Instant Image Edit Opens Web Images in Picnik for Online Editing [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5533326/instant-image-edit-opens-web-images-in-picnik-for-online-editing

Firefox: Online image editor Picnik is pretty convenient, but you still have to manually upload image files or post their URLs to the site. Not so if you've got a new, Jetpack-powered extension that sends images to Picnik with a right-click.

It's an experimental extension, but even though it was built using Jetpack's no-restart-needed methodology, you don't need to have Mozilla's experimental platform installed to add Instant Image Edit with Picnik. After a standard install and restart, you'll see a new option when right-clicking images. It seems to just work, though there's one big caveat—the extension doesn't work behind password-protected sites, VPNs, or other restricted pages. Other than that, it's a convenient tool for those who sometimes need just a bit of basic crop/color/edit functionality.

Instant Image Edit with Picnik is a free add-on, should work wherever Firefox does.

Instant Image Edit with Picnik [Add-ons for Firefox via CNET]

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Underwater Turbines Attached To Kites Could Save A Few Climate Problems [Energy]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5533384/underwater-turbines-attached-to-kites-could-save-a-few-climate-problems

While underwater kites might sound like another one of those crazy concepts we like so much here at Gizmodo, the company behind the design has already attracted €2 million in investors, with testing beginning next year for the next-gen turbines.

Underwater turbines is such a great idea I'm surprised it's taken this long to kick off. As they're hidden in the depths of the ocean, the land isn't dotted with unsightly creatures—a fact that Senator Dianne Feinstein would appreciate, after she blocked the Mojave Desert solar farm project last year.

Each turbine measures 12m in wingspan width, and is attached to 100m of cable, with a rudder tethered to the sea floor, generating 500 kilowatts of power. The first tests begin next year in Northern Ireland, but the company behind the project, Minesto, is hopeful that they'll be widely used within the next four years. [CNN via DVICE]

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Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11 and its Ion 2 innards reviewed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/zotac-zbox-hd-id11-and-its-ion-2-innards-reviewed/

Small form factor? Check. Low power consumption married to 1080p video playback capabilities? Of course. Quiet cooling? Naturally. Those are the basic requirements for, and their fulfillment is the means by which we judge, a good home theater pc. They're also the highlights of Zotac's Ion 2-powered ZBOX HD-ID11 barebone (you have to add your own RAM, storage and OS) nettop, which recently visited AnandTech's labs for some old fashioned review action. It's a highly illuminating read, particularly for those interested in the differences between NVIDIA's Ion generations, which throws up a mixed bag of results. While you'll be quite alright watching Full HD Blu-rays on the ZBOX, Flash hardware acceleration -- yeah, that old nugget again -- is not yet implemented well enough, resulting in a maximum of 480p resolution before Hulu streams started glitching out on the reviewer. A June driver update from NVIDIA should rectify this issue, and we're encouraged to wait it out and see what we might see then. In the mean time, you can just delve into the complete analysis which awaits at the link below.

[Thanks, Wowzers]

Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11 and its Ion 2 innards reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omni-Focus Camera Sees Everything Perfectly [Research]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5532765/omni+focus-camera-sees-everything-perfectly

There are well-known methods to extend depth of field. There are even digital cheats to extend depth of field. But imagine shooting macro photography and telephoto photography, all in perfect focus, as one image. A new camera makes it possible.

The Omni-Focus Video Camera, by researchers at University of Toronto, can accomplish such a feat—and yes, it does cheat a bit, of course.

The camera is really many cameras, all focused at various distances. But what the Omni-Focus does really well (through collaboration with another related project) is map each pixel that each camera is shooting in 3D space, then combine these pixels appropriately into one image.

Obviously, photographers often enjoy blur. But I could see the benefits for 3DTV programming, in which anything out of focus can cause eyestrain. Plus, there's obvious utility for the industrial, security and pervy spycam sectors, too. [Physorg via PopSci]

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What Does a 1 Kilowatt Hour Exactly Mean? [Infographics]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5533309/what-does-a-1-kilowatt-hour-exactly-mean

Did you know that 1 kilowatt hour will get 29 DVD movies or 100 toasts—with jam—or 15 days of talk on a cordless telephone or 5 hours of video games or 11 espressos or 400 blended Margaritas?

That's what this simple interactive graphic—created by GE and designer Lisa Strausfeld—will tell you: What energy really means in real life. Neat. [GE via Unplggd]

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