Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[FujiFilm Real 3D W3 Camera Makes Your 'Avatar' Home Movies Even Better]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/18/fujifilm-real-3d-w3-camera-makes-avatar-reenactments-even-bett/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/18/fujifilm-real-3d-w3-camera-makes-avatar-reenactments-even-bett/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/18/fujifilm-real-3d-w3-camera-makes-avatar-reenactments-even-bett/#commentsFiled under:

Fujifilm releases second 3-D, hi-def camera.

We might as well learn to love 3-D, because Fujifilm (and nearly every other manufacturer) isn't going to hold back on the tech. Fujifilm is giving 3-D cameras another go in September by releasing the FinePix Real 3D W3, which captures 3-D AVI photos and videos at a high-def quality resolution of 720p. Why would consumers buy this camera when Fujifilm's first 3-D camera, the FinePix Real 3D W1, was a bust? Aside from the upgraded specs, the W3 (priced at $499) is about $100 cheaper than its predecessor. More importantly, the new camera has a built-in Mini-HDMI output, which means you can playback photos and videos on your 3-D television (which you clearly own). The camera also boasts dual 10-megapixel sensors and dual 35-105mm lenses, which make 3-D images clearer without the dorky glasses. And, yes, you can toggle between 2-D and 3-D modes with the touch of a button. At this rate, Fujifilm should release a 3-D camera to our liking, and that's in our price range, by 2014 or so. [From: CNET News, via: Venture Beat]

Gallery: Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W3

SwitchedFujiFilm Real 3D W3 Camera Makes Your 'Avatar' Home Movies Even Better originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3-D Backpack Scanner

Thanks to technology like Google Earth, you can visit places with a few clicks and keystrokes. But Google Earth uses GPS to create 3-D maps of locations, which means you can't venture "inside" the structures to really get a feel for the space.

That could soon change. According to a report by San Francisco's ABC News 7 (catch it after the break), professors and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a backpack that uses lasers and cameras to render textured 3-D maps of building interiors. It's the first piece of equipment that can generate textured 3-D models without human intervention. As you can see in the video, the user just straps it on, and walks through a building while the lasers and cameras fire in multiple directions. After you finish roaming around, the backpack will generate a 3-D model based on what it scanned.

Continue reading Backpack Uses Lasers to Render 3-D Models of Building Interiors

SwitchedBackpack Uses Lasers to Render 3-D Models of Building Interiors originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MakerScanner

With a laser and a webcam, Autodesk research engineer Andy Barry has created an affordable 3-D scanner. Instead of crafting a better scanner than what's currently on the market, his goal is "to make it really cheap, so we can build a million of them, and get it out to everybody." The scanner's name, MakerScanner, derives from Barry's intent for his scanners to be paired with MakerBot 3-D printers, which are also relatively wallet-friendly.

To scan an object, Barry simply places the laser at a set horizontal distance from the webcam, sets the object in front of the two, and then moves the object in z-space (towards or away from the scanner), making sure it falls in the laser's path. The camera records all of this, sending the data to a computer program, which calculates how far offset the laser beam is when the object is in its path -- as opposed to when nothing is blocking it. See for yourself in the pictures on Barry's website; the printed models are pretty amazing. Though Maker Bot hasn't expressed interest in offering the scanner through its shop, Barry feels confident that the 3-D scanner could be sold for around $200 as early as this fall. [From: MakerScanner, via: Wired]

SwitchedCheap 3-D Scanner Created From Webcam and Laser originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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a millimeter wave scan image
More flip-flopping on the body-scanning debate: even though the Transportation Security Administration has roundly decreed that the millimeter-wave systems in use at several major airports do not store images of your naked bulk, the U.S. Marshals Service just admitted that it had saved "approximately 35,314 images" from a single Orlando, Florida courthouse, according to CNN. Whoops!

This follows the TSA's original claim that the body scanners could not store or transmit images, but the follow-up from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) revealed that images can be stored when the machines are running in "test mode." And now EPIC has just filed a lawsuit asking for an immediate injunction to halt the TSA body-scanning program. This comes only two weeks after Janet Napolitano announced that the millimeter-wave systems would be coming to nearly every major U.S. airport.

Continue reading Florida Courthouse Stored 35,000 Body-Scan Images

SwitchedFlorida Courthouse Stored 35,000 Body-Scan Images originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AirportBodyScansBodyScannersElectronicPrivacyInformationCenterEpicfloridaMillimeterWavetopTransportationSecurityAdministrationtsaUsMarshalsWed, 04 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Brazilian Detergent Knows Where You Live, Thanks to Bizarre GPS-Enabled Boxes]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/02/brazilian-detergent-knows-where-you-live-thanks-to-bizarre-gps/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/02/brazilian-detergent-knows-where-you-live-thanks-to-bizarre-gps/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/02/brazilian-detergent-knows-where-you-live-thanks-to-bizarre-gps/#commentsFiled under: ,

omo detergent with gps device
Brazil -- land of caipirinhas, Carnival and one of the world's highest crime rates per capita -- will be a bit more like the world of 'The Running Man' starting next week. In one of the scariest advertising schemes known to us, Unilever's detergent line Omo will be placing GPS devices in select boxes of suds throughout the country.

According to Advertising Age, "consumers who buy one of the GPS-implanted detergent boxes will be surprised at home, given a pocket video camera as a prize and [be] invited to bring their families to enjoy a day of Unilever-sponsored outdoor fun." And "surprised" may be a bit of an understatement for the unaware, since Omo will have teams in 35 cities ready to track down each of the 50 boxes as soon as they are removed from store shelves. The SWAT-style soap trackers may even get to your place before you do.

Continue reading Brazilian Detergent Knows Where You Live, Thanks to Bizarre GPS-Enabled Boxes

SwitchedBrazilian Detergent Knows Where You Live, Thanks to Bizarre GPS-Enabled Boxes originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adAdCampaignsbrazilbulletgpsmarketingomoOmoDetergentpromotiontopunileverMon, 02 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Shark Week' to Feature Great Whites Swallowing HD Cameras]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/01/shark-week-2011-features-great-whites-swallowing-hd-cameras/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/01/shark-week-2011-features-great-whites-swallowing-hd-cameras/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/01/shark-week-2011-features-great-whites-swallowing-hd-cameras/#commentsFiled under: ,

Your faithful writer, bolstered by assurance in the strides we're making with shark-detecting technologies, was planning another trip to the beach this weekend. But it suddenly dawned on him that this August 1st will see the 2010 premiere of Shark Week! For shark-phobic rubbernecks, Shark Week is the ultimate car crash, keeping us glued to the television for tales (and tails) of torment and triumph, and it's even better (or worse) in high definition.

The Discovery Channel has upped the ante with a decidedly unscientific new program for the Shark Week lineup called 'Into the Shark Bite,' where seemingly accredited, but suicidal, marine biologists decide to entice great whites to partially nom on an HD high-speed camera. What can this possibly tell us about the anatomy and behaviors of the great white that was not previously known? Nothing, other than to cement in our galeophobic brains what will likely be the last image we see before we go crunchily into that good night. Slightly less terrifying HD sharks (photographed shooting through the air in 2,000 fps) will be featured on 'Air Jaws' (yes, great whites are rare for their predilection for spy-hopping and breaching the surface at fierce speeds) and the curiously more epic version, 'Ultimate Air Jaws.' If there were ever a time to cradle a comforting pillow while feeding your ridiculous phobias, that time is now. Engadget has a pants-wetting gallery here. [From: Engadget]

Switched'Shark Week' to Feature Great Whites Swallowing HD Cameras originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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sergey larenkov's computational rephotography
We've held off from reporting on Sergey Larenkov's computational rephotography, perhaps due do to the link-bait, ludicrous headlines that other outlets have chosen to run, like "Ghosts Now Officially Exist" and "Camera Software Lets You See Into the Past." Computational rephotography is the process of matching a historic photo's perspective with a new one, and it has lately been automated by the computer geeks at MIT. Larenkov's recent work is essentially a Photoshop-mask-heavy collection of World War II-era prints overlaid on modern snaps.

It seems that some photoshoppers out there have been bemoaning the lack of technical proficiency in the overlays, but that's really neither here nor there. What Larenkov has done is merely updated History Pin's idea, giving more attention to perspective and adding a dose of dissolve (blurring one image into another). We wouldn't hang any of this work in a gallery, but, again, that's not the point. Larenkov's computational photography gives history buffs a chance to compare and contrast the mise-en-scène of times past with the modern landscape. To us, that's really interesting enough, in and of itself. Check out a sample of his work here. [From: Geekosystem]

SwitchedSergey Larenkov's 'Rephotography' Piques Historic Interest, Doesn't Raise the Dead originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ComputationalRephotographyHistoryPinMITphotographyphotosphotoshoprephotographySergeyLarenkovtopSat, 31 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[V-Swing Camcorder Records and Analyzes Your Golf Swing]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/07/29/v-swing-attaches-to-golf-bag-to-record-and-analyze-your-swing/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/29/v-swing-attaches-to-golf-bag-to-record-and-analyze-your-swing/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/29/v-swing-attaches-to-golf-bag-to-record-and-analyze-your-swing/#commentsFiled under: ,

V-Swing Camcorder
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Golfers are notorious for dropping thousands of dollars on swing coaches to lower their scores, but a new camcorder claims to render those costly lessons unnecessary by making you the coach. According to DVICE, the V-Swing is a hands-free camcorder that attaches to a golf bag and records your swing as close as six feet from the tee. The $350 device has a wide-angle lens mounted on a long, adjustable neck. You can watch your swing in full-speed, slow-motion or even frame-by-frame on the V-Swing's 3.5-inch screen. Once golfers are done at the course or range, they can review their wobbly swing mechanics with the help of the included V1 motion-analysis software, which lets users upload their videos to the Web for critique by community golf pros.

Sure, you can't share a beer at the clubhouse with the V-Swing, but it's cheaper than a human coach, and, best of all, it doesn't berate you when you slice into the water hazard for the third consecutive time. [From: DVICE and V-Swing]

Continue reading V-Swing Camcorder Records and Analyzes Your Golf Swing

SwitchedV-Swing Camcorder Records and Analyzes Your Golf Swing originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone DSLR
Think of how much you love your iPhone. Now picture it with a Canon EF 70-200mm strapped to the front end. Did your heart just well up? 'Cause ours didn't.

Yet, for Apple fanboy Jeremy Salvador, the idea of pimping out his iPhone with an adaptor to fit any Canon EF lens seemed too good to pass up. After buying an Owle iPhone mount, he decided that its array of built in excessiveness was not enough. So by fitting three adapters onto the Owle, he successfully became the first person in history to take a photo on an iPhone with a 35mm lens.

Continue reading iPhone-Turned-SLR Lens Mount Redefines Camera Overkill

SwitchediPhone-Turned-SLR Lens Mount Redefines Camera Overkill originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Billboards Scan You
As it's done with just about everything in the world of technology, Japan has just taken targeted advertising to a whole new (and wholly creepy) level. According to a new report out of Tokyo, several companies have begun testing digital billboards that can instantly identify the age and gender of anyone who walks in front of its attached cameras. Once the data is collected, the billboard then spits out an advertisement that best suits that person's demographic, 'Minority Report'-style.

Unlike the targeted advertising machines in 'Minority Report,' though, these new billboards won't be able to identify a person by name. And, it still won't be able to nail down your interests as acutely as, say, Google can, by glancing through your online search history. For the sake of our own public humiliation, let's hope it never will gain that level of "prescience." [From: Physorg, via: Engadget]

SwitchedTokyo Billboards Scan and Target You with Personalized Ads originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adsadvertisingBillboardbillboardsJapanminorityreportOnlyInJapantargetedtargeted adstargeted advertisingTargetedAdsTargetedAdvertisingtokyotopFri, 16 Jul 2010 12:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Josh Harris' 'Wired City' Takes 24/7 Webcam Performance to a New Level]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/07/14/josh-harris-wired-city-takes-24-7-webcam-performance-to-a-new/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/14/josh-harris-wired-city-takes-24-7-webcam-performance-to-a-new/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/14/josh-harris-wired-city-takes-24-7-webcam-performance-to-a-new/#commentsFiled under: ,

Wired City
Artist-slash-entrepreneur-slash-maniac Josh Harris has always been somewhat obsessed with real-time webcam surveillance. But his latest project, 'Wired City,' might just take real-time video interaction to a whole new, zany level.

As TechCrunch explains, "Wired City is like Chatroulette on steroids." The game starts when webcam-equipped users (or "ChatStars") go to video chat rooms, where they can sit around and watch each other. Each chat room is separated into what Harris calls "Net Bandstands," containing rooms pertaining to music, gaming, fashion or news. Every room is moderated by a DJ or director, who controls what everyone else can see. If anything especially interesting happens, he can isolate the engaging ChatStar, and promote his or her antics to a higher, more visible level, where users rank the video in real-time. If a user gets enough points, he or she can get promoted to the main stage (the Wired City home page), and then, "Goodbye, Mom's basement! Hello, Internet stardom!"

Continue reading Josh Harris' 'Wired City' Takes 24/7 Webcam Performance to a New Level

SwitchedJosh Harris' 'Wired City' Takes 24/7 Webcam Performance to a New Level originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FStoppers iPhone Photo Shoot
While newer smartphones like the iPhone 4 and HTC Evo are coming with 5-megapixel (or higher) cameras these days, the lowly cameraphone is still known for its blurry, out-of-focus shots. The crew at the Fstoppers video blog claims the quality of your image isn't tied to the quality of your camera, and to test this, co-founder and photographer Lee Morris put the iPhone 3GS's camera to the test.

The 3GS was stabilized by being Velcro'd to a tripod, a model was plopped down in front of a seamless backdrop, and lighting was brought in for the shoot. The accompanying video (after the jump) doesn't show any trickery. The iPhone's camera was used without having been modified in any way. (Note the "impromptu" moment where the camera actually rings on set.) However, a quick glance around the studio reveals that, though the camera isn't first rate, everything else is. In the first shot alone, five very professional lights are used, which, at the least, have to collectively cost more than three iPhones. Morris clearly booked a professional model (complete with hair styling and full makeup), and sent the photos off for retouching.

Continue reading Fstoppers Claims You Need Only an iPhone for Professional Shots

SwitchedFstoppers Claims You Need Only an iPhone for Professional Shots originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameracameraphonecellphonefstoppersiPhoneIphone3gSphotographyphotoshoottopSat, 10 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Airport Body Scanners 'Contradict Islam,' Dubai Refuses to Employ]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/07/07/airport-body-scanners-contradict-islam-dubai-refuses-to-emplo/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/07/airport-body-scanners-contradict-islam-dubai-refuses-to-emplo/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/07/airport-body-scanners-contradict-islam-dubai-refuses-to-emplo/#commentsFiled under:

Millimeter Wave ScanDubai, the Las-Vegas-of-the-Middle-East-turned-economic-wasteland, is rejecting full-body scanners at its airports because they "contradict Islam," according to Brigadier Pilot Ahmad Mohammad Bin Thani, who is the head of airport security for Dubai police. Concerned about the "privacy of individuals and their personal freedom," Bin Thani remarked to the Associated Free Press that Dubai will use alternative security measures that don't involve computer-generated nudity.

This is entirely unsurprising. Even people who don't subscribe to religious edicts for modesty have been angered by the prospect of airport security workers getting a gander at their goods while screening for bombs and the like. For one poorly endowed TSA worker, the scanners have even resulted in a well-publicized brawl and arrest. But for a region that still looks upon Western dress and behavior as flagrant and in poor taste, if not downright illegal, we would find it hard to believe if Dubai actually did employ the body scanners.

Continue reading Airport Body Scanners 'Contradict Islam,' Dubai Refuses to Employ

SwitchedAirport Body Scanners 'Contradict Islam,' Dubai Refuses to Employ originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's Internet Connected Car
Not content to rule the PC market, Intel is trying to shoehorn its chips into everything it can find. The latest target of the chip giant is the automobile, which it hopes to make truly "smart" by way of processors, sensors and wireless transmitters. At the company's latest Research Day event, it showed off an electric vehicle equipped with cameras and sensors that stop just short of turning it into a completely self-aware and autonomous form.

The most disturbing (and Big Brother-esque) feature is the car's ability to record speed and information about your steering and braking. When the car detects that you've been in an accident, it sends that data -- along with a video feed of the crash -- to the police and to your insurance company. Suddenly, fault detection is a much easier process. The sensors can also detect imminent danger and poor driving decisions, and can even, scarily enough, take control of the car. That system can even work in conjunction with cameras able to recognize street signs, and can thus effectively stop a motorist from turning the wrong way down a one-way street.

Continue reading Intel's Autonomous, Web-Connected Car Knows When You're Driving Dangerously

SwitchedIntel's Autonomous, Web-Connected Car Knows When You're Driving Dangerously originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Digital Image
You might not realize it, but you live everyday with an arbitrarily imposed, but very real limitation on the quality of digital images. Russell Kirsch created the first digital image, over 50 years ago, when he scanned a photo of his then infant son (on the right in its original size). When deciding how to render the ones and zeros, Kirsch decided on the seemingly logical choice at the time -- square pixels. For this, he apologizes.

"The logical thing was not the only possibility," he told Wired in a recent interview. The technology of the time limited him to 176-by-176 pixels, but those pixels could have been any shape he desired. But he went with square; a decision he has since described as "something very foolish that everyone in the world has been suffering from ever since."

Continue reading Inventor of the Square Pixel Apologizes, Creates Newer, Better Version

SwitchedInventor of the Square Pixel Apologizes, Creates Newer, Better Version originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The classic Holga camera's cheap construction makes for unplanned vignetting, odd color recreation and unpredictable imaging, all of which made it the analog format du jour in the late aughts. Designer Saikat Biswas's Holga D concept takes the iconic, film-based camera into the digital realm with a full-frame digital sensor, E-ink display and little else. Focusing on film's quality of delayed gratification, Biswas purposely left out an LED display for reviewing your image, stopping photographers from constantly reviewing their shots. Otherwise, it's a pretty simple affair. You control your shutter speed and ISO with two dials, while the camera takes two AA batteries, and stores images on a standard SD card. The entire top control panel can swivel in place, making it usable by lefties. Dig into the project details at Biswas's site, and keep your fingers crossed that this will be snatched up, and actually put into production someday. [From: Saikat Biswas, via: Wired]

SwitchedHolga D: A Minimalist Digital Makeover for the Classic Camera originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camerasconceptsholgaHolgaDphotographysaikat biswasSaikatBiswasFri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FIFA's Promise to Reexamine Tech Misses the Mark]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/fifas-promise-to-reexamine-tech-misses-the-mark/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/fifas-promise-to-reexamine-tech-misses-the-mark/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/fifas-promise-to-reexamine-tech-misses-the-mark/#commentsFiled under:

missed world cup goal After steadfastly adhering to a no-tech policy, FIFA's flighty leader Sepp Blatter has acquiesced that -- in the midst of an escalating international furor -- soccer needs to once again "reopen the file on technology." His "technology file" grows increasingly full, though, because FIFA has repeatedly investigated the use of goal-line cameras, video replays and sensor-equipped balls. With each investigation, the organization effectively resolves, "The human aspect of football is essential to this sport."

That devotion to humanity seems particularly comical considering Blatter's Twitter apology to fans of Mexico and England. And, despite his assertions, Blatter again shied away from incorporating instant replay, declaring that FIFA's goal is to "protect refereeing." Speaking to the Associated Press, referee Howard Webb dismissed Blatter's protective sentiments, and asserted, "I'm open minded about anything that makes us more credible as match officials." Blatter also announced, to the chagrin of El Tricolores, video aid wouldn't help to correct erroneous offside calls like the one that penalized Mexico.

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SwitchedFIFA's Promise to Reexamine Tech Misses the Mark originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FIFAInstantReplaysrefereeSeppBlattersoccersportstopworld cup soccerworld cup south africaworldcupworldcup2010WorldCupSoccerWorldCupSouthAfricaWed, 30 Jun 2010 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Archaic FIFA Taints World Cup With Devotion to Human Error]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/29/archaic-fifa-taints-world-cup-with-devotion-to-human-error/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/29/archaic-fifa-taints-world-cup-with-devotion-to-human-error/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/29/archaic-fifa-taints-world-cup-with-devotion-to-human-error/#commentsFiled under:

missed goalIn 2004, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) awarded South Africa the privilege of hosting Africa's first World Cup. Based on concerns -- both legitimate and ethnocentric -- over crime, violence and inadequate facilities, some observers immediately proclaimed the tournament doomed. But the World Cup, which is now in its 80th year, is currently enjoying enormous success and international amity, as fans intermingle and jubilantly deafen one another with the already legendary vuvuzelas.

The tournament has undoubtedly been indelibly tainted for a host of nations, though, because of FIFA and its outmoded, ignorant and infuriating devotion to neo-luddite ideology. U.S. fans continue to deservedly bemoan two inexplicable and unjustifiable disallowed goals, one of which occurred when a referee mysteriously waved off a score, even though replays glaringly depicted Slovenian players fouling, hugging and head-locking their U.S. counterparts. During the very next U.S. game, a sideline official negated another goal, an offside ruling that replays -- again -- have clearly disproved.

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SwitchedArchaic FIFA Taints World Cup With Devotion to Human Error originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FIFAfootballInstantReplayrefereesoccersportstopworldcupWorldCup2010Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Kodak Playsport Zx3: Hands on With the Rugged Pocket Camcorder]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/28/kodak-playsport-zx3-hands-on-with-the-rugged-pocket-camcorder/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/28/kodak-playsport-zx3-hands-on-with-the-rugged-pocket-camcorder/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/28/kodak-playsport-zx3-hands-on-with-the-rugged-pocket-camcorder/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Kodak Playsport Zx3
The market is quickly becoming saturated with cheap HD camcorders that easily slip into your pocket or purse. It really all began with Pure Digital's Flip video camera in 2006, but, since then, companies have been bumping up the resolution and increasing storage capacity until they reach the technological limits of the gadgets. Now, manufacturers really have two options if they want to stand out in such a crowded category: be dirt cheap or be gimmicky. The Kodak Playsport Zx3 is essentially both, and is courting a young, active audience.

Gallery: Kodak PlaySport

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SwitchedKodak Playsport Zx3: Hands on With the Rugged Pocket Camcorder originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camcorderfeatureshdhd camcorderHdCamcorderkodakkodak playsportkodak playsport zx3kodak zx3KodakPlaysportKodakPlaysportZx3KodakZx3rugged cameraRuggedCameratopunderwaterunderwater cameraUnderwaterCameravideowaterproofMon, 28 Jun 2010 14:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Power Outage Prompts Jimmy Kimmel to Record Show on His Macbook]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/23/power-outage-prompts-jimmy-kimmel-to-record-show-on-his-macbook/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/23/power-outage-prompts-jimmy-kimmel-to-record-show-on-his-macbook/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/23/power-outage-prompts-jimmy-kimmel-to-record-show-on-his-macbook/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

jimmy kimmel recording his show on laptop
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The digital age has smashed the primacy of the all-powerful television camera. Why rely on major networks when we have Twitpics, cell phone cameras and live-streams to make our own broadcasts? It seems that even the networks have recognized that all their fancy machinery can still be bested by a camera on a laptop. When a power failure hit the 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' studio on Monday, the eponymous host took to his Macbook's webcam so that the show could go on.

After a few attempts to re-route power after a failure earlier in the day, Kimmel and Co. were faced with the prospect of no show at all. The studio lights were still in operation, but the cameras and the control room remained darkened. So Kimmel opened up his Macbook, and launched Photo Booth to record the show himself from his desk. The audience seemed to be invigorated with the fervor that goes hand-in-hand with blackouts -- when adults get thrown into a world without power and begin to resemble rambunctious kids at sleep-away camp.

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SwitchedPower Outage Prompts Jimmy Kimmel to Record Show on His Macbook originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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