Gizmodo: smile

Optio V20 from Pentax has 5x Zoom, Smile Recognition and Blink Detection

AddyDugdale — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:00:00 EDT

Six months after Pentax released the Optio V10, the japanese company has upped the stakes with the V20. The slimline point-and-shoot has upped the zoom from 3x to 5x, as well as increasing Digital SR mode to ISO 3200 and ISO 6400. With a nice, big 3-inch LCD screen on the back, smile recognition and blink detection, (Earl Hickey, this one's for you) the V20 will be available in Japan next month for the equivalent of $288 Bonus shot of the V20 after the jump.

[Impress]

Sony's Happy Face Cameras Contort Frowns Into Awkwardness

Brian Lam — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:28:01 EDT

Katie B. over at the WSJ did a roundup of camera tech. I liked this section on Sony's Happy Face Retouch that automatically turns frowns into smiles. Sort of:

It took already captured images of my friends' faces and turned their frowns or ambivalent looks into smiles, but didn't adjust the subjects' eyes. Though this was good for laughs, the eerie-looking grins pasted on faces reminded me of painted-on clowns' mouths. And some attempts to retouch a face couldn't detect the face to alter it. But a handful of the Happy Face Retouches looked somewhat natural.

Silly Sony, smiles happen with your entire face, not just the lips and teeth. P.S. FWIW, Katie does not normally smile like a zombie. [All Things D]

Pistol Cams May Keep an Eye on Trigger Happy Cops

Sean Fallon — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:20:42 EDT

Police in both Orange County, California and Newburgh, New York are on the brink of field testing the PistolCam —a 1.5-ounce camera fitted below the barrel of sidearms. As soon as an officer draws the weapon, the PistolCam begins recording both video and audio. Naturally, this technology could prove extremely useful for clarifying events during shootouts and "accidental" deaths at the hands of police. According to Newburgh officials, if the tests go well, all of their officers would be issued the device — although it remains to be seen how the officers themselves and the unions will respond. My guess is that they wouldn't want the cameras rolling when they shout "Dance!" whilst shooting at the feet of perps. [WREX via The Raw Feed]

The Smile Helmet Forces You To Smile

Jason Chen — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 19:30:44 EDT

Hate smiling? Grab the smile helmet.

A helmet for people in jobs which demand an unusual amount of smiling, such as air-stewards, receptionists and politicians. A sensor in the front of the helmet detects anybody within a 2 metre range, at which point the mouth is pulled into a broad grin by a small servo motor and some concealed fishing wire. The helmet addresses the facades of social interaction and explores our responses to affected expressions.

Also useful for the studio audience of Two and a Half Men. – Jason Chen

Smile Helmet [Tim Simpson via MAKE]