Insert Coin: Zcapture offers 360-degree photos of objects in 15 minutes (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/27/insert-coin-zcapture-360-degree-photos/

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Sure, crafting flawless 360-degree photos of objects can be a slog, but Jared Bouck's taken to Kickstarter betting that his solution can whip up such pictures and make them web-embeddable in as little as 15 minutes. Dubbed Zcapture, the hardware packs a rotating platform for items and cooperates with custom software to edit and produce the images without additional post-processing. As it stands, the gear works with cameras that boast external shutter controls (specifically Canon and Nikon models at the start), but stretch goals may bring support for other shooters, including IR header compatibility for point-and-shoots. With an Arduino at its core, and coupled with a circuit board packing additional ports and headers, the box is designed with modding in mind. In addition to snapping photos, Zcapture can even be used as a rotating base for 3D scanning.

If you're wondering just what the system is capable of, just take a look at Bouck's work at Rotate 360 Studios, where he's made product shots for the likes of Foster Grant, Reebok, Xi3 and others. A USB-powered mini Zcapture along with the software is priced at $150 (or just $100 for the program), while other kits range from $300 to $690 for a fully-loaded version paired with soft box lighting. If the project meets its $46,000 funding goal, the contraption is expected to ship in December. With a little over $4,000 pledged so far, we hope -- if not for our review photos, for our eBay listings -- that it hits its goal before the two-month deadline.

Filed under: Cameras, Peripherals, Software

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Source: Kickstarter, Zcapture

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Samsung Galaxy Note III camera rumored to pack 4K video capture, high-quality audio playback

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/27/samsung-galaxy-note-iii-rumor-4k-video-recording/

What are you going to add to a smartphone series that's already gone big-screen, already has a stylus and already offers up a decent battery life? According to the Korea Economic Daily, Samsung believes adding a heavy-duty camera upgrade to 4K should do the trick. The news site's source (identified as an "industry official" rather than a Samsung employee), says the Galaxy Note III, which is likely to make its debut at IFA 2013, will be able to record video in Ultra High Definition. It's a significant pixel boost from the 1080p video capture available to last year's Galaxy Note II.

The company is likely hoping that offering up an opportunity to record in 4K will mean those smartphone owners are then more likely to upgrade their TV sets (to a Ultra HD Samsung model, naturally) to make the most of their crisp video content. Alongside a new camera, the same source reckons that audio quality will be bumped up to 24-bit, like LG's G2 and a step above the 16-bit audio tech in Samsung's existing Galaxy phones. No word on the previous notion of three differently-sized models and as the source material has gone through the Google Translate grinder, things aren't as clear as we'd have hoped. However, the Korea Economic Daily has past form when it comes to Samsung news. Next week, we're sure to hear all the finer details and we're taking bets on which company will be the first to claim "world's first".

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: SAM Mobile

Source: Korea Economic Daily (Korean)

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Enblink turns any Google TV device into a home automation control center

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/27/enblink-dongle-google-tv-home-automation/

Meet Enblink: a dongle that plugs into any Google TV device and turns it into a home automation control hub. Enblink works with any Z-Wave enabled gadget, from door locks and lamps to security sensors and video cameras. The dongle itself will serve as a Z-Wave radio (once it's passed through the Z-Wave certification process) when plugged into your GTV device of choice. From there, its software runs atop GTV's Android underpinnings and leverages the device's CPU to control the locks and lights in your abode. A companion app for Android turns your phone into a remote control and monitor for appliances hooked into the Enblink system, plus there's an iOS app currently in development. Input from mobile devices goes through Amazon Web Services, which relays commands to the dongle to execute your bidding from afar.

It's up for pre-order right now for $85, with the price rising to $99 when it officially goes on sale sometime in the next month or two. Of course, if you're streaming video to your mobile device, there's an ongoing fee (of undetermined cost) for the privilege once you've used up your free allotment of 30 seconds of streaming per day. Regardless, by leveraging existing GTV hardware and AWS to do the lifting on the backend, Enblink is a fraction of the cost of many purpose-built home automation base stations. So if you're a home automation geek that counts yourself among those very few with a Google TV and a slew of Z-Wave toasters, locks and light bulbs, your ship has, at long last, come in.

Filed under: Household, HD

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Source: Enblink

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Repix brings its photo editing prowess to Android, supports Samsung's S Pen and Air View (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/27/repix-android/

After gaining considerable success on the iOS side of the smartphone divide, Repix has finally launched its creative photo editor over on the land of the little green droid. Like the iOS original, the Android version lets you liven up your humdrum camera phone images with a variety of effects that range from filters and frames to a set of thirty brushes that let you augment specific areas of the photo instead of the whole thing. For those with a Galaxy Note device (be it the original Note, the Note II, the Note 8.0 or the Note 10.1), you'll be glad to know Repix works well with the S Pen's pressure sensitivity. If you have a GS4, the app has built-in support for the handset's Air View technology, so you can discern the size of the brush just by hovering your finger above the display. But regardless of which Android phone you have, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store star! ting tod ay to begin putting those Instagram filters to shame.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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Source: Repix, Google Play Store

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Moto X for Verizon officially available online August 29th, at stores in the coming weeks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/26/moto-x-verizon/

If you've been eyeing a Motorola device on Verizon without the Droid branding, the Moto X is ultimately your best (and only) choice -- but when exactly will it be available to the masses? According to Verizon's official Twitter account, this Thursday, August 29th will be the day you can grab it online for $200 on-contract. As for stores, the company isn't willing to give a specific date just yet, so all we've been told is that we can expect it in the coming weeks. Still, this will come as good news for Big Red fans who have been patiently awaiting their turn, even if it means early adopters have to settle for a black or white option.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Verizon

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Source: Droid-life

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