Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki wants to inhabit the metaverse – an online place where we work and play and entertain ourselves. He has dreamed about it for a long time, and he has so many followers now that Roblox will likely be one of the most credible candidates for building the metaverse, the universe of virtual worlds that are all interconnected, like in novels such as Snow Crash and Ready…
Fujifilm Announces the ‘Versatile’ XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens
January 27, 2021
Fujifilm has announced the XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens, a relatively compact zoom lens for the X-system that covers a broad zoom range between 70mm and 300mm. While not particularly fast, it is a lens that is being positioned as “versatile.”
The 70-300mm…
Fujifilm Announces XF 27mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens
January 27, 2021
Fujifilm has announced a new pancake prime lens for the X-System: the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens. With its main feature being its compact size, the lens still promises high image quality despite its compressed design.
The 27mm f/2.8 is one of Fujifilm’s thinnest and…
Fujifilm has announced the GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR lens, which the company is claiming is the world’s first AF-capable f/1.7 interchangeable lens for medium format cameras. It is the fastest lens in the Fujifilm GFX lens lineup and the fastest autofocus lens ever made for medium format cameras.
The 80mm f/1.7 comes in just slightly faster than the Hasselblad 80mm F/1.9 XCD Lens for the X1D, the…
Fujifilm Reveals the X-E4: The Smallest-Ever X-Series Camera
January 27, 2021
Fujifilm has announced the X-E4, a mirrorless 26.1-megapixel compact camera that the company is referring to as a “rangefinder-style” design. The new camera is highlighted by fast autofocus and the promise of high image quality despite the small and lightweight body.
Fujifilm has announced the GFX100S, a camera that takes the “groundbreaking ideas” of the GFX100 and rethinks them with a focus on portability. The result is a compact, high-performance medium format camera that is similar in size to full-frame equivalents and weighs…
Twitter’s Birdwatch Will Let the Public Fact-Check Fake Photos
January 27, 2021
Twitter has launched a new program called Birdwatch that puts the power to fight misinformation in the hands of the public. The goal is to have crowdsourced fact-checking that can help identify fake or misleading Tweet content, including photos.
“People come to Twitter to stay informed, and they want credible information to help them do so,” writes Twitter VP Keith Coleman. “We apply labels…
Canon to Release $38,400 ‘Mixed Reality’ Headset
January 27, 2021
Canon is set to release the MREAL S1 headset in late February for 4 million yen (~$38,400) that can synthesize and display CG images and place them into the wearer’s real-life location to create a mixed/augmented reality experience.
The MREAL S1 is a video see-through…
Fixed Prime Lens Photography — Zoom by Cropping
January 27, 2021
I haven’t lusted for a fixed prime camera because it’s so easy for me to mount a short prime lens on my ILC. But I am intrigued by the idea of walking around with a short prime on my camera, even though it is limiting compared to walking around with a zoom.
We can zoom…
Ukko raises $40 million to address food allergies with AI
January 27, 2021
Ukko, a 30-employee biotech company using AI to investigate solutions for food allergies and sensitivities, today raised $40 million in a series B round led by Bayer’s Leaps by Bayer. Ukko says the new funding will allow it to enter clinical trials with an investigational therapeutic for peanut allergies while accelerating development of its synthetic gluten for people with celiac and other…
