From the word go, amateurs and professionals alike were hot for RED's (relatively) minuscule Scarlet. After all, can you really go wrong with a 3K camera in one hand and a Dairy Queen dipped cone in the other? (No, no you cannot.) Nevertheless, those anxious to see more as the run-up to its early 2009 release continues can feast their eyes on an all new rendering. Oh, and if you're the talkative type, tag the read link and join in the 8+ page discussion about that image you're eyes are still fixated on above.

[Thanks, anonymous]

We've already seen and heard a handful concerning Canon's new entry-level DSLR, but now the company has finally given us some hard facts and figures to tear into like the rabid animals we are. The camera -- which ships in August -- will clock in at $699.99, and comes bundled with the EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens, rechargeable battery pack and charger, a handful of cables, and the assurance that your pictures will look markedly better than the ones you took with that camera you bought on vacation that was bright yellow and housed in cardboard. Check out the gallery below for a closer look at both the black and silver versions.

Let's face it, the streets are rough these days. And just because someone admits to having your back, that doesn't mean they won't turn and run in the heat of battle. Granted, the very spark that sets off said conflict could be this questionably designed coat, but we digress. Paul Coudamy's Hard-Wear jacket includes a totally inconspicuous camera on the rear which reportedly beams happenings onto a wrist-worn LCD. Not exactly James Bond type material here, but we suppose it'll do for the double-o in training. Take all those orange blocks away and your chances of being looked at would decline remarkably, wouldn't you think?

[Via Talk2MyShirt]

You know the drill: open wide and ingest some salt before proceeding further. All done? Alright. The above image is clearly pretending / hoping / wanting to be the supposedly forthcoming Nikon D10, but we're not so sure what we're seeing is the real deal. Granted, rumors have been flying that a so-called mid-range full frame DSLR would be surfacing from the company, but even if said unicorn is eventually dubbed the D10, will it really look like this? What say you, eagle-eyed readers?

[Via PhotographyBay]

It was inevitable, really. We've seen quick-footed thieves swipe GPS units that eventually led to their arrest, a bank robber who didn't even bother to close his clamshell while holding up the joint and now, we've seen the Eye-Fi card really pay off. According to the outfit's PR firm Red Consultancy, one particular vacationer had her entire stash of camera gear (over $1,000 worth) stolen while taking a load off in Florida. Upon returning home and checking things out, she noticed that all of the snapshots taken prior to the theft were uploaded, and upon closer inspection, she even noticed a clear shot of the remarkably idiotic crook. After syncing up with the boys in blue, all of the gal's equipment was eventually returned, and some semblance of normalcy was finally returned. How's that for a feel good story, huh?

[Image courtesy of Al]

Don't worry, we'll get to you mid- and high-enders soon enough, but we've got a feeling this week's Ask Engadget question will appeal to the masses. Granted, we've shot this inquiry out before, but a lot has happened in the DSLR realm in 3.5 long years, wouldn't you agree?

"Summer's coming up, and that means vacation time. I want to get an entry-level DSLR in order to best capture some of my upcoming adventures, and while I'd like to keep the cost low, I'm not against spending a bit of cash to get a really solid setup. What camera (and maybe even what lens) would your readers recommend for a newcomer?"

Go easy on the guy -- he even admitted that he's fresh to the game -- but don't hold back on explaining your answers in order to really give a good idea of why one camera is a better pick versus another. Right after that, send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com -- but make it good, alright?

Oh sure, those with no shame whatsoever can snag a totally sketchy LV 2008 with an attachable zoom lens, but those of us with a shred of dignity are waiting on something better. Enter Tessera Technologies, which is today announcing that its OptiML Zoom solution is available for licensing. Said innovation brings a unique lens design and specialized algorithms to replace "traditional mechanical zoom capabilities," giving equipped cameraphones 3x optical zoom capabilities in a "compact camera module without moving parts." Hailed as the industry's first non-mechanical optical zoom solution, it promises to not degrade images the way digital zoom does, and while it's eager to see handset OEMs pick up the tech and integrate it into forthcoming mobiles, we've yet to hear of any big players jumping on board.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Though certainly not the first gizmo designed with aerial photography in mind, the Aeryon Scout is a notch above most alternatives. The hovering platform enables users to capture still shots and log digital video from up above, and while it can be controlled remotely, we're also hearing that autonomous navigation isn't totally out of reach. Currently, the device is still looking to escape the prototype stage, but its creators are already eying police forces, security firms and surveying / engineering businesses in hopes of landing a few clients. Considering the stunningly high $30,000 to $50,000 price tag, we'd say they're looking in the right (read: only) direction.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets, image courtesy of InventorSpot]

Samsung's been getting pretty creative with cell cameras lately -- the Instinct lets you pan around web pages by tracking movement with the camera, for example -- but the company's latest patent application, for a gesture-based phone interface, might be a little less practical. The idea is to use the phone's camera to track your hand movements, which, from the drawings, should have you looking insane on the subway in no time. Of course, we've all been guilty of waving at and even talking to our devices when they're acting up, so maybe a little feedback wouldn't be a bad thing -- there's one gesture we'd definitely like to see programmed in there.

[Via Textually.org]

Go on and grab your salt shaker, as this rumor just isn't fit to digest without a few dashes. According to information gathered by Amateur Photographer during an "informal discussion with [Kyong-Kook Shin] at an industry event in Seoul, Korea," Samsung could be developing a full-frame CMOS imaging sensor. As the story goes, said sensor would eventually be housed in an undisclosed "professional DSLR," but as of now, the device has only reached the design stage. When Sammy's UK branch was contacted about the whispers, it refused to confirm, but commercial director Robert King did note that the company was "committed to the DSLR market" and would "continue to invest in R&D in this important market sector." Yeah, it's all shaky at best, but we can't pretend we aren't a wee bit giddy just thinking about it.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

Regardless of what the UN / Taser thinks, the fuzz around Clinton, Connecticut aren't too fond of taser-like weapons being in the hands of teenagers. Case in point: a 14-year old with a certain knack for wandering around the intarwebz and filling his brain with all sorts of hacktastic methodologies managed to stumble upon directions (what, these?) for transforming a vanilla disposable camera into something "capable of zapping people with an electrical charge." School Resource Officer Kyle Strunjo even said that the improvised weapon was "potentially capable of a 600-volt shock," though it wasn't actually used on anyone before it got swiped by the boys in blue. Chin up kid, you've got a future waiting for you yet.

[Image courtesy of DIYLive, thanks Ninad]

Oh sure, we've come across oodles of cameras designed to be mounted on or around one's noggin, but c'mon, surely we aren't the only folks who reckoned no one actually used these things, right? Taking a huge leap forward for lifebloggers and fans of recording sweet jumps everywhere, Yamaha's Josh Hill managed to not only rock a GoPro Motorsports HERO camera for an entire race, but he also grabbed the gold in front of some 41,000 onlookers in the Minneapolis Metrodome. See kids -- strapping gizmos onto your head isn't just for nerds and basement dwellers, after all. Peep some footage from the headcam below.

[Via verde, image courtesy of vitalmx]
Read - Josh Hill wins race with camera on helmet
Read - Footage from GoPro helmet camera

Truth be told, we could sort of see this one coming -- after all, why wouldn't N-Gage developers seek to use a handset's built-in functions to enhance gameplay? Nevertheless, the folks at Nok Nok were able to pick the brain of Will Shen, N-Gage Head of Production in North America, and found out quite a few tidbits about the future of the platform. Reportedly, Mr. Shen went so far as to confirm that it is "looking at creating games that harness the power of [a mobile's] built-in camera, GPS receiver and any relevant skill [that it] may possess that could help inspire and execute innovative games." Granted, location-based titles aren't anything new in the grand scheme of things, but Shen also noted that his team is looking to "focus on innovation" rather than "gimmick gaming." Marvelous -- now let's get this stuff rolled out en masse, shall we?

Let's not get carried away here, Minox. We can understand the slim, 18.5mm-thick form factor, and the 7.2 megapixel sensor and 3x zoom seem certainly par for the course, but a 3-inch LCD? It's almost like you guys are trying to build a competitive camera here. Electronic image stabilization and face detection? Let's all keep heads here, people! No need to do anything rash. There's no word on price or availability yet, so perhaps you guys can still manage to work in some true lameness between then and now.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

Ever on the lookout for the next step in up in Big Brother policy, there's a new camera technology being developed in the UK at Loughborough University which can count car occupants by figuring out how much water and blood content there is inside the car. The obvious application is for trimming down those carpool lane offenders, trying to squeeze by the law with a dummy or a pet in the passenger seat. Look, privacy concerns aside, there's just something awkward about traffic cams tracking quantities of blood and water inside of commuter cars. Do we really want to let the Machines have that kind of inside (literally) information on us?

[Thanks, Richard W]