Engadget

Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic brings a slice of tilt-shift to your life (sample photos)

Darren Murph — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EDT

C'mon, admit it -- if you won one of many lotteries, you'd be purchasing a legitimate tilt-shift lens right after picking up a new Ferrari and buying a chocolate factory. Given that said scenario is highly unlikely to pan out, Lensbaby is stepping in to make the letdown a bit easier to stomach. The Edge 80 Optic is the latest in the outfit's growing Optic Swap system, which is compatible with the Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak, and it's capable of transforming those bodies into "a tilt lens that delivers a slice of sharp focus through an image that falls off to a soft blur." There's a 12-blade adjustable aperture (f/2.8 through f/22), and when not shifted, it's fully capable of taking flat (read: standard) photographs. As the name implies, there's an 80mm focal length, but macro lovers should be aware that you'll need at least 17-inches to focus on your subject(s).

We've been toying with one on our D3S over the past few days, and it certainly does what it says; moreover, it's far easier to justify at just $300. (For those unaware, dedicated T-S lenses can easily top $1,500.) And if you're already invested in the Optic Swap system, it makes even more sense. Granted, it takes some work to compose a shot. You'll need to rely on manual mode, and you'll need to tweak your ISO to match your desired aperture and available light. Leaving the ISO too high while using f/2.8 in broad daylight will result in white captures, while not boosting the ISO enough after dark will leave your shot murdered out. Once you've got your settings right, though, the lens couldn't be easier to operate, and the shift + lock mechanism is as smooth as butter. We threw together a gallery of our favorites taken recently in Hawaii and French Polynesia, so dive in below to see if this piece of kit is deserving of your attention.

Gallery: Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic sample shots [O'ahu, Hawaii]

Gallery: Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic sample shots [Moorea, French Polynesia]

Continue reading Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic brings a slice of tilt-shift to your life (sample photos)

Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic brings a slice of tilt-shift to your life (sample photos) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Lensbaby | Email this | Comments

Introducing 'Follow The Saga': the whole story, regardless of where you jump in

Darren Murph — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:18:00 EDT

Over the years, stories have become more than just single bursts of information. These days, there's as much drama in the consumer technology world as there is sports, politics or your average episode of Days of our Lives. Take SOPA, for example. We'd be remiss of our duties here if we simply reported on what it was, without ever following up on protests, delays, judgments and other vitally important developments. In fact, it's tough to think of too many stories covered today that don't correspond with some sort of saga -- even the departure of RIM's co-CEOs represents just a single slice of a far larger tale. For those that follow this stuff 24/7, jumping in at any point in the story is no issue; piecing together the past with the present is second nature. But if you're actually working during the day, hopping aimlessly into an ongoing saga mid-stream can be downright disorienting. Painful, even. We've been working hard to come up with an unobtrusive solution, and we think we've found it.

We've actually had our Follow The Saga functionality since January of last year -- we quietly debuted it with the launch of Verizon's iPhone 4 -- but today's iteration is far more interactive. We've been testing these out over the past few weeks, and today we're happy to officially introduce them. If you see the badge shown after the break in any post that pops up here at Engadget, just give it a click to be taken to the full saga, and scroll up and down to see related stories before and after the one you happen to be looking at. We're hoping it'll be particularly helpful to those who happen to stumble upon a saga somewhere in the middle, but want to get caught up on what happened prior and where we stand now. As with everything we do, we'll be continually tweaking and evolving the tool in the months ahead. Enjoy!

Psst... want to see it in action? Have a look under the body of this SOPA post to see how we got to where we are today.

Continue reading Introducing 'Follow The Saga': the whole story, regardless of where you jump in

Introducing 'Follow The Saga': the whole story, regardless of where you jump in originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Visualized: futuristic AMELIA aircraft (theoretically) soars through NASA wind tunnel

Darren Murph — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:31:00 EDT

It's the Advanced Model for Extreme Lift and Improved Aeroacoustics, and it's the brainchild of many, many intelligent beings planted at California Polytechnic State University. The aircraft has been in design courtesy of a grant from NASA, touting engines above the wings and the ability to achieve shockingly short takeoffs and landings. And did we mention it looks sexier than a freshly-washed 787? Yeah.

Continue reading Visualized: futuristic AMELIA aircraft (theoretically) soars through NASA wind tunnel

Visualized: futuristic AMELIA aircraft (theoretically) soars through NASA wind tunnel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | NASA, NBC Bay Area | Email this | Comments

US government rules three Barth patents invalid, sends Rambus scrambling

Darren Murph — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:46:00 EDT

Suing's easy. It's the "winning" that trips folks up. Such is the case with Rambus, who has been relying oh-so-heavily on the so-called trio of Barth patents to actively pursue just about every technology company on the planet. For those unaware, Rambus has christened itself as a "technology licensing company," but with the last of three patents used to win infringement suits against NVIDIA and HP being declared invalid, it's probably scrambling for new tactics. According to a Reuters report, an appeals board at the US Patent and Trademark Office declared the patent invalid a few days back, with the previous two being knocked back in September. A couple of months back, Rambus' stock lost 60 percent of its value after a court decision led to the loss of a $4 billion antitrust lawsuit against Micron and Hynix, and we're guessing things won't be any happier when the markets open back up on Monday. The company's next move? "We're evaluating our options," said spokeswoman Linda Ashmore.

US government rules three Barth patents invalid, sends Rambus scrambling originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments

Quantum speed limits within reach, present moves ever closer to future

Darren Murph — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:28:00 EDT

Got your wire-rimmed spectacles on? Had a full night's rest? Eager to get those synapses firing? Here's hoping, because Marc Cheneau and co. are doing everything they can to stretch the sheer meaning of quantum understanding. The aforesaid scientists recently published an article that details a method for measuring quantum particle interaction in a way that has previously been considered impossible. Put simply (or, as simply as possible), the famed Lieb-Robinson bound was "quantified experimentally for the first time, using a real quantum gas." The technobabble rolls on quite severely from there, but the key here is realize just how much of an impact this has on the study of quantum entanglement, and in turn, quantum computing. For those interested in seeing what lives in a world beyond silicon, dig into the links below. You may never escape, though -- just sayin'.

Quantum speed limits within reach, present moves ever closer to future originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo | ArsTechnica, Nature | Email this | Comments

Nokia clarifies battery update on Lumia 800, promises audio / camera fixes soon

Darren Murph — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:12:00 EDT

Nokia already came clean about the Lumia 800 battery bug, but evidently that just wasn't enough to appease the masses. A community manager in the outfit's own forums has just responded to pages upon pages of comments regarding the most recent update, partly to (re)set the record straight regarding the battery, and partly to address more fixes that are just around the bend. The latest update (1600.2483.8106.11500) was meant to "enhance standby time as well as to bring an improvement to the issue reported by some customers in December," and according to Nokia, said update does indeed address those problems. However, folks that still have concerns regarding audio and camera settings aren't being ignored; those quirks will be worked out in "a series of future updates." Eager to learn more? The full reply is embedded just after the break.

Continue reading Nokia clarifies battery update on Lumia 800, promises audio / camera fixes soon

Nokia clarifies battery update on Lumia 800, promises audio / camera fixes soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileTechWorld | Nokia | Email this | Comments

Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU

Darren Murph — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:13:00 EDT

Who knew a "p" packed so much punch? Just weeks after Lenovo cut loose with a boatload of new machines, the outfit has quietly slipped out an even newer model tailored for gamers. The 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p looks just about like the existing Y470, but swaps out the middling NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M for a far more potent Radeon HD 7690M. (For those wondering -- yep, that's the same chip in HP's new Envy 15.) There's also a 2.2GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, an optional 1TB HDD, JBL speakers and a native 1,366 x 768 screen resolution. The unit tips the scales at 4.85 pounds with a six-cell battery, which is supposedly good for up to four hours of usage (in presumably ideal conditions). Other specs include a Blu-ray Disc drive, a two-megapixel webcam, HDMI out and USB 3.0. For now, at least, it looks as if eager beavers can get one headed their way for as low as $799, but the more specced-out models are reaching well over $1,200.

Continue reading Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU

Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista, The Verge | Lenovo | Email this | Comments