Η ΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΑ ΑΠΟ ΑΥΤΟ
For a long time, archaeologists believed that large buildings required large bosses. The idea was simple: only societies with strong hierarchies (kings, priests, and planners) could organize massive construction projects.
Tags: Archeology, Mexico
Nuclear waste and a hydrogen economy may seem poles apart, but a new study by the University of Sharjah claims that spent fuel from nuclear power plants could be used to increase the efficiency of converting water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Category: Energy, Technology
Dutch expedition camping module specialist Bliss Mobil has launched its smallest model to date. Rather than getting tied to the likes of a large heavy-duty Mercedes Zetros or MAN TGS cab, the new Bliss 8 is designed to ride aback smaller, nimbler 4x4 chassis like the Toyota Land Cruiser or Ford F-Series. With help from an electro-actuated hard-walled lift system, it still offers the precisely organized essentials and modern comforts on which Bliss stakes its reputation, including a wireless smart home suite with Sonos audio.
Category: Expedition Trucks, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Off-road, Camping, Bliss Mobil, Toyota, Ford, Truck, Off-grid
Laser engraving has become a new hobby of mine as of late. I've been tinkering around with blue diode lasers that can engrave, but seem to function better as organic material cutters. I also have an IR laser that's good for some metals. But after running UV for a while now, it's become pretty clear that UV is the king of etching. Glavo UV lasers are unmatched when it comes to sheer speed and fine detail. Not to mention less smoke, less soot, less warping, and less "Ahhh! It's on fire again!"
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Laser Engraver, DIY, Craft, Laser, 3D Printing
Researchers at MIT have just developed a new lipid nanoparticle that super-enhances the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccine in mice to a hundred times its stand-alone effectiveness, thus offering massive savings by reducing required dosages while also reducing toxicity in the liver.
Category: Medical Innovations, Body and Mind
Tags: mRNA vaccines, MIT, Nanoparticles
VW added a mild refresh to the Jetta to update its looks a bit, but has otherwise not messed with the car’s basic formula of getting you there on the cheap. Sadly, though, the manual transmission is only available on the sport-centric (and more expensive) GLI model.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Reviews, Volkswagen, Sedan
Insta360 has unveiled four more accessory bundles for its Leica co-branded Ace Pro 2 action camera, along with updated firmware. The new print and videography kits, which include cinematic lenses, updated Leica color profiles, a screen hood, a portable printer and more, are aimed at helping users get more out of the tiny camera.
Perhaps the most interesting of the new accessories is in the Flash Print Bundle. The kit includes a pocket-sized printer that Insta360 says is the first portable printer made specifically for action cameras. Unlike many tiny instant printers, it doesn't use Instax Mini film. Instead, it creates three-inch, dye-sublimation prints from what Insta360 says is a "signature paper cartridge" with 10 sheets per pack.
Image: Insta360Interestingly, the prints feature not just an Insta360 Ace Pro 2 logo on the edge, but also appear to list the camera's sensor size, aperture, and Leica-branded lens name. At the time of writing, you can only buy cartridge refills (for $10 per pack) through the Insta360 website, so it isn't clear how widespread or long-lasting support for the printer will be.
Beyond the printer, the Flash Print Bundle also includes a flip-up screen hood for the camera that promises to make it easier to see the screen even in bright light. It also comes with a leather case and the Xplorer Grip Pro kit (detailed below).
The Xplorer Pro Grip adds dedicated controls.Insta360 also released an updated version of its Xplorer Bundle, which was released earlier this year. The new Xplorer Pro kit is an all-in-one grip that features a built-in battery and camera controls. It allows users to adjust digital zoom (the lens itself is fixed), filters, exposure and modes from the grip itself, no menu diving necessary. There's also a more prominent shutter button with a removable, threaded design, allowing for customization. Insta360 says the Xplorer Pro Bundle is exclusive to the US.
Finally, the company also unveiled two video-focused bundles. The Videography Bundle Limited Edition comes in a custom-designed box and includes the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit and 'Cinematic' Lens. The lens allows users to create 2.35:1 widescreen footage, and Insta360 says it "delivers a film-like look straight from the camera."
Both video bundles come with the Cinematic Lens.The Ultimate Videography Bundle also takes advantage of the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit and Cinematic Lens. Additionally, it includes an ultra-wide lens and close-up lens, plus the flip-up screen hood.
In addition to hardware, Insta360 has released Firmware V2.0.3 for the Ace Pro 2. The new version adds two additional Leica color profiles: the Leica Eternal and Leica B&W High Contrast. Those join the existing Leica Natural and Leica Vivid options. There are also newly added in-camera film filters, such as Retro Neon and Vintage Vacation, that aim to provide a more polished look without color grading.
All of the bundles are available to purchase today. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Flash Print Bundle is available for $580, and the Xplorer Pro Bundle is $520. The video-centric kits are more expensive, with the Videography Bundle Limited Edition coming in at $605 and the Ultimate Videography Bundle at $740. You can also buy each of the accessories separately if you already own the Ace Pro 2.
Insta360 has unveiled four more accessory bundles for its Leica co-branded Ace Pro 2 action camera, along with updated firmware. The new print and videography kits, which include cinematic lenses, updated Leica color profiles, a screen hood, a portable printer and more, are aimed at helping users get more out of the tiny camera.
Perhaps the most interesting of the new accessories is in the Flash Print Bundle. The kit includes a pocket-sized printer that Insta360 says is the first portable printer made specifically for action cameras. Unlike many tiny instant printers, it doesn't use Instax Mini film. Instead, it creates three-inch, dye-sublimation prints from what Insta360 says is a "signature paper cartridge" with 10 sheets per pack.
Image: Insta360Interestingly, the prints feature not just an Insta360 Ace Pro 2 logo on the edge, but also appear to list the camera's sensor size, aperture, and Leica-branded lens name. At the time of writing, you can only buy cartridge refills (for $10 per pack) through the Insta360 website, so it isn't clear how widespread or long-lasting support for the printer will be.
Beyond the printer, the Flash Print Bundle also includes a flip-up screen hood for the camera that promises to make it easier to see the screen even in bright light. It also comes with a leather case and the Xplorer Grip Pro kit (detailed below).
The Xplorer Pro Grip adds dedicated controls.Insta360 also released an updated version of its Xplorer Bundle, which was released earlier this year. The new Xplorer Pro kit is an all-in-one grip that features a built-in battery and camera controls. It allows users to adjust digital zoom (the lens itself is fixed), filters, exposure and modes from the grip itself, no menu diving necessary. There's also a more prominent shutter button with a removable, threaded design, allowing for customization. Insta360 says the Xplorer Pro Bundle is exclusive to the US.
Finally, the company also unveiled two video-focused bundles. The Videography Bundle Limited Edition comes in a custom-designed box and includes the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit and 'Cinematic' Lens. The lens allows users to create 2.35:1 widescreen footage, and Insta360 says it "delivers a film-like look straight from the camera."
Both video bundles come with the Cinematic Lens.The Ultimate Videography Bundle also takes advantage of the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit and Cinematic Lens. Additionally, it includes an ultra-wide lens and close-up lens, plus the flip-up screen hood.
In addition to hardware, Insta360 has released Firmware V2.0.3 for the Ace Pro 2. The new version adds two additional Leica color profiles: the Leica Eternal and Leica B&W High Contrast. Those join the existing Leica Natural and Leica Vivid options. There are also newly added in-camera film filters, such as Retro Neon and Vintage Vacation, that aim to provide a more polished look without color grading.
All of the bundles are available to purchase today. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Flash Print Bundle is available for $580, and the Xplorer Pro Bundle is $520. The video-centric kits are more expensive, with the Videography Bundle Limited Edition coming in at $605 and the Ultimate Videography Bundle at $740. You can also buy each of the accessories separately if you already own the Ace Pro 2.
A climate report projects that the world's carbon emissions are on track to hit an all-time high this year, despite major advances in green tech and adoption of measures to curb pollution from the use of fossil fuels.
Category: Environment, Science
Tags: Greenhouse emissions, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Carbon Dioxide, Climate Crisis
A few years back, BMW teamed up with bike-maker Cube and mobility company SoFlow to prototype a funky leaning cargo e-trike as part of a mobility expo. Cube subsequently launched the concept as the Trike Hybrid in 2023, and has now added a flatbed variant to the range.
Category: Urban Transport, Transport
Tags: Trike, Tricycle, cargo bike, ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Bosch, Cube
In The Matrix, human beings are a literal (and metaphorical) power source – specifically, they supply bio-electricity to our AI overlords. Fortunately, enslavement to robotic masters in a virtual-reality prison is completely unnecessary for biochemistry to power our machines. Instead, all we need is sugar and vitamins.
Category: Energy, Technology
Tags: Battery, flow cell, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Biomimicry
What are you willing to put up with to get the exact aesthetic you're looking for? For some Hollywood directors like Yorgos Lanthimos or Paul Thomas Anderson, the answer is a lot, at least according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication recently put out a story titled "The Biggest Diva in Hollywood Is a Camera," going over the on-set headaches brought on by using old VistaVision cameras on productions like Bugonia and One Battle After Another.
The issues are numerous: film jams and other "moody" behaviors that occasionally required some percusive maintenance to fix, and the racket that comes with running 35mm film horizontally, rather than vertically, through the camera. The article recounts ruined takes, on-set slowdowns and the need for insulated boxes and special software to keep the sounds of the camera from ruining dialogue. Overall, it turns out that using cameras whose heyday was in the 50s can be a bit of a pain.
Presumably, those issues didn't come as a surprise to the directorsWell... duh. I could've told you that, and I don't even have an IMDB page (yet). Presumably, those issues didn't come as a surprise to the directors and cinematographers who have chosen to work with them either. (Though the actors may be a different story.) So why did they choose to do it?
I'm sure part of it had to do with the experience. As with shooting stills, there's a texture to shooting movies with film that would take a lot of work and discipline to replicate with digital. To paraphrase Reed Morano in Side By Side*, people may take things a bit more seriously when they hear the money running through the camera, kind of like how photographers are more considered with their compositions when they only have 36 exposures.
Being shot in a novel format is also sometimes used in the movie's marketing.Of course, you can get that experience using more modern film cameras that won't have so many issues. The WSJ goes a bit into why the artists chose VistaVision specifically, and cites a variety of reasons, with the foremost being the look. Shooting a movie on what is essentially a stills photography format gets you more detail than you'd typically be able to achieve with a 35mm movie camera, while still having the look of film.
The result is an aesthetic that's somewhat familiar, but grandiose, a callback to tentpole films like North by Northwest and The Searchers. Sure, there are modern digital cameras from Red and Panavision with similarly large sensors, but do they have the heritage?
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan hasn't been shy about discussing some of the downsides of shooting with VistaVision cameras.Maybe not, though I am left wondering whether the audience will truly notice the difference. Certainly, those watching the movie on their phones during their commute or their uncalibrated TVs sitting right in front of a window won't, but there's also the argument to be made that we shouldn't make art for the lowest common denominator viewing experience. And realistically, if you want that specific aesthetic, you either have to go with old film cameras, spend a lot of time in post, bending digital footage to make it look like film, or shoot Imax. And the latter has a lot of the same problems unless, of course, you're Christopher Nolan and can just get Imax to make you an updated camera**.
The Wall Street Journal article is well worth a read, even though most people who have touched a camera before will likely be unsurprised by the initial premise. It's still an interesting look at the lengths some artists will go to fully realize their vision, and the eccentricities of the movie business and old tech.
I'd be interested in hearing from you, though. Do you often find yourself putting up with an annoying camera purely because of the look it produces? Do you find the look of VistaVision or other large film formats compelling enough that you totally get it? Are you happy to have left film behind forever? Let us know over on our forums.
* A documentary hosted by Keanu Reeves interviewing a who's who of cinematographers and directors about digital cinematography, which you should definitely watch if you've made it this far into this article.
** And if you are Christopher Nolan: Hi. Big fan. Don't listen to the haters, I thought Tenet was pretty good.
What are you willing to put up with to get the exact aesthetic you're looking for? For some Hollywood directors like Yorgos Lanthimos or Paul Thomas Anderson, the answer is a lot, at least according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication recently put out a story titled "The Biggest Diva in Hollywood Is a Camera," going over the on-set headaches brought on by using old VistaVision cameras on productions like Bugonia and One Battle After Another.
The issues are numerous: film jams and other "moody" behaviors that occasionally required some percusive maintenance to fix, and the racket that comes with running 35mm film horizontally, rather than vertically, through the camera. The article recounts ruined takes, on-set slowdowns and the need for insulated boxes and special software to keep the sounds of the camera from ruining dialogue. Overall, it turns out that using cameras whose heyday was in the 50s can be a bit of a pain.
Presumably, those issues didn't come as a surprise to the directorsWell... duh. I could've told you that, and I don't even have an IMDB page (yet). Presumably, those issues didn't come as a surprise to the directors and cinematographers who have chosen to work with them either. (Though the actors may be a different story.) So why did they choose to do it?
I'm sure part of it had to do with the experience. As with shooting stills, there's a texture to shooting movies with film that would take a lot of work and discipline to replicate with digital. To paraphrase Reed Morano in Side By Side*, people may take things a bit more seriously when they hear the money running through the camera, kind of like how photographers are more considered with their compositions when they only have 36 exposures.
Being shot in a novel format is also sometimes used in the movie's marketing.Of course, you can get that experience using more modern film cameras that won't have so many issues. The WSJ goes a bit into why the artists chose VistaVision specifically, and cites a variety of reasons, with the foremost being the look. Shooting a movie on what is essentially a stills photography format gets you more detail than you'd typically be able to achieve with a 35mm movie camera, while still having the look of film.
The result is an aesthetic that's somewhat familiar, but grandiose, a callback to tentpole films like North by Northwest and The Searchers. Sure, there are modern digital cameras from Red and Panavision with similarly large sensors, but do they have the heritage?
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan hasn't been shy about discussing some of the downsides of shooting with VistaVision cameras.Maybe not, though I am left wondering whether the audience will truly notice the difference. Certainly, those watching the movie on their phones during their commute or their uncalibrated TVs sitting right in front of a window won't, but there's also the argument to be made that we shouldn't make art for the lowest common denominator viewing experience. And realistically, if you want that specific aesthetic, you either have to go with old film cameras, spend a lot of time in post, bending digital footage to make it look like film, or shoot Imax. And the latter has a lot of the same problems unless, of course, you're Christopher Nolan and can just get Imax to make you an updated camera**.
The Wall Street Journal article is well worth a read, even though most people who have touched a camera before will likely be unsurprised by the initial premise. It's still an interesting look at the lengths some artists will go to fully realize their vision, and the eccentricities of the movie business and old tech.
I'd be interested in hearing from you, though. Do you often find yourself putting up with an annoying camera purely because of the look it produces? Do you find the look of VistaVision or other large film formats compelling enough that you totally get it? Are you happy to have left film behind forever? Let us know over on our forums.
* A documentary hosted by Keanu Reeves interviewing a who's who of cinematographers and directors about digital cinematography, which you should definitely watch if you've made it this far into this article.
** And if you are Christopher Nolan: Hi. Big fan. Don't listen to the haters, I thought Tenet was pretty good.
An antibiotic primarily used in veterinary medicine was found to turn the gut into a factory that pumps out life-extending compounds. The finding could change the way we think about the development of longevity drugs.
Category: Aging Well, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind
Tags: Longevity, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bacteria, Gut Bacteria, Microbiome
Apparently, one amazing music venue just isn't enough for Hamburg, Germany. The city already boasts the Elbphilharmonie – one of the world's most notable concert halls – and now it's lining up a second. The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has revealed plans for a new state opera house, which will allow Hamburgers to enjoy a stroll in a park and watch a ballet at the same venue.
Category: Architecture, Technology
Tags: Building and Construction, Bjarke Ingels Group, sustainable design
Legendary British automaker TVR, which has a history of building championship-winning sports cars dating back nearly 80 years, is returning to the performance vehicle market after a long break. Up first: the super-light, V8-powered Griffith that was supposed to ship in 2019.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: TVR, Sports Cars, British
The “trophy wife” trope has been given a modern twist. New research shows that after the wedding, beauty-for-status becomes a two-way street, with both husbands and wives adjusting their looks as income power shifts.
Category: Society & Community, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind
Tags: Sex and gender, Relationships, Weddings, Money, University of Bath
The Portuguese man-of-war, or Physalia, is a jelly-like creature that uses a special gas-filled balloon to float on the sea surface. Physalia inhabits the area where the ocean meets the atmosphere, in contrast to the majority of jellyfish that drift deeper. Its balloon serves as a sail, allowing it to glide with the wind and currents. Large groups may occasionally be carried to coastlines where they are rarely observed due to changing winds and ocean temperatures.
Tags: Marine Biology, jellyfish, Species, Climate Crisis, Japan
Some people don’t lose enough weight after bariatric surgery, but a new study shows that adding a daily shot of GLP-1 drug liraglutide can help patients shed extra pounds and may reduce the need for further surgery.
Category: Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind
Tags: Obesity, Bariatric surgery, Weight Loss, GLP-1 receptor agonists, Monash University
Antarctica's ice cores are like frozen diaries of Earth's past, preserving ancient air and climate clues. Most continuous records go back about 800,000 years. But in a region called the Allan Hills, a special patch of blue ice holds scattered snapshots dating back as far as 2.7 million years.
Category: Science
Tags: Antarctic, Ice, Climate Crisis, Environment
