99.99% of our photography falls within a certain acceptable range of exposure—one filled with color and detail. Last week’s Shooting Challenge was dedicated to the rare .01% that’s blinded by the light. The resulting shots are incredible.

Second Runner Up

I shot most of the photo with the exposure I wanted, but used photoshop to up the exposure, gamma correction, noise reduction and unsharp mask.
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm VR
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/200
Aperture: F13
Focal Length: 50mm
[Ed note: I have a feeling that the larger you can look at this, the more you can appreciate the gradient of detail and the more striking it would be. Imagine a wall-sized print.]
-Jason Bolt

First Runner Up

Camera: Canon Eos 40d
Lens: Canon 24-70 2.8L USM
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 52mm
Aperture: f2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/1000
[Ed note: I was just struck by the simple, clever play of black and white.]
-Justin Carney

Winner

Michelangelo´s “Creation of Men” inspired me to this “Adam´s sight of view”.
I shot “Gods hand” with my Canon Eos 500D and the Canon 18-55mm lens.Also used a tripod and a remote trigger. 1/4 sec. Iso 800, into the sunlight. No software adjustments except for crop and resize.
[Ed note: My mind just kept coming back to this one.]
-Roland Renne

The notable shots mentioned here barely represent the creativity and awesome execution of this week’s challenge, ranging from subtle clipping to complete whiteouts. Thanks to everyone for participating, and readers, be sure to mention your favorites in the comments!

What happens when Marcus Tremonto, the lighting artist behind this thing updates Kidrobot’s famed MUNNY dolls? Pew pew crosses with puke…and I mean that in the best possible way.

Starting this Friday, Kidrobot NY will have Tremonto’s “Lightbot” MUNNY remixes on display (and apparently available for purchase, too). Each is signed, numbered and sold in its own custom box. I’m a bit curious as to the power source, but I’m assuming a plug is hiding there somewhere. [KRonikle]

Undo relationship wrongs with this ctrl+z apology card, finely printed with hand-mixed ink on 100% cotton extra soft paper. $3.75. (Note: If things don’t work out, the purchase of the card cannot be ctrl+z’d.) [Etsy via 9gag via thenextweb]

In 2009, Samsung’s shipments of flat panel TVs (plasmas and LCDs) rose 22.6%, making them the number one US supplier, moving 6.6 million televisions in all. But you know who grew way, way, way more? Vizio.

Between 2008 and 2009, Vizio nearly doubled their US sales, which grew 92.1% as the company sold 5.9 million TVs—that’s nearly one out of every five LCDs sold, or enough for them to claim the title as #1 in LCDs. It’s hard to imagine anything but Vizio’s complete market domination in the near future (even if they aren’t an undisputed leader in quality).

Interestingly enough, Toshiba had nearly as much growth as Vizio in the LCD industry (confirming my suspicions that I’d suddenly seen their name everywhere), but they own a modest 7.6% of the market share.

All of these figures are courtesy of iSuppli’s market analysis. So…do you have any TV brand loyalty? Or is it all about price?

Vizio Takes Lead in U.S. LCD-TV Market in 2009; Samsung Holds Flat-Panel Top Spot

El Segundo, Calif., February 22, 2010-Vizio Inc. became the leading LCD-TV brand in the United States in 2009, while Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. took the top spot in overall flat-panel television market for the year, according to iSuppli Corp.
U.S.-based Vizio’s LCD-TV shipments nearly doubled in 2009, rising to 5.9 million units, up 92.1 percent from 3.1 million in 2008. This vastly exceeded the 29 percent growth of the overall U.S. LCD-TV market for the year and represented the strongest growth among the Top-6 brands. Company market share rose to 18.7 percent for the year, up from 12.6 percent in 2008.
This gave U.S.-based Vizio the No.-1 rank in 2009, up from third place in 2008.
“Vizio continues to benefit from its strong brand recognition among U.S. consumers,” said Riddhi Patel, director, television systems and retail services for iSuppli. “The company already has established itself as the price leader in LCD-TVs. The company played to this strength in 2009 by offering attractive promotions to consumers. Furthermore, Vizio moved to make its LCD-TV products more competitive with premium brands, adding higher-end features such as LED backlights and Internet connectivity.”
Vizio led the U.S. LCD-TV market during every quarter of 2009, except for the third, when Samsung took the top spot due to the popularity of its LED-backlit sets.

Samsung tops in flat panel TV
Looking at the overall U.S. flat-panel television market, consisting of both LCD-TVs and plasma sets, South Korea’s Samsung retained leadership in 2009.
Samsung’s U.S. flat-panel television shipments rose to 6.6 million units in 2009, up 22.6 percent from 5.4 million units in 2008. The company ended 2009 with a market share of 18.4 percent, virtually unchanged from 18.5 percent in 2008.
“Samsung maintained its overall leadership in the U.S. flat panel television market due to the continued success of the LED-backlit LCD TVs and its strong price competitiveness in both value and premium TV segments,” Patel said.

Toshiba and Sony star in 2009
The second strongest performance among the Top-6 LCD-TV brands in the United States in 2009 was posted by Japan’s Toshiba Corp., which achieved a stunning 81.7 percent increase in unit shipments for the year. The company ended 2009 with a 7.6 percent share of unit shipments, up from 4.2 percent in 2008, giving it a fourth-place ranking for the year.
“Toshiba’s rise was due to its increased shipments of LCD TVs at aggressive price points, which are much closer to the value brands,” Patel said.
Sony Corp. of Japan was the best performer in the U.S. LCD TV market in the fourth quarter, with its share rising to 13.2 percent, up from 7.7 percent in the third quarter.
“Sony’s strong fourth-quarter performance mainly was driven by its aggressive pricing and promotions for the Christmas season,” Patel said. “Consumers were attracted by Sony’s bundled deals combining LCD TVs with PlayStation 3 video game consoles and Blu-ray players.”
Sony ranked third in the U.S. LCD-TV market both in the fourth quarter and for the entire year of 2009.
The attached tables present iSuppli’s Top-6 rankings for LCD-TV and flat-panel television in the United States for the fourth quarter and for all of 2009.

The 23.6-inch Acer GD235HZ ($399) and Alienware OptX AW2310 ($499) represent the latest gen 3DHD monitors. So which is the better buy for 3D gaming? Tom’s Guide actually likes them both quite a bit.

In their epic review of these 120Hz displays, Tom’s gives Acer points for excellent contrast while praising the Alienware for superior color. Both seem equal in terms of actual 3D (and much improved from the previous generation of 3D LCDs), which makes sense given that two monitors with equal refresh rates and resolution are being driven by identical graphics cards and looked at with identical NVIDIA shutter glasses.

For Tom’s, it comes down to amenities, which they feel Alienware nails with extra ports, a nicer build and a swiveling display. I personally just dig that orange finish. Since the OptX AW2310 is on sale for $450 at the time of this post, it certainly sounds worth the $50 premium, should you want to enter that whole 3D glasses lifestyle. [Tom’s Guide]

108 bricks. 4 wheels. 2 taillights. Questionable plastics that are sure to contain countless carcinogens. Yes, the BlockCar looks to be a fantastic toy.

While not an official Lego product, the BlockCar offers the same general idea. You carefully stack bricks onto a motorized platform, crafting the multicolored car of your deepest imagination. Admire it for a few moments. Then smash it at full speed against the wall to watch your work crumble. (Repeat as necessary.)

I really wish the BlockCar were an official, Lego-compatible add-on because a 4-wheel R/C platform (with taillights!) could make pretty much any Lego creation that much more menacing. Luckily, it’s a pretty attainable one-off at $22. [Strapya World via technabob]

I like knowing that I live in a world where someone can create a crazy-jawed pig pull toy only to have someone else say, “Yup, mechanical swine is exactly what my life has been missing.”

Meme at will. [Extreme Craft via boingboing]

Many of you have asked about this week’s iMac Update. I have not forgotten; I’m just still collecting fresh data since the production freeze and subsequent restart. Expect a big update with reliable information early next week. (And tip [email protected]!)

Crestron is one of the biggest names behind home automation. They’ve already released an iPhone app, allowing you to control your “AV systems, lighting, shades, room temperatures and more” from your phone. Now that app is coming to the iPad.

Just like with the iPhone version, iPad users will be able to interact with their Crestron systems over Wi-Fi, 3G and Edge. Here’s what the interface loos like on the iPhone (the iPad version should be identical).

Is Crestron’s latest support for the iPad a surprise? Not at all. But tablets have the potential to bring down the price of these fancy home automation systems by a significant margin, all while offering the convenience of controlling the operation with AAA, vetted gear that can serve a purpose beyond closing your blinds.

We’re assuming the pricing ranges from free to $100 (on the basic and “Pro” versions, respectively), just as it is on the iPhone now. No word release date, but obviously you can’t use it until the iPad is actually out. (Apologies if that’s a crushing surprise.)

CRESTRON ENABLES SYSTEMs AND DEVICE CONTROL

FROM THE APPLE® iPAD

Crestron Mobile Apps Turn the Apple® iPad into a Crestron Touchpanel

ROCKLEIGH, NJ, February 19, 2010 – Crestron today announced that a simple download from the iTunes® App Store transforms the Apple® iPad into a full Crestron touchpanel. A tap on the Apple tablet screen provides real-time control of Crestron AV systems, lighting, shades, room temperatures and more, from any location. Just like the iPhone® and iPod touch®, the iPad seamlessly communicates with a Crestron control system via the 3G, 3GS or EDGE cellular networks or Wi-Fi.

“Crestron is committed to offering great solutions for integrating Apple products into the home, school and office,” said Vincent Bruno, Crestron Director of Marketing. “Our Mobile apps are fully compatible with the iPad, and we’re delighted to add the iPad to our selection of Apple-based solutions.”

Other Apple-based Crestron solutions include the iServer, which is the only audio server on the market that uses an iPod as its internal hard drive, and has won multiple awards for its innovative design and ease of use. Crestron XPanel for Mac® delivers remote access and control of Crestron systems from any connected iMac® or MacBook®, and Crestron iPod docks provide all the connectivity needed to share audio and video throughout an entire home or office AV system.

For more information about the complete Crestron line for Integration with Apple Products visit www.crestron.com/apple.

The robots that scrub the decks on the USS Freedom? They’re just simple Roombas.

The three bots go by the names Scooba Stevens, Chief Miles O’Brien, and ITSN Unger, referencing Big Daddy, Star Trek and The Odd Couple, respectively.

Very cute, but little do we know, DARPA charges us like $250,000 after slapping on a US flag sticker. [MilitaryTimes via BotJunkie]

There’s no special tech inside this power strip concept that could prevent it from coming to market tomorrow. Instead, simple, clever design makes an everyday product even better. Let me explain.

The Multi-Tab strip, by designer Soon Mo Kang, does three things that most power strips don’t:

1. Modular construction means you can expand it at will
2. Each plug accommodates a sticker label so you know what it’s powering
3. Components can be turned on/off individually, as marked with an LED

Now, whether or not the tabs would make for the best way to toggle power behind my home theater system (where cords are piled high, easily weighing down on exposed controls), is a tad uncertain. But everything else about this design is superior to what I’m using at the moment.

You know the drill, manufacturers. License the design or rip it off—just do something that we didn’t in 1993. [Yanko Design via DVICE]

You don’t need to speak German to appreciate Papierkrieg (Paper War) by Makaio Tisu—you just need a sibling and/or one long-repressed paper airplane obsession. Two children face off, creating paper creations of increasing imagination. And it’s charming. [Neatorama]

You may have forgotten about it, but Microsoft got in to a bit of trouble with the European Commission for anti-competitive practices (including force-feeding customers IE). Microsoft’s plea bargain was to add other browser options alongside its own.

The new screen, seen here, will pop up for any European Windows (XP/Vista/7) user who has IE set as their default browser, starting around March 1st.

It randomizes new choices for web browsers in an impartial manner, offering direct links to download. It’s like Microsoft is saying, “Hey, it’s cool, you can take Firefox to the dance. I mean, I handle all of your day to day tasks, like boring spreadsheets, plus I’m awake 24/7 keeping things running for you, keeping you safe. Oh, and remember that time we played Call of Duty all weekend? And we saved the world together? And you cried? I’d never felt as close to you as I did that moment. I thought that meant something. I thought that I meant something, to you.”

Actually, Microsoft really should add that message after users make their selections, just so the European Commission is forced to label guilt as an anti-competitive practice. [Microsoft on the Issues via TheRegister]

Both pirating (and legal streaming) offer a seamless viewing experience. DVDs and Blu-rays take the liberty of making you watch extra/unrelated crap. Oh, and like an airline safety briefing, one FBI warning is enough to cover me for life. [TheNextWeb via Lifehacker]

Maybe this is just me, but as innovation moves to the cloud, I find that simple concepts can become esoteric—like Google Voice. Here’s a handy explanation as to what the heck it actually does.

This clip is actually just part one of twelve. Inside the GoogleVoice YouTube channel, you can find more specifics on what the service can do with voicemail, international calling and more.

Now if only Google could explain that whole sexting thing. [YouTube via TechCrunch]

Here’s a glimpse of “6,000 PCs, 800 servers, 800 networking devices and 130 terabytes of data” driving the Vancouver Olympics. There are no medals in this category of competition. [CNET via DVICE]

According to multiple, reliable industry sources, this iSandwich 4G video is both real and delicious. How Microsoft will eat lunch knowing that this new menu offering exists, I do not know.

No special technology to see here, just clever design. The Glimpse Mirror by designer Sarah T. Kang opens a door into any surface. Inside, you’ll find yourself—only a bit fatter than you’d remembered. [mocoloco]

Bad news for both you and 3D. Your fancy receivers can’t pass 3D signals because they aren’t equipped with HDMI 1.4. And on top of that, even more bad news: only one of Sony’s 4 new receivers supports 3D.

The 7.1 channel, 110W STR-DN1010 will be Sony’s affordable flagship 3D receiver. Priced at $500 this June, it’s the first to support HDMI 1.4 3D pass-through technology over 4 HDMI ports.

$500 is by no means expensive for a receiver, but it’s by no means cheap, either. And while I’m not blaming Sony alone (because, trust me, we’ll see other manufacturers driving simple 3D receivers into quad digits), it’s obnoxious that consumers will need to differentiate between two specs of the same freaking plug with HDMI 1.4, even within one company’s product line, even if you don’t give a crap about 3D.

That said, the STR-DN1010 might be worth checking out if you’re the early adopting type.

SONY INTRODUCES ITS FIRST 3D COMPATIBLE AUDIO/VIDEO RECEIVER

Three Powerful Models with Expanded Connectivity Also Join Line-up

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 18, 2010 – Sony today announced its first A/V receiver capable of supporting 3D audio and video.

Featuring HDMI™ 1.4 3D pass-through technology, ample high definition connectivity and compatibility with all of the latest Blu-ray Disc™ audio formats, the new STR-DN1010 A/V receiver is designed to create a simple solution for controlling any high definition or 3D capable home theater.

“It’s important for consumers to understand the role that audio plays in the in-home 3D experience,” said Neal Manowitz, director of Sony’s Home Audio and Video division. “By streamlining connectivity and supporting 3D hardware and software, the STR-DN1010 receiver will provide a simplified approach to 3D home theater control and performance, ensuring the best possible user experience.”

The 7.1 channel STR-DN1010 A/V receiver (110 watts power per channel @8-Ohms, 1kHz, 1% THD) features full high definition 1080/24p support and seven HD inputs in total (four HDMI and three component) allowing for connection to a wide variety of HD devices. The receiver’s HDMI 3D pass-through technology supports 3D video from connected devices and passes them through to a 3D compatible high definition television, while decoding high-resolution audio codecs.

The receiver also features an icon-driven menu system for simple device and content navigation and has the ability to upscale analog video sources to 1080p resolution via HDMI. The model also boasts a sleek piano black gloss design that matches Sony’s line of Blu-ray Disc players and televisions.

The STR-DN1010 is compatible with all advanced audio codecs, including Dolby® TrueHD, dts®-HD Master Audio and features wireless 2nd zone capabilities through Sony’s S-AIR® wireless technology. With the addition of an S-AIR transmitter (model EZW-T100) and separate S-AIR speakers (sold separately), the receiver can also drive wireless audio in up to 10 additional rooms.

The STR-DN1010 A/V receiver also features a Digital Media Port (DMP) input for simple connection to external sources including an iPod® and iPhone® (compatible DMP accessories required and sold separately) and is compatible with both Deep Color™ and x.v.Color™.

The STR-DN1010 A/V receiver will be available this June for about $500.

Sony also introduced the new STR-DH810, STR-DH710 and STR-DH510 A/V receiver models to its core line-up. Specifications are as follows:

STR-DH810 A/V Receiver

Available in March for about $400

· 7.1 channel (110 watts power per channel @8-Ohms, 1 kHz, 1% THD)

· Seven HD connections (4 HDMI / 3 component)

· Upscales incoming analog video signals to 1080p

· 2nd Zone wireless audio (S-AIR ready)

· Compatible with Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD Master Audio

· Fully assignable audio and video inputs

· Audio Return Channel using just one cable for TV audio

· Stand by pass-through of Audio & Video via HDMI connected devices

· Universal Remote

STR-DH710 A/V Receiver

Available in March for about $300

· 7.1 channel (105 watts power per channel @8-Ohms, 1 kHz, 1% THD)

· Six HD connections (3 HDMI / 3 component)

· 2nd Zone wireless audio (S-AIR ready)

· Compatible with Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD Master Audio

· Fully assignable inputs allows for use of all connections

· Audio Return Channel using just one cable for TV audio

· Stand by pass-through of Audio & Video via HDMI connected devices

STR-DH510 A/V Receiver

Available in March for about $230

· 5.1 channel (100 watts power per channel @8-Ohms, 1 kHz, 1% THD)

· Five HD connections (3 HDMI / 2 component)

· HDMI Repeater for simplified audio and video signal management

· Blu-ray Disc Audio Decoding (Linear PCM Only)

· Audio Return Channel using just one cable for TV audio

· Stand by pass-through of Audio & Video via HDMI connected devices

The UK government has just released seven more years of previously classified UFO reports, spanning 1994-2000. I can almost guarantee that you’ll find some great reading inside—note that the screengrab here is actually from the archive. [UFO Files]