Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wearables

We all know that upping the ante on your flashy moblog is best accomplished with an always-on, wearable camera, but Oregon Scientific‘s rendition is expanding possibilities by providing the means to strap your lifeblogger onto nearly anything. Unlike the Viosport and DoubleVision Pro, the ATC-2000 comes with mounting hardware to affix the hands-free unit to “helmets, handlebars, and other sports equipment,” and although attaching it to a car mirror while cruising in a demolition derby isn’t mentioned, we’re sure you could pull it off. The self-contained webcam touts a VGA resolution at 30fps, “water and shock-resistance,” USB 2.0 connectivity, RCA outputs, 32MB of internal storage, and an SD slot to carry even more zany moments from your everyday life. The perfect tool for capturing those daredevil audition tapes is available now for $129.99.

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

If you’re looking to add some “cute” to those otherwise drab vlog entries, and that brushed aliminum iSight has worn out its welcome, Textorm’s animal of a webcam is sure to elicit a smile or two. The aptly-named Puppy Dog Webcam ditches the typical monitor mounted approach and provides a more playful alternative to broadcasting yourself. Stuffed within the fluffy cotton and soft fur is a scant 1.3 megapixel webcam that apparently isn’t even complimented by an integrated microphone or light source, which gives the (probably accurate) impression that this pup is all bark and no bite. Nevertheless, we assume the canine can pull double duty as a child’s toy, and while the dangling USB cable may become a minor hazard, it’s unlikely to be as dangerous as the exploding Helly Kitty. Regardless, the pitifully spec’d Puppy Dog Webcam is available now for €22.95 ($29), but the surefire compliments you’ll receive from the ladies (or fellas) are included gratis.

[Via Red Ferret]

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Almost lost amid all the other news HP made last week was this humble little webcam, apparently known only as the HP 2-Megapixel Webcam. Though there’s certainly nothing flashy about it (which we kinda dig, given some of the other webcams we’ve seen), it does pack a fairly decent feature set, with a 2-megapixel still resolution, 800 x 600 video at 30 frames per second, face-tracking, and an integrated microphone. Best of all, however, is the wide-angle lens, which’ll give you (or the person on the other end) a spacious view of 76 degrees diagonally and 65 degrees horizontally. The cam itself measures 6.1 x 1.9 x 2.9-inches and comes with a handy stand that’ll also double as a clip to attach it to a LCD monitor or laptop. No word on price, though it should be out sometime before the holiday season. [Warning: PDF link]

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

The in-laws have been pestering you to do a little video chatting so they can see their grandkids a bit more, right? But we’re sure the thought of digging out the ‘ol webcam from 2001 brings up repressed memories of jerky, tiny video chatting. Well Sony may have the solution — albeit an uber-pricey one — but still, it’s a high-def solution in the form of its new IPELA package. The large pictured box (PCS-HG90) converts the captured HD video stream to H.264 (1,280 x 720 at 60fps) and shoots off the data to the receiving box via the Internet — sending the video of your child’s smiling face to his/her grandparents’ HDTV. Plus, there isn’t a cheap webcam in the system: Sony has bundled a 1.12 megapixel, 3CCD camera to get the best picture quality possible. While this system could theoretically work for remote family reunions, its $42,000 pricetag (you need two of each component, after all) would indicate that these units are aimed more towards the corporate market. Then again, you simply cannot put a price on your parents seeing every last feeding, diaper change, or spit up, now can you?

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals

We’d like to be the first to welcome the drinking bird into the 21st century. Introducing the Neo from the Alphacam kids of Korea. This multifunction device brings a 2 megapixel auto-focus webcam, laser pointer, business card reader, voice recorder, and all purpose text scanner to the show. No pricing announced but it should be shipping already in Korea, you know, in case you’re in the hood. Check the Neo snapped in a few more poses after the break.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals

As if to prove a point to their comrades in the Microsoft Windows division, Microsoft Hardware has just launched nine new peripherals to show ‘em how its done. We won’t trouble you with all nine products, but the four highlights of the launch are plenty to be getting on with. Pictured above is the new Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000, which claims to be the first wireless rechargeable backlit keyboard, and who are we to argue? The ‘board features ambient and proximity sensing, while keeping it slim at a mere 1-inch thick, and it should be available next February for $250. Next up is the do-it-all Wireless Presenter Mouse 8000, which stuffs in slide presenter, laser pointer, media remote and laser mouse functionality into its meaty girth. The Bluetooth mouse should be out mid-October for about $100. Microsoft also has the new Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, with high-def laz0r tracking and intense ergonomics, and the new LifeCam NX-6000 webcam, which features 7.6 megapixel stills and 2.0 megapixel video in a minuscule package. The cam should be out in November for $100, while the Laser Mouse 6000 should follow in January for $80. Now, if only we had a shiny new OS to use these with. Keep reading for more pics.

Read – Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000
Read – Wireless Presenter Mouse 8000
Read – Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
Read – Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Britain, rightly or wrongly, is crawling with surveillance cameras for spying on its citizenry. But there’s a whole class of cameras that could be used for security purposes that MI5/MI6 may have forgotten about: webcams. On Friday, a Beatles fan happened to be watching the webcam that’s trained on Mathew Street, a nabe in Liverpool that houses the famous Cavern Club, where the Fab Four got their start. This astute fan watched from his home in Dallas as three perps were breaking into a sports store. He picked up his phone and called the Liverpool police — and the suspects were arrested. Technology 1 – 0 Crooks.

[Via Reuters]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Gaming

It’s a whole month early — Microsoft’s Xbox Live Vision camera is still due for actual release on 9/19 — but during a recent Toys ‘R’ Us run lucky tipster Leo managed to walk away with his very own Live Vision camera, courtesy of an evident stocking snafu. The shiny package includes a headset, the camera, codes for 1 month of Live Gold and a registration key for fan-fave Uno. Of course, we don’t suppose he’ll be able to get much use out of it until Microsoft launches the device officially, but it makes for a good Flickr set, and some decent bragging rights.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

Sure, you could just buy one of the many, more capable, ready-made, USB microscopes, but if you’re lacking for geek cred, you can also build your own with nothing more than a webcam and a lens salvaged from a CD or DVD drive. This hack courtesy of Kalanda is about as simple as can be, just carefully remove the tiny lens from your optical drive and affix it in place on the webcam with some cardboard and tape (they apparently didn’t remove the webcam’s lens). The lens is able to double as a microscope because of its very short focal length, which proved to be just right for getting disturbingly close shots of the intrepid DIY-er’s hand. We’re building one right now, too, because we’ve been having a hell of time keeping track of our micro-dice during those regular after-work craps games.

[Via Make]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals

While the iSight built into your new Macbook (or any laptop-integrated webcam for that matter) might meet your day-to-day needs, Logitech is hoping that their new QuickCam Ultra Vision can significantly raise the production value on your next YouTube masterpiece. For $129, you get a mostly glass lens — there are still a few plastic elements in there, just less than usual — that’ll open all the way up to f/1.6, making acceptable results possible even in darkness that would turn normal cams into digital noise-filled nightmares. The press release also boasts “high definition” capability from its wide format, interpolation-free 1.3-megapixel sensor, but skimps on the hard resolution numbers, with the product page only making mention of its capability to do “live video up to 640 x 480″ at 30fps. (That doesn’t sound very HD to us.) Other amenities include a 4-megapixel (there’s the interpolation) still camera, USB 2.0 connectivity, RightSound microphone, a heap of cheesy effects and the RightLight 2 metering system, which promises “twice the image clarity of conventional webcams.” If you still feel your cinematic needs aren’t being met, you can check out the rest of the updated QuickCam line, including the Orbit MP, Fusion, Pro 5000 and the Communicate STX, all which received minor spec bumps. These all should be available by the end of August, so you still have a little time to clean your room before exposing it to the world — or at least your Skype contacts.

[Via Tech Digest]

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If just peeping on your neighbors isn’t enough, there’s the USB Web Cam with Telescope from Brando. The telescoping feature probably isn’t useful for regular webcam conferences unless you want to show the other side how great (or lousy) your pores are.

The scope has 7x magnification and can record at 30fps in 320×240 resolution. Perfect for incriminating evidence on what Mrs. Olsen’s been doing to Mr. Sandoval’s Petunias. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Brando via i4u via uber gizmo]

Filed under: Displays, Gaming

When it comes to gaming monitors, performance is everything, so Asus was off to a good start by endowing its new 19-inch PG191 LCD with a zippy 2-millisecond response time. However, we're not sure that it was also a good idea to build two speakers and a subwoofer into this unit; although they do lend the monitor a rather, um, distinctive look, it would seem that most consumers who are really into their gaming already own a set of dedicated speakers -- and probably a 5.1 or 6.1 setup -- which perform better than the ones Asus is offering here. Also, part of the package is a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera, which may indicate that the company is actually targeting wannabe-gamers with this model -- folks who envy the rockstar lifestyle portrayed by Fatal1ty and friends, but who have yet to begin accessorizing their own PCs. Rounding out the specs are your standard 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, 800:1 contrast ratio, and 320cd/m2 brightness, along with a DVI port, in-game video capture software, and special audio/video settings designed to enhance gameplay. No word yet on pricing or availability, but if the speakers and camera add too much loot to the bottom line, we can't imagine that many real gamers will be interested.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Gaming

We're all aware that a digital camera/webcam for the Sony PSP is right around the corner, but how many of you knew that you could also snap photos with your Nintendo DS? Don't feel bad; we didn't know it was possible either until we spotted modder Kako's handiwork on YouTube -- apparently he's taken a Treva CMOS chipset, done a bit of rewiring, and written software that allows the unit to output images directly to his DS Lite. We can't vouch for the picture quality, and the frame rates are positively sluggish, but at least this mod gives Nintendo fanboys one less missing feature to defend when the PSP crowd goes into one of those regular, tiresome diatribes listing the many reasons why their product totally "pwns" the little dual screen console -- in fact, you'll probably catch a few examples of said diatribes right here in the comments section of this very post.

[Via DS Fanboy]

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Displays

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