OptiTrack debuts $3,700 PRIME 17W mocap cam for small spaces

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/optitrack-prime-17w/

Independent creators keen on motion capture have had affordable solutions like cheaper sensors and Kinect-based implementations for awhile now, but a large space for moving around has usually been required. OptiTrack has come up with an answer to that problem, however, in the form of the PRIME 17W mocap camera that it introduced at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The 1.7-megapixel lens has a 70-degree by 51-degree field of view that promises to capture motion in a relatively small space, which also means you need fewer cameras to get a full 360-degree shot. Other features include a global shutter, high-speed 360 FPS capture and low distortion, enabling UAV and sports tracking. At $3,700, it's still not exactly cheap, but it's certainly affordable enough for indie engineers and animators with space constraints to get started in the mocap biz.

Filed under: Cameras, Gaming

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Source: OptiTrack

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Open source video editing program needs help on Kickstarter, offers immortality in return

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/open-source-video-editor-on-kickstarter/

Forget having kids. Forget mind-transfers. Real immortality lies in naming a video transition after yourself. No, seriously. To make eternity happen, you simply need to donate $500 to Jonathan Thomas's Kickstarter project and in return he'll let you create and name a transition effect in a new cross-platform version of his free, open source video editing program, called OpenShot. Currently Linux-only, it supports regular timeline-based video editing with layers and compositing, transitions, effects, titles and support for a wide range of AV formats courtesy of the usual open source codec libraries. If it reaches its $20k goal, Thomas will start work Windows and Mac OS editions alongside Linux, anticipating a beta release before the end of the year. Smaller donations will receive more minor possessions in the afterlife, such as your name in the credits. Bigger pledges -- of up to $10,000 -- will flip things around slightly and require Jonathan Thomas to sell you his soul. Go get it, Pharoah!

Filed under: Software

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Source: Kickstarter

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Amazon acquires Goodreads, aims to make better recommendations for Kindle users

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/amazon-acquires-goodreads-kindle-recommendation-engine/

So, Amazon has a reading platform called Kindle. Goodreads has a platform that makes fairly excellent suggestions when it comes to reading materials. You probably see where this is going. This evening, Amazon announced that it was acquiring one of the more popular reading recommendation engines, and while the outfit isn't making clear what it plans to do with the technology, it shouldn't take a scholar to see how it'd bolster Amazon's Kindle reader line as well as its array of Kindle apps. (What'll happen to Shelfari, however, is perhaps a bigger mystery.)

Russ Grandinetti, Amazon's vice president of Kindle Content noted that "Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world -- together, we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike." It's entirely likely that this will add another social angle to the Kindle framework, further establishing an ecosystem where friends could see suggestions based on what they're independently reading through their own Kindle accounts. The companies are expecting the deal to be finalized in Q2, which suggests that we'll see a proper integration just as back-to-school season begins. Right, guys?

Filed under: Amazon

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Source: Amazon , Goodreads

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Google patent application would tie camera settings to local weather

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/google-patent-application-would-tie-camera-settings-to-weather/

GPS is burgeoning into a tool for more than just finding our way, such as choosing gears on a weekend drive. If one of Google's newly published patent applications becomes reality, positioning might also fix our off-color photos. Its proposed technique would use GPS to automatically tune a camera based on both the local climate and whether or not you're outdoors: the white balance and saturation could be different for a sunny day in the park than a rainy day stuck inside, for example. While automatic settings are already commonplace, the method could lead to more accurate output that reduces the urge to flick on a manual mode. There's no guarantee that we'll ever see the patent in a shipping product, but don't be surprised if future Android smartphones produce uncannily good photography with little effort.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, GPS, Google

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Source: USPT! O

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Lockheed Martin's technology hub brings startups closer to government needs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/lockheed-martin-technology-hub-startups-government/

Wondering who would be the first to concoct a Kickstarter for governmental wishes? We suppose it's Lockheed Martin. Today, the aforementioned outfit has launched an initiative "aimed at expanding its collaboration with Silicon Valley companies to meet the diverse technology needs of the federal government." Called the Lockheed Martin Silicon Valley Alliance, the hub will reportedly "provide the federal government with greater visibility into innovative technology solutions developed locally," even going so far as to suggest that a game developer could use their resources in order to improve the realism of a military simulation system. It sounds as if Lockheed will end up being the middleman between aspiring companies and entities like the Department of Defense and NASA, essentially ensuring that whatever is built meets federal requirements. Those interested in venturing down such a rabbit hole can give the source link a look, but as always, we'd caution you to register at your own risk.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Source: Lockheed Martin

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