Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII Review

Digital Photography Review has published a comprehensive review of Sony's flagship compact zoom. Snippets follow:

Key Specifications
— 20MP 1"-type stacked-CMOS sensor with phase detection
— 24-200mm equivalent F2.8-4.5 zoom
— 20 fps continuous shooting with autofocus/auto-exposure
— Seven frame, 90 fps 'single burst' mode
— Retractable 2.36M-dot EVF
— 3" touchscreen LCD (flips up 180°, down 90°)
— Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC

Conclusion
The RX100 VII is the most capable pocket camera ever made, both in terms of video and stills. It doesn't seem to offer much over the RX100 VI [but] a vastly improved AF implementation and general usability improvements make the VII easier to operate and enjoyable to use.

The RX100 VII not only has the easiest-to-use autofocus implementation of any compact, it also has the most reliable. Real-time Tracking AF does a great job of sticking to whatever you point the camera at. The silent, fully electronic shutter mode used in bursts introduces little to no rolling shutter. But there's no zooming while AF is engaged. Image quality is excellent in good light, files display pleasing colour and good detail capture.

The RX100 VII takes the speed and AF accuracy/usability of a high-end sports camera and puts it in a body that not only offers an incredibly versatile zoom range, but also fits in your pocket. For parents or travel photographers seeking a camera that will 'just get the shot,' regardless of the distance or movement of the subject, this is a fantastic choice.

Price: £1200
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Pamu Slide Bluetooth Earphones

The Pamu Slide is Pamu's third Indiegogo offering. I went for the 'basic' version, which cost me £45 including carriage. The finished item arrived a week ago (click here for unboxing images), and first impressions are very good.

I am not a lover of earphones, my travelling headphones of choice are the Bose Quietcomfort 35s, but having worn the Pamu Slides for a few 2-3 hour sessions, they are very comfortable, and sit securely in my ears (there is a wide range of alternative size 'buds' provided).

The earphones have touch controls for controlling volume, music playback control as well as activating Siri/Google Assistant. They are IPX6 certified, so should survive sweat and light rain.

The charging case's lid slides back to reveal the storing/charging area. The earphones are held in the correct place by magnets. When removed the earphones automatically pair with one another, and then connect to the device you have paired them with.

The sound is clear and balanced with controlled bass and the stereo imaging is impressive, significantly better than Apple's standard wired earbuds. Unlike many bluetooth earbuds, they are capable of decent volume levels without distorting. I wore the Pamu Slides on a tube trip to London and they were the most comfortable buds I have ever worn. Compared to my Bose headphones, the only thing I really missed was the active noise cancelling, especially when a hen night troupe boarded half-way through the journey.

I don't usually wear headphones to the gym, but they remained comfortable and secure during a 50 minute cardio workout, including running, rowing and cycling. The Bluetooth connection did not drop or glitch.

I haven't had the chance to test the battery life, but current reviews put them at around 9 hours on a single charge, nearly double that of Apple's Airpods. The case supports fast charging of the earphones, 5 minutes in the case provides another hour of playback.

UPDATE: In January 2020, the right earbud stopped functioning. A Google search revealed that I was not the only one with this problem. I tried all the suggested fixes, but no joy. An email to Pamu was eventually replied to, requesting I send a video showing the earbuds being removed from the case. I did this, and they have replied promising to send a replacement pair of earbuds.

UPDATE 2: Received replacement earbuds 5 February 2020... paired up fine. Will add another update if they fail.
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Protein from air

World Economic Forum reports: [edited]

Finnish company, Solar Foods, is planning to bring to market a new protein powder, Solein, made out of CO₂, water and electricity. It's a high-protein, flour-like ingredient that contains 50 percent protein, 5–10 percent fat, and 20–25 percent carbs. It looks and tastes like wheat flour, and could become an ingredient in a wide variety of food products after its launch in 2021.

Solar Foods makes Solein by extracting CO₂ from air using carbon-capture technology, and then combines it with water, nutrients and vitamins, using solar energy to promote a natural fermentation process similar to the one that produces yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

Solein production is not dependent on arable land, rain, or favourable weather. The company is working with the European Space Agency to develop foods for off-planet production and consumption (the idea for Solein began at NASA).

Image source: Kristiana Pinne

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Equation provides solution to lens imperfections

gizmodo reports: [edited]

It’s a problem that plagues even the priciest of lenses, manufactured to the most exacting specifications: the centre of the frame might be razor-sharp, but the corners and edges always look a little soft.

On paper, a curved glass lens should be able to redirect all the rays of light passing through it onto a single target known as its focal point. But in the real world, it just doesn’t work that way. Differences in refraction across the lens, as well as imperfections in its shape and materials, all contribute to some of those light rays, especially those entering the lens near its outer edges, missing the target. It’s a phenomenon known as spherical aberration, and it’s a problem that even Issac Newton and Greek mathematician Diocles couldn’t crack.

But that’s all going to change thanks to Rafael G. González-Acuña, a doctoral student at Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey. After months of work, he came up with an equation that provides an analytical solution for counteracting spherical aberration, which had been previously formulated back in 1949 as the Wasserman-Wolf problem.

For lens makers, it can provide an exact blueprint for designing a lens that completely eliminates any spherical aberration. It doesn’t matter the size of the lens, the material it’s made from, or what it will be used for, this equation will spit out the exact numbers needed to design it to be optically perfect.

It promises to help improve scientific imaging as well in devices like telescopes and microscopes. But even the average consumer will benefit from González-Acuña’s work. It will allow companies to manufacture simpler lenses with fewer elements which cost considerably less while offering improved image quality in everything from smartphones to professional cameras.

Thanks to Brook for the link.

Image courtesy of  Dustin Lee
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Mighty Vibe

Mighty Audio reports: [edited]

Mighty Vibe allows you to take your Spotify music offline, without a phone.

— Storage Capacity: 1,000+ tracks (8GB)
— Battery Capacity: 5+ hours of listening time
— Buttons: Power, shuffle, fwd/back, volume, playlist selector
— Water-resistant
— Connectivity: Bluetooth for playback, WiFi for syncing
— Compatible With: Bluetooth and wired headphones and speakers
— Content Supported: Playlists and podcasts
— Playback Requirements: Spotify Premium account
— App Support: iOS 9 and above, Android 6.0 and above
— Dimensions: 3.8cm x 3.8cm x 1.78cm
— Weight: 20g

Price: £80

Thanks to Brook for the heads-up.
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