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Researchers Dilip Krishnan and Rob Fergus at the New York University have developed a new type of flash that allows to take pictures in the dark without throwing off a glare. The flash uses a combination of infrared and ultraviolet lights, modified a flashbulb to emit light over a wider range of frequency and no silicon image sensor that prevents cameras to detect infrared and UV light.

However, despite the technological advance, there are few things that mar its nifty use. Firstly, the clicked picture shows an unusual color balance, akin to a picture viewed from a night-vision scope. Though it can be corrected by quickly clicking a picture with no-flash and matching the color scheme with the help of a software, the second problem remains unsolved, at least for now. Some materials like the subject’s freckles in the picture absorb the IR and UV light making those objects appear dark.

The researchers will be showcasing their tech at the Siggraph conference that begins in August.

[Newscientist via Engadget]