Leica Lenses (English) from leica camera on Vimeo.
Occasional Musings
by Murali Jayapala
Next generation interface, Minorty Report style from Oblong
Here is a cool piece of technology from Oblong for the way we work and collaborate. The interface is gesture based. Perhaps this is in a good direction to start working away from typical cubical styles. Not sure if this can work for all types of jobs (e.g. development work), but still I can imagine a lot of work places being like this in the future. Here is a demo of Oblong’s interfacing.
g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.
More of the coverage of the tech from Techcrunch: [The link]
The making of a canon 500m f/4L Lens
Great videos about what goes on behind the scenes of manufacturing a lens.
ManyEyes is a Powerful Visualizer for Your Data [Data Visualization]
Lifehacker
via ManyEyes is a Powerful Visualizer for Your Data [Data Visualization].
ManyEyes is a neat tool that produces compelling visualizations based on user-defined data sets, with data types ranging from statistics tables to any old block of text. More »
http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/
Canon EOS 60D hands-on (video)
Engadget
via Canon EOS 60D hands-on (video).
The 2010 Canon Expo is filled to the brim with drool-worthy image-capturing hardware (more on that later in the day), but the first thing we did when arriving was run straight to the EOS 60D. While we can’t really get into the gritty details in terms of image and video quality based on show floor impressions alone, we will say the comfort and ease of use are superb — not to mention an articulating display that’ll come in handy for crazier shot composition. The company’s definitely got a knack for iterative upgrades, but a prosumer-focused model like this is just a knockout for the price, and leaves us wondering what the future holds for the Rebel T2i when only $200 separates the two cameras. Pictures below, and check out a video walkthrough done by our Engadget Show Producer / Canon enthusiast Chad Mumm after the break.
Nikon D7000 DSLR hands-on
Engadget
via Nikon D7000 DSLR hands-on.
In case you haven’t heard this morning, Nikon’s just lifted the curtains on its 16.2 megapixel D7000 imager for the “social photographer” market, and naturally, we had to get our hands on it. This dual SDXC-wielding DSLR closely resembles the slightly lighter D90, but the little superficial tweaks didn’t escape our eyes: the first thing we noticed was that the continuous shooting option button — previously on right-hand side of the top screen — has been transformed into a secondary dial on the left. We found this to be slightly fiddly as we had to press on a tiny neighboring unlock button to rotate said dial. There’s also a new live view switch and video record button (à la D3100), which are more intuitive than the D90′s configuration. As for ergonomics, the D7000‘s grip is also very comparable with the D90′s, except we prefer the latter’s for its longer piece of rubber grip to cover the full length of our right thumb. More after the break.
Your Brain on Computers Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price [NYT]
here is an interesting article from NYTimes about impact of being hooked on devices/gadjets… Here are a couple of excerpts from the article:
“Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information. These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.”
” While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress. And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers.”
More of this here: [The Link]
Photography