Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, in comes Geargripper. The foam padded place to put all the crap you have in your pockets onto when you get home from work. No sir, an end table just won’t do anymore. PDA, cellphone, your watch, you name it; Geargripper can grip it! The padding is soft, so it won’t scratch a thing, but if you try to unravel its design and make a mouse pad out of it, well that’s just a terrible mouse pad at the price of $8.
A Japanese company called Fujitaka has introduced a “Child Check System” for cigarette vending machines that uses facial recognition. It then compares the face with 100,000 faces in the vending machines database after taking a digital photograph of the consumer.
The legal smoking age in Japan is 20, so if you just so happen to be a 13-year old looking 20 year-old man, you’re shit out of luck. And if you’re a 20-year old who looks like a 13-year old, you get to cheat the system.
Unless you’ve got enough dough to shell out on equipment you might only use a few times, you’re probably not willing to save up for a high-priced solution for panorama photography. For the amount of money it costs to really get the panoramic view down pat, you’re probably better off taking 360 degree photos manually and duct taping them together.
The Panamatic Mount straps right onto your tripod, ensuring it’s orientation with a leveling bubble. Once the Panamatic is mounted in position, your camera hooks onto the device as if it were the normal tripod with the Panamatic offering a ratcheted wheel which spins around its axis. Snapping a panoramic shot is as easy as revolving your camera along the 12 different position settings, snapping a picture for each position. You can get your own for $25.
What is one to do when they have a love to both cameras, and recycling the old to create the new? Just ask Craig Arnold, leader of the re:vision project, which takes old camera parts, and recycles them into wearable accessories.
Using old cameras to refocus (lol, puns) on a new product allows for the ancient parts to be used in a way which was totally unintended. If you’re a geeky photographer, there is just no excuse not to own at least one camera clothing accessory. — Andrew Dobrow
There are some gadget concepts that make me want to jump up and lobby to the world about them. This High Tech Scroll concept is a gorgeous idea, there just isn’t the technology available yet to create it. Featuring a 10 MP camera, camcorder, touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth support, and a PC running a full version of XP or Vista (come on, give us some OS X goodness!), the High Tech Scroll is too good to be true, and it isn’t.
Designed by 13 Tech Design, not only does the Scroll feature all of the listed specs above, but also has a form factor which unravels like the Hebrew Torah, pulling the sides apart to reveal the rolled up slim flat screen. Hit the jump for another pic and two demo videos. (more…)
The tagline for the conceptual NYC Ring Flash Camera says “Now You’re Ready To Become A Fashion Photographer”, and from looking at the stylish design and function of the device, the tag doesn’t seem too far from the truth.
Offering a unique design, the flash of the camera is mounted around the lens in a loop, a style we’ve been seeing more and more of. The flashes design gives the photos a typically high contrast, with dark vignettes, lomo feel. The camera also features a cool looking handle-bar styled grip, which is sure to keep the camera steadier then the one-handed snap. — Andrew Dobrow
Remember the good ole days when you and your poppy would grab your mitts and head out to the yard for a rousing bout of lobbing a ball back and forth until you started to get too aggressive, so he ran you down and tackled you, permanently leaving you with a speech impediment? What if you could share those moments forever with up close and personal photos? The TosPom is a ball-shaped camera which snaps photos as you throw it to-and-fro.
When the catch recipient catches the TosPom, the camera ball automatically snaps a photo, capturing the expression of the catcher, and displaying the image on a built-in screen, or at least that’s the intention. You figure most of the shots will have the camera facing odd directions, capturing snaps of the inside of your palm and your surroundings as well. They should include this sort of functionality on the next-gen Wii. — Andrew Dobrow
DSLR’s can be tricky when you’re trying to get those ultra-tight macro shots, especially without a detachable viewfinder, since your body has the tendancy to cast a shadow on your subject. If you don’t have the right lenses, you might as well be using a point and shoot. While a wide assortment of point and shoots take macro shots pretty well on their own, the Marumi LED Macro Ring allows you to shine a little light on your super small shots.
With DSLR’s, the trouble with having the wrong lens is that you can’t focus properly without a special flash to brighten up the macro subject. This LED Macro Ring snaps right on to your tripod and camera, shining 8 LED’s to illuminate the lenses sensor. It’s a pretty cool (if not slightly overpriced) tool for $126. — Andrew Dobrow
This type of technology is probably a good many years away, but what would it change in the world of photography? Imagine a camera featuring a huge array of sensors which use stereo photography to create a picture perfect depth-of-field, which you don’t need a forklift to carry around with you. This is what Stanford researchers have unveiled as a project in progress.
Of course, a technology such as this always raises more questions than it answers. How will the camera’s aperture adapt itself to the prospective of each individual lens? And most importantly, how will the photos ever be crystal clear with all of the sensors being in varying locations? Pretty damn cool though for a concept. — Andrew Dobrow
And we use the term “hardcore” very loosely here, since many consider the corporate ‘punk’-ness of Hot Topic to be hardcore. So for those Avril and Korn fans who buy their black gear from those sorts of trendy punk-lite shops, the Studded Camera Strap seems like something right up your alley. Especially if you prefer holding your camera, rather than strapping it to a tree.
Available in a variety of dyed leather variations, those who love the smell of well-maintained cow hide will surely love the authentic leather of the X-Stich Strap, and of course, the strap is adjustable to your stubby washable-tattoo covered arms. Get yours for $140. — Andrew Dobrow