Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label film

Microdrones' flying robot films African wildlife, finds peace with nature

Sit back, relax and grab a cold one, because you're about to take an aerial tour of the Serengeti, courtesy of that flying drone you're staring at. Developed by Microdrones, this MD4-100 quadrotor was recently sent off to Kenya, where it gathered footage for a TV nature documentary produced by TBS Japan. By hovering over the terrain, the craft was able to get relatively up close and personal with zebras, elephants and other wildlife, without creating the same kind of disturbance that heavy duty, camera-laden trucks can wreak. Presumably, that's because the animals have no idea what to make of a flying robot, though part of us wants to believe there's some sort of full-circle, techno-evolutionary dynamic at work here, momentously bringing bot and beast together in some sort of pre-apocalyptic symbiosis. But that's just us. Hover past the break to see the video for yourself. IEEE Spectrum microdronesGMBH (YouTube)

Impossible announces PX 680 Color Shade film for Polaroid 600 cameras, shows Instagram how it's really done

Fortunately for photography buffs, Impossible's mission to revive Instant Integral film hasn't proven, well, impossible. And the company's latest film stock, PX 680 Color Shade, reminds us of those Hipstamatic and Instagram shots the kids like so much these days. Except, you know -- the aforementioned apps simulate old school photographic processes and equipment, while the new film achieves the same effect by using time-honored methods that remind us of the new school smartphone apps that ape time-honored photographic processes and equipment. Just thinking about it makes our heads hurt! If you've been waiting your whole life for the perfect Polaroid 600 color film, it's available now for $22. Hit the source link for more info (and some pretty awesome sample shots). Wired Impossible

FCC gives the RED EPIC-M its teardown treatment, so you don't have to

Ever wondered what it feels like to tear down a $58,000 professional video camera? Well, unless you're as minted as Peter Jackson or James Cameron, chances are you'll never get close to a RED EPIC-M (without breaking the law) to find out. That said, you may get some insight from this fresh batch of disassembly shots, courtesy of the FCC. Sure, there aren't any jewels or unicorns hidden inside this powerful 5K imager, but you'll get plenty of close-up shots of its delicate circuitry -- it's actually pretty impressive how much the hand-machined chassis holds. Head over to  Wireless Goodness  to admire the full glory, but make sure you don't dribble over your keyboard. Wireless Goodness FCC

Ubisoft founds motion picture division, vows to keep Jake Gyllenhaal working

Quick show of hands: how many of you like playing video games? And how many of you would like to watch movies based on video games you've played? No doubt slightly more sophisticated market research went into Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the game maker's unique approach to adapting games like Assassin's Creed  and  Splinter Cell  for film and TV, meaning we'll finally see movies about assassins. Last year's  Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time  film grossed $335 million worldwide, surely thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's smoldering yet boyish intensity, and the French game publisher clearly wants a bigger slice of Hollywood pie -- it also recently bought visual effects studio Hybride Technologies. You might as well get in line now for  Battle Tag: The Movie . Joystiq Variety

First Orbit offers a glimpse at Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight 50 years later (video)

It's been exactly 50 years to the day -- in some places, anyway -- that cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's maiden voyage set off an international space race that defined an era, and while only Gagarin knew exactly what it was like to be the first man in space, documentarian Christopher Riley is giving us a glimpse of what the world might have looked like from the porthole of Vostok 1. As we reported before, First Orbit is a mashup of sorts that features original audio recordings from Gagarin's flight, coupled with footage taken by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli from aboard the International Space Station. The result is nothing short of stunning, but you don't have to take our word for it -- in fact, go ahead and grab yourself some popcorn, hit the play button, and prepare to be amazed. First Orbit