Cameras

Ceiva unveils new line of photo frames for holidays

Ceiva Logic, one of the early pioneers in the digital photo-frame space, has two new digital photo frames just in time for the holidays. The frames, which come in a 7- and 8-inch models and black or wood finishes, have a sleeker look, higher resolution, slots for all major memory-card formats, and options to receive photos via a broadband or wireless connection instead of standard phone lines.

For those who don't know already, Ceiva's the company that offers a subsciption service that allows you to send images to a frame or frames via the online Ceiva Network. The … Read more

Look skinnier in a snap

Studies suggest that Americans probably gain about a pound during the winter holiday season. If you are, like me, afraid of taking pictures of yourself in January after you just came back from the holidays, then HP has a solution for you. The HP Photosmart R927 has a built-in feature that squeezes an image so the subjects appear slightly leaner. Now you can enjoy photo sharing without feeling all self-conscious. Useful hint: Try to stand in the middle for best result. Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for overeating during this holiday season!

Let your peers pick your next camera

Are you one of those people who needs a new digital camera but who's a little insecure about where to plonk down a few hundred bucks? Perhaps you should let the wisdom of crowds chart your course.

Flickr, Yahoo's popular photo-sharing site, provides a Camera Finder site that details what cameras are most popular among its users and which produce the most photos on the site. The company bases its figures on camera data that's embedded in about two-thirds of photos.

The answer, if you're curious: The Canon Rebel XT, a digital SLR, wins hands down, … Read more

If James Bond needed a scanner

Here's yet another stocking stuffer for the 007 wannabe in your family. When he/she is on a mission and doesn't have a miniature spy camera to photograph secret documents, the "DocuPen RC800" might well come in handy.

Portable scanners have been around for years, but this one claims to be the smallest ever made. It isn't really pen-sized--unless you happen to have unusually large hands--but it's close enough, weighing only 2 ounces and scanning a full page in 4 seconds. The drawbacks are the price ($300 or $350) and a few usability issues … Read more

Still hope for see-through glasses

If you're old enough to remember comic books before they were cool, you'll undoubtedly recall these three advertising staples: Sea Monkeys, 500 toy soldiers for something like 50 cents, and the always-popular glasses that could see through clothing.

The Sea Monkeys turned out to be brine shrimp, and the toy soldiers have been declared politically incorrect. But hope shines brightly for the see-through glasses at Northrop-Grumman Space Technology. There, according to Ubergizmo, researchers are working on a technology that "enables one to see right through clothing." Lest you get too excited, however, this is strictly for … Read more

3D scanning for our future lives

As we enter our second lives, we're seeing the floodgates beginning to open on 3D technologies. Unfortunately, a lot of the equipment on the market today comes with futuristic price tags--but competition is helping already.

Take this 3D scanner from NextEngine, for example. Sci-Fi Tech, which reported the item first, says it can scan an object in about 2 minutes and then "render it onscreen for you to stretch, rotate, or break apart in any number of applications, many of which are provided," with accuracy to 0.005 of an inch.

The cost still isn't cheap--$… Read more

A perfect camera for Monty Python

Why would anyone want a camera that morphs photos together? If we asked questions like that before writing, we'd never post anything.

So today we offer you the "Split Cam," which Uber-Review summed up thusly: "We got uber effects on a this camera that puts a man with a woman's skirt and a guy with his legs on reverse mode. Taking in consideration that it uses an old-school 35mm film and doesn't have flash, the Split Cam might have a quality below the average but those effects are priceless."

We all know, of … Read more

Watch YouTube on your umbrella

So you've been meaning to waterproof your iPod but haven't gotten around to it. And now the rainy season has begun, and you're afraid of getting it wet.

Why not just watch your videos on the umbrella? That's what researchers at Tokyo's Keio University do, with their invention called the "Pileus": a system that projects photos and videos onto your open brolly. According to Plastic Bamboo, it can even stream Flickr photos and YouTube videos directly through a Wi-Fi connection.

We assume the university won't be held responsible for the sidewalk accidents … Read more

An underwater monitor--but why?

You've got to wonder what DHS investigators think of stuff like this. After all, it's not as if there are an overwhelming number of practical consumer applications for an underwater monitor kit like this one, which we saw on Red Ferret.

Manufactured in China, the "full-set" kit apparently includes a 7-inch LCD, a five-hour battery and a diving camera with night-vision range of 9 to 15 feet. The equipment can all be conveniently stored in a metal carrying case that--we hope--would be subject to careful inspection near ports, bridges or any other appropriate locations.

Compact Lumix gets all lacquered up

Here we go again--another "limited edition" vanity camera. A few days ago we saw Pentax re-issue its 18k gold SLR to mark its 60th anniversary. Not to be outdone, Matsushita is coming out with its own special Lumix DMC-FX07 edition in five lacquered colors. As Fareastgizmos notes, the compact cameras--limited to 100 per color--are the same as the Panasonic model launched earlier this year, except for the finishes. Oh, and they come in boxes made from paulownia trees that are native to China and cultivated in Japan and Korea. (Who could resist anything that comes in a box … Read more