Combine a state-of-the-art telescope with a 268-megapixel camera, point it at the sky, add in a bit of calculation and you could end up with a gorgeous photo of the Carina Nebula.
ENGADGET: Visualized: Carina Nebula captured with a 268-megapixel camera
One of the apps that has been getting a lot of buzz is Word Lens: an iPhone app that instantly translates languages on signs instantly - fire up the camera, point it at a sign and off you go!
BBC: Lonely Planet��s travel technology predictions for 2011
The presence of a Retina display and built-in camera could also point to video-calling capabilities.
FORBES: Analyst Sees 45 Million IPads In 2011, Next Gen IPad Launching Soon
The mirror-less camera, on the other hand is a macroevolution and will become a strapping competitor for the popular standards: the digital SLR (single-lens reflex) camera and the user-friendly point-and-shoot camera.
Of course, that'll only happen if the popularity of this camera reaches a tipping point.
ENGADGET: Samsung Galaxy Camera review: a 21x compact shooter brought to life by Android
Rep. Mark Sanford of Charleston appears on camera to make the point as explicitly as possible: "He can win, " Sanford says.
CNN: Tucker Carlson: McCain's inadvisable political strategy yields collosal dividends
You don't have to point a camera with a 28mm lens into someone's face to get to the truth, or even to start the conversation.
The goal of keeping a camera at a price point where it can be had by as many people as possible was always in the designer's mind.
ENGADGET: The Engadget Interview: Steve Heiner, General Manager, Digital SLR Systems, Nikon
For example, you could point your camera at a street scene, and the image on your screen would be overlaid with cafe reviews, directions to the nearest subway stop and other useful travel information.
The Frenchman Christophe de Ponfilly, a committed activist filmmaker, returned to Afghanistan again and again over a seventeen-year period, even after he halfway convinced himself that it was useless to point a camera at a war.
The highly responsive Advanced Hybrid Autofocus (AF) system gives users a superfast shooting speed, allowing them to capture fast action with stunning clarity while the camera's 73 point AF array will ensure accuracy and super precise focus, even on moving subjects.
ENGADGET: Nikon 1 J2 mirrorless camera: minor control tweaks, $549, ships in September
The 2-oz wearable camera head captures 142 degree FOV, at 1080p 30fps-the widest point-of-view camera angle available on the market.
ENGADGET: Rugged POV.HD video system captures 1080p through anything, for a price
Unlike some camera manufacturers, we weren't interested in stripping down a camera to reach that price point.
ENGADGET: The Engadget Interview: Steve Heiner, General Manager, Digital SLR Systems, Nikon
At that point, the camera comes out, you start seeing him interacting as best he can but still having an enormous effect on the people around him with the other actors.
The camera also includes an 11-point AF array and 63-zone dual-layer iFCL metering sensor together with 1080p Full HD video capabilities, in an affordable camera body.
ENGADGET: Canon unveils EOS 6D DSLR: full frame sensor and WiFi for $2,099 in December
To demonstrate the overhanging motion sensor, a camera was positioned at the same point, visualizing a yellow box to show when the system detected movement toward the multimodal controller and a red box to show if hands were near the gearstick.
In back, the collapsible zoom lens, xenon flash, and aluminum battery cover mimic a point-and-shoot camera.
ENGADGET: Aigo A8 / Leo 14 megapixel cameraphone hands-on (video)
Fast-forward a decade later and GoPro now has the highest-selling point-of-view camera on the market.
FORBES: GoPro Evolution: From 35mm Film To America's Fastest-Growing Camera Company
Armed with just her first point-and-shoot camera, Saniewska let the intimate shoot unfold organically.
Abary holds up the NX200, a new point-and-shoot camera with SLR features.
And then you must take a moment to find and launch that app before you point your phone's camera at a QR code.
For example, an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera does a reasonable job of taking pictures but cannot begin to compare with the imaging quality of a professional SLR.
ENGADGET: HiFiMAN launches HM-901 'high resolution' audio player, we go ears and hands on
Wayne Rizal, a 32-year-old consultant in the Chicago area, decided two years ago to upgrade from his point-and-shoot camera when his first child was on the way.
WSJ: Camera Makers Enter New Mirrorless Arena for Serious Photographers
Snappgrip is a case that turns your iPhone into a point-and-shoot camera -- partly for kitsch's sake, but mostly to make one-handed shots easier to pull off.
ENGADGET: Hands-on with Snappgrip, a case that turns your phone into a point-and-shoot
Both offer users of all photographic experience the ability to capture exceptional photos and video with an ultra-slim point-and-shoot camera that will bring their memories to life for years to come.
The most advanced point and-shoot digital camera in Samsung's history, the TL34HD builds upon the success of its predecessor, the NV24HD, taking many of the camera's advanced features to a whole new level.
ENGADGET: Samsung gets official with 14.7MP TL34HD point-and-shoot
Someone using Layar can point his phone's camera at a street in Paris and see information about, say, well-known restaurants in it and call up pictures showing what they looked like in the past.
"Not only does the new PENTAX Q10 have a tiny footprint but it packs a powerful punch when it comes to picture taking, especially when compared to any smart phone or digital point-and-shoot camera, " explains John Carlson, Sr.
ENGADGET: Pentax launches Q10 interchangeable lens camera, K-5 II and K-5 IIs flagship DSLRs
The Nokia Lumia 720 delivers a high end camera performance at a mid-range price point.
In the hands of the right athletes the footage shot on a point-of-view action camera is viral crack.
FORBES: The Mad Billionaire Behind GoPro: The World's Hottest Camera Company
应用推荐