 7-inch screen and Android 3.2? Hard to say, but it might be the Sharp Galapagos A01SH you're looking at. The slate, announced in earnest today, should fit comfortably betwixt the 5.5- and 10.8-inch variants of the lineup that are also expected to arrive sometime before the end of the year. The A01SH is accompanied by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core CPU with 1GB of RAM, a WSVGA display with 1,024 x 600 resolution, 8GB of internal memory alongside microSD support, 5MP / 2MP cameras along the back and front, and 7.5 hours of battery life. At a thickness of 12.9mm, it's not as thin as the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it's no Toshiba Thrive, either. The tablet should reach stores in Japan by the end of the month, but the only timeframe given for a US release is before the ball drops in Times Square -- perfect timing for anyone who wants to ring in 2012 snuggled up to a new gadget.

7-inch Sharp Galapagos A01SH tablet sees formal introduction, hitting the US 'this year' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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appMobi XDK delivers free cross-platform dev environment to Chrome Web Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/appmobi-xdk-delivers-free-cross-platform-dev-environment-to-chro/

The Chrome Web Store welcomed a new arrival today, and it goes by the name of appMobi XDK. While the addition is targeted squarely at developers, it's entirely free and packs quite a doozy -- cross-platform HTML5 software development from within the web browser. As you might expect, the tool is perfect for making applications to run within Google Chrome, but get this... it's also capable of creating native apps for submission to Apple's App Store and the Android Market. Like any competent development environment, it features a full set of debugging tools, along with the ability to test your apps via on-screen emulation and directly from your target device. Hardware integration is accomplished with JavaScript hardware abstraction, which enables access to the camera, GPS, accelerometer and the like. Further, the platform boasts full compatibility with PhoneGap, which means you can easily transition if you've got a project in the works. If you're already hooked, be sure to check out the PR after the break, which describes such goodies as in-app purchasing and secure user authentication, which are made possible with appMobi's cloud services.

Continue reading appMobi XDK delivers free cross-platform dev environment to Chrome Web Store

appMobi XDK delivers free cross-platform dev environment to Chrome Web Store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our t erms for use of feeds.

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