digitization

I've shared many an Instagram image by handing my phone over for someone to view. They always squint and angle the screen, then hand it back. If I could magically make them bigger, sharing Instagrams in real life would be a lot more social and lot more fun. That will soon be possible with Projecteo, a tiny projector designed just for Instagram.

There's a bit more to this than just Instagram + projector. Projecteo is really a miniscule 35mm slide film projector. You pick out your favorite Instagram images, Projecteo puts them on slide film, and then mails it to you. … Read more

Custom SLR is no stranger to Kickstarter; its C-Loop camera strap mount and M-Plate Pro tripod plate both got their start there. The usefulness of those products was easy to see, but its latest project, the ProDot, perhaps strays a bit into as-seen-on-TV territory.

The ProDot sticks right on your camera's shutter release, adding a soft, raised, textured surface to it. It is not unlike the trackpoints used on business laptops but considerably squishier.

While Custom SLR's Ivan Wong spins it as giving you more control and less fatigue, the greatest benefit is probably shock absorption. If you tend to push a little too hard on your release, the ProDot will lessen the vibration.

Plus, having used one for a bit, it's just fun to touch and makes it easier to blindly find your shutter release. … Read more

Visa has finally brought its digital wallet V.me out of beta.

The company announced its move today, saying that the official V.me launch accompanies deals Visa has signed with over 50 financial institutions that will support the platform. The financial institutions, including America First Credit Union, Capitol Federal Savings Bank, and others, combine to service over 55 million people, according to Visa.

Visa has also signed up a host of online merchants, including 1-800-Flowers and Beach Camera, to support V.me.

Like other services, Visa's digital-wallet offering lets customers pay for products without pulling plastic out of … Read more

Editors' note: This story has been updated to clarify purchasing requirements.

Are you ready to buy a camera with a data plan? AT&T sure hopes so.

After announcing in October that Samsung's connected Galaxy Camera would be coming to its network, AT&T kept quiet about pricing for the 16-megapixel, 21x zoom point-and-shoot. That's no longer the case, as AT&T will start selling the Android 4.1-based camera on November 16 for $499.99 with or without a data plan.

However, for a limited time, AT&T customers can get up to $… Read more

With Drift Innovations' Drift HD Ghost, you can add one more action cam to the increasingly crowded market. But at least this one's a little more than another "me too" model.

Not the wide blocky design of camcorders like the GoPro, the Drift HD Ghost has a slimmer and longer body, like the iON Air or Sony Action Cam. Though the shape makes it less ideal for chest mounting, it is better for POV mounting on the side of goggles, masks, and helmets. The shape also gives it room for a built-in Gorilla Glass-protected 2-inch LCD for … Read more

Digital comics sales are on the rise, according to DC Comics, and the publisher today has started to expand its weekly books beyond its app.

Starting today, the Kindle Store, Apple iBookstore (iTunes link), and Nook Book Store will offer the same weekly issues previously limited to the Comixology and DC Comics apps. New issues of DC's superhero New 52 line, as well as its Vertigo imprint, will publish on the same day and date in the proprietary e-bookstores, the Comixology app, and in physical comic bookshops.

"It's not a move [away from Comixology], it's an … Read more

Meet the nanoblock camera, one of the smallest shooters ever shown on Crave.

Japanese company Fuuvi yesterday debuted the tiny toy camera with a shell made of nanoblocks -- a smaller alternative to the traditional Lego brick. However, connoisseurs of quality might bite their lip as the ultrasimple controls and lack of viewfinder make this device a not-so-serious option for picture taking. The measly 2-megapixel resolution doesn't help matters much either. … Read more

Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center is a legendary and often misunderstood place. Once Xerox's outpost in Silicon Valley, it's now a separate company within Xerox, and it focuses on applied R&D. PARC is where you'll find the beginnings of the personal computer, LAN, voice command, and laser printing. Today its work branches far beyond computing, with a strong emphasis on ethnography, the study of what people do and how they do it.

I'd met Xerox CTO Sophie Vandebroek before, but was curious to see how things were going on this 10th anniversary of … Read more