camera

Lytro camera software now ready for Windows users

If you've been holding off on buying the Lytro light-field camera because you're a Windows user, you can now get out your credit card. The revolutionary little camera that lets you shoot first and focus later can now be used with both Mac and Windows computers.

When the camera started shipping in March, the desktop software required to offload and process the camera's "living pictures" required Mac OS 10.6.6 or higher. A Windows 7 64-bit version of the same desktop software is now available for download.… Read more

Five great tips to get you started with the Nexus 7

Getting started with the Nexus 7 can be a bit daunting if it's your first tablet, or if you're not familiar with Android. But, that's why we're here. We have rounded up the best Nexus 7 tips and tricks to help get you started with your latest tech addiction.

Customizing the Nexus 7 The first thing you're going to want to do is personalize and customize your Nexus 7. Donald Bell came through with a great video full of Nexus 7 tips and tricks. You will be shown how to change widgets, the wallpaper, or … Read more

Back to school tech gifts (2012)

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) When I think about college, all the fun memories come to mind -- the kind of fun that makes me grateful Facebook didn't exist back then.

But time has a way of helping you forget what a traumatic, mind-bending hell college really is. And if your kid or someone you know is heading back to school soon, there's a good chance that he or she is justifiably freaking out right now.

That kid needs your help, and we're here to help you. CNET has published its annual back to school tech guide, … Read more

Watch an asteroid fly-by this weekend

This weekend is a rare opportunity to see a space rock the size of a city block go for a joyride past the much bigger space rock we call Earth.

The snappily named asteroid 2002 AM31 will cruise by our planet this Sunday, coming within 13.7 lunar distances, or about 3.2 million miles.

If you consider yourself a bit of a NEO (near-Earth object) groupie, you can watch the whole spectacle online at the Web site of the Slooh space camera (really a network of robotic telescopes around the globe). Webcasts are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. PT and will feature live commentary and feeds from telescopes in Arizona and the Canary Islands. … Read more

Canon mirrorless picture surfaces?

This picture surfaced on the Web today. Speculation has it that this is the Canon mirrorless camera, which the rumor mill says is going to be announced on July 23.

In the picture, it has a hot shoe, a shutter button (with no mode dial), and uses a new EF-M mount with the STM lenses -- hybrid contrast/phase autofocus -- that debuted with the T4i. But you can see that in the picture, which may or may not be real.

In the absence of any information, I have nothing more to say. But you guys can feel free to … Read more

Turn iPhone into wide-angle action sports camera

There's a more secure way to capture your skateboarding and mountain biking exploits than by duct taping your iPhone to the top of your helmet.

Optrix, a company that once ran over one of its own cases with a very large Dodge truck, has now taken on the task of protecting your iPhone during extreme sports activities.… Read more

How to access the camera app on your Nexus 7

Google's newest tablet, the Nexus 7, comes equipped with a front-facing camera, but no way of accessing the camera outside of apps such as Skype, Instagram, and the like. But thanks to a small app, which adds a camera launcher to your Nexus 7, you're able to access the camera and the Android 4.1 camera app like you would on any other Android 4.1 device.

The process couldn't be simpler.

Head over the to Google Play Store and download Camera Luancher for Nexus 7.

After installation, you'll see the familiar Android camera icon added … Read more

iPhone 5 leaked photos show tall white frame with center camera

Possible images of the next-generation iPhone continue to pop up online, with the latest allegedly revealing a peek at the front frame.

Two photos merged into one image posted by Taiwan-based blog Apple.pro display a white frame and the same white frame flipped over to reveal its back. 9to5Mac says the image is the first peek of a white front frame for the upcoming iPhone.

The width of the alleged frame is apparently the same as that of the iPhone 4S, according to Apple.pro, but the length is greater. That description follows several reports this year claiming that … Read more

The 12 best Android camera apps around

As the de facto point-and-shoot camera reviewer for CNET, I spend a lot of time living in the world of automatic snapshots and easy post-shoot editing. While I can tell you several ways a separate point-and-shoot is better than a smartphone camera (and not just in picture quality), I'd be a lying liar if I said I never use my smartphone's camera when I'm shooting.

I'm regularly hunting for new apps that will allow me to do more and work efficiently. For a long time, though, it seemed like there was a complete lack of decent camera apps for Android. I remember trying to pull together a list of apps I liked about this time last year and I could barely come up with five. That's not the case anymore.

These are the dozen camera apps that I use most frequently, which I guess makes them my favorites. I have others that I use for various things (which I've mentioned in with my other picks below), but I keep coming back to these.… Read more

Nokia 808 PureView camera vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 4S (pictures)

The Nokia 808 PureView's fame comes down to its camera, which can capture up to 41 megapixels of digital information and output incredibly detailed images at 5, 8, and yes, even 41 megapixels if that's what you really want.

The secret to the camera's performance is the extra-large sensor, which is physically much larger than usual 5-megapixel and 8-megapixel sensors (see the difference here.) Still, the camera's software has to render the image correctly as well.

I added my own shootout to CNET Asia's excellent photo test, to see how well the camera performed in … Read more