DJI lessens smartphone video camera shakes with Osmo Mobile

Want to take less shaky smartphone videos? DJI outs its latest handheld 3-axis stabilizer gimbal for smartphones. The Osmo Mobile works similar to the gimbal used by the brand’s drones but it lacks a built-in camera. Instead it relies on the camera of your smartphones. It makes use of the same stabilizer technology found in DJI’s Phantom 4 drone.

If you use it with the DJI software, the stabilizer is capable of locking onto a person’s face to take great selfies even when the subject and camera are moving. The software also helps you take time lapse videos, panoramic, and long-exposure shots without using a tripod. The DJI Osmo Mobile retails for US$300 (approx. CA$390) and will be coming out in two weeks.

Source: TechCrunch

Acer introduces Chromebook with 13-inch touchscreen display

Acer outs the biggest Chromebook yet. The new Chromebook R13 revealed at IFA in Berlin sports a 13.3-inch touch-based 1080p IPS display. The Chromebooks of past have all played in the 10- to 11-inch space so it’s refreshing to see a bigger model. This laptop is convertible into a tablet with 10-point touch capabilities and allows for tapping, swiping, and pinch-to-zoom gestures. While Chrome OS isn’t particularly touch-friendly, the feature might come in handy when Android apps come to Chromebooks soon.

Other specs for the R13 include USB Type-C port, USB 3.0, HDMI out, Bluetooth 4.0 support, and 720p webcam. It comes with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage and 4GB of RAM. Battery life is touted at 12 hours. The R13 will be available in October with starting price at US$400 (roughly CA$520).

Source: Gizmodo

Play with your pet even remotely with Acer’s new pet cam

Acer subsidiary Pawbo outs a new pet cam at IFA that lets you play with your furry little creatures even when you’re not at home. The Pawbo+ has a laser pointer to let you play with your cat and it dispenses treats as well. The footage it takes can be live streamed to you and seven other users. It will eventually be paired with accessories, such as a whack-a-mole game called Pawbo Punch and Pawbo Catch. If you want to catch your pets being silly, the videos taken can be stored on either Dropbox or Google Drive and photos can be saved locally on your phones. The camera will retail for US$169 (approx. $220 CAD) starting November.

Source: The Verge

Capital One Canada helps out local charities with 40-hour hackathon

Capital One Canada, together with Hackworks, are hosting a 40-hour Gift the Code Hackathon this October 21 to 23 to help address digital issues faced by six Toronto-based charities. Over 100 participants—a mix of volunteers and Capital One associates—will be brainstorming, building, and submitting technology solutions for the charities’ digital challenges. The event, which is hosted by Marc Saltzman, will see the participants broken into teams of four to six experts at BrainStation’s Toronto campus to help solve these problems.

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