Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Nikon 1 future plans revealed: 4K video, brighter lenses, picture effects

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/01/nikon-1-future-plans-revealed-4k-video-brighter-lenses-pictur/

Tetsuya Yamamoto, Nikon's head of development was at CES talking up the future plans of the company's 1 system cameras after strong holiday sales. The 10.1 megapixel sensor inside the 1 body is sufficiently capable of shooting 2 and 4K video and bringing that functionality into the unit is planned for a future edition. There's a need for a set of brighter lenses with faster auto-focusing, although we're not sure how much bigger you can get on that petite body. It's also kicking around the option of letting V1 (i.e. more professional) users get at manual AF control and in-camera RAW editing -- while J1 users can expect plenty of features they won't use much, like in-camera effects. It's exciting stuff, but let's hope these new features don't cause the price to climb any higher, eh?

Nikon 1 future plans revealed: 4K video, brighter lenses, picture effects originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Nikon Rumors &nb! sp;|&nbs p; source

dpreview | Email this | Comments

Acrobatic quadrocopters hunt in packs, seduce you into submission (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/01/acrobatic-quadrocopters-fly-in-hypnotic-formation/

We've kept a pretty stern eye on the development of GRASP Lab's quadrocopters, and with good reason it seems, now that the four-bladed aerial ninjas have even more alarming abilities at their disposal. In the video after the break, watch them hold a variety of complex formations like it's no thing -- even while on the move. The 'copters can also take flight, or resume position, after being thrown into the air, navigating real world obstacles with deft fluidity. It's part of Pennsylvania University's Scalable sWarms of Autonomous Robots and Mobile Sensors project (conveniently SWARMS for short), which is responsible for developing the air-born acrobats' new grouping skills. They say it's an attempt to replicate swarming habits in nature, though we're not convinced.

Continue reading Acrobatic quadrocopters hunt in packs, seduce you into submission (video)

Acrobatic quadrocopters hunt in packs, seduce you into submission (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

SlashGear | source

TheDmel (YouTube) | Email this | Comments

Every Camera Should Be as Beautiful as Nikon's Newest [Design]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5881262/every-camera-should-be-as-beautiful-as-nikons-newest

The Nikon Coolpix P310 is another point and shoot—except it's completely gorgeous. The boxy design is a matte slate of black perfection. Everyone line is clean, every centimeter accounted for, every button well-placed. Make more things like this.

Inside, the P310 is no dinky shooter: 16 megapixel stills, 1080p video recording, an assignable front function button, full manual controls, image stabilization, and a swank f/1.8 zoom NIKKOR lens. By my god—it's so small! What you're looking at is only 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.3 inches—easily pocketable. But I don't want to keep it in any pocket. I want to look at it. Boxy is beautiful. More angles. Cameras shouldn't resemble spaceships. Check for it next month at $330. [Nikon]

Sharp struggles with TV competition, Q3 2011 results reveal 86 percent drop in profit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/01/sharp-struggles-with-tv-competition-q3-2011-results-reveal-86-p/

It's pretty tough out there for TV manufacturers. Sharp's reporting its financial results for April-December last year, announcing a profit of 9.14 billion yen ($120 million), a drop of 57.37 billion yen since the same period in 2010. Despite announcing a whole gang of new displays for the year, Sharp has cut its profit forecast correspondingly, down to zero for March 2012. According to Reuters, the company was expected to post healthier results, having recently finished a new manufacturing plant and apparently strong demand for its high-end AQUOS TVs, although it's perhaps not strong enough.

Sharp struggles with TV competition, Q3 2011 results reveal 86 percent drop in profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Reuters | source

Sharp (Japanese, PDF) | Email this | Comments

Nikon Coolpix P310 hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/01/nikon-coolpix-p310-hands-on-video/

Of all the new Nikons announced today, the P310 is likely to be one of the most popular. Its 4.2x (24-100mm) focal length may not deliver the big bad zoom of the P510, and it can't do RAW like the P7100, but it compensates with some serious optical features instead. Among them is improved image stabilization, which Nikon says will let you take blur-free handheld shots at four stops below what would otherwise be possible. There's also a "market leading" f/1.8 maximum aperture, which further aid low-light shooting as well shallow depth-of-field shots. Finally, the form factor is really important. This camera is a lot smaller than either the P510 or the P7100 and it feels great in the hand: not quite pocketable, perhaps, but certainly portable, discreet and sturdy. We only had access to a very early pre-production sample, so we couldn't check out the menu system or take shots, but we gave the camera a good looking over in the hands-on video after the break, where you'll find some more initial impressions too.

Gallery: Nikon Coolpix P310 hands-on