On The Possibility Of An Apple Standalone Camera | iLounge Backstage

On The Possibility Of An Apple Standalone Camera | iLounge Backstage.

Until today I have tried to avoid posting speculation and rumour articles about Apple and its product range. However when I read this short article from iLounge.com it caught my attention and got me to thinking….

The theory is that Apple MIGHT be developing a stand-alone camera product- allegedly called iSight (which is the name of the current camera in MacBooks etc). It further suggests that this camera may hit the market after the much speculated Apple iTV is released later this year or early 2013 (if you believe the grapevine rumors).

My argument FOR: I have been desperately looking for a decent zoom lens that can be used with the iPhone since the iPhone4 was released Im now wondering if maybe Apple anticipated there would be a desire for a higher end camera for the iOS family since its inception. Im wondering if this alledged iSight will in fact be a stand alone product or an add-on for the iOS product range (or maybe both). If the (much speculated) new smaller dock connector comes to fruition with the iPhone5 then maybe Apple have held an ace card up their sleeve in the form of an additional camera (hopefully with decent zoom functionality ) that would work with the new dock connector.

Ive watched with great interest as firms like IK Multimedia, Tascam, Fostex, Apogee to name but a few have led the charge into peripherals for the iPhone and iPad that harness the Digital Audio recording functions of the iPhone and iPad to offer professional audio results…it makes sense that Apple (while watching the take up of iPhone and iPad in production models ranging from UGC to Broadcast) might decide to enhance the potential of these devices by adding a better , optional extra, camera. Lets face it, pocket camera and DSLR makers have been offering 720p/1080p video recording since Nikon released the D90 and Canon the 5Dii several years ago. In fact the 5Dii has spawned an entire indie film revolution with the massive and burgeoning range of lenses, monitors, should mounts and rigs all multiplying by the day. Now however the new frontier is “connected cameras” with a good range of camera manufacturers adding built in WiFi support in camera – which allows sharing and live streaming natively from the device. I have no doubt that this is a way of competing with the multi-faceted uses of the iPhone (or iPad) as a stills and video camera. Apple might also of course just be developing an add-on for the iTV which will allow FaceTime /Skype calling but I can’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t build it in from the beginning.

My argument AGAINST. The Photography / Video market is saturated with devices ranging from great but cheap pocket cameras like the Canon IXUS all the way up to the REDs, Arri Alexas and beyond. There are so many competing manufacturers in the photography / video space its hard to see how Apple could introduce a product that would be so radical and dramatically different to whats out there already that it could follow the revolutionary line-up of the iPhone and iPad and CREATE a new niche. Still one could argue that the mobile phone market was heavily saturated when the iPhone was released and that didn’t stop Apple.

Im really torn. I would actually love to see what Jonathon Ive would come up with if he were designing a camera. I would love to have zoom functionality to add to the potential of the iOS family for mobile journalism- in fact its one of the only weaknesses in my MoJo production model. Maybe its all just part of the pre-iPhone hype that always accompanies the release of a new/revised Apple product and Im getting my hopes up unnecessarily. Either way it will be interesting to see if theres any truth in it.

I suddenly remember the iCam concept by Antonio DeRosa fromn ADR studios last November. Maybe this man is in fact psychic!

images from PetaPixel.com

Blackmagic Design: Multi Camera microOB HD Production System “the Panda Bird” built on a trike!

Blackmagic Design: View Press Release.

When I was at the Circom conference in Sweden SVT NewsLab presented their studio in a box solution to mobile TV production. It used Terradek Cubes on Panasonic P2 Camcorders to stream live video to a Laptop running Telestreams Wirecast software to cut and encode the programme. It was a clever set-up which was being used solely for webTV production.

Today I happened upon this press release from Blackmagic-design.com about an educational / eLearning company ; KiBAN International who have designed and built a mobile production vehicle on a Honda Trike. The productions system is based on the Blackmagic ATEM Television studio, Hyperdeck Studio Pro SSD recorder and Smart View Duo monitors. Heres the Press Release>>>

KiBAN International Builds One of the World’s Smallest OB Vehicles with Blackmagic Design

Tokyo, Japan – May 29, 2012 - Blackmagic Design today announced that KiBAN International, a global e learning company, used Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Television Studio, HyperDeck Studio Pro and SmartView Duo to form the video backbone of one of the world’s smallest HD broadcasting cars, named the Panda Bird. The vehicle carries a full array of switching, monitoring and SSD recording, and was shown to the public for the first time at the recent Educational IT Solution Expo (EDIX) in Tokyo.

KiBAN International provides custom built e learning technology to connect organizations around the world. As part of KiBAN International’s work to connect different communities, the company uses video and Internet streaming from often hard to reach locations. KiBAN saw the need for a mobile car based broadcasting system built around a trike design that could go anywhere, especially to places inaccessible to larger OB vans.

 

The Panda Bird, built around a HONDA Gyro Canopy trike, provides HD production and Internet streaming through Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Television Studio Production Switcher, HyperDeck Studio SSD recorder and broadcast deck and SmartView Duo dual monitor. Through the ATEM Television Studio’s built in H.264 encoder and broadcast quality switching capabilities, the trike can offer multi camera production and broadcast encoding for Internet streaming in a single rack unit. Cameras are connected wirelessly to the ATEM Television Studio, with H.264 files encoded using ATEM Television streamed live using Ustream.

KiBAN added HyperDeck Studio to the trike for a rack mount SSD based deck with dual slots for infinite recording of uncompressed, DNxHD or ProRes. With the SmartView Duo, the trike can include two large independent eight inch LCD screens in a compact rack mount design, and view SD, HD and 3Gb/s SDI video standards, allowing trike operators to be able to use any signals available to them in the field.

The system is removable from the trike for inside use, and works with a 12V power supply so that it can also run using external batteries.

“With Blackmagic Design’s equipment, we were able to build a 6RU mobile broadcast trike that gave us the highest level of broadcast production and streaming. It also gives us the flexibility to use any of the formats and tools available, a must have when working in the field. We could not have done this without Blackmagic Design,” said Masahiro Nishimura, CEO of KiBAN International.

Arqball Spin: 3D For Everyone by Arqball — Kickstarter

Arqball Spin: 3D For Everyone by Arqball — Kickstarter.

I love KICKSTARTER.com. Every now and again they present an absolute gem of an idea. This one, the ARQBALL SPIN 3D has been fully funded. It using a free App and a hardware “STAGE” allows you to create simple 3D animations of objects with your iPhone or iPad. Check out the video below…if video doesn’t load properly click here

http://arqspin.com/ or on Twitter @arqball

QWIKI – the next generation of multimedia production tools online?

I happened on a website today called QWIKI – Don’t know if they know what that means in Ireland but its still a catchy name. I downloaded the iPad App which is a very clever mashup of WIKIPEDIA, Google, Fotopedia and YouTube. Its worth downloading just to hear the SIRI-esque voice assistant struggle with the pronunciation of Irish placenames! Seriously though, it, as a visual WIKI is very impressive – a kind of early version of the Hitchhikers guide to the planet.

Anyway – the website http://www.qwiki.com seems to be preparing for the launch of an online QWIKI production tool. I watched the demo and I thought – this could be to Multimedia/Video production online what Twitter was to micro-blogging. Short form, simple, intuitive multi-media production. Its combines text, video, hyperlinks, social media, photographs etc etc into one tidy package – which I gather can be embedded in your site / blog. I’m looking forward to trying the interface when it released and will keep you posted. In the meantime why not pop over for a visit to their site – the cover page looks like a promo for 90210 (lots of beautiful/handsome people)…

and if the Twitter Bio of Founder & CEO @dougimbruce is anything to go by -this is a company to keep an eye on.

ION Air Pro WiFi – Yet another HD Action Sports camera

ION WORLDWIDE ION Air Pro. If you read the blog you’ll know that Im a HUGE GoPro fan. Thats said there are several interesting alternatives to be considered and they are all making their mark in the adrenaline fuelled world of HD action sports. Ive tested the Drift HD and Ive seen the Contour in action too. So today Im looking at the press release for the iON Air Pro WiFi enabled camera. Check out their site for more info

Nuacht RTE/TG4 reporter Sean MacAn tSithigh shoots his first iPhone story and it aired last night on Nuacht TG4

Another milestone in the evolution of mobile journalism was reached last night when a story about artists in Dingle seeking a community arts space was aired on Nuacht TG4. The story very much followed the Suil Eile ( a different perspective) approach of Nuacht – so one might think that was nothing out of the ordinary. But what set this story apart was that the VJ responsible, Sean Mac An tSithigh, shot the story on an iPhone 4s and editied it using Avid Studio for iPad. You can view the story here https://vimeo.com/42074806 if it doesn’t appear in the viewer below.

Ill be adding this story to the others Ill be showing at my MoJo workshop in Malmo on Friday.

Im hoping to Livestream the 1 hour session so if you’d like to join in visit www.imobilejournalist.com and click the Livestream button. You can interact via Twitter by using the #iMoJo hastag.

Steady handheld….iPhone Mashup – A Shoulder brace for the iPhone?

I dont know what came over me at the weekend but I was preparing my presentation for Circom Malmo and while doing so I dismantled my iPhone kit in prep for transit. My Edelkrone pocket Rig for my DSLR was sitting in its box and just for shits and giggles I decided to put the Fostex AR4i onto it. I had a pair of Matte Box Bar Handles from Shoot35 and my new RotoLight – so I put all the bits together and Voila -a body brace for the iPhone! What do you think?

Interview with Melissa Ulbricht from the MobileMediaToolkit.org

I was recently contacted by the very lovely Melissa Ulbricht from the MobileMediaToolkit.org website requesting a Skype interview. Melissa had previously contacted me via the blog after I posted my mobile journalism editing workflow in Budapest last October which was subsequently included in some of the resources on the MMT website.. If you’d like to read the story click here

The MobileMediaToolkit is a brilliant resource site, one of the definitive ones in my opinion and I was very flattered that they would request an interview. I must compliment Melissa on the breath and scope of the project – it is well worth a visit to get a global perspective on the evolution of MoJo.

Heres an excerpt from the ABOUT US section of the MobileMediaToolkit.org website.

The Mobile Media Toolkit is a project of MobileActive.org.

“… The Mobile Media Toolkit is a collection of  tools and resources, as well as examples of how mobile phones can be and are being used in the media industry.

The simple fact is that using mobile phones in media production isn’t always as easy as it seems. Finding the right tool and using it correctly to reach the broadest possible audience requires knowledge of the mobile landscape. The need for guidance in the industry is apparent.

The Mobile Media Toolkit provides guidance on tools, resources, and case studies of how mobiles can be used for reporting, news broadcasting, and citizen media participation on a variety of platforms and in a variety of circumstances. 

The project is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and run by Melissa Ulbricht, Project Manager of the Mobile Media Toolkit.

She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri. At Mizzou, she produced a weekly international radio program called Global Journalist. Melissa’s studies focused on international communication and issues of press freedom. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her undergraduate studies.

Melissa is on Twitter at @melissaulbricht 

Fujifilm FinePix XP170 camera rebuffs water, dust and cold, cuddles up with iOS and Android (video) — Engadget

 

Fujifilm FinePix XP170 camera rebuffs water, dust and cold, cuddles up with iOS and Android (video) — Engadget. Typical isnt it? Just minutes after I post about the Olympus ruggedized camera and the Fujifilm equivalent, the XP170 is outed on Engadget. The specs arent quite as impressive but the wifi transfer App is interesting – the video on Engadget however doesnt say of it will transfer movies wirelessly – which would be pretty class? Remember there is a host of WiFi enabled cameras due to hit the market very soon (based on CES previews)

Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS packs 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.0 lens, ruggedized housing for $399 — Engadget

 

Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS packs 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.0 lens, ruggedized housing for $399 — Engadget. The Olympus TG-1 could be the must have second camera in a mojo backpack. According to Engadget : “its 12-megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor, 25-100mm, f/2.0-4.9 4x zoom lens and 3-inch 610k OLED display are all wrapped in a reinforced body, capable of flawless shooting at depths of 40 feet, in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) and after a 6.6-foot fall. With the TG-1, the company is aiming for the pro’s gear bag, bringing features like 30 fps full-res rapid-fire shooting (for 50 consecutive shots, or 220 in a 3-megapixel 60 fps mode),”  which means its a pretty damned diverse camera. Have to wait till end of June to get your hands on one and then Ill get to see if the iPad supports its movie file format. but at $399 RRP its very attractive.