Thanko makes some weird stuff. They also make some really useful stuff, as made evident by the company’s new Water Camera. This handy-dandy pair of sea-goggles takes video underwater. It’s time to finally release your inner Jacques Cousteau.
The goggles feature a 2MP CMOS camera, 4MB internal memory, and a USB 2.0 port. It shoots video in 1280×960 resolution (AVI) and pictures in 2560×1920 (JPEG). It even comes with a remote control. See that ring the hand is holding in the photo above? That’s it. It lets you turn the camera on and off with virtually no effort. Just touch the darned thing.
Thanko is selling the goggles on its Japanese website for $99. What are you waiting for? Stupid fish videos are the new stupid cat videos.
Posted in: Accessories, Camera, Eyewear, Thanko
You know what the worst part of vacation is? Your friend or loved one that constantly halts proceedings so the can whip out their video camera. If this prototype design is to be believed, that annoyance will be a thing of the past.
The concept design, called Seed, is a robotic blimp that essentially follows you around consistently recording video. Yeah, it seems like something out of our collective dystopian future, but it could come in handy. It doesn’t just do video. SEED also keeps track of the weather, the temperature, and even ambient smells. That last one ought to make for great dinner party chitchat.
The unit will also be prepped to handle GPS duties, so it can tell you when you get lost or when you are about to get ..read more
Posted in: Accessories, Camera, Concept Design
Sure, there are some intriguing camera designs out there. How many help cops chase down perps, though? The Axon, by Taser, does just that. This head-mounted video recorder is the perfect weight and functionality for heavy duty police work. As such, it has already been tested heavily by various police forces.
It is essentially your standard ear-mounted video recorder. It also comes with a playback mechanism and, because it’s 2011, all of you content will get streamed to the cloud. Videos recorded on the unit have already been up before judges in active cases, to much aplomb. One cool thing about the camera is it has a thirty second buffer, meaning once you press record it already has been recording for thirty seconds. You’ll never miss your friend doing something embarrassing again!
The entire ..read more
Posted in: Camera, Earwear, Taser
Of all the cameras in the world, very few are small enough to fit on a humble keychain. Pentax has addressed this problem with their cute Pentax Q interchangeable lens camera. The camera so petite it fits on your keychain.
Obviously, this is the world’s smallest interchangeable lens camera. It only weights 7 ounces! How adorable! Size-wise, it clocks in at 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2-inches. It has features aplenty, including a 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, an accessory shoe mount, pop-up flash, 3.0-inch display and a stock 47mm f/1.9 lens. Additional lenses can be purchased. The camera also does 1080p HD video. Not bad for something so small.
All of this tinyness does not come cheap, however. The Pentax Q will set you back $900. Who cares about the price, though, it fits ..read more
Posted in: Accessories, Camera, Pentax, Wearable Tech
The venerable Looxcie 2 wearable camcorder has gone on a diet lately. This is a good thing considering if you are going to be physically wearing a video camera, you’d like it to be as small as possible.
The new Looxcie is about half the size and 20 percent lighter than the original, but still packs in all of the “lifecasting” power consumers have come to expect from the company’s devices. The new Looxcie 2 also offers support for affiliated Android and iPhone apps. The new Looxcie also sports Bluetooth hands-free support, 480p recording capabilities, and support for a host new accessories.
The five hour model will cost you $179 with the 8 hour model setting you back $199.
Posted in: Camera, Looxcie
There are lots of vitals monitoring kits on the market, but only one that fits in the palm of your hand. Named for its diminutive size, the Gumpack was designed by an inventive Kansas State University student. And who knows America isn’t creating new stuff nowadays?!
This multi-sensor monitoring device that fits in the palm of your hand. That’s how small it is. It relays your vital stats to the doctor of your choice via the Internet. It even features a built-in camera and microphone for record keeping purposes. The Gumpack also has WiFi capabilities and a long-living battery. Oh yeah, there’s also medical sensors built in as well. An ECG and a reflectance pulse oximeter to start.
This miniature life saver is still in the concept stages, so don’t go to ..read more
Posted in: Camera, Vitals Monitoring, Wearable Tech, WiFi Detection
California-based Second Sight makes the kind of useful wearable tech that makes life a lot better. The company’s Argus II retinal prosthesis has been turning heads since it was announced last year. Well, it has just been approved for “clinical and commercial use” in Europe. That is great, considering this thing pretty much delivers sight to the sightless. Think, Geordie LaForge and you’d be getting there.
Here is how it works: Patients put on the camera-laden lenses. Signals are then routed to a chip that implanted near the retina. The information is then literally “beamed” to the retina, giving the patient a sort of sight where there was previously none. This is some futuristic stuff.
For now, the $115,000 device will only be available in certain clinics throughout in Switzerland, France and ..read more
Posted in: Camera, Eyewear, Second Sight, Wearable Tech
Sure, there is lots of cool eyewear out there. But how many of those pairs of tight specs promise to revolutionize social networking? None, except for these. They are called Eyez and they purport to do just that. The folks behind these sweet shades, ZionEyez, say they’ll eventually come with enough computing power to choke a horse. Wait, computing power can do that? Scary.
The makers say that these unassuming looking glasses will eventually contain a host of features, including a video camera that records 1080p, 16GB of flash memory, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a 350 mAh lithium ion battery. I say “eventually” because as of now they are empty frames. This could become vaporware, or it could become the coolest pair of glasses ever made. Are you a cup ..read more
Posted in: Bluetooth, Camera, Eyewear, ZionEyez
Ah, the ever-changing world of glasses innovation. Interactive Group has thrown their hat into the ring with their Active-i sunglasses. These glasses are being hailed as the planet’s smallest standalone video and audio recording / playback device. Lofty words, right? Let’s see what’s going on under the, um, hood.
Basically these are some 1980s looking sunglasses with some multimedia functionality. They come with a built-in video camera right along the bridge of the nose, placed there all stealthy like. The camera can capture two hours of low-res video. Perfect for you would by stalkers spies out there.
That’s not all. After you capture the video, you can then watch it back right in your glasses. Pretty cool. The system also allows for USB transport to a PC or other device. James Bond ..read more
Posted in: Camera, Eyewear, Eyewear Display, Wearable Tech
We all love sticking video recorders in places they previously could not be stuck. V.I.O. have been doing this for a decade, actually. Their newest baby is the POV.HD video system, which captures 1080p video through, well, just about anything.
The system can be tucked in just about anywhere, but is especially effective inside of helmets or other headgear. The two ounce IP67 camera features a six-element glass lens and a native 1080p CMOS sensor that can capture a 142 degree field-of-view. This is the widest angle on the market. Also, the playback will be in full HD at 30fps. The unit can also be adjusted to record 720p at 60fps with a 92 degree FOV for faster shots. The thing even comes with a two-inch LCD viewing screen with exposure ..read more
Posted in: Camera, V.I.O., Wearable Tech
