Drone Owners Required to Register Their Drones

The Obama administration said on Monday that it would require drone owners to register their unmanned aircraft as part of an effort to curtail rogue drone flights that pose a danger to commercial aircraft and crowded public venues.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the creation of a task force of private sector and government representatives to craft recommendations for establishing the first ever federal drone registry.

The recommendations are due by Nov. 20, and administration officials hope to have the registry in place before Christmas, when they say that more than 1 million new drones could be given as gifts to new untrained operators. The registration requirements would also apply to drones already in use.

The initiative represents the administration's effort to address the rising number of unauthorized drone sightings near airports and crowded public venues. The FAA has reported more than 650 unauthorized drone sightings so far this year, as of Aug. 9, compared with 238 for all of 2014. If sightings continue at that rate, the number would near 1,100 by the year end.

Officials said a registry would help authorities identify the operators of rogue drones, a task that authorities have struggled to undertake so far. They also said the need to register drones would help educate consumers about restrictions near airports and public venues including sports events.

"The signal we're sending today is that when you enter the national air space, it's a very serious matter," Foxx said. As part of a parallel effort, the Federal Aviation Administration is also working with other agencies to develop systems that can identify and track drones or keep them away from vulnerable sites.

Foxx said the registration effort would not delay the FAA's goal of publishing rules for commercial drone use by next June.

But critics said the announcement raised more questions than it answered about how owners could be compelled to comply and what size, weight and power of aircraft would be included.

"People keep throwing around the million drones to be sold this Christmas number. That is a lot of people to educate and then convince they need to take the time and effort to register," said a drone industry lobbyist, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Source: Reuters

Review: Ho Stevie! Floating GoPro Hand Grip

Overview : Our Floating GoPro Hand Grip provides a simple way to capture stable footage, no matter what kind of adventure you are on.

Whether you are snorkeling alongside honus in Hawaii, or dancing across the Coachella stages, this GoPro grip shoots steady controlled footage.

It's not an extendable selfie stick, so they won't confiscate it at Disney, your favorite music festival, or anywhere else on the ever-expanding list of places that have banned selfie sticks.

Features :

• 100% compatible with all GoPro HERO cameras
• Floats your GoPro so you don't need a backdoor floaty
• Adjustable wrist strap provides additional security
• Offers stability and control to capture a variety of angles
• Detachable aluminum GoPro mount can be used with tripods or other accessories with 1/4"-20 threading
• Carbon fiber + aluminum construction ensures maximum durability, while still keeping it lightweight

Deal: Lowepro Passport Sling II DSLR Camera Bag (Black/Red) $17 + Free S/H

Adorama has Lowepro Passport Sling II DSLR Camera Bag (LP36465 Black/Red) on sale for $16.95 with free shipping.

Space for your camera gear and space for your personal gear, that's what you get with the discreet, modern and versatile Lowepro Passport Sling II Camera Bag (Black/Red). A customizable and removable camera box provides protection for a DSLR or CSC kit. Remove the box to use the sling without camera gear - it makes a great travel or day bag.

DJI Reinvents the Selfie Stick With the Osmo

DJI is best known for its popular Phantom line of drones. But they are branching out in an unexpected direction: selfie sticks. The new selfie stick is called the Osmo with a built-in swiveling 4K camera and sophisticated stabilization, it's an all-purpose tool for people who want cinematic imagery but don't want to spring for a serious DSLR or camcorder.

The Osmo shares a lot of DNA with the Phantom drones because it uses a similar gimbal system for stabilizing footage shot from the air. On the ground, the system lets you shoot smooth footage at a variety of frame rates, or set it down to take a time lapse. And because the camera turns around (you can lock its orientation or adjust it with controls on the handle) the Osmo makes for a heck of a selfie stick as well.

Features:

• 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor
• 4K (4096 x 2160) Video at 24 or 25p
• 120 fps Full HD Video for Slow-Motion
• 12MP JPEG or DNG RAW Sill Photos
• Handle with Camera and Gimbal Controls
• Wi-Fi For Monitoring / Remote Operation
• Detachable Mobile Device Holder
• Photos Bursts at up to 7 Shots
• Regular and Moving Time-Lapse Modes
• Auto and Selfie Panorama Modes

The camera system is basically a sleek handheld stabilizer that comes standard with the Inspire 1’s X3 camera, which packs a 1/2.3-inch Sony Exmor R sensor with an ISO range of 100-1600 (100-3200 for video), a 20mm (35mm equiv.) lens with a 94° field of view, and DNG support.

You can also choose to buy the grip for a new X5 camera if you’d like a Micro Four Thirds sensor and mount.

But how do you view your footage live? By using your own smartphone and installing their app, this acts as the camera's display and provides more in-depth settings, connecting wirelessly up to 25 feet away.

The Osmo is certainly more expensive than your average selfie stick at $650. You're getting a high-tech stabilization system and a 4K video camera. Osmo is available to buy now at Amazon, B&H Photo and DJI.

Review: Holga Digital Retro Vintage Camera

Overview : Holga designed the Holga Digital for everyone from the first-time Holga user to the photography enthusiast. You’ll be snapping beautiful images in a matter of seconds. You don’t have to fiddling around with shutter speed, aperture, IOS, or white balance. But it gives you the freedom to experience Holga unique image style; different lenses or you can even mount external flashes onto the build in hot shoes.

Features :

• 8MP 1/3.2" CMOS Sensor
• 4:3 or 1:1 Image Ratio
• F2.8 or F8.0 Aperture Selection
• Hotshoe
• SD card support
• Tripod mount
• x2 AA Batteries

Light's L16 Packs 16 Cameras into Point and Shoot

No one wants point-and-shoots anymore since you can get great photos with your phone. If you want something better and better quality, there are tons of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras to choose from. A new company called Light aims to change this with a device that looks like a point-and-shoot, provides quality like a DSLR, but instead of just one camera inside, there are 16 cameras embedded into a decent sized form factor.

There are 16 cameras inside Light's L16, each 13 megapixels, with lenses ranging from wide-angle to telephoto that simultaneously expose photos at different focal lengths. Then the device's software combines all that data into one 52-megapixel file. The L16 appears to compete directly with the likes of Lytro’s light field cameras: it also lets you shoot first and adjust depth of field later.

Other specs and features of the L16 include 35-150mm optical zoom, exceptional low-light performance, low image noise, precise depth of field control, and a 5-inch touchscreen on the back for editing and sharing your photos.

The specs and the features all look promising but of course, it comes at a price. The first run of L16s will cost $1,300 if you preorder, $1,700 if you don't. You can place your order at http://www.light.co/.

Here are some sample pictures and videos:

Source: Light / reviews