This week, Sony announced the A7s , a full-frame mirrorless camera that captures 4K video. But the 12-megapixel shooter has a few more tricks up its sleeve, including a phenomenally high top sensitivity of ISO 409, 600, matching the Hi4 setting of Nikon’s much larger (and pricier) D4S . Sony commissioned DP Den Lennie to shoot a demo reel that highlights the camera’s 4K capabilities, but he had another chance to test out the cam at NAB . This time, Lennie put high-ISO video capture to the test, comparing ISO 6400 through 409, 600 in a single clip. The difference is staggering, and while that top sensitivity brings more noise than you’d tolerate for a formal production, it could definitely come in handy for surveillance activities. See for yourself in Lennie’s high-sensitivity demo video, embedded at the bottom of his post . Filed under: Cameras , Sony Comments Via: sonyalpharumors Source: Den Lennie

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Sony’s A7s turns night into (very noisy) day with ISO 409,600

Google teased us with a behind-the-scenes look at Project Ara’s progress last week , and now it’s giving would-be module makers some meat to dig into with its new Module Developers Kit. As the name implies, this release really isn’t meant for laymen: it’s a set of guidelines for how those bits should look and interact with the endo (Google’s pet name for the phone skeletons you pop those modules into), along with schematics and code samples to play with. That said, there still a few neat morsels worth noting! Google has some awfully flexible plans for how future Ara phones will handle battery modules, for instance: Users of an Ara phone will be able to power their device with one or multiple batteries; they will be able to swap a depleted battery with a fresh one, without powering off their phone; they will be able to charge one or more batteries in their phone from one or multiple charging devices. We already knew that there would be three different-sized endos, but Google’s also cool with modules that stick out from the bottom or back of the phone, like the pulse oximeter (below) the company’s been mentioning for months. It seems a little odd that Google doesn’t want manufacturers crafting modules that could stick out of an Ara’s phone side, but we’re guessing that’s a concession made for grippability. Then there’s the little matter of how we the people will actually be able to order our phone parts. Google’s guidelines make mention of an online marketplace (somewhere in the Play Store, probably) where we’ll be able to pick parts and configure our dream devices. The sales bit of this equation hasn’t been totally fleshed out yet, but the folks in Mountain View still have time to iron it out. The full document is 81 pages long and just a little more accessible than you’d think — you can download the full package here in case you’re curious. The first of three Ara developer conferences will kick off next week too, so fear not: the best is surely yet to come. Comments Source: Project Ara

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Google’s modular phones: hot-swapping batteries is just the beginning

So far, invisibility systems for cars have been pretty lame or not terrible useful . Land Rover seems to have finally nailed it with the “transparent bonnet” (hood) on its Discover Vision concept car. It works via a heads up display, which projects a see-through view of the road from cameras located in the grill (see the video after the break). That permits a driver navigating in tight quarters to view sharp rocks or other obstacles, and even see the wheels turning below the car. The tech will be on display next week at the New York International Motor Show , and is part of the company’s (apparently see-through) vision for future models. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: CNET Source: Jaguar

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‘Transparent’ Land Rover hood shows the rubber meeting the road (video)