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Imaging

The might of Hercules makes it a mini motion control system for small cameras

There are already motion control systems on the market that provide photographers with motorized control of their cameras’ movements and the ability to shoot in time-lapse mode.

patent-claimedHercules is an affordable alternative — a patent-pending motion control camera system that works with smartphones, GoPro action cams and DSLR cameras up to 20 pounds. The device runs smoothly over flat surfaces, enabling it to work without a slider track. That allows users to get low-angle shots that aren’t limited by track length.

The device has a retail price of $150, but early bird backers can get one for $99 and it will start shipping to them in December. Its makers are looking to raise $25,000 by Nov. 27.

Alas, the Hercules is not mighty enough to conquer a lack of Bluetooth. There are likely many camera users who may find Hercules attractive given it comes in under the prices of other systems such as the fairly expensive, heavy and complex Axis360,

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Connected Objects Imaging

Tiny Graava action cam decides which scenes make the cut

With the formidable quality of video that can be captured by smartphones, there’s got to be something special offered by a camcorder to arouse interest. GoPro figured out that small size, ruggedness, a wide angle. It’s attracted a number of competitors, including Contour, Drift Innovation, Sony, C&A Marketing (using the Polaroid Cube brand) and, more recently, TomTom (yes, the GPS company) with a 4K camera called the Bandit.

Graava enters this crowded field with a small, polished gemstone-like camcorder that affixed to a range of bikes and apparel with the right mounts. Lacking an LCD as many of these products do, it has a grid of LEDs on its side that indicate the product’s status, and has an enclosed HDMI connector and microSD slot for expansion It can also be charged wirelessly using the Qi standard. What sets Graava apart is that it has the ability to analyze the video it captures and pick out the most interesting parts depending on how long the resulting video is. And when it’s not capturing extreme surfing, it can be used to capture the gentle sounds of a napping infant as a baby monitor.

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Kids/Babies Video

Bibayo gives viewers a POV experience of being a baby

bibayoRomantics and those prone to dramatic and poetic dialogue have always bemoaned wanting to see the world through a child’s eyes again. Bibayo is a GoPro-style “point of view” camera that can be put in a baby’s bib to give adults some perspective into their child’s world. The footage can be shared through social media and the device also includes an accelerometer for tracking movement and can trigger the camera if unexpected movement occurs. While the device seems like a great way to capture the early life of children, backers don’t have any footage of the device itself or the video it captures, so supporters will have to take it all on faith. As a concept device, none of the reward tiers include the Bibayo itself at this time.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Video

GoPhone weds GoPro to iPhone in protective case of extreme capture

Go Phone iPhone case ba0e3633e1e631062b06ffb49df0ea9b_large[1]If you are a sports enthusiast with aspirations of going pro or someday engaging in the Olympics, you may find the GoPhone iPhone case to be a useful tool for sharpening your game. The iPhone case is intended to be compatible with an iPhone 5 and 5s. The case doubles as a handle and monitor for a GoPro camera. The GoPro app allows the user to have a monitor for their device through the iPhone screen via its wireless technology. The GoPhone case then allows the user to connect the two so that it becomes an all-in-one portable camera kit. Depending on what a person is trying to accomplish and their creativity level, it’s possible that just using an iPhone mount would work just as well as the GoPhone iPhone case. For a pledge of $40, backers get a complete product with an estimated delivery date of September 2014.