cameras

You can already buy an infrared camera, but only if you have hundreds of dollars to sink into the purchase. An inexpensive infrared-modified camera, originally developed by Public Lab to monitor damage to wetlands after the BP oil spill, is now available through Kickstarter.

The Infragram project has already handily topped its $30,000 goal and gives you several different options for obtaining a cheap infrared camera. You can do it yourself and modify your own camera for $10, buy a pre-modified bare-bones Webcam for $35, or buy a ready-to-use point-and-shoot camera for $95.… Read more

In 2012, 83 firefighters died in the line of duty in the U.S. alone, and another 37 fatalities have been reported thus far in 2013. But, with better scouting tools, these numbers could be lowered.

Thank goodness for robots.

A new one out of the University of California, San Diego, may soon help first responders survey a fiery scene with its ability to enter a burning building and immediately transmit data on the state and location of the fire, the building's structural integrity, and the presence of any volatile gases -- all while on the lookout for survivors.… Read more

Google Glass just got a little bit better.

The search giant on Tuesday announced new software for the Google Glass camera that will improve photo taking. The update gives Glass the ability to snap multiple photos at once and combine them, so users can get the best shot. The camera can now also detect low-light environments and will automatically brighten an image to make it clearer. It's also capable of doing a better job of capturing movement.

In addition to the new camera features, users can now also add captions to photos they take.

Of course, there's one … Read more

Your iPhone's camera is good for a lot more than just snapping photos. For example, it can translate foreign-language signs, menus, and other printed materials in real time. And grade the foods at your grocery store. And scan documents on the go.

CamFind turns your camera into a search engine, allowing you to look up information just by pointing the lens at any real-world object or location. And it's pretty darn cool.… Read more

Analog Camera is a simple photo editor from RealMac software, the same folks who made the to-do-list app Clear. Like Clear, the app is as bare bones as it gets, but the minimalist design and intuitive controls make photo sharing incredibly quick and easy.

Analog Camera is not a full-featured photo editor in the same vein as apps like KitCam or PhotoToaster. Instead, it offers only a couple of features in the interest of convenience and quick sharing. When you launch the app, you immediately see the viewfinder so you can take a picture right away. But at the top … Read more

The future of arguing a referee's call is upon us. On Monday, a tennis player used an iPhone to take a picture of where his ball supposedly landed.

At the French Open, Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky surprised the crowd with his impromptu display of photography skills during the first set of a match against Richard Gasquet. At one point in the game, Stakhovsky hit the ball and a line judge ruled the shot as out of bounds. To make sure, officials went to the line to examine where the ball hit and confirmed the ruling. Stakhovsky attempted to argue the call to no avail.… Read more

Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 could see some major enhancements to its onboard camera.

Due out in the second half of 2013, the next Note may sport a 13-megapixel camera with an anti-shake feature designed to capture higher-quality pictures. Citing "industry insiders," Korean site ETNews claims that Samsung's mobile communications team is developing technologies to bring OIS (optical image stabilization) and shutter functions to the Note 3, putting it more on par with traditional digital cameras.

An official from the communications division reportedly told ETNews that "we are pondering various technologies at this stage -- for … Read more

EyeEm manages to cut through the plethora of photo editing and sharing apps on the App Store to provide a unique, engaging experience, unrivaled by many of its peers. While not a perfect solution to some common photo sharing issues, EyeEm manages to provide much needed improvements to many issues in an easy-to-use photo sharing tool.

EyeEm is very similar to other photo filtering apps, but does many things differently that make it not only slightly easier to use, but more effective. When you create your account, you can choose to immediately connect to Facebook or to register an independent … Read more

Comic Book Camera is an impressive photo filtering app, managing to go above and beyond most other free options. Some of the photo apps on the App Store are incredible in what they enable your camera to do. From active filters that layer over your lens to video editing software, developers have done some impressive things with the camera in these devices. Comic Book Camera does all of this and more with a unique twist.

The premise of Comic Book Camera is to convert your photos into black & white, comic-style images that you can edit and add text bubbles … Read more