This straight-from-the-box LEGO Space Shuttle model might not be anything that complicated, but then again I’m impressed that it didn’t rip into pieces as it ascended above the clouds to an altitude of nearly 22 miles. Set to a lovely musical soundtrack by Radical Face (and a little Richard Strauss,) watch this little LEGO Space Shuttle fly high above our planet, through the clouds, and into the stratosphere.

There’s a bit of an edit in the middle of the video, but I presume that’s just because watching the entire journey skyward would have been pretty time-consuming. As a matter of fact, Vinciverse says the model took nearly 2-1/2 hours to hit an altitude of about 35,000 meters (~114,829 feet), propelled by a helium-filled meteorological balloon. The whole flight was captured with a GoPro Hero camera, which was eventually located with a Spot GPS tracker.

[via The Mary Sue via io9]

The new camera is improved all around, and one of the big new features is an easy to use plain language menu system so you don’t need the instructions to change modes. The new camera also has a professional 11MP image sensor, two times faster image processor, a two times sharper glass lens, and pro-level low light performance

The new camera also gets some new video modes with Full 170º, Medium 127º, Narrow 90º FOV in 1080p and 720p Video. The camera can also now record in new faster fps modes for slow motion video up to 120fps.

The Hero2 camera can also snap an 11MP still photo every half-second in timelapse mode. The coolest new feature is that the HD Hero2 will work with a new GoPro app for letting you see what the camera is shooting. The HD Hero2 comes in outdoor, motorsports, and surf editions for $299(USD) each.

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The Action Case is made of polycarbonate plastic and has built-in shock pads for added protection. It’s not waterproof, but Ozawa and Bajza have said that they are also working on a separate, fully submersible case.

I think Ozawa and Bajza are on to something here, but I think they couldn’t have picked a worse time to launch an accessory that’s only compatible with the iPhone 4, what with the impending release of the iPhone 5 all but confirmed. I’m not saying that all iPhone 4 owners will upgrade to the iPhone 5 if and when it’s released, it’s just that the buzz for the product steals some of this announcement’s thunder. It will shortly become an accessory for an “obsolete” product.

But still, iPhone 5 or no iPhone 5, the iPhone 4 is still a very capable device, and I’m sure many owners of older smartphone models still have their eyes on it. You can support the development of the Action Case by donating on Kickstarter. A pledge of $49 (USD) or more makes you eligible to receive one of the first Action Cases, which will be sold for $40 if it becomes a real product. You can also check out its official website for more info.

[via Uneasy Silence]

The downside to that camera and the others on the market is that they are expensive with the high-end offerings at nearly $300. GoPro has unveiled a new cheaper camcorder called the HD Hero 960. The camera maxes out at a resolution of 1280 x 960 and supports 720p HD whereas the other cams from GoPro do 1080 – but it will save you some money.

The 960 can also shoot still photos and has a waterproof case. The camera ships with a head mount that will also work for helmet recording. GoPro also ships it with a curved adhesive surface mount and a flat surface mount as well. One other item of note: the 960 lacks the expansion port the higher-end cameras offer so the LCD back or extra battery pack that are available will not work with it.

The 960 can be purchased right now for $179(USD).

The problem was that the original only shot really low resolution pics that didn’t look very good. I’m happy to report that the company has recently bumped the camera up to 3-megapixels, so it now takes some pretty good quality photos.

The $139 Digital Hero 3 straps onto your wrist (or directly onto your sports equipment) and can shoot not only still photos, but can also shoot full motion video (with sound) at 640×480 resolution. The quality of the video is more than acceptable for YouTube, or even playback on a small TV. Thanks to an SD memory card slot, you can shoot up to 54 minutes of video on a single 2GB card.

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It’s all packaged in a durable housing which can handle extreme movement and up to 100 feet of water, so you can even take it in the ocean or in a pool and shoot. Be sure to check out the sample pictures and videos over on the GoPro website.