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Toshiba Takes Aim at Eye-Fi, Looking to Standardize Wireless Memory Cards

Toshiba is gearing up to take on Eye-Fi, the memory card that allows you to throw out your card reader and transfer photos wirelessly. They've teamed up with Trek 2000, a Singapore-based flash corp., to form the "Standard Promotion Forum for Memory Cards Embedding Wireless LAN" in an effort to standardize the technology behind wireless SD cards. Toshiba is pushing a new 8GB SD card that transfers JPEG and RAW files over IEEE 802.11 b/g, entering a market previously dominated by Eye-Fi.

How to Make Your Own Demb Diffuser with Common Household Items

Recently I came across the Demb flash diffuser while reading a review of the best flash diffuser over at photo-tips-online.com. After seeing the Demb diffuser at the top of the list, I went to Amazon to see how much it costs and, to my surprise, found that Amazon, Adorama and B&H don't sell it. The only way to purchase it is from Joe Demb’s site. I then decided to try my hand at making this diffuser myself. The total cost of mine is $0, while the real thing costs about $40.

Photographers’ Rights Printed on a Lens Cloth by Amateur Photographer

Amateur Photographer magazine is doing something about all the stories in the news of photographers being stopped and harassed by police in Britain. They've created a special lens cloth that has guidelines that were issued to Metropolitan police officers last year printed on. The lens cloth set will be bundled for free in the July 10th issue of the magazine, which hits newsstands on July 6 and lands in the hands of subscribers on July 3.

Magazine Cover Features Photo Shot at ISO 3200

Outdoor Photography Canada magazine's latest cover features a photograph that's pretty unique. It's not the subject matter, but rather how the image was captured: photographer Paul Burwell captured the photo on his Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 3200.

Geeky Baseball Caps with Tripod Screws

Hatcams are a new line of custom baseball caps that have an industry standard 1/4 x 20 tripod mount thread built into the brim of the hat, providing a cheap way to create "helmet cam" videos. While the hat is designed for pocket camcorders like the Flip camcorder, any camera designed to work with a tripod should be mountable. Throw in a remote shutter release, and you'll have a weird setup for point-of-view photography as well.

Next Nikon Compact May Project Video

The replacement to Nikon's COOLPIX S1000pj, which already has a unique projection mode to display still photographs, is rumored to move beyond the stills and into video. French photography magazine, Chasseur d'Images, reports that Nikon might even take it a step further by including a video input which will allow the camera to function as a conventional projector when hooked up to a computer -- and perhaps an iPad or other devices.

Rayqual Adapters Put Canon, Nikon, and Leica Lenses on Sony NEX Cameras

Rayqual, a Japanese manufacturer with a Geocities-esque website, recently announced a new line of adapters that will allow you to use Canon, Nikon, and Leica lenses on the Sony NEX line of EVIL cameras. While using your existing glass on the cameras might be nifty and buy you some image quality, what you lose is the ability to autofocus. Another downside is that these adapters aren't exactly cheap - they will cost between ¥19,950 and ¥25,200 (roughly $220 and $275).

Transforming a Canon 18-55mm into a Super Macro Lens

This is one of the most intense do-it-yourself videos I've seen, showing how to hack a Canon 18-55mm kit lens into a super macro lens for extreme closeup shots. It involves sawing, disassembling the lens, using wires from a floppy drive cable, and all sorts of advanced awesomeness. Unless you're extremely good with your hands, you probably won't be trying this, but it's very interesting to watch nonetheless.

“End Love” by OK Go Blends Stop and Slow Motion in Awesome Ways

OK Go, an LA-based rock band, makes some of the most creative music videos you'll ever see, from the treadmill video that amassed over 50 million views on YouTube to their gigantic Rube Goldberg machine one that dropped jaws around the world. Their latest video for the song "End Love" is yet another display of pure creativity, as they blend stop motion and slow motion techniques in strange and awesome new ways.

A Look at How Memory Cards Are Tested

Lexar recently put out this video showing what goes on inside their quality labs. It's pretty much an advertisement for the brand, but it's an interesting look at how the memory cards we use are tested for quality. It's pretty crazy how each of the memory card lines are tested on the 800+ cameras and devices stored in the lab, and how there're high-tech machines for testing everything from shocks to temperature in a controlled way.

Neat Polaroid-Themed Birthday Card

Here's a neat birthday card idea for the Polaroid or photography lovers in your life: make a hand-drawn Polaroid camera spit out a real instant photo! Kayla Davis received this card from her friend Chrissie for her 19th birthday.

Shooting Space with Two Hacked Cameras and a Homemade Balloon

Pacific Star is a photography project by Colin Rich in which he sends programmed cameras up to epic heights using homemade weather balloons. This is an interesting step-by-step look into what went into the second launch. After purchasing two Canon compact cameras on eBay, Rich programmed them to take 3 photos every 3 minutes, and shoot a minute of video every fourth minute. The cameras were then insulated in styrofoam, and sent up to 125,000 feet before the balloon burst. With the help of a …

Using the iPad as a Portable Light Table

Here's a "duh" idea that might not have crossed your mind: you can use your iPad as a portable light table by displaying a blank page on the browser. Might be useful for those of you who are thinking of doing some printing in your bathroom or something.

Nintendo 3DS to Bring 3D Photography to the Masses

Nintendo just unveiled the 3DS yesterday, an upcoming portable game console that has a 3D screen built in. The screen does not require special glasses, and has an slider on the side to adjust the 3D effect. What's neat is that there's also two forward-facing cameras spaced a couple inches apart that allow you to take 3D photographs and video. The combination lets you snap a 3D photo or record a video and see it in 3D on the screen moments later. While 3D cameras have already been available for …

Interview with Thom Hogan

Thom Hogan is the writer and photographer behind bythom.com, a website that provides extensive information about Nikon gear. He has written over 30 books on computers and photography.

Apple Updates the Mac Mini, Adds SD Card Slot

Apple has just announced the new Mac mini, which has been redesigned with a sleeker, unibody enclosure that's 1.4 inches tall (down from 2 inches). The new Mini also includes a built in SD-card slot to make transferring photos from your camera easier, though a CompactFlash slot would have been great for a wider range of photo-enthusiasts. The new HDMI output allows the Mini to be connected to an HDTV, while graphics performance is supposedly doubled due to the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M chip.

Nikon Camera Lost at Sea Found 1,100 Miles Away

On May 16, Coast Guard investigator Paul Shultz was walking along a Key West, Florida marina when he came across a red Nikon L18. Although the underwater housing surrounding the camera was battered from what appeared to be a long period at sea, the camera was in tip top shape.

Base Jumping at Dean’s Blue Hole with the 5D Mark II

This beautiful video shows world champion freediver Guillaume Néry plunging into Dean's Blue Hole, the world's second deepest underwater sinkhole. It was filmed by Julie Gautier, a French freediving champion, using a Canon 5D Mark II. Gautier filmed the video while freediving herself, and the stunts were filmed over four afternoons.

Unboxing the Canon Lens Thermos and Coffee Mug

I've been dying to take a look at the Canon lens coffee thermos and mug since I first wrote about it back in the beginning of March, but didn't want to buy a set just to take a look. Luckily for me, the nice people over at canonmugs.com sent me some samples to check out and play around with. In this post I'll be sharing some photographs and thoughts about these unique items.

Creative Business Card Idea for Photogs

Here's an amazingly awesome idea for business cards if you're a photographer or photo enthusiast. Brooklyn-based photographer and designer Steph Goralnick created the above business card by hand, embedding some film between two layers of heavy stock. The resulting business card looks like 35mm slide film, except the film used was a negative.

Exploring Different Perspectives of Poverty Through Photography

Editor's note: We came across Duncan McNicholl's work a while back and found it interesting, so we invited him to write a guest post regarding his project. His work has been featured by quite a few publications and websites in recent times.

Amazing Stop-Motion Super Mario Video Made with Sticky Notes

This stop-motion video will blow you away. Students in Japan created this video of Super Mario for a school festival using only sticky notes for the animation. Putting together the 1.5 minute video required two weeks of work and about 5,000 yen (~$55). I predict this video will go viral on the Internet in the next few days.

Automatically Share Flickr Photos with Facebook Friends

Flickr has just announced a new feature that allows you to connect your Flickr account to your Facebook account to automatically update your Facebook friends when you upload new photographs. The above screenshot published by Flickr shows what the resulting Facebook status updates look like. To get started, visit the Sharing & Extending section of your Flickr account settings to connect your accounts in a few easy steps. For those of you who are already using the Flickr app on Facebook, Flickr …

Sony Unveils the A290 and A390 DSLRs

Looks like the leaked photos of the Sony A290 we published last month were of the real thing. Sony has just announced the A290 and A390, two entry level DSLR cameras that replace the A230 and A380. The new cameras are nearly identical, with both boasting 14.2 megapixel sensors, but the A390 offers an extra "Quick AF Live View" and tilt-LCD for more flexible shooting. Aside from increasing the megapixel count from 10 to 14, redesigning the grip and button layout, and adding the "Quick AF Live …

Engaged Couple Find Photo Showing They Crossed Paths as Toddlers

Here's a fun story that might convince you to snap all the photos you can of your kids: Alex and Donna Voutsinas were gathering photos in preparation of their wedding when Alex suddenly noticed something in one of Donna's childhood photographs. The photo, taken 20 years earlier when Donna was 5, showed Alex's father in the background pushing Alex in a stroller! …

Olympus Ships 1,709 Compact Cameras with Virus Preloaded

Olympus Japan released a notice to customers yesterday warning that 1,709 of their Stylus Tough 6010 point-and-shoot cameras were accidentally shipped preloaded with a worm. While the camera is not at risk, Windows users may be infected when the camera is connected to their computer via USB.

Camera+ is the Latest “Ultimate” Photo App for the iPhone

There seems to be a growing trend of professional photographers teaming up with developers to create the "ultimate" photography application for the iPhone. In September 2009, photographer Chase Jarvis teamed up with Ubermind to create The Best Camera, an ecosystem that revolves around the Best Camera iPhone application.

Google Turns Their Homepage into a Picture Frame

Google has a new feature that photographers may enjoy: you can now customize the Google homepage with your own photography. Visit the Google homepage, and you should see a "Change background image" link on the bottom left hand corner of the page. If you don't see this link, try logging out of Google and then visiting the page.

Interview with Brenda Priddy

Brenda Priddy is one of the world's preeminent automotive "spy" photographers, whose work has appeared in many of the top automative publications and websites. Visit her company website and Facebook page.

An Epic Battle Created with Light Painting and Stop-Motion

Light Warfare is a demonstration of what's possible with light painting and stop motion given enough time and dedication. It was created by Freddie Wong, who also published a tutorial for creating light painting photographs on his website. This amazing 1-minute video required a whopping 13 hours of shooting over two days. Each frame needs to be individually "painted" and -- seeing how complicated some of the scenes are -- must have required pretty long exposures.