Gizmodo Australia » isight

Apple Patents iSight Cam Behind Laptop Screen, Will Hear From Errol Morris’s Lawyers

John Mahoney — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:20:00 +0000

A recent Apple patent for an iSight camera located behind the screen instead of above it sounds like a cool idea–too bad a system just like it has already been invented.

By the director of some of Apple’s most memorable commercials, no less! Errol Morris’s awesomely-named Interrotron system captures the first-person interviews for his documentaries and commercials by using two cameras with mirrored, teleprompter-like screens in front of them, each with the image of the other person’s face.

Apple’s patent works the exact same way, and can eliminate the lack of intimacy brought about by looking just above or below the eyes of the person you’re cybering with. Of course there’s no real promise of this being integrated into a real product anytime soon, as the tech for placing a working camera behind a traditional laptop LCD is still a ways away.

But OK, while we’re talking Errol Morris and Interrotrons, what the hell:

[Ars Technica, Apple Insider]

FluidTunes Lets You Frantically Flail Through Your iTunes Library

John Herrman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:56:51 +0000

Mgestyk’s system-wide camera control system looks fun, but FluidTunes, a simple program that lets your toss around your iTunes library via your iSight, has two important things that it doesn’t: free-ness and out-now-ness.

Available now as a free universal binary, FluidTunes is a simple creature; despite what looks to be a solid gesture recognition engine, it can only control iTunes, and only in a specific Coverflow mode. Still, if all you want to do is indulge your moderately lame futuristic interface fantasy for a few minutes, well, FluidTunes can probably grant you that. [Cult of Mac]

Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro Webcam For Macs, Like iSight but Better

Gizmodo US Edition — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Remember the old Apple iSight: auto-focus, built to last, clip-on and generally fantastic? Well, Logitech is trying to take us back to the days when you snapped a cam onto your machine to do your video-calling, and has released the QuickCam Vision Pro Webcam for Macs. It’s got Carl Zeiss optics, a voice-coil motor for smooth auto-focus, a 2-megapixel sensor and can record video in 720p resolution. Sure it’s not quite as sleek as the old iSight and you can’t use it for iChat video effects, but it seems a tad better than Apple’s built-in cams. Available July for US$129.99. Press release below.

Jun 24, 2008 04:00

Logitech Unveils First Mac-Compatible Webcam with Premium Autofocus Technology, Carl Zeiss Optics

Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac Delivers Image-Perfect Detail, Exceptional Video Calling with iChat and Skype

FREMONT, Calif. —(Business Wire)— Jun. 24, 2008 To help you stay close to those who matter most, Logitech (SWX:LOGN)(NASDAQ:LOGI), the world’s leading manufacturer of webcams, today unveiled its first Mac(R)-compatible webcam with premium autofocus technology and Carl Zeiss(R) optics: the Logitech(R) QuickCam(R) Vision Pro webcam for Mac. The new Logitech webcam delivers image-perfect detail and clarity, and exceptional video calling with iChat(R) and Skype(R).
“With this new webcam for Mac computers, we’ve integrated our most advanced video technologies to truly enrich your video-calling experience,” said Gina Clark, general manager and vice president of Logitech’s Internet Communications business unit. “The lens and autofocus, the sensor and the lighting software all contribute to create image-perfect detail and clarity. Whether you’ve used a stand-alone or an embedded webcam in the past, you’ll be amazed at the difference in quality our new webcam makes.”

To deliver image-perfect detail and clarity, the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac combines Logitech’s premium autofocus technology with Carl Zeiss optics. The new Logitech webcam uses a voice coil motor for its autofocus system, instead of a stepper motor. Focusing is fast and fluid — crisp even in extreme close-ups only 10 cm from the camera lens. Logitech’s autofocus system compensates for changes in image-edge sharpness and refocuses images in less than three seconds. And through its exclusive collaboration with Carl Zeiss, Logitech ensures that the lens meets the world-renowned Zeiss standards for design and manufacturing to achieve superior sharpness in a compact, lightweight design.

The 2-megapixel sensor helps the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac capture video images in high resolution. It is assisted by Logitech’s RightLight(TM)2 Technology, which enables the webcam to adjust intelligently in dim or harshly backlighted situations.

Optimized Experience for the Mac

When you and your loved ones use the new Logitech webcam with iChat or Skype, you can enjoy VGA-quality video at up to 30 frames per second — four times as sharp and twice as smooth as any other video-calling solution — at no additional charge.

The new Logitech webcam is also plug and play right out of the box, so you can make a video call immediately — no software required. When using your webcam to capture video to store on disk or send to friends, the QuickCam Vision Pro records sharp video clips in the 720p high-definition (HD) video format (960-by-720 pixels).

Complementing the style of your Mac computer, the new webcam for Mac computers presents a black-and-silver profile with a prominent built-in silver microphone.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in July. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $129.99.

[Logitech]

Stolen MacBook Victim Uses Screen Sharing and iSight to Bust Thieves

Adrian Covert — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:37:42 +0000

A White Plains, NY woman who was the victim of burglary, including her MacBook, used the Back To My Mac screen sharing feature to turn on her webcam and capture images of the unwitting culprits using the computer. As a result, police were able to arrest the thieves and recover most of the stolen goods, which included two laptops, two flat-screen televisions, two iPods, gaming consoles, DVDs and computer games.

This plan first launched into action when a co-worker of the nameless woman at the Apple Store noticed her computer online and notified the woman. She was then able to log into her computer and the rest is history. So the moral of the story is this: If you steal a MacBook, please be sure to cover the iSight with some tape. Otherwise, you could also be charged with a second degree felony. [Iohud via TUAW]

iPatch Blocks iSights on MacBook, MacBook Pros For Your Prurient Needs

Jason Chen — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:09:03 +0000

You already know why you need this iPatch to cover up your iMac’s iSight—because you do dirty, dirty things in front of your computer—but now the small, molded piece of plastic is form-fitted for your MacBook and MacBook Pro. It works exactly the same as the old version. Just slide it over your iSight when you’re about to get naughty, then slide it off when done. They even have a MacBook Air version coming later this week. On the other hand, the light comes on when the iSight is active, but unless you really stare at the thing you won’t notice the light. [The iPatch]