Here's how to photograph the "curiosity" that killed the cat

This particular item was brought to my attention by a cat-loving friend who does not follow the tech blogs (sacrilege, I know). Behold: The CatCam, a modified digital camera with a time-sequence controller and a furry mode of transportation. The Website features the adventures of one such furball, a tomcat named Mr Lee. This typically curious kitty treks around the great outdoors, and then his owner posts pics from his "trips" online. The images aren't exactly crystal clear, but that adds to the charm--you gotta love the furry chin partially obstructing the view in many of the photos. And the one of Mr Lee taking a drink is awfully cute, despite the blur. (The captions are rather amusing, too.)

The site also offers the CatCam for purchase, and I thought momentarily that I'd like to strap one on to my precious little girl, but seeing as how she's only allowed to wander a city-sized apartment, the photos would be less "oh, how cute!" and more "good Lord, I need to clean my floors". This led me to the conclusion that this gadget is really only useful for outdoor cats. And by "useful" I mean "entertaining"--the CatCam is really just a fun toy, right? If you can think of any other uses, please post 'em in the comments.

Via CNET Crave

Cheaper than a dentist: Photoshop teeth-whitening filter

Austin, Texas-based Image Trends plans to release new Photoshop plug-ins that automate two common tasks for the cosmetic retouching of digital photos: Whitening teeth and removing skin glare.

The company's PearlyWhites and ShineOff plug-ins cost US$49.95 each. The plug-ins work on Windows, but Mac OS X versions will be available later.

The filters can operate in a batch mode, allowing Photoshop users to edit large groups of images in bulk. The PearlyWhites plug-in doesn't need to be told where teeth are located--the often-laborious selection process. Instead, it applies its changes to white areas that it finds surrounded by flesh tones, said Michael Conley, vice president of Marketing and Sales.

The company also plans to release the Mac OS X version of a plug-in called Fisheye-Hemi that converts the distorted view of a fish-eye lens into a perspective more familiar to human eyes. That plug-in costs US$29.95.

Image Trends was formed from the core members of the former Applied Science Fiction Group, now Kodak's Austin Development Center, the company said.

Via CNET Crave

Time-lapse photo system for amateur science teachers

This seems like a lot of money to do some time-lapse photography, but if you're an aspiring science teacher it will undoubtedly produce better footage of plants growing than the reel-to-reel films we were subjected to in grade school. This all-in-one system from Harbortronics can also provide a lesson in alternative energy because it runs on solar power.

The package includes a Pentax K110D Digital SLR, two 2GB memory cards and an automatic shutter controller for US$2,300, according to Uncrate. Let's hope the photos look better than the system itself, which resembles a camera stuck in a microwave with a solar panel glued on top. Via CNET Crave

The camera behind Google's Street View

If you've been playing with Google's new Street View feature--that US$25 billion time suck--you may well have wondered how the heck it took those 360-degree images while driving down the street.

Well, wonder no more. Thanks to our good friend Xeni Jardin at Boing Boing, we now know that many of the images, at least those shot outside the San Francisco Bay Area--were shot using this fairly disco-ball-esque device by the outside contractor, Immersive Media.

What's not clear just yet is if Google used the same kind of camera in the Bay Area, where the company shot its own, higher-resolution images. But it must have been something similar, though we know from this image that Google used a van, while Immersive Media seems to have used a Volkswagen New Beetle.

Enjoy. Oh, and did I say $25 billion time suck? By now, it's up to $26 billion. And counting.

Via CNET Crave

Nikon spins 360

Designer Ye Chen's hypothetical digital camera optimized for shooting 360-degree panoramas has the advantage of being small and cool-looking. The camera concept, posted on the Yanko Design site, incorporates a rotating camera lens, essentially turning the entire camera body into a tripod. It's a simple, relatively elegant design.

Ironically, though, the camera itself isn't the most interesting aspect of the story. What is? For one, the designer dubs the camera the "Nikon 360." Given all the attention it's getting on the Web, can you think of a better way to draw the attention (hopefully non-legal) of a potential client?

The other thing that intrigued me was the response of the blog sites that covered it. Gizmodo says: "If this were to actually be manufactured I highly doubt it could sell enough to stay afloat, but it could be a good schtick camera.". And Tech Digest comments: "I wonder how much of a selling point panoramic shots are outside people who hike up and down hills for fun". With all the Web sites and businesses reliant on practical tools for visualizing an environment--applications such as Hopstop and Google Streets, not to mention the huge potential for real estate and travel sites--relegating panoramic imaging tools to a niche market seems surprisingly short sighted.

Via CNET Crave

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