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Thursday, February 19, 2009

GigaPan Epic Review (Verdict: A Cruel Yet Fantastic Tease) [Review]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/eRHOXiCn124/gigapan-epic-review-verdict-a-cruel-yet-fantastic-tease

The gadget: The GigaPan Epic, the famous mechanism behind the 1,474 megapixel ubershot of the Presidential Inauguration that allows a standard digital camera to take massive landscapes.

The price: $380, plus your point and shoot digital camera of choice.

The verdict: The Epic really is an interesting product, but it's lacking the polish and execution that most of us expect in a $400 gadget. Let me explain.
The Epic is essentially a robotic arm that automates the process of large scale digital photography. Attaching to a tripod (or just sitting on a solid surface), you show the system the top left and bottom right corners of a landscape, and it will automatically tilt and pan your camera, snapping all necessary shots with a tiny arm that pushes down your shutter button.
You download the 100s of pictures from your digital camera to proprietary GigaPan software, and it will, over a few hours, stitch the photos together into magnificent landscapes.
And it works! With a few caveats.

You'll need to lock your camera's zoom, focus and exposure down, lest various pictures be lighter or darker than others. This can be easier said than done on the dummy point and shoot cam! eras tha t the Epic is designed for. And taking a large panorama is still a process that will take several minutes to complete, meaning that there's a good chance pedestrian will stop and stare into the lens in any public atmosphere you choose to photograph. Also, GigaPan's software essentially requires you to upload images to the web, then grab stills through that interface. A simple mega TIF output would have been a welcome option. UPDATE: Apparently I missed the export screen.

Still, check out the shot I was able to capture outside the Hancock building in Chicago, despite not locking down the f-stop. (Check it out for yourself here.)

Neat, right? You create a photo that can be zoomed in to the full potential of your lens while still maintaining a vast master shot.

Here's the real issue: Manual overrides are reasonable for the average Gizmodo reader. What's tougher is that the battery life is atrocious. The Epic runs off of 6 AA batteries that, for me, took about 200 shots (or two panoramas) before dying. (GigaPan has assured me that premium batteries can take 1,000 pictures at room temperature.) Believe it or not, 200 shots is a limiting proposition, especially for the average guy who would be interested in this unit. I actually ran out of battery during my example shot—a whole column of photos is missing. Why would a company design such a functional product with such an obvious Achilles' heel?

I can't deny that the GigaPan Epic is absurdly cool. And I can't wait for a sunny day when I can explore the city and grab some stunning, massive images through my dinky consumer camera. But I really don't want to find myself perched precariously on a ledge with the perfect shot, only to see the unit die with 60 pictures left to go.

Then again, give me a heftier battery option and maybe some SLR compatibility, and it's on.

GigaPan Epic In Brief:

My mom could use it, pending a brief tutorial

Works with simple consumer cameras

Facilitates truly amazing shots, even when you screw up a bit

An SLR-compatible model would be welcomed

Battery life severely cripples functionality

Dell Mini 10 Selling for $400 on February 26 [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/A1ZQRhHPChE/dell-mini-10-selling-for-400-on-february-26

If you were interested in the Dell Mini 10, Dell's latest netbook catered to playing back 720p video, it'll be available starting at $400 later this month. Specs include:

• choice of Z520 or Z530 Atom processor
• 1GB RAM
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• HDMI out
• 802.11g Wi-Fi
• 3-cell battery
• 160GB 5400rpm hard drive
• 4-in-1 memory card reader
• multiple colors (Obsidian Black, Alpine White, Promise Pink, Cherry Red, Ice Blue and Jade Green)
• Windows XP, Ubuntu to come later

You'll notice that the planned system does not include either Bluetooth or the promised 720p display, which is a bit odd. But those features, along with a TV Tuner, GPS and 3G connectivity are all planned as options "down the road." [Dell]

Mammoth 82-Inch 1080p LCD Coming From Honeywell (From Who?) [Big Ass Tvs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/_b2_WwhvXhw/mammoth-82+inch-1080p-lcd-coming-from-honeywell-from-who

Here's a good reason to start saving for next fall's Black Friday: HD Guru says Honeywell will sell an 82" 1080p LCD in the US this year.

Honeywell—better known for top secret government contracts—is really just licensing its all-American name to the Taiwan-based Soyo, who will be producing the 300-pound monster of a TV set. Features include 120Hz motion-blur reduction, a 178-degree viewing angle, 3 HDMI inputs (only 3?), and a stated dynamic contrast ratio of 120,000:1. Its model number is the painfully long MT-HWGWT8218AM.

Sharp and Samsung, competing LCD producers, have shown off the 82" size, but according to Gary at HD Guru, neither promised to product true HDTVs for public consumption just yet. Price is TBD, but while any 82" TV is definitely going to cost you something, it might not be as expensive, coming from a tier 2 (or tier 3) company like Soyo/Honeywell. Get the details, including its sick 5-year warranty, at HD Guru. [HD Guru and Honeywell CE]

Intel takes NVIDIA to court over chipset licensing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/18/intel-takes-nvidia-to-court-over-chipset-licensing/

Oh, brother. Another Intel / NVIDIA paper fight? As fate would so fittingly have it, these two giants are meeting up yet again, this time in the courtroom. After talks "of over a year" failed to amount to anything, Intel has filed suit against NVIDIA that -- according to Intel -- "seeks to have the court declare that NVIDIA is not licensed to produce chipsets that are compatible with any Intel processor that has integrated memory controller functionality, such as Intel's Nehalem [Core i7] microprocessors and that NVIDIA has breached the agreement with Intel by falsely claiming that it is licensed." Of course, NVIDIA's official stance is that Intel is simply trying "stifle innovation to protect a decaying CPU business." We have all ideas that the whole truth (and nothing but the truth) lies somewhere in between, but we guess that's why we have people called "lawyers" heading to work each day. If you're daring enough to dig deeper, all the links you need are neatly positioned below.

[Via HotHardware]

Read - Intel's take
Read - NVIDIA's official response
Read - Further Intel comments

Filed under: Desktops, Misc. Gadgets, Gaming, Peri! pherals< /a>

Intel takes NVIDIA to court over chipset licensing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung WMG100 brings OmniaHD video to the television, via WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/18/samsung-wmg100-brings-omniahd-video-to-the-television-via-wifi/

Just how the Samsung OmniaHD's video could reach directly from phone to TV screen was a bit of a mystery until the Engadget Spanish crew spotted the WMG100. Don't already own one of Samsung's high end sets with WiFi and DLNA built in? This dongle bridges the gap with all the necessary tech built in, pushing a max 480p (whether HD streaming to other devices from the OmniaHD will work is unknown) from its mini HDMI or component outputs for around €160 ($200), and is already available in Korea with a European debut planned for this spring. The idea that we'd ever get tired of watching that sweet AMOLED display is a bit of a reach, but just in case check out the gallery for some hands on pics.

Gallery: Samsung WMG100 wireless DLNA device hands on