Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping for $149

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/dropcam-hd-wifi-security-camera-now-shipping-pricing-details/

We've had the opportunity to spend time with an early version of the Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera prior to its CES unveiling, and now the company is finally ready to get the product out to the masses. Starting today, the bantam security camera is shipping from the outfit's site for $149, with that tally netting you a USB-powered camera with automatic night vision, HD-quality video, two-way audio support, optional DVR-style recording ($9.95+ per month) and always-on access. As stated in our review, users can access a live stream of what it's watching (or they're watching, if using multiple cams) from any web browser, iPhone or Android-based device, and privacy advocates should know that all streams are "encrypted with bank-level security, and streamed through the cloud, not your computer, so it's safe in case of any computer trouble or theft." Head on past the break for the full spiel, or hit the source link to get your order in.

Continue reading Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping for $149

Dropcam HD WiFi monitoring camera now shipping for $149 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel: Your Next Laptop Will Be a Touchscreen Clamshell [Computers]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5898609/intel-your-next-laptop-will-be-a-touchscreen-clamshell

Intel: Your Next Laptop Will Be a Touchscreen Clamshell Things are certainly changing in personal computing: laptops are getting smaller and slimmer; tablets are becoming more useful productivity tools; and the whole sector can't quite reach a consensus over what the future holds. But then, Intel drops into conversation that it firmly believes in the one technology most people have dismissed: Clamshell touchscreens.

Speaking to PCWorld, Intel product manager Anand Kajshmanan explained that Intel "fundamentally believe in the concept of touch, and touch on a clamshell," adding that the firm is "strongly encouraging our partners" to add touchscreens to their ultrabooks.

Well, well. We've seen a clamshell tablet from Sony, and it was awful. What's to make a touchscreen laptop better? Not a lot. Steve Jobs famously dismissed the idea—after Apple had conducted tests of the concept—over the fact that vertical touch surfaces lead to fatigue. Without some startling innovation—which is of course possible, and I'd love to be proved long—that isn't set to change.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kajshmanan made an interesting comment over Windows versus OS X, too. Windows, he explained, is itself a prime differentiator when it comes to buying a laptop, calling it "the operating system users have come to love." He has a point. I'm saying he's right, but he has a point. [The Verge]

Image by Travis Isaacs under Creative Commons license

Canon EOS 60Da: the DSLR for that astrophotographer in your life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/canon-eos-60da-dslr-astronomy-night-shooting-price-release-date/

What if all the answers to the universe resided in the stars? What if your real home was in space? What if you had a camera engineered specifically to capture the beauty of the night sky? You do. Canon has just outed the proper successor to the EOS 20Da, with the 60Da "catering to astronomers and hobbyists" who'd rather spend their clicks on galaxies than flowers and Earthlings. According to Canon, there's a "modified infrared filter and a low-noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity" -- something that presumably means the world to astronomers. In more understandable terms, it's packing an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C), a 3-inch Clear View LCD (you know, the flip-out kind), a nine-point autofocus system and TV-out support. The Silent Shooting feature that we already praised on the EOS 5D Mark III is here as well, as is a native ISO ceiling of 6,400 and an expandable range that reaches 12,800. Canon also throws in its RA-E3 remote controller adapter -- a vital accessory for those looking to shoot timed exposures greater than 30 seconds -- as well as an AC adapter kit for those all-night sessions. It'll hit select dealers later this month for $1,499, and no, this is not a joke.

Gallery: Canon EOS 60Da DSLR press photos

Continue reading Canon EOS 60Da: the DSLR for that astrophotographer in your life

Canon EOS 60Da: the DSLR for that astrophotographer in your life originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/sony-pmw-100-camcorder/

When is full 1920 x 1080 footage not really HD? When a broadcaster rejects it for not meeting its 50Mbps bitrate criteria. There's only a few handheld cameras that can capture video with such gentle compression, and a lot of those require a third-party add-on recorder to achieve it -- but not Sony's new XDCAM shooter, the PMW-100. It has a 1/2.9-inch Exmor sensor sitting behind a 40-400mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens and outputs 1080p, 1080i, and 720p at up to 50Mbps using MPEG HD422 compression. SxS cards are the primary media, but there's HD/SD-SDI output too should you still need it. Sound recording is equally data-heavy, letting you hear interviewees dodge questions in four channels of glorious 24-bit uncompressed 48kHz audio -- unless of course your diminutive kit fools them into thinking you're harmless. The PMW-100 should start shipping in May for an as yet undisclosed price, but in the meantime you'll find more specs in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package

Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/arm-seeks-better-security-for-connected-devices-teams-up-gemalt/

ARM is famous for its low-power chip designs, Gemalto is known for its NFC security features, and Giesecke & Devrient brings some nice nano-SIM notoriety to the table. As a trio, these companies are seeking regulatory approval for a new security standard that could be used on a wide range of web-connected devices, including tablets, smart TVs, game consoles and smartphones. There's little detail on the new technology itself, other than that it's based on ARM's TrustZone hardware-based security, which has been around for a while and is built into every ARM Cortex-A series processor. In any case, creating the technology is the easy bit these days -- it's the approval and licensing issues that'll get you unstuck.

Continue reading ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient

ARM seeks better security for connected devices, teams up Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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