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Apple acquires Spectral Edge to boost iPhone camera performance

13 Dec

It looks like Apple might have just made another move to improve image quality on its iPhone camera. Bloomberg reports that according to filings made public in the U.K. on Thursday, Apple has acquired the Cambridge, U.K.-based startup Spectral Edge Ltd..

Spectral Edge has developed a technology that can improve detail and color on digital cameras by taking an infrared picture and merging it with a conventional color photo using machine learning. Apple is already using AI in some of its camera algorithms, for example to improve low light images, so using AI to improve other aspects of image quality would fit nicely into the concept.

The Spectral Edge technology can be applied via software or baked into hardware which would allow Apple to integrate it into a custom image signal processor.

No purchase price has been reported but last year Spectral Edge said it raised more than $ 5 million in funding.

We should not expect the technology to be integrated in the next iPhone generation but in the medium and long term it will be interesting to see if Spectral Edge can help improve smartphone imaging.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Think Tank’s new Spectral shoulder bags are inconspicuous for on-the-go photographers

25 Aug

Think Tank Photo has just debuted a new set of Spectral shoulder bags: the Spectral 8, Spectral 10, and Spectral 15. All three camera bags are designed to give photographers an inconspicuous way to carry around their camera gear, helping protect their equipment from both unsavory environmental conditions and thieves.

The bags feature a Fidlock magnetic clasp that allows users to access their camera gear with one hand and automatically locks when the flap is closed. The Spectral bags also feature an extra zippered closure that Think Tank says ‘can be tucked away when actively shooting.’

All three bags are made with 420D velocity nylon, heavy-duty nylon tarpaulin, YKK RC Fuse zippers, 350G 3D air mesh, antique plated metal hardware, and 3-ply bonded nylon thread.

All three bags contain a tablet compartment—the Spectral 8 can accommodate a tablet measuring up to 8″, while the other two can handle tablets ranging up to 10″—and a dedicated smartphone pocket. There are also straps and attachment points for a tripod, a pass-through slot for a luggage handle, internal pockets for small items like card wallets and batteries, plus a seam-sealed rain cover for protecting the bag’s contents.

In addition, the Spectral 15 model has a compartment for a laptop measuring up to 15-inches.

The Spectral 8, the smallest of the three bags, has enough room to accommodate a single standard-sized DSLR body plus a detached 24–70mm F2.8 lens, one attached short zoom or wide lens, plus a couple small lenses or one additional larger lens. The Spectral 10 is similar, although it boasts room for up to three extra lenses plus a detached 70-200mm lens and an attached 24-70mm lens. The largest of the bunch, meanwhile, can accommodate the same, but with up to four additional lenses, plus a tablet and a laptop at the same time.

All three bags are available from Think Tank now for $ 100, $ 120 and $ 140 for the Spectral 8, Spectral 10 and Spectral 10, respectively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Threading Rainbows: Spectral String Art Looks Like Strands of Light

11 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

light-string-art

Using a simple material palette of thread, wood and nails, artist Gabriel Dawe‘s latest cascading color creation combines thousands of threads to make a remarkable interior rainbow.

twisted-thread-art

Plexus #35 is on display at the Toledo Museum of Art (images by Andrew Weber), a featured highlight in the center of the Great Gallery illuminated against dark red walls and framed oil paintings via a skylight above.

interwoven-museum-installation

The entire color spectrum is represented, meticulously organized strand by strand — a single twist between a pair of origin and termination lines ensures that the work appears different from every angle.

soectrum-color-art

Other works by Dawe feature similar themes in different hues and shades, often intricately woven to create overlaps. By comparison, this is one of his simplest pieces yet arguably one of his most powerful.

color-art-twist

“Originally from Mexico City, Gabriel Dawe creates site-specific installations that explore the connection between fashion and architecture, and how they relate to the human need for shelter in all its shapes and forms.”

“His work is centered in the exploration of textiles, aiming to examine the complicated construction of gender and identity in his native Mexico and attempting to subvert the notions of masculinity and machismo prevalent in the present day.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Posted in Creativity

Spectral Studio: 20 Sq M Space Uses Light & Dark as Decor

20 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

illuminated apartment

In an Paris apartment with just over 200 square feet, it is almost impossible to imagine anything but the more bare essentials resulting a boring space. But that is where illumination enters the equation, flooding in to add depth and complexity to this abode. This, then, is a short story of light.

illumination study axon existing

The architects, Betillon | Dorval?Bory, examined the limited space available architecturally, but also scientifically, testing the type and quality of the natural light to be found (and then suggesting what should be carefully introduced) across the existing interior zones.

illuminate room two tone

A single wall was introduced, dividing the main bedroom area from daytime activity spaces like the kitchen, but not just (nor even primarily) as a visual barrier – it was intentionally and most-importantly designed to be a backdrop for two types of light.

illuminated night sleeping area

On the ‘night’ side: a diffused orange streetlamp glow of the after-hours city that we associate with evening, which washes the walls in a more monochromatic direction (suited for sleeping and showering). On the ‘day’ side, a pure all-purpose white of the kind found in active spaces like offices – one which allows us to see things in black and color as well (suited for cooking and gathering).

illuminated flat natural daylight

Notably, the ‘night’ side lights can also be turned off (or overpowered by daylight), allowing the entire place to ‘open’ into a single space. If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that physical objects are not the only things that form (or inform) the nature of space. Spatial variety can come via intangible elements like illumination, which in turn can serve equally powerful functions in fleshing out a space – particularly a small place with little room for solid decor.