New Gadgets and Technology

[Variety of Cells]

We didn't have a general thread for new gadgets and stuff yet, so I figured I'd make one.  I'll start off with something that doesn't exactly deserve its own thread, but is kind of cool none the less.

Here's a tech demo for Google Glass.  It only shows off the webcam feature, but it shows it off in a pretty awesome way.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/hxmbbtuRszA?version=3&amp;feature=player_detailpage" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/hxmbbtuRszA?version=3&amp;feature=player_detailpage</a>

You know, I could almost see this being useful.  It depends on the other features they have with it, but it is fairly interesting even just as a wearable camera.  I don't know if I'd every buy one, but it's kind of cool.

[Smith Dr John Smith]

And we come that much closer to the future from Wall-E where no one will look you in the eyes and speak to you in person.

[gavind]

This is amazing. Just think about what they would come up in the next three years. This is sick!

[Darth Geek]

Here's a tech demo for Google Glass.  It only shows off the webcam feature, but it shows it off in a pretty awesome way.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/hxmbbtuRszA?version=3&amp;feature=player_detailpage" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/hxmbbtuRszA?version=3&amp;feature=player_detailpage</a>

Jason Vorhees likes this
It's bad enough having to walk slow yet still catch up to fleeing teenagers. But those helmet cams for POV shots were bulky and heavy as hell.

[RVR II]

The future of YouTube

[MontyServo]

The future of YouTube YouPorn

That is more like it.      

[Variety of Cells]

Just got a Kindle Paperwhite for my birthday today.  So far it's great.  I love the fact that it doesn't need to be backlit for you to read it, but I also love that it lights up so you can read it at night.  I can't comment on battery life or eye strain with the illumination yet, but everything else works great.  It's much faster than older versions.  This is my first touch screen Kindle (I have admittedly had 3 others that I've broken... hopefully my new hard case fixes that) and the touch screen works quite well.  I don't miss the physical keys at all yet.  I'll post more impressions as I use it more.

[Darth Geek]

Has anybody gotten one of the new laptops that convert to a tablet yet? I really like the look of the Ultrabooks, but don't think I have the budget for that.
My laptop is only about 3 years old, I it's pretty slow. Even though I don't use anything too sophisticated on it. I clean it with Adaware and Advanced System Care 6 (the free version) often.

[k1]

New video for Google Glass.  I'd sign up to get in on the Explorer testing, but I don't have a spare $1500 laying around.
It would come in handy for work since I have to photograph each house I inspect & I'm constantly using my GPS to get routes.

http://www.google.com/glass/start/how-to-get-one/

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/v1uyQZNg2vE?hl=en_US&amp;amp;version=3&amp;amp;rel=0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/v1uyQZNg2vE?hl=en_US&amp;amp;version=3&amp;amp;rel=0</a>

[knightsaber1]

Here's a tech demo for Google Glass.  It only shows off the webcam feature, but it shows it off in a pretty awesome way.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/hxmbbtuRszA?version=3&amp;feature=player_detailpage" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/hxmbbtuRszA?version=3&amp;feature=player_detailpage</a>

Jason Vorhees likes this
It's bad enough having to walk slow yet still catch up to fleeing teenagers. But those helmet cams for POV shots were bulky and heavy as hell.

You think Jason Vorhees's interest is scary? http://twitchy.com/2013/02/20/newt-gingrich-to-use-extraordinary-power-of-google-glass-to-convert-piers-morgan/

[Variety of Cells]

We used something like that on a music video I was shooting a few weeks back.  But it had 6 blades and the camera had a remote head so it could be moved on 3 axes.  It was just a little camcorder, but it shot in 1080p.  The owner wanted to beef it up to 8 blades so it could fit a bigger camera on it, but couldn't find the right parts in time.



It was pretty sweet, have to admit.  But it cost $12,000, not $300. 

[MartyS (Gromit)]

Those things are really fun to fly, to make them stable they have lots of gyros and a computer system that keeps it level by adjusting the power of each motor.  With all that onboard once you set them up you don't need to do much to keep it in one spot.  Unlike a regular RC heli that will usually go screaming off in some random direction if you don't constantly adjust the controls.

  I've got a tiny one and it's amazing how they can cram all that radio, gyro, computer, and motor control technology into a little board not much more than 1 inch square.


Reminds me I haven't flown any of my RC stuff in probably 2 years now, just seemed to lose interest in it.

[Variety of Cells]

That's what happened with my dad. He went on an RC plane kick for a couple years, then lost interest. My mom got him one of the four bladed helicopters.  You're right, they are easy to fly. But of course I still managed to break it. I think that's what got him out of the hobby. They break often and the batteries die and they require a lot of maitnence.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

You do tend to spend more time working on them than you do flying them, that was actually part of the addiction for me, tinkering with them was even more fun than flying them.  I was spending way too much (time and money) on them for a few years there, pretty much all on the micro hellis that you can fly indoors, only 2 larger ones for outside.

Part of my micro fleet:

[MartyS (Gromit)]

Well, perhaps fortunately battery technology is what is holding things back as far as making them smaller and flying all over the place.  That one I'm holding in my hand can only fly for about 5 minutes.  Bigger battery and it can't get off the ground (it's a question of weight ratios).  Battery power vs. weight was improving like crazy for a while but not so much the last 4 years or so.