The 6mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens weighs 11.46 pounds, is 9.29 inches in diameter and some 6.73 inches in length (Photo credit: Tony Hurst)
It's getting rarer these days to find the kind of specialist shops that have so much stock from years gone by that they're more like a mini-museum than a retail outlet. Grays of Westminster is just such an emporium. Exclusively dealing in products spanning the whole history of the Nikon Corporation, the award-winning central London curiosity shop managed to generate a huge online buzz this week by announcing the sale of an exceptionally rare monster of a wide-angle Nikkor lens. Said to allow cameras to actually snap images of scenery behind the lens and weighing in at 11.46 pounds (5.2 kg), the mint condition 6mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens has just sold for an equally gargantuan price of £100,000 (US$162,312) to an unnamed private collector.
Developed for use in scientific and industrial applications and special effects during portrait shoots, the 220° super wide angle – well, pretty extreme wide angle if truth be told – f/2.8 to f/22 aperture lens is said to have stunned attendees at the 1970 Photokina show in Cologne, Germany before going into very limited production two years later. Nikon's Jeremy Gilbert told the UK's Daily Mail that the rare lens dates back to a time when "lenses had to be designed with a slide rule and individual ray diagrams."
The lens – serial number 628024 – is constructed of 12 elements in nine groups, is fronted by a large glass dome that keeps the attached camera very much in its shadow, and comes with its own slip-on lens cap and rugged metal case. It's 9.29 inches (236 mm) in diameter and some 6.7 inches (171 mm) in length, has an automatic diaphragm, and its distance scale is graduated in meters from 0.25 meters (0.9 feet) to infinity. It also comes with skylight (L1BC), medium yellow (Y48), deep yellow (Y52), orange (O56) and red (R60) filters, and was sold together with a black Nikon F Apollo camera.
The company's founder Gray Levett said that the unusual fisheye lens was tracked down by vintage camera buyer Toni Kowal, who spent six months following leads abroad before securing its purchase.
KNÄPPA is a flat-pack cardboard digital camera from IKEA
If you've got a craving for cheap Swedish meatballs or self assembly furniture, IKEA is normally a safe bet. But despite announcing its new UPPLEVA "hybrid furniture"range, IKEA probably wouldn't be your first stop when looking for consumer electronics … and that's not going to change with the unveiling of the KNÄPPA flat-pack cardboard digital camera.
That's because the KNÄPPA - which runs on two AA batteries and can hold 40 x 2.3 megapixel images - isn't another move by the Swedish furniture giant into selling digital gizmos. IKEA is keen not to confuse us on this point: "Just to be clear, this isn’t a move into selling any digital equipment."
Instead, limited numbers of the 4.13 x 2.56-inch (105 × 65 mm) camera will be given away in IKEA stores to promote the new PS 2012 furniture collection - with the aim being that shoppers will use it to share images of the furniture range in their own homes (though hopefully not still in hundreds of parts).
Designed by Jesper Kouthoofd, the recyclable camera is made out of one piece of folded cardboard which is secured by two plastic screws. A single circuit board holds all the electronics, camera sensor and integrated USB connector. There is a combined on/off and shutter button on the front - holding it down for a few seconds turns the KNÄPPA on or off and a "firm click" takes a photo.
The performance of the KNÄPPA isn't likely to worry the likes of Nikon or Canon. It shoots a three second exposure, but processing takes eight seconds (during which time another image cannot be taken) and the results are decidedly lo-fi (think a 2004 camera-phone). IKEA jokes about the lack of functions in the promo video below - to use the "zoom function" you simply extend your arms, and "advanced image stabilization" involves resting the resting the camera on a chair.
Once 40 photos have been taken, users plug the 2.3 megapixel camera - billed as “the world's cheapest digital camera” - into a USB port and transfer the images in the normal manner. Images can then be deleted from the camera by using a paperclip to press the delete button on the front for about five seconds.
Nvidia says its new GeForce GTX 690 Dual-GPU video card is the fastest consumer graphics card ever
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang chose his keynote address at the Nvidia Game Festival in Shanghai last week to unveil the Nvidia GeForce GTX 690 Dual-GPU video card. Powered by dual 28 nm Kepler architecture-based GeForce GPUs, the GTX 690 delivers what Huang claims is, “the highest performance of any graphics card in history.”
Packing a total of 3,072 CUDA parallel processing cores, Nvidia says the GTX 690 delivers close to double the frame rates of the single GPU GTX 680 introduced just last month and is also more power efficient and quieter than an SLI connected dual GTX 680 setup – take that early adopters.
With a look designed to appeal to those who like to have the innards of their rig on display, the card features a trivalent chromium-plated aluminum exterior frame for strength and durability, and a fan housing made from thixomolded magnesium alloy that offers improved heat dissipation and vibration dampening.
The unit’s 10-phase, heavy-duty power supply and 10-layer, two-ounce copper printed circuit board promise high power efficiency with less resistance, lower power and less heat generation. Dual vapor chambers, a nickel-plated finstack and center-mounted axial fan with optimized fin pitch and air entry angles keep the card cool, while the low-profile components and ducted baseplate channels provide an unobstructed airflow to minimize turbulence and keep the noise down.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 690 Dual-GPU video card will be available in limited quantities from May 3, ahead of more widespread availability on May 7. Expect to shell out US$999 to enjoy that high frame rate, high resolution eye candy.
IBM's lithium-air battery uses oxygen from the air to react with lithium ions and generate electricity
Unlike their lithium-ion counterparts, which use heavy metal-oxide cathodes and are self contained with an oxidizer stored internally, IBM’s lithium-air batteries provide a higher energy density through the use of lighter cathodes and using oxygen drawn from the air. The oxygen reacts with lithium ions during discharge to form lithium peroxide on a carbon matrix. When it recharges, the oxygen goes back to the atmosphere and the lithium goes back to the anode.One of the main challenges faced by the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry is so-called “range anxiety.” Current lithium-ion batteries will provide a range of about 100 miles (161 km), limiting the commercial adoption of EVs in a market accustomed to the range and supporting infrastructure of gasoline-powered vehicles. If existing lithium-ion batteries were scaled up to match the range capacity of gas-powered vehicles, they would be unfeasibly large and heavy. Lithium-air batteries, which have the potential to provide energy densities that rivals traditional gasoline-powered engines, are seen as a possible solution. IBM has been researching such batteries and recently announced that it's bringing two companies with experience in electric vehicle materials onboard to aid in their development.
Like efforts at places such as MIT, IBM has been working on lithium-ion battery technology for some time, creating the Battery 500 Project in 2009 with the aim of developing a lithium-air battery technology that could power an average vehicle for about 500 miles (805 km) on a single charge. Having successfully demonstrated the fundamental chemistry of the charge-and-recharge process for lithium-air batteries, the company has recently enlisted the help of two Japanese companies to help put the technology on the road.
IBM has teamed up with Asahi Kasei and Central Glass, two companies with a history of electric vehicle materials development. Chemical manufacturer Asahi Kasei brings in its expertise in membrane technology, while electrolyte manufacturer Central Glass’s mission is to improve the performance of lithium-air batteries with a new class of electrolytes and additives.
However, you’ll have to be patient if you want to get your hands on a long-range EV powered with lithium-air batteries. IBM says we won’t see these being sold in a showroom this decade, but if the science and engineering hurdles are cleared, they could be on the streets between 2020 and 2030.
IBM takes us through the technology in the video below.
The Lifedge Case will protect an iPad or iPad2 for 30 minutes in one meter of water
Ruggedizing your portable electronics makes sense and Lifedge has a new option for the 40 million-odd iPad owners in the world. Lifedge's case has an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of IP67 for keeping water and dust out. It will protect an iPad for 30 minutes in one meter (3 feet) of water, or if it is dropped onto a concrete floor from a height of one meter.
Lifedge is a new brand launched by Scanstrut, an international manufacturer of products designed to protect equipment used in demanding marine environments.
Though Scanstrut has been in the marine market for 25 years, Lifedge is Scanstrut's initial foray outside its core market and it intends to build its name in new areas with an entirely new range of products aimed at enabling digital activities under any conditions.
The iPad, with its built-in GPS and big screen, is a natural for use in outdoor environments, except it's a little too delicate for all that salt-water, sun, heat, cold, spray ad infinitum.
As well as being waterproof and offering drop protection, Lifedge's's first iPad Case also features an OptiGuard™ coating which the company claims offers exceptional screen clarity in sunlight, whilst ensuring the case is abrasion and chemical resistant to prevent damage from regular use and exposure to oils, sunscreen and household chemicals.
The Waterproof iPad Case uses a semi rigid two piece case that is easy to take on and off, and compact enough to leave on permanently if required.
There are versions for iPad 1 and iPad2, but no word on a version for the new iPad at this stage. It retails at £99 inc VAT (approx. US$161).
Brydge is a keyboard cover for the iPad that attempts to turn the Apple tablet into something very close in style and weight, if not grunt, to the MacBook Air. Currently a Kickstarter project, Brydge aims to join the growing number of accessories tailored for those who produce as well as consume content on their iPad.
The iPad is undoubtedly a great device - it's the bestselling tablet by far. But while consuming content, be it the web, music, movies, games, or apps, is a joy, creating content, particularly text-based content, on an iPad isn't quite as much fun. This is where keyboard cases - which double up as keyboards, bringing physical feedback to the task of writing - come into their own.
Logitech's Keyboard Case is one of the best-known examples to date. There are also Android tablets built on this very premise: the Asus Eee Pad Transformerseries comprises tablets which can be slotted into their optional keyboard docks.
Brydge, from the people behind The Oona smartphone stand, is a keyboard case for the iPad that aims for Apple-esque design with its anodized aluminum construction.
The unit has a patent-pending hinge mechanism (with almost 180-degrees of movement) that's designed to lock the iPad in place until you give it a healthy yank to free it again.
When in the closed position Brydge sits snugly up against the screen of the iPad, offering protection from knocks and dirt. When opened out it becomes a fully operational Bluetooth keyboard. An optional extra is the inclusion of built-in stereo speakers to complement the iPad's own audio output.
With CEO Tim Cook recently expressing his distaste for "tradeoff" hybrid devices, Apple clearly wants to keep the iPad as purely a tablet and the MacBook Air as an ultra-portable productivity laptop. This leaves room for third parties to create solutions for those customers who want the option of a hybrid solution.
Brydge needs US$90k in funding to go into production. The minimum pledge is currently $150, for which you'll receive one of the first (speakers-free version) Brydges to emerge from the factory. If all goes to plan shipments are expected in October 2012.
digiZoid has released version two of its Zo personal subwoofer, and Gizmag's Paul Ridden has spent some quality time with the powerful little device
Almost two years ago I reported being very impressed by the sound sculpturing capabilities of the Zo Personal Subwoofer. digiZoid has now released version 2, and brought some significant upgrades to the pocket-friendly headphone amp. With so many quality dedicated digital music players (the Cowon C2 or the Colorfly C4, for instance) and high end smartphones already offering pretty decent audio reproduction, is it worth laying out extra cash for sonic enhancement technology that sits between device and earphones? I've been giving a review unit a good testing over the last week or so in an attempt to answer that very question.
It's claimed that the Zo takes lifeless source audio and injects some much-needed color into the soundscape, transforming a run-of-the-mill music player into something matching the kind of performance offered by high-end audio systems. Lofty claims indeed, but as I found with the first version of the powerful audio accessory, they're not without substance and the second generation Zo has even more to offer the discerning listener than its predecessor.
What's in the box?
The contents of the Zo 2 box are the same as the previous version. There are two audio cables to connect the device to an audio source via its 3.5mm jack – one long and one short. There's a USB charging cable, a Smart Start Guide and a color reference guide for the new additions to the LightBar (more on this shortly), and of course the Zo itself.
The new version is exactly the same size and weight as the 2010 model, at 2.75 x 1.5 x 0.38-inches (70 x 38 x 9.6 mm) and 0.94 ounces (26.6 g) respectively. The first noticeable change is the soft-touch matte coating of the high-impact resistant polycarbonate outer shell instead of the scratch-prone shiny surface of the first Zo, and the LED window is now a transparent plastic affair rather than a mirror-like panel. The pictorial audio in and out guides on the top have changed to an image of combined eighth notes from musical notation to indicate the port for connection to the audio source and a speaker symbol for the headphone/line-out.
Preparation is everything
To best judge any differences in audio delivery and enhancement between the two versions, I gathered together the same movie and music tracks as used for my first review. At the risk of repetition, these were: the classic musical fantasy movie from 1980, The Blues Brothers - still a firm favorite. The audiophile-pleasing Money from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album (at a bit rate of 320kbps and an audio sample rate of 44kHz) set the tone for the musical menu. Blues guitar feast The Ballad of John Henry by Joe Bonamassa (256kbps/44kHz) as an apéritif, followed by a main course dish consisting of a reworking of ZZ Top's Precious and Grace by Queens of the Stone Age featuring Billy Gibbons (128kbps/44kHz) and Coke by the Drum (128kbps/44kHz). Finally, my insatiable sweet tooth got pleasantly satisfied by Stanley Jordan's Forest Gardens (256kbps/44kHz).
With the stage nicely set, the time arrived for first switch on.
Ringing in the changes
As I mentioned in the opener, digiZoid has blessed the new Zo with a host of enhancements and improvements. The unit is switched on by pressing in the thumbwheel once, which presents the first change to the device. Just like the original version, the new personal subwoofer offers 32 levels of pre-tuned contour profiling courtesy of the company's SmartVektor technology but pressing the thumbwheel a second time takes you into previously uncharted territory.
The Zo 2 now features two gain modes. There's a High Gain headphone out setting that significantly boosts the volume output from the Zo 2, so much so that I reduced my player volume by half to achieve the same level of output which obviously has player battery life benefits. Then there's a Low Gain line-out mode used when connecting Zo 2 to an audio source with a non-adjustable output level such as a Line-Out Dock.
When in Low Gain mode (compatible with output impedance from 16 - 80 ohms, maximum input voltage of 2.8 Vpp), the volume of the player is fixed and the Zo 2 is used to control the output level by selecting from 32 volume levels which causes the blue LED to get brighter as the volume is increased until it changes to purple as a warning that the next notch up will be the High Gain mode.
To enter the High Gain mode (compatible with output impedance from 16 - 250 ohms, max input voltage of 1.47 Vpp), the thumbwheel needs to be held in the up position for eight seconds, immediately identified not only by the LED changing to shocking pink but also by a hefty increase in volume – as much as 20dB of gain at ~30Hz. The first time the Zo 2 is turned on, it's set to High Gain headphone mode. Depressing the thumbwheel takes you back to the contouring mode.
With the original Zo, it was possible to bypass the contour circuitry when the unit was switched off and so compare the before and after, so to speak. This facility has been removed in the Zo 2 to make it possible to incorporate a Line Out feature, so if you want to compare enhanced and non-enhanced audio you'll need to spend some time connecting and disconnecting cables. I also found that the process of switching the unit on and off was a little on the noisy side with the original, changes to the circuitry of the second version have led to improvements in this regard, too.
Internally speaking
The circuitry has been given a bit of a refresh as well. The new subwoofer incorporates a 16MHz 16-bit Ultra Low Power Microcontroller from Texas Instruments on a gold-plated, four layered printed circuit board in place of discrete logic for better system management. There's a Class-A headphone amplifier and ultra-low noise pre-amp, and audio input circuitry has been enhanced to reduce EMI/RFI susceptibility.
The included Li-Polymer battery recharges in less than an hour (reduced from two hours with version one) via the included USB cable and offers playback of up to 17 hours. digiZoid says that the battery should be good for about 700 recharge cycles before it will need to be replaced, at which point users can get in touch for a new one (with full instructions provided on how to remove the old and fit the new). The Zo 2 now features a Low Battery Indicator and will automatically exit High Gain mode when the battery starts to get low in order to conserve power.
Start the audio bombardment
Although I opted to watch the same movie as before, and listen to exactly the same music, using the same players, I expanded my scope by adding a few more devices to the mix and, after discussing a previous issue with digiZoid's CEO Paul Berg, I was also able to use the Zo 2 to control the bass profile of my guitar amplifiers to great effect.
While the original Zo increased the playback volume a little, the High Gain mode of the latest version is a very welcome and most impressive addition, most notably when used with our car stereo. Since recently changing vehicles I find myself missing the performance of our previous car's sound system.
Under normal circumstances, if I increase the volume to do justice to Disturbed's latest tunes or add a fair splattering of bass EQ for New Model Army's earlier works then the car's speakers start to groan and protest – so much so, in fact, that I generally give up and suffer low volume or flatten the EQ. So I was more than pleasantly surprised by the distortion-free volume boost that the Zo 2 gave to the in-car entertainment, significantly increasing the output without even the slightest complaint from the car's puny speakers.
Well, that's not strictly true. If contouring was increased to the very end of the red zone then the car's system did start to show the slightest sign of a wobble. However, I must stress that the fault lies with the speakers and amp in the car and not with the Zo, which has become a most welcome addition to the cabin and a lot cheaper and much less hassle than ripping out and replacing the resident speakers.
Elsewhere, testing proved just as impressive as with the original. Where other portable headphone amps are nothing of the sort, the Zo 2 has a slim profile that hardly took up any extra room at all in my jacket pocket. Although digiZoid has improved the LightScale resolution to show a distinct color change for each sound contour setting and tune each one for more equally spaced intensity changes, finding a desired profile setting has more to do with the ears than the eyes.
The device also saves the last chosen profile setting at switch off, so if you've been using the Zo 2 with headphones and then move to the car's stereo system without altering the volume first you're in for quite a blast when you switch on. As with before, to get the best from the Zo 2's contouring capabilities, users will need to set any EQ settings on the source audio device to flat and cancel any sound processing technologies like Dolby or SRS.
Just a few important audio specification tweaks to mention before closing. With a full battery, in High Gain mode and at highest contour setting, the Zo 2 is said to have a Total Harmonic Distortion of 0.004 percent (at 1kHz), Intermodulation Distortion of 0.010 percent (at 250Hz and 8kHz), a Dynamic Range of 87 dB and Stereo Crosstalk of 89.2 dB. With the contouring reduced to its lowest level, the frequency response is reported to be 20Hz - 20kHz ± 0.15 dB.
digiZoid told us that three changes have been made to the contour profiles. The lowest (green) profile is said to have a flatter frequency response, so it acts more like just a headphone amp. The highest (red) profile gives slightly higher bass intensity and with each incremental step in contour profile, the change in bass intensity is less than before (especially for the lower 1-8 profile levels).
So, to answer my opening question – although the suggested retail price of US$119.95 might seem a touch on the expensive side, I'd have to say that this is money well spent.
Have a look and listen to the following video demonstration of the kind of thing you can expect the Zo 2 to do to your source audio:
iPavement paving stones are installed in existing sidewalks, to provide WiFi access to passers-by
Each stone measures 40 x 40 x 7 centimeters (15.75 x 15.75 x 2.76 in), weighs approximately 24 kilograms (53 lbs), and contains a 5 GB microprocessor that communicates with nearby mobile devices via WiFi and Bluetooth. Power and internet access are supplied to each stone via a hard-wired 1,000-watt cable. In order to ensure continued coverage over a given area, it is recommended that individual stones be installed no more than 20 meters (66 feet) from one another.It seems that a lot of people have been talking about putting things in the road lately. Just within the past few years, we’ve heard about asphalt-embedded parking spot locators, power strips and coils, piezoelectric generators, and heat-harvesting water pipes. Now, a Spanish tech company has developed yet another piece of “street technology,” known as iPavement – sidewalk paving stones that double as WiFi hotspots.
iPavement being installed in Spain
Along with providing internet usage to passers-by, however, iPavement also comes with a number of cloud-based apps for them to use while they’re in the area. These include a digital library; maps that promote local restaurants, shops and other attractions; a music service; a coupon catalogue featuring local businesses; a service that provides alerts on hazards and obstructions in the nearby streets; and a Bluetooth service that sends promotional messages to devices. An app is also available that provides statistics on local foot traffic, if the special footstep-registering stones are used.
The apps are available in a number of languages, and the system works with most of the common browsers. One of iPavement’s limitations, however, is its operating temperature range – it will only work between -10 and 45 ºC (14 - 113ºF). That’s fine for the Mediterranean climate of Spain, but could present a challenge for many other parts of the world.
