Anyone who spends time digging into which sensors power the cameras on flagship mobile phones will know that the industry has largely been dominated by a few main companies; Sony, Samsung and Omnivision. But recently, a company called SmartSens has been working on breaking into the market, and its latest sensor may be destined for some of the highest-end phones on the market.

The SC5A6XS is a 50MP Type 1 – well, technically Type 1/0.98 (128mm²) – stacked sensor, which the company says is capable of capturing 4K video at up to 120p, or up to 60p with HDR (which, in this case, likely means blending frames to capture wider dynamic range before outputting to SDR). SmartSens also says that can provide up to 19EV of dynamic range without the need for multiple exposures. While that's certainly impressive, and more than most smartphone sensors are currently quoted as providing, that figure should be taken with the same sizeable grains of salt reserved for whenever manufacturers talk about DR figures.

According to SmartSens, the SC5A6XS also performs well in low-light, and is efficient with its power use; an important consideration for mobile phone photography.

While there are a few 50MP Type 1 sensors out there, including from SmartSens itself (last year's SC5A5XS made its way into the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra), the company seems to be keeping up with the state-of-the-art when it comes to sensor design. The SC5A6XS uses LOFIC (lateral overflow integrating capacitance), which works similarly to the dual conversion gain designs we've seen in camera sensors, but with the additional capacitance being added in a later part of the readout circuit.

The latest LOFIC approach has the added benefit that you can capture a low-gain signal (for midtones and highlights), high-gain signal (for shadows) and any excess signal (for highlight expansion), which is likely to explain SmartSens's rather ambitious DR claims.

While LOFIC isn't new, it seems to be getting more attention recently from major players. Omnivision now offers several sensors that use it, Sony recently debuted a new generation of its security-focused Starvis sensors that adopts it, and Apple and Samsung both reportedly looking into using it in future products.

Unless you live in a market open to Chinese-made phones, your next smartphone's main camera probably won't use a sensor from SmartSens. But it's exciting to see a new company start to compete in this space, and it'll be interesting to watch whether the SC5A6XS or the company's other products start to show up in more phones from more brands.

Despite the many improvements in virtual reality (VR) technology, with realistic visual and auditory content that makes the user feel immersed in the environment, the olfactory sense has not been as faithfully replicated in the medium.

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Category: Virtual Reality, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Odor, Smell

Daniel Balton (on the left) poses in front of his jib, the crane device behind him.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Balton

The Super Bowl halftime show may look effortless to viewers, but behind it is an enormous amount of planning and a crew of unsung heroes who make the live broadcast look polished. One such person is Daniel Balton, a jib operator and technician.

Balton has now worked on eight Super Bowl halftime shows, including this year's Bad Bunny performance and other productions, such as the SNL 50-year concert, VMAs and operas. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Balton via video to learn more about his background, what made this year's halftime show feel so different and what it's like being a jib operator at such a high level.

Balton was responsible for capturing the electric pole moment during this year's halftime show.

Photo: Daniel Balton

One common refrain from this year's halftime show (which you can watch here) was that it felt more like a music video than a live performance. "That's a very intentional shift that's been happening in the industry," Balton explained. "It started probably before the pandemic... where on the artist side, they were coming in with their creative team and having a much more specific vision for what they wanted the show to look like."

In earlier eras, the live television director controlled the look and pacing, making creative calls as the performance unfolded. That's no longer the case, though. "Every single shot that you're seeing in the halftime show now is a very, very tightly scripted shot numbered throughout an entire sequence," he said. Last year, the NFL shared a short documentary detailing this process, which you can watch on YouTube.

"I can't overemphasize, every single moment of that show has been pored over by the artist camp, the production team, Roc Nation, the NFL," Balton added. "There are so many big camps involved that all have very, very specific notes about how they want this to come together." It’s a level of precision that leaves little room for improvisation.

Balton says that the Serena Williams cameo in last year's Super Bowl show was simple, but one of the most stressful shots he's had.

Photo: Daniel Balton

As an example of that specificity, Balton told us about Serena Williams' appearance at last year's Kendrick Lamar show, which he was responsible for capturing. It was two very quick shots, with a total of maybe five seconds on air, but the direction was very particular. "I was told specific framing of like, the first shot is her head to toe, then they cut away for a fraction of a second, and I have to quickly zoom in and get more of a waist shot of her," he explained. "It's hard to do in a live event because you don't know what's going to happen. There's always going to be factors that you cannot predict, and you cannot control."

The higher level of production also requires more camera operators, and this year, there were 14 of them dedicated to the halftime show, plus the cameras already in place for the game broadcast, such as two Skycams. Balton’s jib was responsible for six specific shots, including the trust fall and the climb up the electric pole.

Some operators are even more specific in their coverage, too. "The incredible thing is, because of the way that they're now shooting it, some of these cameras have literally one or two shots in the course of the entire show," he said. "Like they were there for a very specific reason, to capture just one particular moment."

While there's certainly pressure during the show, Balton says that the most stressful part of the process is the setup in the moments before the show starts. "When we roll out onto the field, nothing is plugged in, so it's this mad dash to get to your location," he told me. "You're plugging in your camera, your power, your line of communication to the truck. So it's three or four things that if one thing doesn't work, it's going to be a massive problem. It's always that tense moment of like, no matter how many times you do it, it's going to be that same suspense."

During the show, because of the tight shot schedule, camera operators have to be dialed in and ready at precisely the right moment. Again, Serena Williams' appearance highlights this. Balton had been involved in the circular stage sequence earlier in the performance. He and his team then had to roll the jib over to a different position to capture Williams, all while navigating around the crowded field.

Then, Serena was on the platform a mere two seconds before his shot. "It's hard when there's not someone standing there to gauge what a head-to-toe shot should be, especially when they are so hyper specific about that," Balton said. "It wasn't technically the most complex shot, but it was high pressure to get there and land it, and we had only rehearsed once with Serena," he told me.

Balton also captured the trust fall, the only moment from the show that worked in pre-recorded footage.

Photo: Daniel Balton

The more cinematic halftime has also changed the gear used to cover it. Production has moved away from traditional broadcast cameras toward cinema-style bodies and lenses, which are far less forgiving. Because of that, there is now a focus puller with almost every camera. "With the cinema style cameras, if you want your subject to stay sharp, that is someone's specific job because it is literally a game of inches," he explained.

Autofocus is still a rarity during productions at this point. Balton told me that at this year's show, one or two cameras were running on autofocus, but overwhelmingly, camera operators are using manual focus with a dedicated focus puller.

In terms of what gear he uses, Balton doesn’t get to pick his camera body. A vendor provides the full package for the event. This year, since Sony was the official optical partner, most of the cameras were Sony, such as the Sony Venice. Lens selection is more collaborative, though, and brands are much more varied.

Balton and his family cover all sorts of events, including New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Balton

Television production is something that has been part of the Balton family story for decades. Daniel's father, Rob Balton, started his career in the 80s as a grip, building his career and eventually investing in advanced camera jib technology. Rob built a business, called Camera Moves, around that work, which expanded as television events grew in ambition, and it became a true family affair. His mother, Mary, managed the office, and his uncle worked the jibs, eventually joined by his cousin as well.

Despite all that, Balton never felt pressured to join. He loved watching his dad’s world, but it wasn’t something he originally planned to do himself. "My first job out of college was directing for a PBS affiliate... and I was thinking about pursuing directing more aggressively," he said. That shifted eventually, though. "I was also part-time working with the family business and going on jobs, and I started to realize it's an environment I love to work in," he reflected.

His dad, who was part of the iconic Prince halftime show in 2007, is winding down his career, but still works on big shows, including Late Night with Seth Meyers. Balton clearly appreciates the opportunity to work with his dad, too. "I've learned from one of the best, and I try to bring that level of quality to the productions that I get to work on," Balton says of his dad.

Balton admits that it's a weird time in the industry, so he's cautious about giving advice to young people. However, there are some factors that remain critical. On the more technical side, Balton recommends paying attention to emerging technologies, including AI, and finding your niche. "It doesn't have to be a specialty piece of equipment necessarily, but if you can find something that can make you one of the go-to people for that thing, that's really great."

The human side of the industry can't be left out, either. "I always heavily emphasize the networking element of it. If you do not make yourself known to people, they are never going to think to hire you," he told me. "Then you just have to reach out to people and expand your network as aggressively as possible. You don't know where an opportunity is going to come from."

You can learn more about Balton and follow along with his work at the Camera Moves website, the Camera Moves Instagram account and on his personal Instagram.

Durabook has unveiled the Z14I-HG, a fully rugged mobile workstation packing 682 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of AI power inside a magnesium-alloy shell built to survive everything from minus 29 °C (-20 °F) frozen tundra to plus 63 °C (145 °F) desert heat and direct sandstorm exposure.

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Category: Laptops, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Rugged, Workstation, Artificial Intelligence, Portable

Budget smartwatch maker Mobvoi has launched the TicNote Pods, which combine wireless earbuds with 4G connectivity and AI transcribing capabilities, aiming to turn everyday conversations into fully indexed, searchable notes and tasks.

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Category: Wearables, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Earphones, Artificial Intelligence, Notes, Translation, recording

Carryboy is a name with which we're already familiar thanks to its awesome work in turning Toyota's Hilux Champ mini-pickup into the all-out 4x4 tiny RV of our dreams. This time around, the Bangkok-based RV and truck accessories builder has teamed up with Chinese auto badge Farizon to create one of the most compelling all-electric camper vans the world over. It invites campers aboard through a uniquely wide entry and ensures they remain comfortable with an equally unique floor plan.

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Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: electric-camper, Geely, 2026 Bangkok International Motor Show, RV, Campervan, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Up, up, and away! That's the flight sequence for most commercially available drones. However, for drones powered by Aerix Systems’ proprietary omnidirectional propulsion technology, a more fitting description would be: up, zoom off, twist, and slide … often all at once!

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Category: Drones, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Flight, Omni-Directional

Some of the world's best skis and snowboards are made from a combination of materials, including wood at the core for its strength, low weight, and shape retention. They're usually bonded together with additional layers using adhesives – but what if we stitched them together instead?

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Category: Materials, Engineering

Tags: Engineering, Wood, TU Graz

Technology these days is all about making life easier, especially when it comes to chores we don’t enjoy – such as cleaning a cat’s litter box. Hong Kong-based company Petalas is trying to address this with its self-flushing litter box, which also monitors the feline's urinary health.

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Category: Pets, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Kickstarter, Cats, Self-cleaning, Artificial Intelligence

The Sony a7 V is a surprisingly large step forward from the already capable a7 IV. The move to a "partially-stacked" version of the 33MP BSI CMOS sensor lets it shoot faster, boosting both burst shooting and video capabilities. It also adopts a design that can combine its sensor's low- and high-gain readout modes, offering excellent dynamic range.

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A new processor allows it to deliver the latest AI-trained subject recognition modes, giving you autofocus performance to match that fast shooting and those video capabilities. However, it has some fierce competition in the do-everything full-frame sector, especially in the light of a price rise over its predecessor.

Watch the video to see what we thought after our usual extensive testing and use.

Click here to read our full, written review of the Sony a7 V

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

When a couple with two children approached the Amsterdam-based architecture and design firm Studioninedots to design a home that would foster their connection, the company reimagined what a family home could be by throwing out the trasitional floor plan entirely.

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Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: House, Home, Building and Construction, Family

Many high-performance electric mountain bikes can cost as much as a used car, and until now, the brands charging that much had little reason to worry. Aventon may have just given them one.

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Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Mountain Bikes

A new camping trailer that's full of surprises, the 2026 Low Tow from Australia's Prattline RV looks at first to be as brand, spanking new and cutting-edge as some of the latest all-electric trailers developed in Silicon Valley. But it's actually a modern redux of a nameplate that dates back over half a century. The trailer still looks so fresh and unique today, we can only imagine how folks must have looked on the original like it floated to Earth from a far-flung planet in an undiscovered galaxy.

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Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Caravan, trailers, Trailer, RV, Off-road, Off-grid, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

When escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar after the Fukushima evacuation, researchers gained a rare chance to observe large-scale hybridization. New findings show that maternally inherited rapid breeding accelerated genetic turnover, quickly diluting pig ancestry in the wild population. The result offers a novel lens on how fast-breeding traits can quietly reshape wildlife genetics.

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Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Animals, Evolution, Japan

A slab of limestone excavated in 1984 from the ancient Coriovallum settlement in the Netherlands presented a puzzle for researchers of Roman history. Because of its distinct grooves and marks, the stone piece was believed to be some kind of board game – but obviously no rulebook was dug up to confirm this. Now, more than 40 years on, new technology appears to have solved the mystery.

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Category: History, Technology

Tags: Flinders University, Games, History, Artificial Intelligence, Puzzles

The Véronique is small – even for a tiny house – and maximizes its limited space with an unusual "upside-down" layout. The towable home also boasts some interesting energy saving additions, including a passive heating system.

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Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

The Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) has just released a video of its Roadrunner robot. Although it lacks a torso, the bipedal bot more than makes up for it by rolling, stomping, stair-climbing, and even showing off while using only one of its legs.

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Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Future Robot, RAI, Boston Dynamics, biped

The legendary Cold War-era Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady spyplane is getting a new lease on life as BAE Systems gives it an upgraded version of the AN/ALQ-221 Advanced Defensive System (ADS) to protect the aircraft against modern radar and electronic warfare threats.

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Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: Lockheed Martin, CIA, US Air Force, U2, Aircraft

The best images of the Nature Photography Contest have been decided, and we can't imagine it was an easy task for the judges – as just picking some, not all, to showcase here has been a huge challenge. A broad competition, it covers categories including birds, funny wildlife, underwater, landscapes and many more.

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Category: Photography, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: nature, Animals, Wildlife, Art, Photography, Landscapes, Environment, Conservation

The theme for our March Editor's photo challenge was "Night Lights."

We asked you to share your best photos featuring artificial light sources, and you lit up the board with brilliant entries. In addition to great photos, we were impressed by the variety of geographic locations represented in this month's submissions, featuring locations from around the world.

As always, we received many more great photos than we can feature here. Our favorites, showcasing a diverse range of vision and talent, are presented in random order.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this photo challenge. If you'd like to participate in other photo challenges, you can visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges, or to vote in a recently closed challenge.

Photographer: Phantogram

Photographer's statement: The Breskens Lighthouse was built in 1867 to guide ships safely through the mouth of the Western Scheldt. The tower was designed by Dutch engineer Quirinus Harder, who was responsible for several lighthouses in the Netherlands. It stands about 28 meters tall and is constructed from cast-iron plates, a modern building technique in the 19th century. The light helped vessels heading to the important port of Antwerp.

During World War II, the lighthouse was damaged by wartime actions but ultimately survived. After the war, it was restored and returned to service for maritime navigation. In the second half of the 20th century, the lighting system was modernized and later fully automated, eliminating the need for lighthouse keepers. Today, the lighthouse is no longer active as a navigational aid but remains an iconic symbol of Breskens. It is a national monument and commemorates the region's maritime history. Many visitors still come to admire the view over the Western Scheldt.

Equipment: Sony a7 III + Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art

Photographer: Deutsch

Photographer's statement: Walking past the pond fountain in our community around midnight, I saw the Blue Heron standing calmly there with a lot of Canadian Geese. I said, "Don't move, I've got to get my camera." I came back, and the Herron was still there, but I didn't want the geese in the photo. I've learned shooting wildlife, Herrons don't scare off easily, but the geese do. I walked closer and said, "Hello, Geese", and they all flew away, but the Herron stayed put. I couldn't resist the night light fountain glow, silhouetting the Blue Herron. Peaceful.

Equipment: Nikon Z7 + Nikon AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm F4.5-5.6E ED VR

Photographer: Electro35

Photographer's statement: This photo shows the last days of the cinema Eden Palast in Aachen in its former glory, with its beautiful entrance area and neon signs from the 50s, before they did a renovation. Now the original neon signs are unfortunately gone, but the new sign mimics the old ones, and they built a nice lounge-style waiting area. But, of course, I miss the old look, which I particularly loved on rainy nights.

Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M5 II + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm 1:3.5-6.3 EZ

Photographer: olli thomson

Photographer's statement: I spotted this alleyway off Guangzhou's Baohua Road. The bright red lights of the signs created vivid reflections on the wet streets. The red glow of the signs was complemented by the red taillight of the scooter, and even the tiny red spot of the glowing cigarette in the hand of the guy edging into the photograph.

Equipment: Fujifilm X-S10 + Rokinon 75mm 1.8 AF-FX

Photographer: Kuzmabrik

Photographer's statement: In December, I decided to try out my new Fujifilm X-E5 camera by capturing some photos of a newly opened ice rink. The rink, illuminated by thousands of lights, is located on the riverbank and is about 1.7 km long. On that day, it was also the first snowfall of the winter, so the flakes of snow added a festive atmosphere to the scene.

Equipment: Fujifilm X-E5 + Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 R WR

Photographer: Barry Bloom

Photographer's statement: I always look for nighttime shots in Tokyo. I found this recommendation. This is an office building with a small center courtyard – very hard to include all – I shot it with my fisheye lens from the 2nd floor.

Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO

Photographer: PuneetSood

Photographer's statement: Jersey City, NJ, USA. Taken while walking late at night in my neighborhood in March. It had almost finished raining, but there was still fog in the air, and the steam exhaust from the parking lot next to the lamp looked interesting.

Equipment: iPhone 13

Photographer: yfan

Photographer's statement: Visiting Niagara Falls in winter has become more and more popular these days. As a photographer, you will enjoy the less crowded season. The light-painted wintery falls are just so magnificent.

Equipment: OM System OM-5 + OM System M.Zuiko Digital 14-150mm f4-5.6 II

Photographer: DrummerJim

Photographer's statement: Streamers of lights from different modes of transport illuminate the streets of Poznan, Poland. Trams, cars and bikes contribute to this ever-changing scene. Taken from my hotel window using Live-Composite mode on my camera.

Equipment: OM System OM-1 + OM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO

Photographer: Andreas Graf

Photographer's statement: The Basel Carnival or Fasnacht is a major cultural event in the Swiss city of Basel. After being paraded in a procession in the early morning hours of day 1 of the 3-day festival, the lanterns are then exhibited on the central square in front of Basel Minster for everybody to see. So I went there with my camera ready, and as every year, people came flocking in to take a closer look.

Equipment: Nikon Z6III + Nikon Nikkor Z 24-120mm F4 S

Photographer: knulp

Photographer's statement: During winter, you can see glass eel fishing boats from a bridge in Tokushima, Japan. They hunt for valuable baby eels using strong light. The price of glass eel was recorded at more than 2.5 million JPY (~$15,000) per kg in the 2024 season.

Equipment: Sony a7R III + Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Photographer: Michel Jarry

Photographer's statement: During a 2022 road trip across the United States in our motorhome, we captured thousands of images along the way. This one quickly became a favorite, taken on the vibrant Fremont Street in old Vegas under its dazzling night lights. And judging by the glance from the man on the right, she was definitely turning heads.

Equipment: Nikon Z7 + Nikon Nikkor Z 20mm F1.8 S

Photographer: sprucemesa

Photographer's statement: I took this photo of Main Street in Turkey, Texas, after an evening photographing the Milky Way at Caprock Canyons State Park nearby. I was in the middle of the street for about 30 minutes and never saw another auto, not even the sheriff.

Equipment: Nikon D850 + Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD

Photographer: Kaz Tsurudome

Photographer's statement: Couple's dream winter wedding photoshoot in Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata, Japan. There are winter destinations in Japan, and then there's Ginzan Onsen, where fresh snow settles on wooden ryokan rooftops, gas lamps glow at dusk, and the entire riverside street feels like a scene from another era.

Equipment: Leica SL2-S + Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm F2.8 ASPH

Photographer: Ouroboros66

Photographer's statement: Guy de Maupassant preferred eating in the Eiffel Tower as it was the only place where he couldn't see the darned thing. I only had a short bit of free time when I was in Paris, so I decided not to visit the tower but to find a place where I could see it.

Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R

Photographer: kitagata_kara

Photographer's statement: Taken in Universal Studios Orlando on a Halloween Horror Night, down the path from the Terminator 2 3D attraction outside of the faux 50s diner. This vacation goes down as the final one before my parents separated!

Equipment: Sony a7R II + Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*

Photographer: JeffryzPhoto

Photographer's statement: At the end of a dirty, muddy road, the neon lights of a hotel beckon to weary travelers in the Mustang Valley in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. A portion of the road was washed out by rain just after we drove through on our way back down the mountains. Hotel Karnali in the town of Kagbeni.

Equipment: Fujifilm X-T4 + Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II

Photographer: arizonaphotoadventures

Photographer's statement: Sedona's iconic Devil's Bridge seen far from its usual social-media moment. Instead of the daytime line of photographers waiting their turn, I captured this image during a night hike with my daughter, when the desert finally grows quiet. Using light painting, I briefly illuminated the massive natural arch against the darkness.

Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM

Photographer: eric87

Photographer's statement: When it's dark all day long for several months, even a single small light brings undeniable comfort to those around it. In this white winter landscape of the Lofoten Islands (Norway), lights are everywhere in the windows, providing warmth.

Equipment: Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS

Photographer: DavidAMWA

Photographer's statement: Every year, our family goes to the Royal Show in Perth, Western Australia. The children's favorite is the side show alley with all the stalls and outrageous rides. The rotating machinery provides an excellent photographic challenge.

Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III