Long in the tooth, Canon's EOS 5D Mark II is due for a replacement.

(Credit:
Canon)

Photographer Stephen Oachs didn't go to Kenya to take product photos, but he might have gotten a doozy anyway--shots of an unreleased but highly anticipated Canon SLR.

It's not clear what exactly Oachs found, but he posted photos of the apparent Canon SLR on his blog for those who want to take a guess. The usual caveats about prototypes and other uncertainties apply, of course, but it's definitely possible that he stumbled across a prototype of the Canon 5D Mark III.

The design looks in many ways similar to a Canon 7D, a 2009-era SLR released after the 5D Mark II from 2008, but there are differences: the "Q" button is moved near the back-mounted selection wheel, some other buttons are shuffled around, and to my eye at least the display is wider and likely including an HD aspect ratio. And I don't see any signs of a pop-up flash--something today's 7D has but the 5D Mark II lacks.

"The battery grip seems to have a joystick. I also noticed a 'Rate' button," Oachs added. "Is this the new 5D Mark III, or maybe the 7D Mark II? This info I was not able to determine." The Japanese man using the gear said he worked for Canon, Oachs said.

Oachs also posted phot... [Read more]Related Links:Olympus going even more retro with OM-D cameraAdobe's Lightroom 4 catches up to video revolutionKodak's travails: Better heed the lesson, camera makersSize matters with Canon's latest ElphsSanDisk on new XQD memory card format: 'Meh' more..

Giant 35-foot camera built to capture vanishing cultures

And you thought your SLR was a hassle to travel with.

The Camera from Distortion Design on Vimeo.

As part of a project documenting vanishing U.S. cultures, photographer Dennis Manarchy intends to build a giant film camera--35 feet long--and
haul it on a 20,000-mile trip around the country to capture the faces and history of these cultures.

The camera is just in the prototype stage right now, but the final version will be built to look like a classic folding bellows camera and will produce negatives that measure 6 feet tall that capture "visual detail at an unprecedented level." A Kickstarter.com goal is scheduled to go live on February 1 to get the real one made.

Another advantage for its size is that it allows Manarchy use it as a learning exhibit about how film cameras work, letting people actually get inside the camera.

[via PetaPixel] [Read more]Related Links:Mamiya, Leaf ally for medium-format camerasCamera system creates 3D models, not quite home or office friendlyWindows Phone update fixes disappearing-keyboard bugKodak sues Samsung over patentsWill wedding shooters say 'I do' to the Fujifilm X-Pro 1? more..

The 404 977: Where we're getting an upgrade (podcast)

Happy Chinese New Year! Our buddy from the CNET Labs Joseph Kaminski sits in for Wilson while he's out stuffing himself with mooncake and lighting illegal fireworks.

(Credit:
Imgur)

In the meantime, there's tech news to talk about! Over the weekend, Anonymous scratched UniversalMusic.com off its bucket list, which went offline this weekend due to an attack supposedly in response to last week's Megaupload raid.

To that end, other big players in the file-locker game are also getting justifiably nervous about their own content. FileSonic took the weekend to kill file sharing, and FileServe followed suit to the chagrin of paid subscribers to its "premium" services.

Got an idea for a site that Anonymous should take down next? It's open season for ... [Read more]Related Links:FileSonic disables file sharing in wake of MegaUpload arrestsFBI charges MegaUpload operators with piracy crimesReporters' Roundtable: What SOPA hath wroughtThe 404 976: Where we're making ghosts turn red (podcast)Anonymous goes nuclear; everybody loses? more..

Sony reveals what could be the iPhone 5's camera sensor

Left: a smartphone picture taken at 10 lux with traditional color processing. Right: The same picture with Sony's new RGBW coding.

(Credit:
Sony)

Prepare to see another giant leap in smartphone picture-taking quality this year.

Sony announced today three new back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensors optimized for bright and low-light conditions. The new compact sensors are faster, consume less power than previous versions, and will be available in 8- to 13- megapixel flavors. Most notably, the sensors feature new "RGBW Coding" and "High Dynamic Range (HDR) Movie" abilities baked directly onto the hardware. The iPhone 4S features a Sony 8-megapixel sensor, and it's possible that this may be a preview of the camera sensor inside the iPhone 5.

You might recognize the RGB acronym, as it stands for red-green-blue; the new sensor adds white pixels to the mix that pumps up the sensor's light sensitivity. It is possible that a future smartphone with this sensor will have little problem shooting pictures in dark rooms (or at night), as evidenced in the example picture above. Another benefit to the RGBW coding is that no changes to signal processing are required to support this updated technology, making it easy to implement. Surprisingly, Kodak has been shopping around s... [Read more]Related Links:Will wedding shooters say 'I do' to the Fujifilm X-Pro 1?Fujifilm goes mirrorless with new X-Pro1 cameraSamsung adds more Wi-Fi to its point-and-shootsSony Xperia Ion bets big on HD cameras, AT&T 4G LTEKodak's travails: Better heed the lesson, camera makers more..

Prescription Bottle Beer Holder cuddles cold ones

This would also work for soda cans, but then you'd be missing the point.

(Credit:
Gadgets and Gear)

I have a certain affinity for tacky novelty gifts. I used to peruse comic book ads offering untold delights such as X-ray specs, hand buzzers, and fake vomit.

The Prescription Bottle Beer Holder from Gadgets and Gear would fit right in with those tasteless gags. It's bound to be a hot joke gift among both frat boys and medical professionals.

Related stories

Beer arcade: Video games + beer = awesome
Draft beer from a can?

This beer holder is simply a beer cozy designed to look like a big prescription bottle with instructions to take one can by mouth until intoxicated.

Sure, it's in questionable taste. It has more to do with gear than gadgets. It absolutely should not be taken as an invitation to mix drugs and alcohol.

So why am I writing about this? Just like with those old comic book ads, it seemed funny at the time. Maybe you can slap your iPod into it when it's not in... [Read more]Related Links:Recycled bottles from CES to end up in Ford Focus ElectricSOPA copyright bill draws fireiPad your car with the Backstage ProFinally, an app store for robotkindMan accused of trying to buy microwave with $1 million bill more..

BMW to use touch-sensitive smart fabric in cars

BMW GINA Light Visionary Model.

(Credit:
BMW)

As car makers look for ways to replace unsightly buttons or add more controls without crowding the center stack, researchers are turning to smart fabric.

The driver's seat has always been synonymous with total control, and that could become even more true as manufacturers begin embedding controls into its fabric. Researchers at the Polytechnic School in Montreal, Canada, have developed a soft polymer-based fiber with electrical properties that can be woven into fabric, according to an article in New Scientist.

Smart fabrics are becoming more mainstream, and touch sensitive fabric isn't new. But creating a durable fabric that can control a range of functions and differentiate tactile motions is a breakthrough technology developed by professor  Maksim Skorobogatiy and his team of researchers at the university. The electrical properties change depending on where the fabric is touched, and finger touches or slides on different areas can be programmed to control air-conditioning or change the volume of the stereo, explained Skorobogatiy in the article.

More car manufacturers are turning to touch-screen interfaces for their streamlined look, and they could use the smart fabric to simplify infotainment systems and declutter th... [Read more]Related Links:Sony SmartWatch is an Android phone's best friendLogitech Cube mouse offers clicks in a boxSony QWERTY remote takes control (hands-on video)Good Karma on the Vegas strip, by FiskerThe best of CES 2012 more..

RIM's vaunted security a selling point no longer?

Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of Research in Motion gestures during his keynote address to the BlackBerry DevCon Americas conference in San Francisco, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

(Credit:
Associated Press)

When it comes to mobile security, common perception is that RIM's Blackberry devices have the market locked up. But in this age of personal iPhones and Androids migrating to corporate networks, does it really matter?

We also inhabit an era of disclosing everything you do online, including sharing your live location, publicly announcing shopping preferences, not to mention making purchases with digital wallets. I argue that attitudes have shifted since the time of a RIM-dominated handset market.

Okay, let's be clear, smartphones today hold a frightening amount of personal data. From email, texts, to real-time position and Web surfing habits, there's a treasure trove of sensitive information living in the palms of our hands. Maybe there's an actual reason for the smartphone security software business to exist no matter how questionable their subscription rates sound.

Of course I'm all for transparency and open disclosure of mundane details of my life, especially if there could be a juicy coupon up for grabs. Apparently my hypocrisy knows no bounds. The question I really pose is whether corporations actually need to run their communications across expensive proprietary infrastructure.
more..

Vue pico projector: A Wowee product?

The Wowee Vue is set to be released in March for $369.99.

(Credit:
WoWee One)

Wow.

A couple of years ago we reviewed the Cinemin Swivel pico projector from a company called WowWee. However, that company is not the same as Wowee One, which is releasing its own pico projector in March called the Wowee Vue (notice the slight spelling difference).

For the record, Wowee One until now has been an audio company, known for its portable audio speakers, the Wowee One and the Wowee Slim, which incorporate "unique audio gel technology that turns any surface into a speaker."

The company is actually releasing a portable Bluetooth speaker in March called the Wowee Pro for $139.99, which looks intriguing, but the pico projector was the gadget that initially caught our eye.

We've got some specs and pricing, but there are still a few unknowns, such as what, if any, built-in speakers the Vue offers (sound is more important than you think when it comes to pico projectors).

Here are the Vue's... [Read more]Related Links:Velocity Micro debuts Shine, 'smallest HD-capable' projectorLightPad turns your cell phone into a laptop, projectorGet an Optoma iPod-iPhone projector for $219.99Looking back on Android in 2011A smart power outlet goes industrial more..

Harmony remote competitor going for bargain price

(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)

If you're looking for a remote control, most people will tell you to get a Logitech Harmony. But there are a number of high-quality alternatives.

For the past two years, the Acoustic Research ARRX18G ($200) has been one of these. Unfortunately, it's just been discontinued, but if you're looking for a good remote at rock bottom prices--around $60--take a look online.

We've been using the ARRX18C for a couple of weeks and found it to be more flexible than the Harmony line because it offers both in-remote and online setup. Programming it was straightforward, but it did have a problem with our HDMI distributor, which had to be programmed in manually. It also comes with RF control, something only the Harmony 900 does, and can enable inter-room usage.

It was only when we went to check pricing with the manufacturers that they informed us he product was discontinued. Their loss, your gain--if you're quick.

We love Harmony remotes--especially the One and the 900, b... [Read more]Related Links:Five ways Logitech can improve Harmony remotesThese eco-friendly 'green' earbuds deliver oodles of detailVizio gets in the Google TV game, will support OnLiveBoston Acoustics' ultrasmall SoundWare XS speakers star in minimalist 2.1 systemSOPA song shows times a-changin' for would-be Dylans more..

Sony Walkman Z review: Does audio quality still matter?

Sony's Android-based Walkman Z portable media player

(Credit:
Josh Miller)

One of the quickest ways to make me nostalgic is to talk about the pre-iPhone days--the days when MP3 players still mattered.

While today's biggest forum battles all seem to revolve around Android versus iOS, there was a time when the mere mention of iPod earbuds would send us all into frothy fits of anger. Everyone, it seemed, cared deeply about the audio quality of a preferred MP3 player and would evangelize the merits of the latest iPod-killers from Sony, Cowon, Creative, and SanDisk.

Those were fun days. As a self-described audio geek, I took comfort in the thought that so many people cared so passionately about their music experience.

But then, like two alien mother ships dropping from the sky, the arrival of the iPhone and the iPad dwarfed these audio quarrels and offered dissenting and opinionated geeks a far more worthy subject to rally around. Amid this frenzy of iClouds, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Kindle Fires, concerns over music playback and audio quality often feel as antiquated as discussions of the VCR.

But for those music lovers who have felt lost in this era of OS-fixation, Sony's Walkman Z ($249) is an Android-based portable media player that elevates the audio experience above all other concerns.

... [Read more]Related Links:Sony Walkman Z: Android never sounded sweeterSony puts screen resolution in the CES spotlightSony unveils 'Crystal LED display' at CESIce Cream Sandwich update to flavor Sony S tabletSony Xperia Ion bets big on HD cameras, AT&T 4G LTE more..

Source: CNET