From gallantlabucb

Given a large enough database of images and movies, can a scan of the brain reconstruct what the brain has seen? It is pretty freakish but volunteers watched movie clips while a scanner watched their brains and, from their brain activity, a computer made rough reconstructions of what they viewed using a database of movies from YouTube. It’s all experimental right now, requiring hours under an MRI machine and the reconstructed images looking far from what the subjects were actually watching, but who knows how soon this technology will develop into the ability to “read dreams”?

The left clip is a segment of the movie that the subject viewed while in the magnet. The right clip shows the reconstruction of this movie from brain activity measured using fMRI. The reconstruction was obtained using only each subject’s brain activity and a library of 18 million seconds of random YouTube video. (In brief, the algorithm processes each of the 18 million clips through the brain model, and identifies the clips that would have produced brain activity as similar to the measured brain activity as possible. The clips used to fit the model, those used to test the model and those used to reconstruct the stimulus were entirely separate.) Brain activity was sampled every one second, and each one-second section of the viewed movie was reconstructed separately.
For a related video see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMA23JJ1M1o
For more information about this work, please check our lab web site: http://gallantlab.org

via thestar

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Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D

“In all, a fairly easy recommendation for the first-time SLR buyer.”

We’ve added a new Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D [QuickPrice Check] Review to our Reviews Matrix.

Imaging Resource has published their review of the Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D Family DSLR camera with 12.2MP resolution on a large APS-C CMOS image sensor, 2.7-in. (230k-dot) LCD display screen, ISO range of 100-6400, and HD 720p Movie 1280×720 at 30fps.

Read the Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D Review @ Imaging Resource.

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Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1

“The Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 is an ultra compact micro four thirds camera with image stabilisation, excellent image quality, and excellent value for money.”

We’ve added another Olympus PEN E-PM1 [QuickPrice Check] review to our Reviews Matrix.

ePHOTOzine has published their review of the Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1, an Interchangeable Lens Camera with 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3 x 13.0 mm High Speed Live MOS Sensor), Sensor-shift Image Stabilization, Dust Reduction, an extra large 3.0-in. LCD (460k-dot), Full HD Movie (1920×1080/60i) with stereo sound, Intelligent AUTO (auto scene recognition), PASM modes, Scene Modes, Shutter speed range of 60 – 1/4000 sec. plus Bulb (up to 30 mins), Continuous Shooting at 5.5fps, RAW file format, a hot shoe, and Art Filter.

You can read the Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 review @ ePHOTOzine.

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Samsung PL120

“The Samsung PL120 takes good enough pictures. Don’t expect to be blown away but the pictures are sharp enough, the colours are realistic and the sensor has a decent dynamic range.”

We’ve added a new Samsung PL120 [QuickPrice Check] review to our Reviews Matrix.

PhotographyBLOG has published their review of the Samsung PL120, an ultra compact dual LCD digital camera with 14.2MP resolution (on a 1/2.3-in. CCD), 5x wide-angle optical zoom (26-130mm equiv.), 2.7-in. LCD (230k-dot), 1.5-in. Front LCD (61k-dot), Smart Auto, P, Scene modes, Smart Filter, Magic Frame, Smart Face Recognition, Perfect Portrait System, Object Highlight, and HD 720p Movie 1280×720 @ 30fps with monaural sound. The Samsung PL120 accepts the Micro SD / Micro SDHC memory card.

Read the Samsung PL120 Review @ PhotographyBLOG.

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Focus Numérique has an interview with Hirotake Nozaki, Nikon Marketing about the new Nikon 1 System.

Two take-aways that may disappoint enthusiasts:

• The Nikon 1 System is targeted to the point-and-shoot crowd
• The Nikon 1 System are not in direct competition with the Sony NEX

Read the interview at: Focus Numérique in French or its Google English translation.

Setting a world record usually means doing something really difficult and challenging that requires lots of effort and it’s something that is not easily copied, i.e. the record will not be easily broken. However, of late, all kinds of “records” have graced the pages of the Guiness Book of World Records, including the latest: Most Adjustable Digital Camera handed out to the Casio TRYX.

I don’t know about you, but does that sound like the most dubious world record ever or what? Will camera manufacturers now rush out to obtain a world record as the best low light camera? The smallest camera? The reddest camera? The most angular camera? The Plenoptic Camera? The Translucent Mirror Camera? The Fastest Contrast-Detect AF camera? I believe the GBOWR may have permanently soiled its reputation in awarding this dubious “record.”

View the GBOWR Most Adjustable Digital Camera award.

Imaging Resource has an interesting interview with Masahiro Suzuki, General Manager R&D, Nikon Imaging Company and the person in charge of development for the new Nikon 1 product line.

Great interview questions that probe thru the marketing fluff to [try to] get to the real thinking behind the development of the Nikon 1 System: who’s behind the development (i.e. engineers from Coolpix or DSLR groups), who does Nikon see as the target market and what type of camera does Nikon think they are using now, why did Nikon not join the Four Thirds consortium (the answer may surprise you), and the biggie: the rationale behind the sensor size (and again, the image quality answer may surprise).

Read the Nikon 1 System Interview @ Imaging Resource.

Nikon 1 V1

Focus Numérique has posted ISO samples taken with the Nikon 1 V1. The results are interesting, to say the least, but we’ll wait for a production camera and conduct our own tests before venturing any comments on the matter.

Meanwhile, you can read the results yourself at the original link [in French]: Focus Numérique and the Google English translation.

I am warming up to Lytro’s Living Pictures. The more you see and use them, the more you appreciate the incredible technology behind them. It puts the power in the hands of the viewer, and though I’m not sure the pro photographer might like that, the point-and-shoot crowd should appreciate potentially never taking an out of focus photo again. In fact, with a digital camera with “Lytro Technology Inside,” the user may never need to even focus anymore.

Lytro has added some new Living Pictures to its gallery. These pictures are from professional photographers, employees and volunteer testers. Volunteer testers? When do I get to test one?

Head over to Lytroo and see why you may never again take an out of focus picture.