Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Microsoft Research project turns a smartphone camera into a cheap Kinect

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/11/microsoft-research-project-turns-a-smartphone-camera-into-a-chea/

Microsoft's been awfully busy at this year's SIGGRAPH conference: <embers of the company's research division have already illustrated how they can interpret speech based on the vibrations of a potato chip bag and turn shaky camera footage into an experience that feels like flying. Look at the list of projects Microsofties have been working on long enough, though, and something of a theme appears: These folks are really into capturing motion, depth and object deformation with the help of some slightly specialized hardware.

Consider the work of researchers from Microsoft Research's Redmond and Cambridge outposts -- they figured out a way to turn a run-of-the-mill 2D camera like the one embedded in your phone or perched atop your monitor into an infrared camera usable for capturing depth data, sort of like a Kinect. The team made working depth sensors out of a tweaked Android smartphone and a Microsoft webcam, and both were able to track a user's hands and face with aplomb, making them awfully interesting (and relatively cheap) hacks for tinkerers who want to create and test gesture-centric projects without much hassle.

Yet another project saw a team of researchers develop their own RGB-depth camera out of off-the-shelf parts. Why? So they could figure out a way to meld it with software to capture 3D models of people and objects that deform, shift and shimmy in real-time. Imagine holding an inflatable ball in the palm of your hand -- it'd be a piece of cake for an RGBd camera to capture it and for modeling software to render it as a sphere. Now imagine squeezing that ball; imagine the bulges and depressions that take shape as your grip tightens. Between their camera and their software, these researchers have managed to create deformable models much faster than before; it might not be long before such objects wind up in your next frag session.

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Source: Microsoft Research

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Monday, August 11, 2014

Watch How Open-Source OpenStreetMap Mapped the Globe In Just 7 Years

Source: http://gizmodo.com/watch-how-open-source-openstreetmap-mapped-the-globe-in-1619401706

Watch How Open-Source OpenStreetMap Mapped the Globe In Just 7 Years

A decade ago, OpenStreetMaps launched as a free, open-source alternative to the other mapping tools you may encounter on the internet. Turns out that the collaborative experiment worked exceptionally well, and thanks to a new site, you can see for yourself how the Wikipedia of mapping has covered the whole planet.

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LG's $3,500 OLED TV is the first one you might be able to afford

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/11/lg-3500-oled-tv/

Now that plasma TVs are really on their way out, it's the perfect time for a true alternative to LCD, and LG is ready with its cheapest OLED TV yet. The 55EC9300 is the third generation of curved 1080p OLED TVs to roll out and with a price tag of $3,500, the price has dropped 75 percent since the first one debuted a year ago for $15,000. It's still pricey for its size, but you won't have to choose between tuition and a TV this time around. Inside is the webOS Smart TV platform we loved at CES, and of course, the new display technology that is supposed to bring better colors and deeper blacks than have ever been possible before.

The question now, is if the improved colors of OLED are a better option than the high-res 4K screens currently flooding shelves. If the rumors are right, we'll see a 65-inch 4K version soon that cuts out the compromises, but costs twice as much. You'll be able to get your own eyes on the screens soon -- pre-orders are available through Best Buy and Amazon, and Best Buy will sell the set starting on the 24th.

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Source: Amazon, Best Buy

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Microsoft teases new camera-focused Windows Phones on September 4th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/11/ifa-2014-windows-phone-teaser/

Microsoft's

You won't have to wait long if you're hoping for a new round of Windows Phones with powerful cameras. Microsoft has just sent out a save-the-date notice that asks the media if it's ready for "more face time" at a Berlin event on September 4th, just ahead of the IFA technology show. There's a Lumia 1020-style camera module not-so-subtly woven into the text, too. While there are no dead giveaways in the teaser, it's not hard to figure out the references. Our hunch is that "face time" is an allusion to "Superman" (aka the Lumia 730), the selfie-oriented Windows Phone that leaked just a few days ago. The module is slightly more cryptic, but it might be hinting at the aluminum-clad, 13-megapixel "Tesla" (Lumia 830) that reportedly surfaced last month. We're headed to IFA, so you should expect to hear much, much more about any new Lumias within a few weeks.

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Lomography gives its DIY 35mm camera a flash upgrade

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/11/lomography-konstruktor-flash-kit/

Last summer, Lomography debuted its offering that allows photogs to build their own 35mm SLR. Now, the retro-minded snapshooting outfit is lending the Konstruktor more film-shooting skills with flash kits. Thanks to a $20 accessory package, the latest version of the DIY camera can be paired with a Lomography flash should the need arise -- if you've already splurged for proper lighting add-on. Those who've yet to take the leap can nab a bundle that includes the disassembled Konstruktor F, requisite accessory kit and a choice of flash for $103-$111 (depending on said selection). Not only can you put together the camera you'll use for to capture that next road trip, but you can ensure those images will be well lit, too.

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Source: Lomography

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