Daily camera. This point-and-shoot has 16 cameras on its front

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Light’s L16 is unlike any camera you’ve ever seen or used. The camera promises DSLR-quality photos without the heft of a DSLR or even a mirrorless camera.

Right off the bat, you can see the L16 is a different kind of camera. There are 16 camera lens modules, each with 13-megapixels, on its front (five 35mm lenses, five 70mm lenses, and six 150mm lenses). All of these lenses give the camera an expansive focal range for taking anything from a close-up, to a wide-angle, to a zoomed in shot, with up to 52-megapixels of resolution.

“We’re trying to replace a big lens [on a DSLR] with multiple small lenses and small sensors,” Dr. Rajiv Laroia, Light’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, explains in a video.

Ten of the camera’s lens modules fire off simultaneously when the shutter button is pressed. Intelligent software then stitches the 10 captured images into a final high-resolution one.

Similar to the Lytro “light field camera,” the focus and depth of field can be adjusted after a photo has been taken, down to f/1.2 for some sweet bokeh (background blur). Light touts powerful low-light performance on the L16, too.

Powering the L16 is a version of Android. Built-in Wi-Fi lets you share images directly from the camera, although it’s unclear if that means simply connecting to a smartphone or if there will be app support within the camera.

The camera has a 5-inch touchscreen, which is used to adjust all of your main camera settings, including ISO, exposure, white balance, etc.

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The L16 also does video, too: up to 4K resolution with a 35-150mm equivalent focal length.

Light’s L16 could be what the future of cameras looks like. But that future won’t come cheap. The camera is available for pre-order for a hefty $1,299 until Nov. 6, then it shoots up to $1,699. Light expects to ship the first L16 cameras by next summer.

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“This isn’t just moonshot thinking,” says Dave Grannan, the company’s co-founder and CEO. “We put some of the best talent in Silicon Valley together here at Light. Our computational team and our hardware engineer team have been working for over two years bringing this to reality.”

source: http://mashable.com/2015/10/08/light-l16-camera/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-tech-link#ocDB2MqEySq3

This Is The Unknown History Of Swastika

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Everyone knows that the swastika is a symbol of hatred and cruelty, synonymous with fascism that led to one of the most destructive wars humanity has ever witnessed. But did you know that before the Nazis used it, this symbol had a history dating back almost 12.000 years?

The swastika was an auspicious symbol with positive connotations that represented life, sun, power, strength, and good luck. The oldest swastika dating back 12.000 years was discovered in Mezine, Ukraine, carved on an ivory figurine. Pottery and coins from ancient Troy dating back to 4.000 B.C. reveal that the swastika was a commonly used symbol. It had been used by Hindus and Buddhists in India and other Asian countries, who thought of it as an important symbol of good fortune, prosperity, and eternity. Moreover, artifacts that have been discovered indicate its use by the ancient Druids, the Celts, Nordic tribes as well as Native Americans.

The term swastika is of Sanskrit origin. According to Sanskrit scholar P. R. Sarkar its etymology reveals a deeper meaning: “su” means “good”, “asti” means “to be”, “ik” means “what will continue to exist” and “a” – denotes feminine gender. So, the word swastika means “good existence” while its deeper meaning was defined as “Permanent Victory”. Different cultures used it in different names. It was called “Wan” in China, “Manji” in Japan, “Fylfot” in England, “Hakenkreuz” in Germany and “Tetraskelion” or “Tetragammadion” in ancient Greece.

Depending on how it is drawn, the swastika can have a positive or a negative meaning. There is a difference between the right-facing swastika and the left-facing sauvastika. The swastika was the symbol of life and good health while the sauvastika symbolized misfortune. The double meaning of symbols was common in ancient cultures, e.g. in Hinduism, where the right-hand swastika is a symbol of the God Vishnu and the Sun, while the left-hand sauvastika is a symbol of Kali and Magic.

Due to its ancient Aryan/Indian origins, in the mid-nineteenth century German nationalists began to use the swastika as a representation of a long Germanic/Aryan history. For Hitler, the new flag had to be a symbol of struggle: “In red we see the social idea of the movement, in white the nationalistic idea, in the swastika the mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man, and, by the same token, the victory of the idea of creative work, which as such always has been and always will be anti-Semitic“.

So, on August 7th 1920, at the Salzburg Congress, the red flag with a white circle and black swastika became the official emblem of the Nazi Party, transforming a symbol of life and fortune into one of the most hated symbols in human history.

source: http://truththeory.com/2015/05/16/this-is-the-unknown-history-of-swastika/

5 Headphones for Audiophiles

By Gregory Han

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The sweet spot between audio performance and aesthetic appeal is a precarious balance between audio engineering and industrial design which even the most staunch audiophile hopes for these days. Beyond the niche of high end models (like the coveted $1700 Grado PS1000e) there are several mid-range models – albeit a subjective term in regards to audio products – capable of producing beautiful sound all in a stylish package which highlight material quality and craftsmanship. Here are our five current favorites which hit the sweet spot:

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Master & Dynamic Halliburton Kit: The name and full-on aluminum travel case evokes images of inconspicuous corporate dealings (the name actually derives from the case maker, Zero Halliburton), but you’ll get nothing by stares once you pop open the latches and reveal a set-up of Master & Dynamic’s signature MH40 Over Ear or MH30 On Ear Headphones with matching metal headphone stand and boom microphone – a creative toolkit for those who deal in the art of sound.

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Angle & Curve Carbon cans: A sexy design with super lightweight durability – in part due to its flexible nylon carbon composite material – offer what might be our current favorite pair of travel, work/play headphones. Hand-built in Stratford Upon Avon, UK, the fold-up weather-proof design and matte black with gold finish present a pair of headphones with an air of sophistication matched by the quality of ergonomic comfort and a neutral sound which plays nice with all genres of music. In our few days testing a sample the Carboncans operated brilliantly as a daily accessory for audio appreciation or jumping onto a conference call using the discrete built-in mic, comfortable for hours at a time.

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Philips Fidelio X2: the original X1 models were my daily work headphones for years, notably accommodating for my larger head and very comfortable for extended listening periods. It’s only because the ear cushions began to fray along the edges I had to ditch them, as they were non-replaceable parts. So I’m happy to see Philips updated their Fidelio X2 with a replaceable ear cushi on design, alongside a larger headband to evolve what should be a fatigue-free fit, both ergonomically and in audio performance.

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Flare R1: Flare Audio is attempting to bring a wholly different sound to headphones with this Kickstarter project, applying what they’ve learned from loudspeaker design and shrinking it down into a portable headphone form. The first ‘fully open’ headphone, the design is characterized by a pair of precision milled drivers made with solid billets of aerospace aluminum topped with hand-stitched memory foam ear pads. The sound is described to be similar to that of electrostatic loudspeakers, with little noticeable distortion. We’ll know soon enough, with a upcoming release this June.

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OPPO PM-2: Another sequel headphone model, this one equipped with a proprietary double-sided diaphragm, planar magnetic driver design (those curious about the technology can watch this video illustrating the material interaction between the thin acoustic diaphragm and the the magnetic and conductor system). The oversized open back design is optimized for enjoying moments when music is designated as a primary focus (versus a multi-purpose model), an ideal gift for an audiophile.

source: http://design-milk.com/audiophile-5-roundup-headphones/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook