The Most Groundbreaking Startup of the Year Is…

Hands down, the most groundbreaking startup I've seen all year is Lytro, the maker of the “first light field camera for everyone.” Don't take my word for it. Head over to

and click on any of the thumbnail-sized photos on the screen. When you do, you will have the opportunity to adjust the focus of a single photo

it was taken! How is this possible? On its site, Lytro promises to deliver a camera with “no fuss” focusing. “Shoot first, focus after. That's right, after. You can't miss.”

According to

, Lytro's new camera uses a different kind of sensor that captures the entire light field around a picture (instead of a single light field like the so-called “modern” cameras). VentureBeat says that the camera works by having “many smaller lenses between the main lens and the image sensor, with the tiny lenses measuring the amount and direction of light coming in.” The possibilities of a camera like this are unimaginable. NEA, K9 Ventures, Greylock Partners and Andreessen Horowitz must agree, as they have invested $50 million into Lytro's promising venture.