New Canon PowerShot G1 X high-end compact tipped to include 20.2MP sensor

Cameras, Canon, Powershot, Canon PowerShot G1 X

Canon will be offering a new version of its PowerShot G1 X high-end compact, if a leak from Chinese forum Xitek is to be believed.
The two year old camera will get a Mark II version, making a high-end camera option for users who want a small form-factor. The new version is said to be similar in design to the original G1 X, but offer a slightly longer lens. Users will see a 20.2-megapixel 1.5-inch CMOS sensor, coupled with a 24-120mm f/2.8-5.8 lens, and DIGIC 6 image processor to ensure photos come out crystal clear.
The Mark II version is said to keep its same 3-inch LCD touch screen with 922,000 dots. Essentially what customers will be getting here is better photos, and who doesn't like that.
Of course, nothing's been confirmed by Canon. If all goes as planned, the company is expected to make a reveal at the CP+ show in Japan next month. No pricing has been named, but the last Powershot G1 X version went for £700, and we suspect Canon won't go too far off for its second version.
Via: PhotoRumorsSource: Xitek

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Vuzix “designer sunglasses” styled Glass-rival due after 2015

Vuzix will take on Google Glass with a wearable headset resembling "designer sunglasses" rather than the somewhat clunky Borg-style tech companies are offering today, thanks to a newly announced deal with a mysterious "Tier 1" brand. The project, which Vuzix says will distill its waveguide-based eyepiece technology - expected to launch this year in industrial form - into a more consumer-friendly form, is expected to reach final design stage sometime in 2015, with a commercial launch beyond that.

The identity of the "Tier 1" consumer electronics brand hasn't been revealed, with Vuzix saying that its partner has requested all details be held back until closer to launch. Still, the goal is clear: take wearables to the mass market by making them more aesthetically palatable.

"Being able to develop Smart Glasses that look like designer eyewear is critical" Vuzix's president Paul Travers said of the project. The company began shipping the M100 Android-powered wearable last month, but the headset is hardly akin to sunglasses in its design.




Similarly, the first waveguide-based product - which Vuzix built using holographic technology developed by Nokia - isn't going to be mistaken for anything but a Steampunk-style monocle. Intended for industrial use, such as overlaying schematics on top of broken hardware for the benefit of on-site engineers, the M2000AR HMD has a 720p resolution display integrated into the eyepiece, along with a 1080p camera and wireless connectivity.




Vuzix isn't alone in testing out augmented reality in this manner. Lumus showed off its prototype headset, the DK-40, at CES last week, though it will leave commercializing the eyewear to third-party brands. That will come in at a not-inconsiderable $6,000 apiece, however, though Vuzix said at launch that it expected the consumer version - which could be on shelves as soon as mid-2014 - to be far more affordable.

It's unclear if that consumer iteration is the same product as Vuzix is working on with its unnamed partner, though it seems likely that they'll be two different options, connected only by their shared use of the waveguide optics system.

Vuzix isn't alone in testing out augmented reality in this manner. Lumus showed off its prototype headset, the DK-40, at CES last week, though it will leave commercializing the eyewear to third-party brands.

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Pivothead SMART Glasses Live Up To Their Name

It’s not a secret that the future of video recording is perched on your nose. Even if Google Glass never really takes off, the hands-free form factor and high-quality video you can get with video glasses makes it highly appealing to journalists and filmmakers. And Pivothead has decided to build modular glasses just for them.

Glasses That Go To Pieces
A Solid Camera On Their Own
Facecamera

The SMART Glasses’ best feature is the ports on either end of the stems. They’re designed to let you swap in different modules to achieve different effects. One of the modules, for example, is designed to livestream video, so if you want to cover the news, or show off what’s going on in real time, you just fire up the glasses. There’s a computing module that adds a bunch of sensors and a rudimentary computing function. And, naturally, there’s a battery to get extended life. Needless to say, there’s only two at a time, but hey, they’re all useful.

Besides that, the SMART Glasses are just a solid little video camera on their own. The footage is shot in 1080p, of course, and can be stored onboard in the 16GB of memory, which can, of course, be expanded courtesy of a microSD slot. Instead of using an in-eye system, a series of LEDs embedded in the frame tell you what’s going on, whether you’re recording, and where your battery level happens to be. It’s not revolutionary, but if you need video handy, this will fit the bill.

You won’t have to wait long to try out Pivothead’s new glasses; they’ve finished a funding campaign quite successfully and are targeting April for a release date. The price is pretty much in line with what you might expect: You’ll be paying $630 to get the glasses and all three of the attachable modules.

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