Battery-Free Video Cam Grabs Picture and Power—from Same Light

The researchers at the Columbia University have created a futuristic and quite unbelievable self sufficient camera. A simple video was shown first by the researchers wherein a person was seen changing his facial expression each time, he moves his head either upside and down followed by side to side movement. This video appeared to shot centuries ago but the concept and design is relatively new and refreshing in every essence.

The video here is not in the question but the device with which this video is recorded is turning heads. This particular camera has used a cutting edge, futuristic technology which uses light both as source of creating video and harnessing power for the device. This can certainly bring in a new age of battery less camera, which will keep recording videos as long as there is light.

How this concept works? 

The researcher states that they had combined the two different concepts in the mechanism of this camera. One concept center around the camera’s image senor capability of collecting and measuring light along with another concept which uses the photovoltaic cells to convert some of the captured by camera into harnessing energy for the device. It is still an earlier stage of development wherein the researchers at Columbia University were able to develop a self-sufficient camera.

How this new camera works? 

This new self-sufficient camera works directly on the lines of the concept put forward by the researchers. This camera during each of the image capture cycle first works towards records the lights into pixels for producing images, later on it harvest energy and in return works towards charging the sensor’s sensor supply. It is a brilliantly devised concept, which helps in killing two birds with one stone. Capturing of images and powering of the device is done simultaneously in this process.

Future prospects of this self-sufficient camera? 

As said earlier this camera happens to be in crude development stage but it shows a greater promise for wide applications in future. It can easily become a critical part of the networks, prominent feature in consumer electronics along with wearable gadget and other Internet of Things devices. The creator of this camera Shree Naya, Columbia computer science professor, was upbeat about this self-powered camera. He states that very soon companies will be willing put this kind of powerful camera device in their products, which can return high quality images at minimal energy requirements.

This research will be presented as a team’s research at the upcoming IEEE International Conference on Computational Photography in Houston. This self-powered camera not only will provide high quality images but it can keep working tireless to almost forever, as it is self sufficient in harvesting energy. It can see a mainstay use in the popular consumer electronics like smartphone, tablets and other devices. In the security industry, it can work like a charm for providing unlimited supply of surveillance without the need of any external power source.

Canon 250-Megapixel Sensor can Read the Side of a Plane from 11 Miles Away

Canon’s 250 Megapixel APS-H CMOS Sensor

Everything tends to get under surveillance more than ever now as drones tend to get cheaper and the cameras far more advanced. Canon has now come up with a 250 megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor which could be used in a DSLR.

It is an APS-H size sensor which is about 80% of the length and width of full frame sensor. It seems to be a bit larger than the popular APS-C setup. This has the capabilities of distinguishing letters on the side of flying airplane at a distance of 12 miles. This sensor could be utilised in spy cameras sometimes in the near future.

The Japanese giant camera claims that the 19,580 x 12,600 pixel sensor has set a world record in its size for resolution. This means that each pixel is around 1.5 microns, almost similar as an iPhone 6. One can imagine what the new sensor as an array of 30 perfectly aligned and high speed smartphone sensors could do. The CMOS sensors tend to increase pixel counts.

The consequence can increase signal volume which could result in problems as signal delays.However the APS-H tends to have a fast signal readout speed of around 1.25 billion a second. It is said to produce crisp images.

Videos Can be Cropped & Magnified

Besides taking photos from far-fetched distance, the sensor portrays its high speed by being capable of writing out over 1 billion pixels per second, permitting to capture 250MP video at 5fpsThe footage is shot sharper at 30 times than 4K or 125 times that of a Full HD video.

The videos could also be cropped and magnified without the need of losing image resolution and clarity.Canon has informed that the sensor could be utilised one day in specialised surveillance and crime prevention tools, ultra-high resolution measuring instruments as well as other industrial equipment.

This would mean that when spies may get their hands on technology, it would not appear in a standard DSLR camera in the years to come. As Cannon is looking forward in marketing its new sensor to specific audiences comprising of surveillance, industrial equipment and much more, it could be helpful to make way for practical light-field camera as well.

Future of Imaging

However the big issue with light-field products like the ones from Lytro is the amount of resolution they give up to gain their ability in capturing dimensionality and change focus in post-production. Ren Ng, the founder of Lytro had made it transparent that the company had been built on the premise which sensor resolution would tend to continue on improvement, making the compromise more reasonable.

Based on how much of the light-field that a camera may be designed to capture, it could lessen the native sensor resolution from about 10% to 90%. With a native resolution of 250MP, even a 90% resolution would probably produce a respectable 25MP image.

As Canon continues to make headway with its recent announcement of ultra-high definition megapixel sensors, there seems to be some interesting ideas for the future of imaging. Application for ultra-high definition sensor tend to differ, however, they would be utilised in government surveillance, astrophotography or space exploration and geological surveillance.

How Facebook Plans to Make Money on Messenger

Facebook Messenger has already become a new revolutionizing way for the companies to communicate their business through its private messages. Just take a scenario a person buys a bag of chips and happens to find all broken and he just uses the Facebook Messenger private chat service to express his displeasure. Within six months of Messenger business features launch a large number of businesses had started utilizing this platform to engage with their customers and provide them with quick and active customer services.

Facebook’s head of ads and Pages executive, Andrew Bosworth has revealed the company’s intention to monetize the private chats for better returns. It was expected that sooner or later Messenger will help the Facebook in generating some valuable income and it has some incredible ideas to test out.

Facebook is trying some new ideas

Facebook for long had tried kept it away from any revenue generation model and focused on providing an exciting and commendable platform for social networking. But at last it has to monetize its platform in order to generate some revenue no for its own benefit but also for the investors. Now it is planning to make some money on the Messenger, which is tricky, but Facebook has some ideas to try out. Bosworth has hinted about few ideas, which can help business in driving by bringing in repeat customers, or offering them discounts over the Messenger.

Facebook to integrate M in Messenger
 
Earlier this month Facebook has unveiled its M, which is essentially an artificial intelligence assistant for the users. A number of companies are using Facebook to communicate with their customers and offer fast and quick resolution to their problems in a more interactive fashion. M can help a lot in automating the process of dealing with numerous customers on the social media platform. It should be noted that M happens to be more refined and robust artificial digital assistant who helps people in performing wide number minor to tasks like making restaurant reservation to ordering flowers.

More features can be integrated into Messenger

The digital assistant M makes it possible to add more core features to the Messenger, which will help in businesses in a productive manner. Click-to-message ad features are being testing out by the companies on the Message to assess its potential. It works in a simplistic manner whenever a user clicks on any one of these ads then it helps in launching a private Messenger conversation with that particular business. More hardcore features like payments and customer care services via Messenger are also possible. It is worth noting that Messenger service is utilized by more than 700 million worldwide each month.


Bosworth even said there is possibility of virtual reality integrating in future, as Facebook own the Occulis Rift, which is now making come riveting VR headsets for the consumers. Virtual Reality experience is also a great avenue to bring ads as human life does include ads. Having ads in the virtual sphere will be an exciting and remarkable in itself.

Google Sends out Invites for September 29 Event

Google’s Invites for Upcoming Event

Google has begun sending invites to media for the upcoming event on September 29 where probably the launch of the next generation Nexus and Chromecast devices will be coming up. There have been rumours and reports stating that the search giant would be launching not one but two Nexus smartphones at the event where both of them would be smartphones.

The two Nexus smartphones would be launched one from LG while the other would be from Huawei. Moreover the reports also indicate that the successor to the Google Chromecast would be launched with quicker Wi-Fi together with added features accompanied with a special music focussed variant of Chromecast known as Chromecast Music.

 This would be with provision for Spotify streaming. The LG Nexus 5X which is referred to be the name of the sub 5 inch screen variant would be featuring a 5.2 inch 1080p IPS LCD display. It is a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC with 3GB RAM, 16/32FB having an internal storage space together with a 13 megapixels primary camera, a 4 megapixel secondary camera and a 2,700 mAh battery.

Enhanced Wi-Fi/Fast Play

On the other hand, the Huawei Nexus 6P features a 5.7 inch QHD AMOLED display with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, a 3GB RAM, 32GB on-board storage. These would be accompanied with a 12 megapixel primary camera along with 4K video recording as well as an 8 megapixel front facing camera. The smartphone by Huawei would be named the Nexus 6 comprising of a fingerprint scanner and USB Type-C.

 The Nexus 5 of LG would feature a 5.2 inch display. It would also have a fingerprint scanner which would be under the extended camera and comprise of 3 GB RAM. The two smartphones would be the first set of smartphones which will run the latest Android M – Marshmallow, software.

It is also expected that Google would be unveiling the second breed Chromecast dongle which would be packed with a range of latest features. These would comprise of feeds for the main screen device accompanied with enhanced Wi-Fi together with a new features which has been known as `Fast Play’.

Introducing Chromecast Audio

It is also said that Google has been speculating on introducing Motorola inspired dongle labelled as `Chromecast Audio’that would be permitting a Chromecast device to get plugged directly into any of the speaker through an auxiliary cord. Since the invitation reads `hands-on time’, followed by a presentation, there seems to be possibilities of seeing the two new Nexus smartphones revealed at the event at San Francisco.

Google’s event comes weeks after Apple’s similar events where the tech company had announced new iPhones, iPads as well as new Apple TV together with latest accessories. Earlier this week, Amazon too had unveiled a new line of products which included a $50 tablet as well as a new version of the Fire TV with a potential of streaming device at 4K resolution.

As always Google event will be streamed live on their YouTube channel and for those unable to make it for the event could tune online and view the live event which would be starting on Tuesday, September 29, 9 AM PT.

Harry Potter-Style Invisibility Cloaks Exists in Real Life

Invisibility Cloak – Material of Gold Nanoantenna

An invisible cloak has been developed by scientists, a type of material which tends to wrap around objects, making them invisible to the naked eye. But the material is presently just enough to wrap around a very small item, much smaller than Dobby the house elf. However it is a huge innovation which portrays that we can in the near future have human sized invisibility cloaks.

 The microscopically thin film has been created by US researchers from the material of gold nanoantenna which is utilised in collecting the sun’s rays in solar panels. The film tends to confuse the human eye by sprinkling light waves which would generally hit an object making it invisible. Presently it has managed to hide something the size of a few cells.

Dr Xiang Zhang, corresponding author of US Department of Energy – DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Materials Science Division, stated that it is the first time a 3D object of arbitrary shape has been cloaked from visible light.

The ultra-thin cloak seems like a coat and is easy to design as well as to implement. It is possibly accessible for the purpose of hiding macroscopic objects’.

Meta Engineered – Deflect Reflected Light Waves

The scattering of the light, whether it is visible, infrared of X-ray, from its interaction with matter is what enables us to detect and observe object. What governs these reactions in natural materials is evaded in metamaterials where optical properties tend to rise from their physical structure instead of their chemical composition.

Though the cloak is microscopic in size, the values behind the technology could enable it to be reached up to cover macroscopic objects too, according to researchers. Working on blocks of gold nanoantennas, a skin cloak has been created by the researches which is barely 80 nanometres in thickness that can wrap around a three dimensional object, the size of a few biological cells and randomly shaped with dents and bumps.

The surface of the skin of the clock is said to be Meta engineered to deflect the reflected light waves in order that the object is rendered invisible to optical recognition when the cloak tend to be activated.

Antenna Designed to React with Light/Scatter it Back

For the past ten years, Zhang together with his research group had been going beyond the precincts of how light tends to interact with metamaterials, handling to curve the path of light or bend it backwards, phenomena which is not envisaged in natural materials and to render object optically invisible.

Most of the cloaking devices in progress tend to work by channelling the light which normally would hit an object away from it. The new cloak on the contrary changes the way the light scatters, and creates an illusion of a surface as flat as a mirror rather than of the actual shape of the object.

 It has accomplished this by utilising a thin layer of material known as metasurface which is made of magnesium fluoride that is covered in millions of tiny golden antennae, each of which is about 1/1000th, the width of a human hair. Zhang had informed The Post that each antenna has been designed to react with the light and scatter it back and delay the light, delay the reflection in a way that every point of the face would reflect as if from a flat surface like a mirror.

He admits that there seems to be a lot of work to be done prior to the invisibility cloak of this type could be made useful.