Facebook isn’t the type of company content to be outdone by other people’s apps, so the company launched a new app called Facebook Camera for the iOS platform. The new app promises to make using Facebook photos faster and easier. When the user launches the app, they will see the photos from the people on their friends list.

The app lets people swipe to see more of any album or an individual photo to enlarge it. It also allows you to share your own photos by uploading multiple images at one time rather than having to upload individual images. It also has basic tools for editing pictures and adding filters. It’s not as full featured as Instagram, but I still vote we call this app Facegram.

It’s just puzzling that Facebook would release this app so soon after buying Instagram. Perhaps this app was already in development long before the purchase was announced. If you want to check it out, you can grab Facebook Camera over on the App Store for free.

The Leica M Monochrom Camera has got an 18 MP CCD that stores true luminance values, which means that it can’t see any colors. Unlike other digital cameras, it doesn’t start with a color picture and then remove the color. Instead, it shoots true black and white only.

The rangefinder camera has Leica’s typically rugged build quality and classically minimal styling. ISO goes up to 10,000, it also has a 2.5-inch LCD screen, a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 sec, and it’s compatible with all sorts of Leica M lenses. Unfortunately, the M Monochrom will cost you almost $8,000, so better sell your car if you want this baby.

You can find some hi-res sample images over on the Leica website, and check out the video below for a L-Camera Forum’s review of an early build of the Leica M Monochrom:

[via Uncrate]

The wood and aluminum camera is wirelessly mated to a digital photo frame, to which you can send your images when the camera is nearby. This is the only way to view the photos since the camera has no LCD viewer of its own – just an analog viewfinder. The camera only has a small amount of storage, so you’ll be forced to send your photos wirelessly to the frame frequently.

Brian is a design student at the University of Dundee in Scotland, and he wrote a series of posts about how he came to his design over at his blog, and more details on the build here.

[via Yanko Design]

ADR-Studio hypothesized since Instagram was recently bought for a billion bucks, it might have enough money to come out with its own branded camera. This square concept camera looks like an oversize version of the Instagram logo, and snaps square pictures. The camera would have 16 GB of storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a 4:3 touchscreen, 2 different lenses, webcam applications as well as QR code scanning.

It also would offer optical zoom, an LED flash, as well as an internal printer, capable of outputting Post-It like sticky photos annotated with the Instagram user’s nickname and a QR code you can scan to follow them.

What do you guys think? Would you buy a camera like this? I’m not sure it’d be anything more than a novelty, but the design is kind of cool.

[via Thaeger]

Eric Siu, from Hong Kong, has conceived a new kind of tactile camera and he’s named it TOUCHY. It was developed while he was a resident artist at the Ishikawa Oku Laboratory at the University of Tokyo in Japan. The TOUCHY camera sits on top of the user’s head, blocking out his sight with oversize shutters until another person activates it. Only while the wearer is touched will the camera capture images, once every ten seconds, leaving them blind when not touched by another human.

Think of TOUCHY more as a social experiment than an actual product concept. The device itself is quite bulky and rather ridiculous looking, but it definitely makes you think about how we broadcast our lives on the web, thanks to smartphones, at the same time being more and more self-absorbed in our gadgets while we walk around.

[via designboom]

This “disposable” camera uses two AA batteries and can store up to 40 photos in the built-in memory. Once you’ve filled it up, you can download the images to your computer using the USB connector that swings out of the corner of the camera.

The IKEA Cardboard Digital Camera was created as part of a press kit for the 2012 Fuorisalone, a design expo in Milan – so, no you can’t pick it up at your local IKEA store, but you might be able to do so in the near future if enough people let them know they’d like one.

[via Fancy via PetaPixel]

Google says that friends at The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science have been working to devise a method of collecting the sort of imagery that’s cheap and easy to access for all people. The kit that the Public Laboratory came up with has been dubbed the balloon mapping toolkit.

It allows anyone to take their own aerial images using a cheap point-and-shoot digital camera and a few other items. The kit would cost about $100 including the balloon, helium, line, and other items needed. The Public Laboratory also has an online tool called MapKnitter that aligns the photos into a geo-referenced image that Google Earth can use.

[via Google Lat Long Blog]

Developed by the ever-developing folks at Keio University in Japan, the 3-axis analog joystick uses GelForce, a simple yet effective tracking system that uses colored markers. The markers are located on the inside of the joystick. When the joystick is moved, the markers also move and are deformed. The camera tracks the changes to the markers, and software installed in the device interprets these changes as movement.

It might be a bit awkward to use this system for games with dual-stick controls, but it’s way better than nothing. In addition, a special SDK would need to be integrated to any games to make them compatible. With a joystick like this maybe I can finally play Robokill 2 for more than 5 minutes without getting pissed off.

[via DigInfo via Ubergizmo]

So the Ubi-Camera wasn’t made from the same people who brought you that concept. It’s not that clean or neat-looking yet either, but it works on the same concept: all you have to do is put the Ubi-Camera on, and form your hands into a frame to take a picture.

The camera is a prototype created by a research group at Japan’s Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Science. It basically contains a range sensor that works in conjunction with a still-in-development software to take pictures simply by framing the scene with your hands.

You’re supposed to move your face close to the camera to take a wide-angle shot, and move away when you want to take a close-up one.

[via DigInfo]

Galileo is the invention of Josh Guyot, the co-founder of Joby, the company that makes the popular Gorillapod products. Clearly he knows a thing or two about accessories for cameras, and it shows in the dead simple control scheme for Galileo. Using a remote iOS device, all you have to do is swipe on the screen and the Galileo will move accordingly while sending video in real-time. As you’ll see in the video below there is some lag, but it still works beautifully. Aside from moving it around, Galileo will also charge the device that’s docked in it.

In addition to the remote control, they plan on releasing an SDK for controlling the Galileo with your own apps, such as time-lapse and other photographic applications. You can pre-order the Galileo by pledging at least $85(USD) on its Kickstarter page. Guyot says he’s also working on an adapter for GoPro cameras, although this won’t be of much worth outdoors because it needs to be plugged in to a power outlet to work.

[via Cool Hunting]

MIT announced back in 2010 that it was developing the special camera that would use light echoes to see around corners. It took two years and the researchers are now showing off the camera in action. The camera fires 50 individual femtosecond laser pulses in a burst at 60 different times at various spots on a wall. The imaging sensor then picks up the light assets reflected back to the camera and uses complicated algorithms to piece together an image of what’s going on around the corner.

It’s easy to see practical military and police applications for such a camera. However, it currently takes several minutes for the image sensor to piece the image together, and the image isn’t exactly accurate as of yet. The MIT researchers hope to cut that to 10 seconds to make it usable in the real world. Ten seconds is still a long time and things around the corner can change significantly and 10 seconds making me think that the camera needs to get down into the one to second range for most practical applications.

[via Scientific American via PetaPixel]

According to its specs, the “One Eye” can capture high quality still images, as well as HD video – albeit only at 720p/30fps resolution, but a few years ago that would have been good enough to satisfy most of us. Of course with a lens this small, there’s no optical zoom, just a 4x digital mode. On the back of the camera is a tiny 1.5″ TFT viewfinder with 480×240 resolution you can use for framing shots. Images are stored on a microSD card (up to 64GB).

In addition to working as a pocket-sized point-and-shoot, the camera can be used as one of those vehicle recorder cameras, and even comes with a suction cup mounting bracket and cigarette socket adapter for your car. It’s also got a motion-detection mode which will trigger only when someone passes in front of its tiny lens.

The Kun “One Eye” pocket camera is available from Japanese gadget shop Thanko, and sells for ¥9,980 (~$120 USD).

Out of the box, the Digital Harinezumi 3.0 can add a wide variety of digital enhancements to your images, such as monochrome, vivid color, and various aging effects, each adding artistic lo-fi qualities to your images and videos.

It’s also capable of shooting macro images as close up as 1 inch from the lens, and combining those with its digital effects.

Some of the new modes for version 3.0 of the camera include various overexposure effects, as well as extreme noise modes (achieved through an aggressive 3.5x digital zoom.) Each of these modes gives you just that much more creative flexibility with this pocket-sized cam.

Perhaps my favorite new effect mode is “Smoky,” which combines both a blurry effect with some rather severe color abberations, resulting is some cool, ethereal shots.

Specs for the Digital Harinezumi 3.0 aren’t anything to write home about, with a top resolution of 2048×1536 (3 megapixels), and the ability to shoot video at up to 30fps (not sure on the resolution), and only ISO 100/800 modes. Still, if you’re buying one of these, you’re not buying it for the image quality – it’s all about the artistic effects you can achieve. While there are certainly smartphone apps and effects built into some conventional digital cameras, I still think there’s a certain something special about the images when they’re captured with a dedicated effects camera like the DH 3.0.

If you’re interested in one, they’re available from the SuperHeadz shop for ¥15,750 (~$188 USD) for the camera by itself. Various pricey bundles are available with additional accessories, but the camera itself is the star here. Since the website is entirely in Japanese, you might want to use a service like White Rabbit Express to order one on your behalf.

The Harmless Hunter KillShot camera is designed to look like a hunting rifle and lets you “hunt” without having to kill anything. It doesn’t shoot bullets. Instead it shoots pictures of the target, with crosshairs even.

There’s no accidental misfiring, no suffering animals, and no other hunters getting shot by accident. It can even be used as a safe training weapon. After all, it’s a simple camera that just looks like a gun. Maybe this will stop hunting in it’s tracks.

The Harmless Hunter is a Kickstarter project that is in need of funding to become a reality. A pledge of at least $150(USD) will land you one – assuming the project gets funded. Just don’t try and take one with you on vacation – it probably won’t make it through airport security.

[via Ubergizmo]

This robot is cool because it’s rugged, able to survive 15 foot drops, and is small enough that it can be thrown through a window to get a look inside a building. The robot is also capable of self-righting if it lands upside-down, and can climb obstacles up to 7 inches tall. It has cameras on the front, back, and sides along with IR lights for seeing in lowlight environments.  The 110 can last for up to 10 hours per charge doing video monitoring, and up to six hours for moving around.

It appears to use some sort of touchscreen controller the operator wears on their arm. Until now, the 110 has been performing internal testing at iRobot. Now with the massive order of 100 units, the bot will get its first on-the-job “operational assessment.”

[via Engadget]

To promote its zero-emission F-CELL fuel cell technology, Mercedes funded the creation of a vehicle that could be turned “invisible” – in reference to the vehicle’s limited impact on the environment. They pulled it off by wrapping their ride in flexible sheets covered with a grid of LEDs. A camera on each side of the vehicle then relays what it’s seeing to the other side of the minivan, creating the illusion of invisibility. You can see the invisible Mercedes in action in the video clip:

It’s a pretty cool concept, though you have to stand back pretty far and be viewing the vehicle at an exactly 90-degree angle for the effect to work. I’d love to see someone work out higher resolution version of this illusion, along with head tracking so it would work no matter what angle you were standing at (like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’s invisbility shield.) Still, Mercedes’ promo beats your average crummy ad campaign, IMHO.

To see some behind the scenes photos from the shoot, head on over to Mashable and check out their gallery.

The watch was conceived by Finnish designer Nils Kajander and was shortlisted in designboom’s competition for the renowned Italian watchmaker BREIL. The Paparazzo watch was inspired by some of recent BREIL TV ads that features a classic camera.

In addition to the obvious shutter and lens design elements, the lens ring functions as a calendar, and the self-timer knob acts as the watch’s crown.

Of course, the way it’s designed, I’m surprised that there’s not a tiny digital camera built into the middle of the face, so you could snap pictures with it. Maybe if they decide to make it, they’ll include that enhancement.

[via designboom]

Other than the lenses, the viewfinder, and a bit of duct tape, camera is made entirely out of LEGO bricks. Some Technic pieces are used to hold the 120mm roll of film that the camera uses. He even included a rewind lock so the film doesn’t unravel or go in the wrong direction. Carl got the lenses from a pair of binoculars and the aperture is a single Technic piece that has a hole in the middle.

It’s a very clever build and Carl did a great job. It looks great, and captures some cool and ethereal looking images. To check out more details of the build process, check out this blog entry. Maybe you will end up making one yourself.

[via PetaPixel via TechCrunch]

Now, I know a bunch of you tech geeks are going to comment in the comment section about how this idea doesn’t make business sense, since the iPhone is already Apple’s camera, and that there’s no need to create a product that is solely a camera when you can have a phone and a camera in the same device. I have recognized your side, and I may even agree with it – but the Apple QuickTake Camera Concept is cool nonetheless. Take it for what it is: a concept. And don’t take my ice cream at all, because then I’ll RAGE.

Designer Josephy Dumary’s Apple QuickTake Camera Concept has some pretty unrealistic specifications, but I’m sure that if Apple were to make a camera, the capabilities would be pretty high. 32 MP photos? Seems a bit unreasonable to me – besides, nobody really needs that much definition – we stopped reading dictionaries years ago. Also, most people just keep their photos on the computer and don’t print them, so they don’t need crazy resolutions.

The concept also has a rather frivolous 360-degree swiveling feature that would only serve to have children break your expensive camera because they’re spinning it like a toy. The automatic red eye removal is a neat idea though, as are the possibilities with Wi-Fi capabilities, automatic syncing, and on-screen photo editing. There’s a lot that Apple could do with a concept like this – and why not? They’d profit off of fanboys who buy anything produced by Apple regardless of whether or not they really need it, so I’d say it’s a safe venture. Plus, they should start an Apple clothing line before I have to EVER go back into Abercrombie and have my brains blown out by their loud alternative music.

If you were able to take a pinch of happiness from this geeky concept, you’ll want to check out other cool concepts like the Apple Hairband Headphone Concept and the Off Door Handle Concept.

Contributor Jack Kieffer owns Cool Gizmo Toys, a blog that rants about random geeky products.

This hack comes courtesy of Stacie Grissom and it uses a silk scarf, that needs to be about 60 inches in length, three key rings, and a couple of other odds and ends. The ends of the scarf will need to be cut, then folded over and sewn with the a keyring popped in. Two small leather straps can be added to decorate your scarf-strap to make it look cooler.

The end result is a pretty sturdy and stylish looking camera strap – though you won’t be able to use it to keep your neck warm with that camera attached. Of course, you can really do this with any fabric you want, so you can have your own personal design.

Head on over to Photojojo for instructions on how to make your own scarf camera strap.