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Friday, November 04, 2011

drag2share: RED makes the Scarlet official, 5K stills and 4K video for $9,750

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/red-makes-the-scarlet-dsmc-official-5k-stills-and-4k-video-for/

It's been quite a day for all you cinephiles out there. First Canon outed its pair of Cinema EOS cameras, and now RED has finally released the Epic's baby sister Scarlet. Scarlet packs a similar punch as her older brother, so she takes 5K (5120 x 2700) resolution stills at 12fps, or can shoot your next cinematic masterpiece in 4K (4096 x 2160) at 25fps. The Scarlet also can use all of the Epic's accessories and comes with a Canon mount so there's plenty of glass to choose from, too. Best of all, Scarlet can be all yours for the low price of $9,750. That's right, for the price of a used Honda Civic, you can shoot video that essentially looks as good as those made by pros like Peter Jackson and John Shwartzman (assuming you've got their moviemaking skills). We're about to get our hands on one, so stay tuned for our first impressions.

When she's all by herself, Scarlet cuts a rather petite figure. She weighs the same as an Epic, but trades her elder brother's ebony exterior for one that is, according to RED founder Jim Jannard, "battleship gray." Not the most feminine color, but we must admit we like the two-tone appearance when you start adding on extras like a RED remote or an external view screen. Unfortunately, we didn't get to shoot any video with Scarlet, but we did get to hold her for a bit and found the build quality to be top notch. The camera has a solid feel, and while we wouldn't want to lug it around all day by hand, it's easy enough to maneuver for several minutes at a time. We're hoping we can do some serious shooting with Scarlet with sometime soon for a fuller impression -- RED aims to start shipping them on December first -- but given her low price point and copious cinematic capabilities, we imagine her dance card will be filled for quite some time.

Gallery: RED Scarlet hands-on

RED makes the Scarlet official, 5K stills and 4K video for $9,750 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Canon C300 cinema camera hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/canon-c300-cinema-camera-hands-on-video/

Man, is this thing ugly. But when it comes to cinema cameras, looks are the last thing on a cinematographer's mind -- performance is where it counts, and with the Canon C300, its compact size is an asset as well. We haven't had a chance to shoot with Canon's new flagship cinema cam, but we've heard from plenty of folks who have, including director Vincent Laforet. The C300's incredibly compact size allows cinematographers to work in environments that aren't typically accessible to big rigs -- you can shoot with this camera just as easily as you can with a DSLR, hand-holding it for quick shots, with a waist-mounted Steadicam system for walk-around shoots or even mounting it on a small remote-controlled helicopter, as Laforet did during his three-day Mobius shoot.

The C300 will be more familiar to cinematographers -- photojournalists may have access to the cam, thanks to its $20,000 price tag (that's a relative bargain, believe it or not), but you can't pick this up and fire away without taking some time to learn the interface. It has quite the solid feel, as you'd expect from a camera in this price range, though it's not as heavy as it looks -- you won't want to hold it in your hand for a full day of filming, but quick shots probably won't be an issue. The system is modular, so you can add and remove components as you wish -- industry standard connectors let you hook up cinema gear, which is something you could never do with the 5D Mark II. The small form factor and price tag to match should help Canon gain some ground in Hollywood, but we'll wait for a chance to shoot some footage before drawing any firm conclusions. In the meantime, we'll have to take Laforet at his word -- which you'll find just past the break.

Gallery: Canon C300 hands-on

Continue reading Canon C300 cinema camera hands-on (video)

Canon C300 cinema camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: College students unveil the Kiira EV, Uganda's first electric car (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/04/college-students-unveil-the-kiira-ev-ugandas-first-electric-ca/

Take a good look at that lime green hornet pictured above, because it may just herald the dawn of a new era in Ugandan transportation. Known as the Kiira EV, this plug-in was designed by students at Makerere University in Uganda, where electric cars, as you might imagine, are something of a rare commodity. In fact, local media outlets are heralding the Kiira as the first EV ever produced within the central African country, and it's not too shabby, either. On Tuesday, after nearly three years of development, the two-seater successfully completed its first test run, reaching a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour and nimbly making its way up a 55-degree incline. According to Paul Isaac Musasizi, who oversaw the project, the Kiira is capable of maxing out at a speed of 150 kilometers per hour, and can run for up to 80 kilometers on a single charge. Aside from its steering wheel and other accessories, every other component was designed and constructed domestically.

Perhaps more important than the Kiira EV's specs, however, is what it symbolizes for Uganda. "When we started the project, we wanted to demonstrate that Uganda has as good talent as that in the US or Germany," Musasizi told Uganda's Daily Monitor. "Now that this is over, we expect and want it to be taken up." It remains to be seen whether the Kiira actually enters production anytime soon, but Musasizi says his team is already working on a 28-seat EV for public transportation, underscoring their commitment to bringing green technology to their country. Hum past the break to see video of the momentous occasion, along with coverage from Uganda's NTV.

[Thanks, Roger]

Continue reading College students unveil the Kiira EV, Uganda's first electric car (video)

College students unveil the Kiira EV, Uganda's first electric car (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Microsoft releases Bing app for Android, iOS, not Windows Phone 7

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/04/microsoft-releases-bing-app-for-android-ios-not-windows-phone/

In a move that can be simultaneously described as puzzling and pragmatic, Microsoft has decided to bring its Bing for Mobile app to Android and iOS before launching it on its very own Windows Phone platform. The company announced the release in a blog post this week, highlighting the app's most noteworthy features, including a revamped maps module, a new deals service and real-time transit feeds. Interestingly enough, Redmond also based its app on HTML5, rather than Silverlight, in the hopes of providing greater continuity across mobile browser and app interfaces. Only at the very end of the post did Microsoft mention Windows Phone 7: "We're working to release the same consistent experience for RIM and Windows Phone 7 devices in the future, and will share more details as they become available." At first glance, this decision may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but it also makes a lot of sense, considering the fact that Android and iOS comprise the bulk of the consumer market (and, of course, the fact that Bing is already integrated within Windows Phone 7). It appears, then, that Microsoft is simply trying to get Bing out to the widest initial audience, which seems pretty logical. Android and iOS users can grab the app now, at the coverage links below.

Microsoft releases Bing app for Android, iOS, not Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Yahoo launches IntoNow for iPad, recommends telling it how it is

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/04/yahoo-launches-intonow-for-ipad-recommends-telling-it-how-it-is/

TV companion app IntoNow has made its first major foray since it was snapped up by Yahoo earlier this year. Its new iPad app is now up for grabs and brings the same contextual magicks found on the iPhone version, expanded to make the most of the Apple tablet's 9.7-inch screen. The app picks up on audio cues made by whatever you're watching on TV and then displays websites, game scores, even Twitter feeds of musicians and other famous types shown on the big(ger) screen. Now you can tell those overpaid athletes and awful, awful actors exactly what they did wrong. Trolling's never been so convenient.

Yahoo launches IntoNow for iPad, recommends telling it how it is originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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