Technology

The Pix4D project can stitch together patchworks of photos, thereby generating three-dimensional (3D) models on the cheap, reports Smartertechnology..

“Cloud-based services are enabling fast, cheap, large-scale three-dimensional models of almost any landscape. The models are generated from easy-to-obtain aerial photos from drones—unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Pix4D cloud service accepts a stream of related photos from which it generates a 3D model in as little as 30 minutes. The service not only automatically generates the 3D maps, but also adds points of interest that can be cataloged by users. To demonstrate the service, Pix4D took 50,000 photos of its host city—Lausanne, Switzerland—and created the world’s highest-resolution 3D model of the city. The Pix4D user interface then allows users to navigate to any location in the city and view it from any orientation.”

Pix4D hands free image processing: pix4d.com

Read more: http://www.smartertechnology.com/c/a/Smarter-Strategies/Cloud-Makes-3D-Models-from-Ariel-Photos/

46-megapixel DSLR creates new market for medium-format photographers

Sigma Corporation of America, announce that its flagship DSLR, the Sigma SD1, will be available for purchase for the MSRP of $9,700 in early June.

This 46-megapixel DSLR is delivered in a splash-proof, easy-to-handle build that is similar to that of a classic 35mm camera. Professional and high-end enthusiast photographers will utilize the SD1’s exclusive Foveon 23.5×15.7mm APS-C X3 direct image sensor to capture exceptionally rich and detailed images that have a film-like quality. Users will also benefit from Sigma’s wide selection of interchangeable lenses that are compatible with the SD1.

“The SD1 will carve out a new category in the marketplace by providing high-end photographers with an alternative to very expensive medium-format cameras and digital backs, while offering unrivaled image quality,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “By embracing the SD1, serious photographers will also be able to take advantage of Sigma’s extensive lineup of affordable lenses, which are compatible with this new camera. The selections of lenses for medium-format cameras on the market are somewhat limited, so this will be a huge advantage for SD1 users. This is undoubtedly a very special camera, and we’re thrilled to share it with the photo community.”

In addition to the 23.5×15.7mm APS-C X3 direct image sensor, the Sigma SD1 features dual “Three-layer Responsive Ultimate Engine (TRUE) II” image processing engines, which improves processing speed, provides high resolution power and produces high-definition images with richly graduated tones. It also allows simultaneous RAW and JPEG recording, which is a first for Sigma cameras. Additionally, the photographer has the option to select full-size, half-size or quarter-size RAW files making it a more versatile camera for a wide range of photographers. The Foveon sensor uses three silicon-embedded layers of photo detectors, stacked vertically to take advantage of silicon’s ability to absorb red, green and blue light at different respective depths. This technology efficiently reproduces color more accurately and offers sharper resolution, pixel for pixel, than any conventional image sensor. Since color moiré is not generated, the use of a low-pass filter is not required.

The optical format of the Foveon sensor has been upgraded from that which was used in previous SD cameras, and has increased from 1.7x focal length to the 1.5x focal length multiplier. The SD1 also benefits from improved image processing and noise reduction algorithms, with an ISO sensitivity range from 100 to 6400. This is two full stops more sensitivity than the SD15, which has a maximum 1600 ISO. An intuitive user interface and an impressive lightweight, yet solid magnesium alloy body and O-ring sealing connections that make the camera durable and splash proof are also key feature upgrades of the flagship SD1.

The SD1 adopts the TYPE 1 Compact Flash Card, and is UDMA-compatible enabling fast processing of large amounts of data. The autofocus system features an 11-point shifted twin cross type sensor, which improves AF accuracy. The SD1 features a 3.0 inch TFT color monitor. This 460,000 pixel resolution LCD monitor benefits from a wide viewing angle, making it easy to check focusing and composition. The SD1 can be used with more than 40 Sigma SA mount lenses such as ultra-wide, ultra-telephoto, macro and fisheye.

Sigma’s image processing software, Photo Pro 5.0, comes bundled with the camera and its simple operation allows quick and easy capture of the desired imaged. Additional functions such as Loupe, Slideshow, Print, Convert to JPEG file and Batch White Balance settings are also incorporated into this software.

The Sigma SD1 will be available for the MSRP of $9,700 through select authorized Sigma dealers. For information about Sigma Corporation of America, visit www.sigmaphoto.com. For more information about the Sigma SD1 DSLR, visit http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/sd1-dslr-sigma or view the camera’s special page at www.sigma-sd.com/SD1.

Game developer David Braben has developed a USB stick PC that has an HDMI port on one end and a USB port on the other. It plugs into an HDMI socket and then connect a keyboard via the USB port, giving a fully functioning machine with a 700MHz ARM11 processor coupled with 128MB of RAM and runs OpenGL ES 2.0, running a version of Linux, possibly Ubuntu, costing about $25.

Provisional specification:
700MHz ARM11
128MB of SDRAM
OpenGL ES 2.0
1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode
Composite and HDMI video output
USB 2.0
SD/MMC/SDIO memory card slot
General-purpose I/O
Open software (Ubuntu, Iceweasel, KOffice, Python)

More info on Raspberry Pi: http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Wired has reviewed the Phase One IQ180 a medium format camera with a 80 Million Pixel sensor.

“Quite simply, it’s one of the sickest camera systems you can buy for any money — and we’re talking about some serious coin here. For $47,990, you get the back, the body, and a Schneider Kreuznach 80 mm LS f/2.8 lens.

The images produced by the 80-megapixel digital back are massive — upwards of 500MB each. If you were to pull a file straight out of the camera and print it out at full print resolution, your image would be about 34 inches wide. That amount of depth adds a level of clarity and definition to your images that’s truly stunning.”

Read review at: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/05/phase-one-iq180

New Firmware Release Further Empowers DSLRs to Capture High-Res Panoramas

A new version of firmware is available for the awardwinning GigaPan EPIC Pro robotic camera mount. New firmware gives photographers a wider range of functions, including new settings to enhance high dynamic ranges (HDR) imaging.

Customers who purchase the EPIC Pro will receive a free extra battery pack, complimentary with their purchase, for a limited time.

Current EPIC Pro users can download the new firmware to replace the previous version, at no additional charge. The new firmware download is available here.

New firmware features include:
Exposure Bracketing for HDR Capture – Works with your camera’s AEB (automatic exposure bracketing) firmware to capture multiple exposures per position. Can exceed the camera firmware’s brackets and exposure separation when in ‘Bulb’ mode.

Dedicated Mirror Lock-up Setting – Helps prevent blurriness in photos when using larger, heavier lenses, where lack of settling is amplified by optical magnification.

Time Display – Displays the hours and minutes it will take the EPIC Pro to capture a panorama, based on your settings. Ideal for time-sensitive shoots, such as events, or when remaining daylight is limited.

Time Lapse Panoramas – Allows you to capture a sequence of panoramas over a set period of time with a new timer.

Additional Aspect Ratios – Provides custom values (0.50:1, 0.55:1… through 2.00:1) in addition to standard values: 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9.

http://gigapansystems.com

Dell’s new feature-rich seven-inch Android™ tablet, the Streak™ 7 is now available in the UK. The sleek compact form factor preloaded with Dell Stage, Dell’s unique user interface, makes Streak 7 the ultimate entertainment hub for families and consumers craving a rich multimedia and web experience both at home and on-the-go. With a wealth of features, Streak 7 adds to Dell’s rapidly expanding mobility portfolio, which also includes the acclaimed Streak 5 pocket tablet.

Portable, passable and easily shared, the Streak 7’s smooth, fast performance makes Web browsing, video streaming and game playing an enjoyable experience. Its brilliant seven-inch WVGA touch screen with Gorilla® Glass makes Streak 7 ideal for watching movies or reading books and magazines.

In addition to a rich entertainment experience, the Streak 7 easily captures and shares life moments with the rear-facing 5 megapixel camera for high-definition stills and video recording. With a Wi-Fi + 3G model of the Streak 7 coming later this spring, capturing spontaneous moments with family and friends will be even easier.

Featuring Google’s™ Android 2.2 operating system, a dual core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and full support for Adobe® Flash® Player, Streak 7 gives users access to more than 100,000 applications, games and widgets from Android Market™.

“Dell is continuing to create the very best in entertainment, mobile and gaming experiences,” said Aongus Hegarty, vice-president of Dell’s Consumer, Small and Medium Business unit for EMEA. “With Streak 7, families, students and mobile professionals will gather, share, and find new ways to interact and keep in touch.”

The new Streak 7 will feature Dell’s innovative Stage user interface, which provides a seamless and unified experience for accessing all your favourite content. Later this year, Dell will add syncing to Stage so people can keep their photos, contacts, calendars and other personal content synchronised across their Dell Stage-equipped devices, from tablets to PCs, connected through their home network.

The new Dell Streak 7 Tablet with Wi-Fi is available now, starting at £299 including VAT and delivery at http://www.dell.co.uk/streak.

Eye-Fi Inc., makers of the world’s first wireless memory card, today launched the Eye-Fi Mobile X2, a new 8GB wireless memory card empowering cameras around the world with immediate uploading capabilities. The Eye-Fi Mobile X2 provides instant uploads anywhere by wirelessly connecting the camera to a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, and is available for $79.99.

“Direct Mode helps us bridge the gap between classic digital imaging and the exploding world of mobile devices,” said Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi. “With Direct Mode and our new Android and iOS apps, the pervasive connectivity of mobile is made available to existing cameras.”

With the launch of the Eye-Fi Mobile X2, Eye-Fi will be releasing its Direct Mode and accompanying iOS and Android apps as free upgrades to all existing and new Eye-Fi X2 cards. With Direct Mode, users can enjoy the best of the devices they already own, namely the quality of digital cameras and the ubiquitous connectivity of their mobile devices. The Eye-Fi card can now establish a direct connection to the mobile device by creating its own Wi-Fi network anywhere users capture memories, even if that is miles from a Wi-Fi hotspot. Whether they are hiking or at the beach, consumers can now send photos and videos directly from their digital camera to the Eye-Fi app on their smartphone or tablet, enabling them to back up, edit and share their memories in the moment.

“When we undertook a redesign of the Eye-Fi card line a little over two years ago, the new X2 card platform promised users the potential for new, exciting capabilities over time. Today we see another one of these revolutionary capabilities come to life: Direct Mode,” says Yuval Koren, co-founder and chief product officer of Eye-Fi.

Direct Mode benefits extend beyond device-to-device transfers. Whether users want to edit
their memories using the myriad of apps on their mobile devices, back them up on their home computer, or save them in a private Eye-Fi account, they now have the flexibility and control of where, how and when the media is stored, edited and shared.

Eye-Fi Mobile X2 is available for pre-orders immediately on Amazon.com, and available at Apple and Best Buy stores nationwide for $79.99 on April 17, 2011. Direct Mode will be available as a free upgrade to all Eye-Fi X2 cards later this week, along with accompanying free mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The Eye-Fi Pro X2 will be reduced from $149.99 to $99.99 starting this month.

For more information, visit www.eye.fi

Linuxlinks has published “5 of the Best Free Linux Disk Encryption Tools” reviewing Linux encryption tools. For each application they have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, screenshots, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.

Disk Encryption Tools:

loop-AES Encrypt disk partitions, removable media, swap space and other devices

dm-crypt Transparent disk encryption subsystem

cryptsetup Configures encrypted block devices

SD4L Hides complete file systems within encrypted regular files

TrueCrypt Used for on-the-fly encryption

Read more: http://www.linuxlinks.com/article/2011040308270275/DiskEncryption.html

ASUS has announced the launch* of the Eee Pad Transformer, the best tablet choice for users looking for media consumption and mobile productivity in an elegant yet versatile design. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer features the powerful and responsive Android 3.0 operating system, an optional expandable keyboard docking station, and ASUS’ intuitive Waveshare user interface that results in an exciting portable tablet for content creation, social communication, high-definition media playback and smooth realistic game play.

Powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 dual-core processor, the Transformer browses the web at blazing speeds, providing snappier response times and excellent multi-tasking performance. An IPS (in-plane switching) Panel made from durable and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass is viewable at angles up to 178°, perfect for sharing your favorite photos, web pages, work documents and more with co-workers, friends or family next you or across the room. The 10.1” IPS panel features LED backlighting that provides brilliant and vivid colors at a 1280×800 resolution, perfect for viewing high-definition movies and other media content.

Built-in SRS Sound technology provides a dynamic 3D stereo audio experience, with maximum bass response and a wide sound field from the discrete speakers housed in a thin 0.51” thick chassis that only weighs 1.49lbs. A 1.2MP front-facing camera is perfect for video conferencing while the rear-facing 5MP camera can shoot and record HD video, which can be played back on HDTVs via the mini HDMI output port, making the Eee Pad Transformer a true mobile entertainment device.

Transform from pad to notebook mode with optional keyboard docking station
The Transformer sets itself apart from other tablets on the market by featuring an optional docking station. This unique docking station provides access to a full QWERTY keyboard along with unique Android Function keys, instantly turning the Transformer into a mobile content creation device.

A touchpad, 3.5mm audio jack, two USB ports as well as a built-in SD Card reader for easy file sharing and storage expandability makes the Transformer a versatile media hub. The docking station also extends the Transformer’s 9.5 hours** of battery life up to 16 hours**, so users can use it all day for work or play. In addition, the ultra-convenient ASUS WebStorage* with one year of unlimited storage space provides worry-free cloud computing.

Android 3.0 OS melds with ASUS’ Waveshare UI for a unique user experience
Google’s Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) is a revolutionary operating system specially designed and optimized for tablets, which enables users a rich web experience for on-the-go web browsing, social media activities, video playback and casual gaming. Supporting Adobe® Flash® 10.2*** and the ever growing Android Market, media entertainment is just a finger swipe away. The convenient ASUS Launcher also allows users to easily launch software, manage content and access online services and connect devices with a few simple taps, while ASUS’ Waveshare Interface hosts a variety of unique applications* such as MyNet, MyLibrary, MyCloud and more.

MyNet easily streams digital media wirelessly within home network devices so HD videos or music can be played on devices such as an HDTV or desktop PCs for an even better experience from the Transformer. MyLibrary consolidates downloaded books, magazines and newspapers in to one easy to browse profile while MyCloud is a total cloud solution, providing access to digital content such as music, videos and files from the cloud anywhere, anytime. Users can even use MyCloud to remotely access and control any PC or Mac system and access applications or files to extend the versatility of the Eee Pad Transformer experience.

MySQL.com database has been compromised by a blind SQL injection, reports techie-buzz.

The vulnerability for the attack, completed using blind SQL injection and targeted servers including MySQL.com, MySQL.fr, MySQL.de and MySQL.it, was initially found by “TinKode” and “Ne0h” of Slacker.Ro (according to their pastebin.com/BayvYdcP dump of the stolen credentials) but published by “Jackh4x0r”.

The stolen database contain both member and employee email addresses and credentials, as well as tables with customer and partner information and internal network details. Hashes from the database have been posted, with some having been already cracked.

Read more: http://techie-buzz.com/tech-news/mysql-com-database-compromised-sql-injection.html

Google has added an application stats dashboard to Android Market. The new dashboard summarizes each app’s current download numbers, as well as each app’s distribution across Android platform versions, devices, countries and languages and shows aggregate distribution for all app installs from Android Market

“Application Statistics is a new type of dashboard in the Market Developer Console that gives you an overview of the installation performance of your apps. It provides charts and tables that summarize each app’s active installation trend over time, as well as its distribution across key dimensions such as Android platform versions, devices, user countries, and user languages. For additional context, the dashboard also shows the comparable aggregate distribution for all app installs from Android Market (numbering in the billions).”

More: http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/03/application-stats-on-android-market.html

Solidworks have announced DraftSight for Linux is available in a Beta release.

DraftSight is a free 2D CAD AutoCAD clone product by Dassault Systemes for CAD professionals, students and educators, based on the ARES platform from Graebert, that allows them to create, edit and view DWG files.

This release completes the DraftSight trilogy for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Download at DraftSight.com