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Lytro Launches its Amazing Focus-Free Camera for $399

cool, hardware, links, tech

Lytro camera

I can’t wait to put my hands on one of these, despite the limitations, this is quite a revolution in the world of photography! I wonder what Nikon, Canon, etc. are thinking, while Lytro’s investors are probably wetting themselves at the mere thought of all the licensing opportunities ahead of them.

I’d love to see Lytro’s technology applied to some SLR with a choice of lenses, which would be devoid of focusing elements. This could lead to seriously awesome lenses, a lot smaller in size and much better optical quality and wider apertures. The possibilities are endless.

Remember Lytro, the camera that could care less about focus? The one that captures all the information in its light field, so you can play with the focus after the fact?

Well, it’s no longer just a nice idea. Lytro (the company) just started taking pre-orders for Lytro (the camera) on its website. You won’t be able to get one until early 2012, but you can order one now for $399 (and $499 for a more advanced version).

via Mashable: Lytro Launches: Amazing Focus-Free Camera Will Cost $399.

Lytro’s site

How To Share Google Reader Stories to Google Plus

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Finally a clean solution (read: no browser extension) to easily share RSS stories from Google Reader to Google+.

In short, create a custom link in Reader’s preferences with the following parameters:

Name: Google+
URL: https://plusone.google.com/_/+1/confirm?hl=en&url=${url}
Icon URL: https://ssl.gstatic.com/s2/oz/images/favicon.ico

ReadWriteWeb’s article has a nice howto with all the screenshot you need: How To Share Google Reader Stories to Google Plus.

Artificial Leaf Moves Two Steps Closer to Reality

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Artificial Leaf Moves Two Steps Closer to Reality – Wired.com.

Two independent research teams report today in Science that they’ve taken key strides toward harnessing the energy in sunlight to synthesize chemical fuels. If the new work can be improved, scientists could utilize Earth’s most abundant source of renewable energy to power everything from industrial plants to cars and trucks without generating additional greenhouse gases.

I for one welcome our new artificial trees overlords!

Paper airplane touches the edge of space, glides back safely

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Link: Paper airplane touches the edge of space, glides back safely | ITworld

Think you built some pretty cool paper airplanes as a kid?

Did you and your grew-up-to-be-engineer buddies build elaborate models and R/C boats and erector-set creations that stunned the other boys until they discovered girls and first-person-shooters and started calling you a geek?

Cower in awe before Brits Steve Daniels, John Oates and Lester Haines , who built a one-wing glider from paper, lofted it to the edge of space at 90,000 feet with a helium balloon, and posted sound and video recordings from the plane as it glided safely back to the ground.