Capture 360-Degree HD Video With This Tiny UFO-Style Camera

Tools like Google Street View and even Apple's iPhone allow you to view the world as captured in panoramic photos, but a new camera called Centr delivers the same kind of immersive experience in high-definition video.

Created by a team of ex-Apple employees, Centr is a beautifully designed, palm-sized panoramic camera that you can control with your smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android).

"Think of it as a GoPro plus," Centr CEO Bill Banta told. "It lets you do everything you could with a GoPro, plus see another dimension.It allows the user to get perspectives that they couldn't normally get with a GoPro. Now you have the opportunity to create a panoramic selfie."

Giving users the ability to record 360-degree high-definition video is something the team has been working on for several years. Working under the name Stealth HD, the team provided private panoramic video recording solutions for the military, sports organizations and companies like Red Bull and National Geographic.

But it was only within the last 12 months that the team reached a point where they believed the technology could be made available to the general public at an affordable price ($399 at retail, with lower prices available now during pre-order).

"Our dream has always been to bring this type of tech to the mass market," says Banta. "We had a real breakthrough last year. We got to a point where we were able to do all the calibration and processing in real-time."

Using in-camera calibration, Centr's four independent HD image sensors stitch together panoramic videos in real-time, delivering an entirely different, and often quite revealing perspective on reality.

"The real value is you don't have to worry about anything being out of frame or out of focus," says Banta.

With up to two hours of battery life for continuous shooting (six hours standby), the device, which can be held through its center hole, or using a tripod, immediately opens up the possibility of innovative filmmaking using Centr's 360-perspective.

"The longest we've recorded is a full day at Burning Man," says Banta. "If you have a 64GB SD card, you should be able to get 7 to 8 hours of recording time, assuming you're recording at 720 resolution."

The camera can also shoot 1080p video and is equipped with 8GB of flash storage, three microphones, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability and a USB 3.0 connector.

Once they decided to release the product commercially, the team turned to Kickstarter, a route startups are increasingly relying upon to test out market demand. In this case, the makers of Centr are looking to raise $900,000 from early backers, a pretty ambitious goal for a product that is likely to appeal to a small niche of users.

"For people that just take pictures, it's probably not the perfect product," says Banta. "It's for people who love video and who love capturing memories and experiences through video."

Another factor that may bolster the project's success is the fact that the product's DNA is infused with Apple tradition and attention to detail. Banta managed Apple's supply chain for its camera group for four years, and Centr CTO, Paul Alioshin, led camera engineering at Apple and was part of the team that brought the built-in iSight camera to the Mac, MacBook and iPhone.

As of this writing, the project has garnered nearly $300,000, with 25 days to go, so that nearly $1 million goal may not be as lofty as some might think.


Image: CENTR CAMERA

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Google Releases Android Camera App With Selective Focus

Google has released a standalone version of its stock camera app for Android— and it's a significant improvement on its predecessor.

The new app, called simply Google Camera, features a new user interface with revamped shooting modes, as well as the ability to selectively focus the camera.

Rumors of the new app first surfaced earlier this month after it was reported the company was testing a new camera app that would be released independently of the upcoming Android 4.4.3 update.

Google also unveiled Lens Blur, a brand new effect that enables users to shoot with a shallower depth of field to selectively focus on certain portions of a particular image. This is the first time Google has included the feature in its camera app.

"Achieving this optical effect has traditionally required a big lens and aperture, and therefore hasn’t been possible using the camera on your mobile phone or tablet," wrote Google software Engineer Carlos Hernandez in a blog post explaining how Google's research team created Lens Blur.

"Lens Blur replaces the need for a large optical system with algorithms that simulate a larger lens and aperture," he added. "Instead of capturing a single photo, you move the camera in an upward sweep to capture a whole series of frame."

The camera's panorama and portrait sphere modes have also been improved with higher resolution. Google Camera is also the first time the company has made portrait sphere, a shooting mode that that enables 360 degree panoramas, available to non-Nexus devices.

The app also features an enlarged shutter button and viewfinder, so what users see in the viewfinder will be what comes out in the shot.

Google Camera is available in the Google Play Store and is compatible with devices running Android 4.4 (KitKat).

Image: GOOGLE

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Sony's A7s Camera Shoots 4K Video in Low Light Conditions

At the NAB Show currently taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sony has announced the Alpha 7s, a full-frame mirrorless camera with some serious 4K recording capabilities.

The A7s' 12.2 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor is paired with Sony's BIONZ X image processor, giving the camera an enormous sensitivity range of ISO 50 – 409600, meaning the camera can shoot 4K video in almost complete darkness.

The feature has its limitations: you can only store 1080p video internally; for 4K video, you'll need to pair the A7s with an external recorder.

Sony also points out that the Alpha 7s is the world's first camera that utilizes the entire width of a full-frame sensor for 4K recording, giving videographers all the features provided by the camera's sensor.

Full HD (1920x1080) video can be recorded at a 60p frame rate; for the ultra-high, 120fps shooting mode, you'll have to lower the resolution to 1280x720.

As far as codecs are concerned, in addition to AVCHD and MP4, Sony has adopted the XAVC S format, which allows for full HD recording at a 50 mbps data rate with lower compression.

Pricing and availability of the A7s will be announced at a future date.

Image: SONY

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MeMini Is a Wearable Camera That Captures Moments After They Happen

Video can capture priceless moments — but not if you miss the shot.

meMINI is a wearable Wi-Fi-enabled camera with recall, which helps users save film-worthy moments in high-definition video after they've already come and gone.

Looping footage is captured every five seconds to five minutes. To permanently store the last recorded moment, users can press the recall button to transfer a file to cloud-based storage or the camera's internal memory. The meMINI can loop video for three continuous hours on a full charge.

What's more, users can attach the camera to their clothing via its magnetic back plates; this allows them to easily take it on the go.

An app compatible with iOS and Android can control the camera, the footage and how video is stored. It also lets users share moments they've recorded via email, social media or with the meMINI community.

meMINI co-developers Ben Bodley and Sam Lee are raising money for the device on Kickstarter. At press time, the device has already surpassed its original funding goal of $50,000.

"Technology changes—our memories should last forever," the camera's Kickstarter video explains. "Imagine if there was a device that captured our favorite moments that would otherwise be lost."

Image: MeMini

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