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Posts Tagged ‘promising’

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 announced, promising faster performance and new features

23 Sep

ACD Systems International has launched ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021. This is the newest version of the company’s flagship photo editing software. The new version is focused on providing improved performance. ACD Systems International states that Photo Studio Ultimate 2021’s performance enhancements are up to 100 percent faster and RAW decoding is up to 20 percent faster.

Frank Lin, CTO & COO of ACD Systems International, says, ‘This product is everything you need to optimize your digital asset management, your photography workflow, your editing process and your work as a photographer. We’re pleased to have focused on responding to customer feedback to make this the best product for today’s photographers.’

New features in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 include:

  • New Color Wheels and Tone Wheels – These wheels allow users to more precisely adjust colors, highlights, midtones and shadows.
  • Text on paths and text in a frame – You can now customize your text, including its path.
  • Refine Selection – In the new version, you can shift or soften edges, allowing for better use of included tools such as Smart Erase.
  • New and improved batch rename and resize functionality – You can now create your own templates and presets to speed up batch processes.
  • New optimized user interface and panes – New UI and panes are designed to streamline the editing process, allow the user to capture snapshots and view a full edit history for a file.
  • Improved Quick Search – Finding images in large databases is much faster.
  • Improved crop and watermarking – You can crop multiple images to custom sizes and add watermarks using anchor points.
  • Easier migration from Lightroom and Picasa – You can import face data in three clicks.
This screenshot shows the new Color Wheel in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021. Image credit: ACDSee

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 is available now. You can purchase a perpetual license for $ 149.99 or purchase the software via subscription for $ 69 per year. You can learn more about ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 and evaluate your purchasing options by clicking here. Photo Studio is also available in Professional and Home versions as well for $ 100 and $ 60 respectively. These versions have fewer features than Ultimate in exchange for a lower price.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi introduces 3rd-gen under-display camera, promising unparalleled performance

29 Aug

As consumers demand increasingly sleeker smaller smartphones, manufacturers have been grappling with how to convincingly hide front-facing cameras. Solutions have included Apple’s now-ubiquitous notch design, a punch hole design and even cameras hidden underneath the phone’s display. Xiaomi hopes its newly announced third-generation under-display camera will be the best version of the lattermost approach yet.

Xiaomi’s first two generations of under-display camera tech never made their way into mass-produced devices. The latest generation, on the other hand, will be widely available in 2021.

Underpinning the new tech is a revised pixel arrangement solution. The screen allows light to pass through the gap between the sub pixels in the display. This allows each individual pixel to retain a complete red, green and blue (RGB) pixel layout. By utilizing the gap between sub pixels, the display doesn’t need to compromise with respect to pixel density.

The design of Xiaomi’s third generation under-display camera (left) shown against a typical display area (top right) and ‘normal’ under-display camera (bottom right). Image credit: Xiaomi

Xiaomi states that ‘Compared with other common solutions on the market, Xiaomi has doubled the number of horizontal and vertical pixels, achieving the same pixel density above the camera as on the rest of the display area.’ Xiaomi continues, promising that the area above the camera will match the rest of the display in terms of brightness, color accuracy and color gamut.

There’s no question that the more seamless a front display, the better. However, it’s a considerable engineering challenge to produce a display with a hidden camera without sacrificing the quality of either the display or the camera it conceals. Thus far, hidden camera technology has not completely convinced discerning viewers, as discussed by Engadget with respect to similar tech from Oppo.

To showcase its latest generation, Xiaomi released an overview video, which you can view below.

As first pointed out by The Verge, if you look closely at the 0’29” mark of the above video, there appears to be a slight square shadow. In earlier portions of the video, you can see a very faint circle where the camera is located. Xiaomi assures that the camera will be invisible, so it’ll be interesting to see the final product when it ships next year.

While we must wait until 2021 to see Xiaomi’s third-gen camera out in the wild, we won’t have to wait long for a new smartphone with an under-display camera. ZTE will launch its ZTE Axon 20 smartphone next month. It’s unclear if this device will be available outside of China. Nonetheless, as is often the case, a race between firms to develop better technology will benefit end-users.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zhiyun announces Crane 2S gimbal, promising improved speed and precision

22 Aug

Zhiyun has announced a new handheld gimbal, the Crane 2S. While many modern cameras and lenses offer good stabilization performance, amateurs and professionals alike still flock to gimbals for even more stable handheld video. The Crane 2S includes numerous improvements over the Crane 2.

The Zhiyun Crane 2S is stronger than its predecessor and can hold video rigs such as the Black Magic BMPCC 6K, Panasonic S1H, Sony A9, Nikon D850 or Canon EOS 1DX Mark II. You can view a full list of compatible cameras and lenses by clicking here. Further, the latest version of the Crane 2S’s Instune Algorithm has been refined to deliver quick and smooth gimbal performance.

In terms of setup speed, the Crane 2S features a brand new FlexMount System. This system simplifies the setup process while also ensuring that your gear is secure. The system incorporates a double safety mechanism and has a user-adjustable safety lock. If you want to record vertical video, such as for social media needs, the Crane 2S comes with a vertical quick release mount and safety knob.

Additional features of the gimbal’s design include an upgraded axis locking mechanism, dubbed Axis Locking Mechanism 2.0, guaranteeing ‘zero swinging of the gimbal during traveling or storage.’ To keep the Crane 2S light and strong, the handle is constructed of carbon fiber. The Crane 2S uses 3 removable Li-ion batteries, delivering a total run time of 12 hours.

The Crane 2S includes six gimbal modes: Pan Following, Locking, Following, Full-Range POV, Vortex and Go mode. The gimbal also includes special modes for aiding in the creation of panoramas, timelapse, motionlapse and long exposure timelapse.

The Crane 2S supports digital and manual focus control via a built-in focus wheel on the gimbal itself. Zhiyun states that the focus control ability offers improved speed and precision as well, allowing for easier focus pulls when shooting. You can refer to the compatibility sheet linked above to see which cameras and lenses are compatible with the Crane 2S’s focus wheel.

The gimbal includes a new 0.96″ OLED display, allowing easy control of important settings and simple menu navigation. If you’d like to use a bigger display, the Crane 2S includes a dedicated slot for installing an image transmitter and with Zhiyun’s TransMount Image Transmission System, you can attach a monitor for live monitoring. The TransMount system also allows for the use of various accessories, such as quick setup kits, a monopod, servo zoom and focus motors and more.

Zhiyun Crane 2S. Shown with Panasonic S1H. Image credit: Zhiyun

The Zhiyun Crane 2S is available now with the standard package retailing for $ 599 USD. For additional information on the Crane 2S and finding a retailer, click here. Zhiyun streamed a full presentation earlier today for the debut of the Crane 2S. You can view a replay of the stream below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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SD Express 8.0 announced, promising speeds up 4GB/s and improved performance

21 May

The SD Association (SDA) has announced the SD Express 8.0 (SD8.0) specification, promising up to transfer speed of up to 4GB/s (2GB/s per lane up to two lanes). The SD8.0 spec is built on the PCIe 4.0 standard and uses NVM Express (NVMe) technology.

It builds on the previous 7.0 specification that used PCIe 3.0, which powers the rival CFexpress format. The newest format can either deliver up to 2GB/s transfers with the PCIe 4.0 standard over a single lane using the familiar SD card format with two rows of pins (a combination denoted as PCIe G4L1 in the diagram below), or using PCIe 3.0 across two lanes (PCIe G3L2) which will add a third row of connection pins. The 4GB/s transfer speeds will be delivered by PCIe G4L2 cards using PCIe 4.0 transfer across two lanes (and three rows of pins).

SD Express speed comparison chart. Click to enlarge. Image credit: SD Association

The SDA, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, believes the new SD Express standard will create additional variety in the market and allows manufacturers to make the most of the increased speeds of SD Express to produce more storage choices for consumers. Additionally, the SDA states that SD 8.0 ‘may open even more opportunities for extra high-performance solutions using removable memory cards.’ Importantly, as with all SDA advancements, the SD 8.0 specification maintains backward compatibility across previous generations.

SD8.0 is arriving nearly two years after the SD 7.0 (SD7.0) spec was released in July 2018. The SD7.0 specification introduced PCIe 3.1 and NVMe architecture to SD cards. In February 2019, the SDA introduced the microSD Express 7.1 specification.

Camera and card makers haven’t yet made use of the UHS-III format set out in the older SD6.0 specification

Notably, camera and card makers haven’t yet made use of the UHS-III format set out in the older SD6.0 specification. Memory card manufacturer Sandisk has already shown mockups of SD Express (SD7.0) cards, which raises the possibility that the industry will skip the UHS-III specification entirely.

An alternative memory card format, the CFexpress standard, has been increasing in adoption due to its impressive speeds and performance. CFexpress cards can utilize up to four lanes and currently can deliver 1GB/s speeds per lane. However, the current CFexpress 2.0 standard, announced in February 2019, promised comparable speeds using four PCIe 3.0 lanes to the ones that SD 8.0 will get from two v4.0 lanes

It will be interesting to see when CFExpress standards adopt a PCIe 4.0 interface, as the SDA and CFA continue to be in a memory card arms race. If history has proven anything, it’s that it will take some time before the new standards, and the accompanying performance increases, are commonplace in consumer products. However, the new SD8.0 spec lays impressive groundwork technology for faster cameras and improved workflows for photographers and videographers.

For additional information on SD8.0, the SDA has launched a ‘virtual trade show.’ You can explore it by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Sky’s The Limit: 14 Promising New Advancements in Solar Power

18 May

[ By SA Rogers in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

Even while it feels like certain things are moving backward, efforts to power the world with solar energy instead of fossil fuels continue to reach for the sky, innovating advancements that make a renewable future more achievable. Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles are about to become commercially available, flexible solar panels are cheaper and more efficient than ever, we’re several steps closer to transparent solar power-producing windows and there’s even a product so thin and tiny it’s called ‘solar glitter.’

Solar Blinds by SolarGap

Designed with apartment-dwellers in mind, these smart solar blinds are inexpensive, easy to install, and work best when the blinds are open. If you have a window that gets a little too sunny at some point in the day, these could be an ideal gadget to reduce your electricity costs by up to 70 percent. They work best on the outside of your window, producing up to 100 watts of electricity, which is enough for one window to charge your laptop. You can use a smart app to control the blinds and monitor how much power they’re producing.

Plug and Play Smart Flower Solar Device

The Smart Flower features solar panel ‘petals’ that unfurl at sunrise, automatically directing themselves toward the sun and continuing to move throughout the day for optimal placement to produce 40 percent more energy than a static solar panel setup. Taking its inspiration from the shape of a sunflower, the smartflowerPOP will juice you up with 3,400 to 6,300 KWH per year.

World’s Largest Solar Storage Facility Works 24/7

Tesla and SolarCity opened a 13 MW solar far in Kauai, Hawaii featuring 54,978 solar panels and a 52 MWh battery bank, large enough to run twenty-four hours a day and provide up to 44 percent of the island’s power, compared to its 92 percent dependence on fossil fuel in 2011.

Wattway: The World’s First Solar Panel Road

There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of a solar panel roadway, the first and foremost being that integrating an emerging technology into infrastructure may not be the best idea for long-term success. Solar power is rapidly changing, and the tech used for France’s ‘Wattway’ and similar projects will likely soon be obsolete, not to mention the probability of the panels being damaged. But The idea could still have weight for some applications, and Wattway is expected to generate 280MWh per year.

Solar Glitter Can Make Almost Anything Solar-Powered

An innovation called Dragon SCALEs by Sandia National Laboratories acts like solar glitter, shrinking solar panels down to tiny, flexible snowflake-inspired cells that could theoretically be applied to just about anything. Making use of recent advancements in micro design and micro fabrication, the panels can be folded like paper, rapidly and cheaply installed, and turn just about any object into a solar power generator.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
The Skys The Limit 14 Promising New Advancements In Solar Power

Camouflaged Solar Panels: Tesla Roof Tiles Power Home Batteries & Electric Cars

Elon Musk is attacking the question of energy storage and consumption at home, first with electric cars, then with home batteries and now the final piece of the puzzle: solar panels people will …

Future of Fenestration: Every Window Will Generate Solar Power

Better, cheaper and easier than solar windows, this newly-patented flexible coating can be applied to existing glass and plastic surfaces, turning any aperture into a source of electricity. With …

Offbeat & Off the Grid: 15 Surprisingly Mobile Solar Gadgets

Solar power projects go truly off-the-grid in mobile applications that range from practical if goofy solar panel-equipped Ray Bans to donkeys that stroll around with photovoltaics mounted to …

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[ By SA Rogers in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Nokia announces Lumia 925 with promising camera specs

14 May

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While the Lumia 925 Nokia announced today may not offer the stunning specs of the 808’s PureView technology, the device does hold promise for mobile photography fans. Its six-element lens design promises improved detail in good light and better quality in low light, and the sensitivity includes a new ISO 3200 setting. An all-metal body with an integrated antenna and wireless charging are also new, along with the Nokia Smart Camera app which offers some interesting shooting modes, including the unique Motion Focus. See sample images on connect.dpreview.com.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Casio’s Jin Nakayama rules-out mirrorless, promising fast future for compacts

05 Feb

Jin_Nakayama.jpg

CP+ 2013: Casio wants to make cameras that allow non-photographers to take better images, and that could mean large sensor compacts, says Jin Nakayama, Senior General Manager of the company’s QV Digital Camera Division, but don’t expect a mirrorless camera. The company, which makes some of Japan’s best-selling compacts, has a development strategy Nakayama believes will distinguish it from smartphones while also staying a step ahead of its camera rivals, he says.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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