cia

MotionDSP promises better photos and video

I'm among the legions who fume when the investigator on the TV show zooms in endlessly on a photo to uncover some minute detail that in reality couldn't have been photographed by any camera. Worst is when the investigator clicks some "increase resolution" button to smooth a bunch of blocky pixels into a richly detailed image.

Although that Hollywood hokum is an information-theory impossibility with a single image, some limits are lifted when you have multiple shots of the same scene. And a start-up called MotionDSP is working on commercializing that technology to improve photo and … Read more

The CIA papers: These spies are red, white and blue

Read all about it. The CIA posts hundreds of pages of internal documents, plus another 11,000 pages of research. This giant cache represents some of the agency's records from 1953 to 1973.

All of these documents can be found through this CIA Web page. First, be aware there still are censored sections, even after more than 30 years.

We already know about the CIA's attempts to hire Mafia hit men to kill Cuba's Fidel Castro. We already know that President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the CIA to illegally spy on American journalists and peace groups, and … Read more

CIA-launched fund invests in image sensor company

In-Q-Tel, a private investment firm launched by the CIA to support U.S. intelligence agencies, has invested in image sensor maker Pixim, the company said Wednesday.

The investment was part of a $15 million funding round announced in March that also included Tallwood Venture Capital, Ridgewood Capital and the Mayfield Fund.

Pixim sells digital image sensors and associated software used in surveillance cameras. The technology is geared to work in particular with difficult lighting conditions. The company's Orca chips are used in more than 100 camera models available today.

"In-Q-Tel invested in Pixim because it offers government and … Read more