It's only been over a week since the Insta360 One R gained compatibility with Matterport for generating 3D spaces, but the camera maker is already back with another announcement: a third major update for its modular action cam. This release claims to offer significant improvements in terms of image quality, with a new "PureShot" AI shooting mode achieving wide dynamic range faster than conventional multi-shot auto exposure bracketing. In general, shots should now be more detailed and vivid as well thanks to the higher bitrate and new color profile, respectively. Audio quality should also see a boost thanks to a new wind reduction technique plus general noise reduction improvement. Users who go diving with their One R -- which is waterproof up to a depth of 5 meters or 16.4 feet under water -- will also be pleased to hear that this update comes with "AquaVision" support.

Even governments are vying for 5G supremacy.

Amazon.com Inc paid about $90 million to acquire the maker of Blink home security cameras late last year, in a secret bet on the startup's energy-efficient chips, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The deal's rationale and price tag, previously unreported, underscore how Amazon aims to do more than sell another popular camera, as analysts had thought. The online retailer is exploring chips exclusive to Blink that could lower production costs and lengthen the battery life of other gadgets, starting with Amazon's Cloud Cam and potentially extending to its family of Echo speakers, one of the people said. Amazon views its in-house devices as key to deepening its relationship with shoppers. The Blink security camera (pictured), which hit the market in 2016, did not require a power cable like many rival products, making it easier to place around users' properties.

Strong interim results posted by Chinese smartphone camera makers may have proven yet again the future of camera manufacturing lies with lenses that are minuscule and A.I.-savvy. The landscape of the camera making industry has fundamentally changed as consumers are shelving their professional cameras and using smartphones to take pictures in recent years. Now as computer vision technology, which uses deep learning scheme to enable machines to understand digital images and videos, matures, smartphone camera makers, many of which are leading the pack in computer vision software development, could displace traditional camera makers' dominance in their own backyard. Companies such as Q Technology, Sunny Optical exemplified the rapid growth of smartphone camera makers in China. Both companies have posted strong first-half results this year, as traditional camera makers such as Canon see a decline in unit sales in digital compact cameras.