Review: Narrative Clip wearable lifelogging camera

In October 2012, a device called Memoto raised its Kickstarter goal of US$50,000 in under 5 hours and went on to raise over $550,000. Memoto went into production and began shipping in November 2013. Now called Narrative Clip, the device is a wearable lifelogging camera and a smash Kickstarter success. But is it any good? Ashacks got the opportunity to find out.
The first thing to address about Narrative Clip is the premise. It is designed to be clipped onto clothing or placed standing up somewhere and it takes a photo every 30 seconds. If the lens is visible, it is taking photos. To turn the device off, users need only place it face down on a surface. Although, by way of digital cameras, social media and the Facebook Paparazzi, we've become more comfortable with being constantly captured on camera, some people may find the passive and automatic nature of the Narrative Clip unnerving. There can be a sense that it's another device chipping away at our privacy.
Others view it as a clever means of capturing photos that they may otherwise have missed and capturing candid moments in their lives without the conspicuous intrusion of a manual camera. There are merits to both points, but for the benefit of this review we'll leave the conundrums about morality and usefulness to you, instead focusing how well the device achieves what it sets out to do.
Our Narrative Clip turned up in clean white packaging reminiscent of that used by Apple. The contents of the box were refreshingly sparse, with just a short USB cable, a manual and the camera itself. Users are directed to the set up website where the required software can be downloaded and the device can be registered. Users are also asked to download the smartphone app for iOS or Android. There is a genuine sense of simplicity about the whole process, it feels like it's been thoughtfully considered.
Indeed, rarely does a manual warrant comment in a review, but its short, image-based content furthers the sense of ease with which the device is delivered and intended to be used. It all helps to set the user at rest with a type of device that it's unlikely they will have used before.
The device itself is a lovely, understated piece of design. At 36 x 36 x 9 mm (1.42 x 1.42 x 0.35 in), it's small enough to be relatively unnoticeable when worn, but not so small as to be easily mislaid. Our device was white, although orange and gray are also available, with a black back-plate and a sturdy silver clip. The camera lens sits at the bottom front corner and the only two other features of note are a set of four LED lights along one side used for indicating battery status and photo activity, and a USB port that is covered by a sliver of black plastic (which can be a touch fiddly). There's no more to the device than is necessary and, noticeably, no buttons. To take a photo manually users need only double-tap it.
Fully charging the Narrative Clip for the first time took about an hour and a half, after which it was ready to go. I slid it onto my jacket lapel and went to get some lunch. I wore it to a gig and to work. There's a degree of self-consciousness wearing the device for the first time, but people in the street didn't seem to notice it. It's when you begin chatting to someone that they become aware of the device, which may prompt a conversation about what it is. People can naturally be a bit uncomfortable about being constantly photographed and it should go without saying that there are times to put the camera away in your pocket (which will put it into sleep mode).
The Narrative Clip uses a USB connection to upload images to the company's servers using a computer's Internet connection and, if the user wants, copy images to their computer's storage. There is no automatic wireless uploading, which is a shame, but understandable given the battery drain that the functionality would be. Unfortunately, my first photos were not immediately forthcoming. Narrative had experienced some problems "creating Moments" (as it calls the photo collections) and the opportunity to view my photos was delayed.
When I did get to view my photos, a number of things became apparent. Firstly, the camera isn't great. Narrative says it's as good as a smartphone camera, but in my opinion it's not quite at that level. Photos blur easily and are grainy in low light. This is perhaps to be expected, it's a small, limited device and the serendipitous approach to taking photos will naturally result in a lot of dross, with the occasional gem. I could live with that and it's definitely the case, as with any camera, that the more you use the device, the more you'll learn how to get better photos with it.
Depending on how you've been wearing the device, photos are also on one strange angle or another. This is corrected automatically when the photos are uploaded to the Narrative app, but not in photos that are copied to the user's computer.
You'd think, therefore, that the processed images might be downloadable from the Narrative servers, but after much searching it occurred to me that there is no means of viewing images on the Web, only via smartphone app. This is a huge miss. Narrative says you can share images via the app, but it doesn't provide any means of editing images. The inability to get your hands on the processed photos seems like an oversight at best, or consciously obstructive at worst.
Everything that happened (or didn't) after connecting the device to a computer felt like a bit of a let down. An afterthought even. The uploading software is limited and could easily have an editor/organizer built into it. Photos pulled directly from the device to a user's computer are left for the user to deal with themselves if they want to do any editing. Loading photos on the app, meanwhile, is slow and functionality is limited. Users can view sets of photos by scrolling through or via a slideshow. Photos can be deleted, marked as favorites, set as key images in the series or shared, but that's about it.
The lack of a desktop experience feels too restrictive for a device that costs what the Narrative Clip does, which brings me nicely onto that point. As I was showing the device to some friends, I asked what they thought of it. There was a feeling that it was a nice idea and that it would be a good stocking filler. A bit of a novelty that might be useful every so often. Price-wise they thought maybe £30-£60 ($50-$100).
I'm inclined to agree with most of that, though perhaps I'd nudge the price up a touch. The Narrative Clip retails for $279 (£167) though. That feels a bit steep for a camera that produces photos that are so-so at best, and then limits your access to them afterwards.
The Narrative Clip is a good concept. The execution is excellent in some aspects, but feels drastically lacking in others. Either the price needs to come down, or the quality and functionality need to go up.

Navy laser weapon with 'video game-like controller' set to deploy

Pew! Pew! The Navy has a terrifyingly accurate and deadly laser it plans to send to the Persian Gulf for further testing this summer.

Scared of drones? Then you should see the new weapon the US Navy hopes to use to knock them out of the sky. I'm talking about frickin' lasers here, folks. After years of testing, the Navy says it's making final adjustments on a new prototype of a Laser Weapons System -- dubbed LaWS -- that will be deployed into the real world in late summer.
In tests over the past few years, LaWs has proven itself to be terrifyingly effective at using directed energy bursts to hit airborne targets, lighting them on fire and sending them to a dramatic final meeting with the desert or ocean floor. Next up, the system will be deployed aboard the U.S.S. Ponce for at-sea testing in the Persian Gulf.
In recent months, the Navy has been testing LaWS with existing weapons systems to see if they could successfully hand off tracking and targeting capability to the laser system. The results, according to a Navy release, have been positive:
"The result is a weapon system with a single laser weapon control console, manned by a surface warfare weapons officer aboard USS Ponce who can operate all functions of the laser -- and if commanded, fire the laser weapon."

And just to make it easier to visualize for us civilians, the whole thing is controlled just as imagined in all those terrible 1980s movies where the military is confronted yet again by the Russian menace. Well, kind of.
"Using a video game-like controller, that sailor will be able to manage the laser's power to accomplish a range of effects against a threat, from disabling to complete destruction."
In addition to being scary, effective, and joystick-compatible, LaWS is also a bargain, according to Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder.
"Spending about $1 per shot of a directed-energy source that never runs out gives us an alternative to firing costly munitions at inexpensive threats," he said.
If all goes well with the system's test deployment, the next step will be to hand the technology off to teams from Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Raytheon to develop the next generation of Pew! Pew! power. Those prototypes could be installed on Navy destroyers and other vessels in 2016 for further tests.
To see the LaWs in action, watch the video of a successful test shot below and be thankful no one has yet figured out how to strap one of these things to a shark.

A $200 3D printer? Meet the Micro

The compact Micro topped its $50,000 Kickstarter funding goal 11 minutes after launching, and early-bird backers nabbed an especially great deal.

The promise of a 3D printer in every home is still far away from being realized, but the Micro on Kickstarter is taking a solid step in that direction. The printer's tagline calls it "the first truly consumer 3D printer."
The Micro is designed to minimize the fuss around going from a design to a printed product. It auto-levels and auto-calibrates. It comes with a custom M3D design software package that's described as being "as interactive and enjoyable as a game." The printer will also work with open-source software for more advanced users.
The printer itself is small, just over 7 inches tall. You won't use it to print a kayak, but you might use it to make a vase, build custom cookie cutters, or print out cat toys. Filament spools specially designed for the Micro cost $12 per spool and can be added onto pledges. It will also hold standard spools from other manufacturers.

Part of what makes the Micro so intriguing is the price tag. A $200 3D printer? Sign me up! That $199 early-bird pledge level is long gone, though. Backers showing up now to the Kickstarter page can get in with a $299 pledge. If that runs out, the next available level is $599.
The Micro topped its $50,000 funding goal in 11 minutes after launch. Currently, pledges total around $400,000 and rising. The demand is there. People want to 3D-print at home. We're in the thick a trend toward affordable, plug-and-play 3D printers geared for any skill level. Expect there to be more competitors in this area by the time the Micro actually arrives in late 2014 and early 2015.
If the Micro delivers on its promises and can keep the price tag down post-Kickstarter, people may even look back and see it as one of the milestones in bringing 3D printing to the masses.
The Micro could come with a variety color options.