This pocket thermal camera helps you see in the dark

The next time I find myself camping in the Sahara surrounded by lions, I'm going to wish I had a FLIR Scout TK on me. It's a monocular thermal camera shaped like a cartoon bomb and easily usable in one hand; it picks up objects based on heat, so you can see animals even when obscured by foliage, or footprints normally invisible to the eye.

Here's what this can look like:

scout tk


scout tk


scout tk

FLIR Systems is one of the largest thermal imaging companies in the world, and the Scout TK uses its inexpensive "Lepton" microcamera core. The device is really simple to use, with just a few buttons on top to control recording, brightness, and color palette, and it has a rugged, rubberized build resistant to shock and water.

Watch the video above to see how easy I was to track and find when hiding in the bushes outside the Wynn in Las Vegas. If you, too, wish to discover concealed tech reporters, the Scout TK will cost you $599 when it ships sometime this quarter.

scout tk

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