Latest from PhoneArena

Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition Phone launched in India

Vertu has launched its all new Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition mobile phone in India. This phone was launched to commemorate Ferrari’s 60th Anniversary, and from the sound of the phone’s name, we feel it’s apt to celebrate 60 years of independence for India as well!


Classy phone maker Vertu worked closely with Ferrari’s design team to develop the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition phone. In fact, just 1947 pieces of this particular model will ever be made. Each of the phones are numbered from 1 to 1947.


Kicking off the celebrations was Mr Ranjit WijedasaVertu’s Regional Sales & Operations Director South East Asia Pacific, who unveiled the new Limited Edition Vertu phone through a powerful laser display. He said, “Vertu celebrates the 60th anniversary of India’s Independence and is proud to donate the proceeds of the auction of the one-and-only Vertu Ascent Ferrari Limited Edition piece numbered 60/1947 on this occasion.”


Then, director Karan Johar and Maureen Wadia took the main stage. The proceedings from the sale of these limited edition Vertu India phones will be donated to the Wadia Children’s Hospital, a cause supported by Karan Johar, Mrs. Wadia and Vertu.


The Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition mobile phone has an equally amazing design when compared to Ferrari’s cars. The Vertu handset uses hand-polished titanium for the chassis and even draws inspiration from Ferrari GT cars.


Yes, as you might have guessed the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 mobile phone is incased in Ferrari’s trademark colors, as the phone is encased iin black and red Ferrari leather with black laquer stripes running at the sides.


The Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 phone also has a bezel nose on the front that features the famed Ferrari Prancing Horse. On the rear back plate, there is a scaled down iconic Ferrari brake pedal that has been crafted from high-graded aluminum.


The Vertu Ascent Ferrari 19476 Limited Edition mobile phone has been handcrafted in the UK with the same precision and attention to detail given when assembling a Ferrari.


The Vertu phone also features 4 hours of talk time, with up to 270 hours standby, Bluetooth support, large memory capacity that can store up to 1000 ocntacts, 900 calendar notes and 100 SMSes.


Besides, the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 phone also features a high-resolution sapphire crystal screen, stainless steel keys and jeweled bearings.


The main reason behind individually serializing the phone from numbers 1 to 1947 is to pay homage to the very year when the first car to bear the Prancing Horse marque was built by the founder Enzo Ferrari.


In case you are thinking about getting yourselves one of these phones, then you better think again, or you had better be a great Ferrari fan. Since only 1947 phones were manufactured, all of them are being auctioned at a price of Rs.3,89,000. Interestingly, the top bidder for this phone was Dheeraj Group’s Sunny Diwan who paid a whopping Rs.13.5 lakhs. Other bidders included Bollywood star Jackie Shroff and Sanjay Ghadvi.


Well, it certainly seems to be a grand coincidence of sorts as India too won its Independence in the same very year 1947!


Karan Johar most appropriately summed this occasion up by saying, “The handset was brought in to India this year especially to celebrate the diamond anniversary of India and the Ferrari.”



SOURCE:techshout.com
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Motorola Launches RAZR2 V8 In India

Motorola latest addition to the Indian market is the upgrade to their popular RAZR range of mobiles the RAZR2 V8. This clamshell phone made its debut internationally in May and has finally made it here. It’s also 2 millimeters slimmer than its predecessor.


“With the modern style and powerful performance of RAZR2, Motorola is once again redefining the cell phone,” said Ray Roman, Motorola’s Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Mobile Devices. “This device takes the world’s best-selling feature phone to the next level. Combining groundbreaking new features and an even slimmer exterior than the original icon, the RAZR2 is capable of giving Indian consumers the ultimate mobile experience.”


A quick run down on the new RAZR2 V8 shows it’s equipped 2 inch external display (scratch resistant) and a 2.2 inch internal screen sporting pixel resolutions of 240 x 320 pixels each, up to 2GB of internal memory. It ahs a new ARM 11 processor, USB 2.0 connectivity, Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility, Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 compatibility, a full HTML browser and a 2.0 megapixel camera.





The RAZR V8 will be available at all Indian MOTOSTOREs and participating retailers. The RAZR V8 512 MB deluxe pack is available at a best buy price of Rs. 18,999 (MRP Rs. 20,428) and the premium pack with in-box Bluetooth S705 headset is available for Rs 19,999 (MRP: Rs 21,549).



SOURCE:tech2.com

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Nikon Launches New D-SLR, D3

Nikon recently announced the introduction of the professional digital SLR, Nikon D3. Incorporating the large CMOS image sensor developed by Nikon, the D3 features 12.1 effective megapixels and a sensitivity range from ISO 200 to 6,400 at normal setting.


The D3 will enable continuous shooting at approximately 9 frames per second for 12.1 megapixel images. The image sensor of the D3 is a CMOS sensor developed by Nikon with a sensing area of 36.9 x 23.9 mm that is compliant with the area of 35 mm film. For this Nikon will use the term “FX format” for the image format of 35 mm equivalent Nikon digital SLR cameras.

The D3 is equipped with Nikon’s Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module featuring 51 AF points. 15 cross-type sensors located in the center provide subject detection capability with lens apertures as small as f/5.6. 51 AF points can be utilized in various focus area modes selected according to subject condition.


The D3 also features the ‘Liveview’ function that enables shooting while confirming subjects in the LCD monitor.


The WT-4 supports wired LAN (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX) and wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b/g, 11a), and incorporates thumbnail mode as a new function. It realizes wireless connection of cameras with a PC, enabling thumbnail display of images taken with up to five of them and downloading of images selected. Also, by using Camera Control Pro 2 (optional), wireless remote view/control shooting is made possible with the D3’s Liveview function.



SOURCE:tech2.com
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Sony Powers Walkman With Sugar-Based Battery

Sony has announced a breakthrough in battery technology--a bio cell that uses sugar to produce electricity.
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

A year ago it seemed Sony Corp. couldn't even get a laptop battery right. A massive recall of lithium-ion cells tainted its image and had the company scrambling, but on Thursday it reported a sweet breakthrough in bio battery technology.
Sony, one of the world's largest battery makers, said it had succeeded in creating a battery that produces electricity by breaking down sugar. The bio cell, which measures 39 millimeters cubed, delivers 50mW (milliWatts) -- a world record for such a cell, according to the company.

A video provided by Sony shows four of the cells connected in series delivering enough energy to power a Walkman music player. The battery uses glucose solution as a fuel. A second video shows a small fan being powered by the cell with a glucose-based sports drink used as the fuel.

As in other cells, power is produced through a flow of electrons between a cathode and anode.

In the bio cell sugar-digesting enzymes at the anode extract electrons and hydrogen ions from the glucose. The hydrogen ions pass through a membrane separator to the cathode where they absorb oxygen from the air to produce water as a byproduct. The electrons flow around the circuit outside the device producing the electricity needed to power it.

Details of the bio battery were accepted as a paper at the 234th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition that is taking place this week in Boston.

Sugar is naturally occurring so the technology could be the basis for an ecologically-friendly energy source. Companies like Sony are researching numerous technologies that could replace the dominant lithium ion cells as a clean power source for portable electronics.

One of the most talked about is fuel cell technology. While hydrogen-based cells have taken off for home or automobile use, versions based on methanol for use in electronics products have yet to be commercialized. Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. are among the companies that promised methanol fuel cell-based laptops in previous years, but each time technology launches have been delayed.


SOURCE:pcworld.com
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Epson Stylus CX5500 All in One launched in India

Epson has announced the availability of the Epson Stylus CX5500 All in One in the Indian market. With Epson’s latest launch, users can get high quality and durable image printouts at a reasonable price.

The latest Epson Stylus CX5500 All in One incorporates the path-breaking ink cartridge bay, offering the flexibility of accepting ink cartridges of different capacities. Depending on the printing requirements, this interesting feature will help in cutting down the cost of long term printing as users can now choose between Epson’s Standard ink cartridges and Low Cost ink cartridges.

What’s more, the cost of printing can be lowered further with Epson’s INKdividual system that makes it possible for users to only replace the color which has run out instead of changing the full set of inks at the same time.

Both the cartridge types use Epson’s DURABrite Ultra inks to deliver the high quality and durable prints consumers are familiar with from Epson. DURABrite Ultra offer resistance against fading, smudging and accidental water spillage, while ensuring that printouts remain vibrant and brilliant. These inks can guarantee print durability of up to a staggering 120 years on matte paper heavy weight paper.

The EPSON Stylus CX5500 incorporates Micro-Piezo print head system and Variable Sized Droplet Technology (VSDT). Thanks to these two technologies, it has the ability to offer high print accuracy and reliability, with the ability to produce subtle tone gradation in images. Matched with print resolutions of up to 5760 dpi, users can be confident of printouts that are sharp and clear.

Along with the demand for faster printouts, the CX5500 offers rapid print speeds of 25 pages per minute (ppm) for black text and 13ppm for color printouts. Furthermore, the ground breaking One-Touch Copy feature of the All in One, completes tasks in as quickly as four seconds. The scanner has the capacity of resolutions of up to 600dpi and also allows for enlargements of photos up to A4 size.

In addition, the CX5500 packs in Epson PhotoEnhance, which is a smart default feature which automatically rectifies frequent flaws in images such as overexposure and red eye correction to ensure optimum printouts. Further on, for easy image management, the Epson Creativity Suite offers reliable help in finding and sorting out your personal collection of digital images.

The Epson Stylus CX5500 comes for an MRP of Rs.5499 (MRP). The ink cartridges, the Standard inks are priced at Rs.460 (MRP) while the Low Cost inks are available for Rs.250 (MRP). Packed with a 2 year warranty, the Stylus CX5500 will be available from August 2007 throughout India.



SOURCE:techshout.com
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Verizon Launches New Q Smartphone

Verizon Wireless launched a new version of its popular Motorola Q smartphone today. The Motorola Q9m adds Windows Mobile 6 and an updated look with a new keyboard and music-centric interface.



The Q9m is about the same size as the Q, though its body is red and black as opposed to the Q's silver. The Q9m's keys are square and domed to the Q's oval, separated keys. A cursor pad and thumb wheel lets users navigate through many options. By pressing a button on the keyboard, users kick the Q9m into a new UI with album art and music controls. The Q9m can play music and video synced with Windows Media Player or downloaded directly on to the phone with Verizon's V CAST Music service.


Like the Q, the Q9m works as a modem, e-mail device, and Web browser on Verizon's EVDO Rev 0 network. The Q9m also shares its 312Mhz processor, 320-by-240-resolution screen, and 1.3-megapixel camera.


The Q9m announcement comes immediately after Verizon's partnership with MTV and Real to create a new music service for PCs and phones that will combine elements of Real's Rhapsody, MTV's Urge and Verizon's V CAST Music under both the Rhapsody and V CAST brands. Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeff Nelson couldn't provide specific details about the service, but did say that the new service would most likely work on devices like the Q9m--given that Rhapsody, Urge and V CAST all work with the Motorola Q9 now.


Verizon is selling the Q9m online for $349.99 with a two year contract, with discounts and rebates bringing the price down to $199.99. Service plans start at $79.99 per month for 450 minutes and with unlimited data.


Sprint will get a slightly different Q9m later this year, according to the carrier at a press event last week. The Sprint Q9m is yellow and black, rather than red and black, and will work with Sprint's music store.


PC Magazine will have a full review of the Q9m later in the week.



SOURCE:pcmag.com

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LG Reveals 5 Megapixel Camera Phone

LG’s KU990 5.0 megapixel camera phone was revealed in Berlin at IFA. It’s equipped with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens. That’s saying a lot (literally). But quite like the Prada model it also has a touch screen (3 inches) with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. The camera has auto focus with image stabilization technology, 120fps, video recording and an ISO sensitivity of 800.





The KU990 is a 3G enabled phone with HSDPA. It has 170MB of internal memory and but we’re not sure if and how it accepts external memory.




Unfortunately there’s no idea of the cost or availability. Yet.


SOURCE:TECH2.COM
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Nokia Launches 6555 Clamshell

Nokia has announced their new 3G enabled WCDMA and Quadband GSM handset – The Nokia 6555. This clamshell features a QVGA 16 million color internal display. The resolution of the screen is 240 x 320 pixels. It has an internal memory of 30MB and supports external memory through microSD cards.




"Mobile-savvy consumers expect superior quality and design. We understood that need, and so created the Nokia 6555. The Nokia 6555 is a sophisticated accessory delivering the outstanding features that you expect from Nokia," said Markku Suomi, Product Group Director, Mobile Phones, Nokia.


Nokia doesn’t mention what type of camera is present but they did mention that it has 6x zoom. It also has an option for self-portrait and video sharing. The 6555 also has Bluetooth capabilities.

It’s priced at just around Rs. 11,100 (€200) and should be available next month.


SOURCE:tech2.com
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Canon PowerShot G9 12.1 MP Digital Camera unveiled

Canon USA has unveiled a new top-of-the-line digital camera called the PowerShot G9, expanding the companies acclaimed G-series cameras. This feature-packed digital camera not only offers the advanced photographic capabilities of a high-end DSLR camera, but is lightweight and compact too.

The Canon PowerShot G9 digital camera features 12.1 mega pixel resolution. It has the same matte black design that G-series fans know and love.

The camera is also equipped with a 6x optical zoom lens and even incorporates Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) for situations prone to camera shake and image blurring. It does not matter where you are shooting; whether outdoors at dusk or indoors sans a flash, camera shake will be detected and effectively cancelled.

The PowerShot G9 digital camera sports a large three-inch PureColor LCD II screen as well as easy-to-access ISO and manual mode dials.

The PowerShot G9 features Canon’s Image Inspection Tool that allows photographers to review and compare photos for printing with ease and with no wastage of time.


Also, since the Image Inspection Tool is now linked with Advanced Face Detection technology, users will be able to save a lot of time as the main subject of the image is automatically detected and enlarged, completely eliminating the need to zoom or scroll manually.

Canon’s PowerShot G9 digital camera comes equipped with 23 shooting modes, providing users a range of different photo preferences and conditions such as Manual, Shutter-speed-Priority, Aperture-Priority, and two Custom modes as well as special scene modes like Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Indoor, Beach, and Snow.



Advanced photographers also have the option of using RAW+JPEG simultaneous capture functionality. Thus, photographers can get the best of both- JPEGs for immediate use and RAW images for faithful image reproduction and extensive, non-destructive image editing capabilities.


According to Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A, “The PowerShot G9 digital camera brings our highest levels of performance and usability to the G-series. “By combining RAW Mode with our other key technologies in this camera, we’re providing a high-performing and affordable option to advanced photo enthusiasts who want the creative power of a Digital SLR in a smaller body form.”

The Canon PowerShot G9 digital camera will be available from October 2007 onwards for a price of $500.


source:techshout.com

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Genius Traveler 915 Bluetooth Laser Mouse launched in India

Genius has introduced its Traveler 915 Bluetooth Laser and Presenter Mouse in India. This mouse which is roughly the size of a mobile phone is perfect when traveling due to its small size.

The Genius traveler 915 BT Laser mouse incorporates three of the latest technology trends namely Bluetooth wireless, laser, and size/portability.

The Traveler 915BT Laser Mouse offers dual functions- a mouse and a presenter. If the user wishes to switch from one function to the other, all he or she has to do is press the ‘switch mode’ button.

What’s more; this mouse doesn’t require a receiver. Also, when traveling, the users can connect the Traveler 915BT Laser mouse to the Bluetooth enabled notebook, eliminating the mess caused by tangled-up cords.

Since this mouse has an advanced high-precision 1600 dpi laser sensor, it can track on variety of surfaced better than an optical device even on polished or wood-grain surfaces.


The Genius Traveler 915BT Laser mouse has a very unique metal cover finish. Plus, the 4D scrolling roller provides fast browsing in left, right, up or down directions when browsing sites on the Internet.

According to Sandeep Ramani, country manager of KYE Systems India, “The laser technology Traveler 915BT Laser offers up to 20 times the sensitivity of a standard optical mouse, and lets users switch from 800 dpi to 1600 dpi on the fly. It is indeed a great tool for business travelers. Users will be more productive and have more convenience when they use it.”

Here are the salient features of the Genius Traveler 915BT Laser Mouse at a glance:

*Stylish, slim and flat design with metal cover
*1600/800dpi switchable Bluetooth mini laser mouse; easy to connect with Bluetooth notebook
*Laser engine technology provides better tracking power than LED optical mice
Surface friendly
*Mouse with presenter functions; easy using it for presentation
*4D scroll for fast browsing up/down/left/right on the Internet and in Windows documents
*Battery indicator light
*Power Switch can extend battery life
*Suitable for notebook users

The Genius Traveler 915BT Laser Mouse is available at all authorized Genius distributors in India. This mouse will carry a price tag of Rs.5499.


source:techshout.com

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Sony Hints of Rolly Audio Player

A teaser promotional campaign has begun in Japan for a new audio device called Rolly.
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service



Sony Corp. began a teaser campaign in Japan on Monday for a new audio device called Rolly.

As with all good teasers, few details of the device are available but Sony is giving away a few clues. Chief among them is that Rolly is a "sound entertainment device." Quite what that means isn't clear but more details are promised via a Japanese-language blog over the coming days.

Sony also opened a promotion site called Rolly World that offers even less information. The site currently consists of a mass of small videos, each an apparently random clip of people doing things. There are three people dancing, a cat walking across the street, a taxi driver speaking to a passenger and a drink being poured into a glass.

Each clip ends with a word or phrase that apparently has something to do with the Rolly. These words, which also scroll across the bottom of the screen, include: shuffle, share, music, small, motion, open and communication.

Users visiting the site are invited to apply for one of 50 pairs of tickets to a Rolly party to be held in Tokyo on Sept. 10.

News of the Rolly player first appeared on blogs a couple of weeks ago. Many reported on the existence of the player citing a report by a Belgian blog that said the Rolly would be "egg-shaped," include a speaker, and can move or dance to music. The original Web site now carries a message saying the story has been removed at the demand of Sony.

Among the rumors is that the device may be unveiled at the IFA show that begins in Berlin on Aug. 31.

A Sony spokeswoman in Tokyo said Rolly would be announced in September in Tokyo.

Sony was once king of the portable music industry. Its iconic Walkman players created the market and then led it for about 20 years until Apple Inc. decided to get into the game with the iPod. The iPod quickly stole the lead from Walkman thanks in part to the way it working seamlessly with the iTunes desktop application and an online music store.


source:pcworld.com

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Sony Upgrades Thin Cameras

The new DSC-T200 digital camera does away with buttons for a touchpanel screen on the rear.
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

Sony Corp. is upgrading its thin T-series digital still camera line with a new model that packs a larger display with touchscreen.

The DSC-T200 hasn't been officially announced by Sony yet but details of the camera were posted to its Sony Canada online shop over the weekend.

The overall stylings of the camera aren't much changed from the current T100 model so on first glance it looks similar but a closer look at the rear will reveal some changes. The buttons present along the right-hand side of the 3-inch display on the current T100 are gone and in their place a larger 3.5-inch widescreen display takes up the entire back face of the camera.

So how to navigate the menus with no buttons? Sony has fitted a touchscreen on the 3.5-inch display that means the backpanel is clear of everything else.

A 3.5-inch display with touchscreen matches Apple's iPhone but a lot of the tasks and functions that can be carried out are very different. Sony's screen doesn't appear to support two-fingered touch -- the one trick that makes the iPhone's touchscreen so special -- but can be used to work a variety of functions. For example, in "touch-it shooting" a tap of an object on the screen will focus the camera on that object while when viewing pictures the screen is used to navigate and even paint on photos taken earlier.

Other functions include a "smile shutter" that goes a step beyond the face detection modes common on cameras today. The DSC-T200 won't just find faces in the image and focus on them but in this mode it won't take a picture until it sees all smiles.

Major specifications are similar between the T200 and T100. Both have an 8.1-megapixel image sensor capable of taking pictures up to 3,264 pixels by 2,448 pixels and in front of the sensor sits a 5X optical zoom lens. It has the same Bionz processing engine.

The camera measures 2.33 inches high by 3.68 inches wide by .8 inches deep and weighs 5.6 ounces.

There's no word on when it will be available or the price. The current T100 that it seems destined to replace costs about $400.

source:pcworld.com

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Verizon LG5200 GlucoPhone with built-in Blood Glucose Meter keeps a check on your Diabetes

Diabetes, though literally can be defined as a chronic health condition where the body is unable to produce insulin, but it is surely way beyond this definition. It is one disease, which if not controlled can not only give rise to several other ailments but can also be fatal if not kept in check. And how nice would it be if there would be a device that could be carried along anywhere and everywhere, just the way we carry along our iPods and mobile phones. Well there may just be an answer to this need.


New Jersey-based company HealthPia has introduced an innovative device called GlucoPack, a special glucose meter, which sends across glucose information over the web. HealthPia has made the GlucoPack available on Verizon LG5200 phone (CDMA platform) for the US market during the AADE Conference.

Apparently, the firm has “obtained FDA approval for its patent-pending technology that integrates a blood glucose meter with a standard-issue cellphone.”

The GlucoPack can be fitted onto the back of the mobile phone. All that the user, who wants to check his sugar level, needs to do is place the blood-sample into a tiny slot on the side of the phone for analysis.

Within just a couple of seconds, the GlucoPack brings up the result through ‘text’ to a database available on the internet along with the subscriber’s permission (you set the access rights).

What’s more, HealthPia is in the works of developing more models for renowned handsets such as Motorola Razr and the Apple iPhone.

According to DiabetesMine, the GlucoPhone technology, which is essentially the GlucoPack on a mobile phone, was first developed in Korea, and was imported to US by Dr. Stephen Kim in 2003.


source:techshout.com
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Samsung Announces 3 Digital Audio Players

IFA is here once again and Samsung has decided it's time to show off their latest in Digital Audio Players (DAP). The YP-S5, YP-T10 and the YP-P2, will all be on display. All three players are equipped with Bluetooth. Samsung has not been clear with regard to this idea of having Bluetooth in their players. Presumably, you could use a set of Bluetooth earphones or a headset to listen to music. So audio streaming could be the reason but it’s not clear yet.


The YP-S5 appears to be a step up from the previous YP-K5. Not only is it slimmer than its predecessor but it also features Bluetooth 1.2, has a 1.8 inch TFT LCD display sporting a resolution of 220 x 176 pixels. It even comes equipped with an FM radio with recording capabilities. It’s also possible that using the Bluetooth radio, the S5 may be able to dial numbers for your mobile phone. It also has a built in speaker and is available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB models.
The next on the new list is the YP-P2 which is equipped with a 3 inch touch screen that has a 480 x 234 pixel resolution. It also uses Samsung’s DSNe sound system and of course, also has Bluetooth. Amongst its other features are a calendar and a radio as well. The P2 is also going to be available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB versions with colors like black, wine red or white.
The YP-T10 supports video playback as well for MPEG 4/WMV formats. So technically it can’t really be classified as just DAP. It also has voice recorder. It’ll be available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB models. It will also be available in colors including Midnight Black, Mystic Purple, Maple Red, Lime Yellow and Cloud White. It's equipped with a large 2-inch screen and also has Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities.

Unfortunately there’s no word on pricing or their availability, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But rumor has it that the YP-S5 and YP-T10 should be out in Europe somewhere in December.


source:tech2.com

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Sony, Swarovski Team For Digital Audio Player

For all of you flash people out there who do like a little bling with your things every now and then here’s something for you from the Sony mp3 player Walkman series.

Their new E010 mp3 players will have removable USB caps that will be covered in Swaovski crystals. The players will be crafted by the Abiste Corporation. The E010 DAPs are available in violet, black, blue, or gold colors. You will have to place an order for these ‘works of art’ and may have to wait for at least 2 months before delivery. Don’t expect the prices for these small but ‘bejeweled’ players to be anything short of grand. The 1GB model will set you back around Rs. 5446 ($134), the 2GB model would costs approximately Rs. 6503 and the 4GB would be around Rs. 8535.



source:tech2.com
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Fujitsu LifeBook U810 and T2010 Convertible Tablet Notebooks unveiled

Fujitsu has released two new convertible notebooks that deliver unmatched mobility and versatility to its users. They are the LifeBook U810 mini and the LifeBook T2010 notebooks that feature a highly functional tablet form factor design and are also feature packed.



The LifeBook U810 is a palm-sized convertible notebook that sports a 5.6-inch WSVGA Crystal View LCD display and an ultra-slim QWERTY keyboard.

In fact, the LifeBook U810 weighs just 1.56 pounds; making is the world’s smallest convertible tablet. One can twist the screen to turn the U810 notebook into a handheld Tablet PC with a touch screen for finger or pen input.

The Fujitsu LifeBook U810 notebook is perfect for watching movies, listening to music, viewing and editing documents, surfing the Web, video conferencing and for clicking photos.

The LifeBook U810 seems to be a perfect choice for students as well as working professionals. The best part is that when you have reached back home from school or office, you can simply dock the notebook into the docking station and use an external display and keyboard, lending a true desktop experience.

The LifeBook U810 notebook runs on an energy efficient Ultra Low Power Intel A110 processor that has been optimized specifically for highly mobile devices. With its standard 4-cell battery, this convertible notebook can deliver up to 5.5 hours of computing time.

The LifeBook U810 from Fujitsu comes loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, depending on your needs.

The second convertible notebook unveiled by Fujitsu is the LifeBook T2010, which is ideal for mobile professionals.

The LifeBook T2010 notebook weighs just 3.5 pounds, making it the lightest in its class. Besides, it also happens to be the first convertible notebook that comes very close to the weight of a slate tablet. The only difference is that compared to your usual slate tablets, the T2010 notebook offers an exceptional battery life of up to 11 hours, or 9 hours with a standard battery.



The ultra-portable Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 covertible notebook has a 1.3-inch slim chassis and features a 12.1-inch WXGA indoor/outdoor display with a bi-directional swivel. What’s more; its LED-backlit screen provides a bright display for viewing even in sunlight. Even better is its spill-resistant keyboard that adds extra protection against accidents.

The LifeBook T2010 notebook is powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage U7600 Processor. You can either have the LifeBook T2010 notebook loaded with Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.

Both the LifeBook U810 and the T2010 convertible notebooks comply with the new Energy Star version 4.0 guidelines, making them safe to the environment.

The Fujitsu LifeBook U810 notebook will be available in September 2007 at prices starting from $999, while the LifeBook T2010 will carry prices beginning at $1599.


source:techshout.com

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New Cyber-Shot Phone Boosts Camera Features

Sony Ericsson narrows the gap between high-end cameras and cell phones with its K770.
John Blau, IDG News Service

With the launch of its K770 Cyber-shot phone, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB hopes to narrow the quality gap between dedicated digital cameras and mobile phones with integrated cameras.

The slim 14.5 millimeter phone, announced Wednesday, offers a range a features found in most quality digital cameras, including auto focus and 3x digital zoom.

A sliding cover protects the lens. Once in camera mode, the 1.9 inch screen becomes a viewfinder. Illuminated icons, which appear across the keypad, serve as one-click shortcuts to each of the camera's main functions, such as picture size and light.

The new Photo fix feature offers photo editing directly on the 3.2-megapixel phone, allowing users to correct photos taken under poor lighting conditions.

With a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, users can transfer photos to PCs, send them directly to a printers with the PictBridge application or upload them to the Internet. Pictures can be printed in A4 size.

The 256M-byte memory card can hold up to 200 high-quality photos.

The music features include wireless stereo headsets using short-range Bluetooth technology and a FM radio.

But the K770 is a phone, too.

The tri-band handset operates on the three frequencies used for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and 3G (third-generation) technologies: 900, 1800 and 1900.

The phone will be available in the fourth quarter of 2007. Pricing information was not immediately available.


source:pcworld.com
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Digital Camera Growth Doubles

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer appetite for digital cameras so far this year has grown twice as fast as expected, as buyers replace older models at cheaper prices, according to research firm IDC. Moreover, many are upgrading to more powerful cameras, IDC said on Tuesday in its report "Updated Worldwide Digital Camera Forecast."

Global digital camera shipments are expected to grow by about 15 percent this year, IDC said, double its previous forecast of 7.5 percent, reversing a trend of declining growth seen over the past four years.

IDC analyst Chris Chute said cameras are becoming a kind of fashion item, a trend made popular by tiny mobile phones and Apple Inc's iPod digital music player.

Similarly, the digital camera has become a personal, low priced item, whose sales are now more driven by impulse than utility, especially in the United States, Japan and Europe, Chute said.

"This year was the first that we had a lot of color cameras, a lot of them under $200," Chute said, noting the trend toward more choices than just black or silver gadgets. "I think that is resonating with consumers."

At the same time, the report showed that the average number of cameras in each camera-owning home has remained flat from 2006 at 1.4. IDC said that suggests consumers are replacing their cameras at a faster rate than expected.

Chute also noted that single-lens-reflex (SLR) cameras, favored by professionals and photography enthusiasts, will be more of a driver of the total market than previously thought as prices decline. Average prices for all digital cameras, ranging from entry level point-and-shoots to SLRs, are expected to slip about 13 percent this year to $307 from $352 in 2006.

Chute added that demand for digital cameras, primarily those made by market leaders, Canon Inc, Sony Corp and Eastman Kodak, should remain strong for the critical holiday shopping season.

IDC said it boosted its growth outlook through 2011, with total units shipped seen at 138 million, up from an earlier expectation of 123 million. Prices are expected to decline to about $250 on average, Chute said.


source:pcmag.com
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Motorola, Carriers Announce MOTORAZR2 Plans

Prompted by Verizon, Motorola officially took the wraps off of its next-generation MOTORAZR2 mobile phone platform on Friday.

Three phones -- the V9, a 3G HSDPA phone; the V9m, featuring 3G EVDO CDMA; and the V8, a GSM phone -- are all part of the new family, Motorola said. They will be offered by a host of providers, including Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, US Cellular, and Verizon Wireless.
Motorola launched the RAZR2 platform in May, revealing many of the phone's features. Motorola said then that the three phones would be released in August.

According to sources, Verizon prompted the early confirmation of the new phones by announcing its support of the V9m early on Friday. The carrier will offer the phone for $299.99 upon the purchase of a two-year agreement, plus a $50 mail-in rebate. The exact date of the phone's availability was not disclosed.

That will be cheaper than AT&T, which said it would offer the phone at $299.99 for a two-year commitment "in early September,", but without the rebate. AT&T will use it as a platform for AT&T Mobile Music, which allows customers to sideload music from eMusic, the MusicID song recognition service, XM Radio Mobile, The Buzz music news portal, Music Videos and others. The handset is also MobiTV-capable.

Sprint, meanwhile, said it would offer the phone at $249.99 on Aug. 22 for the same two-year contract, without the need for a rebate. It will support features like its own OnDemand services with customizable up-to-date sports, weather and news information, Sprint PCS Picture Mail for sharing and printing digital pictures and Wireless Backup to restore lost contact information.

The phones are two millimeters thinner than the older, first-generation RAZR and, doing away with the familiar antenna "hump" at the bottom of the phone. The outside of the metallic flip phone is marked by a huge, 2-inch color LCD screen with touch-sensitive buttons that make the phone vibrate when pressed. The phone also has a 2-megapixel camera and plays AAC, MP3, and WMA music files.

In addition, the phones ship with the ability to raise and lower the volume depending on surrounding noise, a feature Motorola calls CrystalTalk. The higher-speed models, the HSDPA V9 and the EVDO V9m, will run Motorola's older Synergy operating system. All will have a redesigned user interface, Motorola has said.


source:pcmag.com
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Timex iControl Sports Watch Controls your Apple iPod Wirelessly

America’s leading watch manufacturer Timex has unveiled the innovative iControl sports watch. The unique iControl provides a wireless operating device for Apple’s iPod player. What’s more, the watch is also compatible with the newly launched iPhone when it is in airplane mode.


The sleek, light-weight and water-resistant Timex watch belongs to the company’s Ironman series. Designed to work with a body in motion, the iControl wirelessly syncs with a user’s iPod for convenient music control during any activity. It comes bundled with various functions including Play/Pause, Volume Up/Down, Track Forward/Back.

Speaking about the latest iControl, Heberto Calves, Vice President of Sports Marketing commented, “The days of fumbling for your iPod in mid-stride are over. iControl offers cutting edge technology and contemporary design, in addition to the functional quality and durability people have come to expect from Timex.”

Also included in the Timex iControl watch, are the following interesting features:
*50-lap memory recall chronograph
*Training log stores current workout with date, best lap and average lap
*Multi-mode countdown timer
*2 interval timers for speed and endurance training
*3 customizable alarms for daily, weekday and weekend settings
*INDIGLO night-light with NIGHT-MODE feature
*3-year battery life (need POC)

Available in six exciting colors, including gray, black, pink, blue, orange and green, the Times iControl sports watch is priced at $125. You can get your pair by visiting the Timex or Apple website.

In the past too the iPod has been teamed up with novel other products for sports freaks, such as iPod shoes, bracelets and backpacks, for which iPod maker Apple teamed up with leading companies such as Nike etc.


source:techshout.com

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Panasonic Shows Smallest HD Camcorder

Panasonic's tiny HDC-SD7 camcorder weighs only 12 ounces, records high-def video on a Secure Digital card.
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service


Two days after unveiling in the U.S. what it said was the smallest high-definition video camera in the world, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) took the wraps off an even smaller camcorder on Wednesday.

The HDC-SD7 measures 52 millimeters by 110mm by 87mm, giving it a volume of 330 cubic centimeters -- that's smaller than the 375cc of the HDC-SD5 that got its international launch on Monday. It weighs 350 grams with the battery and memory card against 400 grams for the SD5.

Design-wise, the two cameras look very different: the SD7 is taller than it is wide or long so has the appearance of being held vertically while the SD5 is longer than it is tall or deep so is held horizontally.

They have almost identical technical specifications. Both pack 3CCD (charge coupled device) sensors behind a 10X zoom lens and have a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor.

One of the secrets to their small size is the use of an SD memory card as a recording medium. The electronics and socket needed for a flash card takes up much less space than a DVD or hard-disk drive and thus contribute to the size and weight savings over other high-def models.

Both record full HD (1,920 pixel by 1,080 pixel) MPEG4 AVC/H.264 video at a range of quality levels. At the average 9M bps (bit per second) rate, a 4G-byte SD card can hold up to 60 minutes of video, said Panasonic.

The cameras will both cost around %140,000 (US$1,175) when they go on sale in Japan. The SD5 will launch on Aug. 25 and the SD7, which will only be available in Japan, will hit the shelves on Sept. 8.


source:pcworld.com
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Apple and Timex Launch iControl Watch

Apple and one of the world’s leading watch manufacturer, Timex have joined forces to create a watch designed specifically for the iPod. The latest, in their already popular Ironman series, is Timex’s iControl. This watch, which will retain all the features that any other Ironman sports watch come equipped with, now also has controls for your iPod as well. That’s not all. In fact it’s also compatible with the ever-lovin iPhone, but only when it’s in airplane mode. The iControl will wirelessly sync to the iPod or iPhone and so you will be able to control your music (Play/Pause, Volume Up/Down, Track Forward/Back) from there. It’s also water resistant (100 meters) of course like any other in the same series.

"The days of fumbling for your iPod in mid-stride are over,” said Heberto Calves, Vice President of Sports Marketing. “iControl offers cutting edge technology and contemporary design, in addition to the functional quality and durability people have come to expect from Timex.”

The iControl is available in a wide range of colors - gray and black, as well as pink, blue, orange and green. The cost of this watch is Rs. 5,049 ($125).


source:tech2.com
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Navigate your iPod...with your Watch

Timex just announced a fun new addition to its watch family, and while it's nothing earth-shattering, it certainly warrants a mention. The Timex Ironman is already established as an excellent workout companion, keeping track of your laps, armed with interval timers, and waterproof up to 100 meters. Now, Timex has made it iPod friendly: just plug the included dongle into your iPod and your Ironman with "i-Control for i-Pod" (uh, guys, there's no hyphen in iPod) acts as a remote for your tunes.

It doesn't use Bluetooth, but does operate in the 2.4 GHz range. You can play, pause, skip, backtrack, and adjust the volume via buttons on the watch. These same buttons control different workout-related features on the watch when it's in a certain mode, so whether you're controlling your iPod or your lap timer can depend on how long you hold down the button.

This is great for people who throw their 'Pod in a bag when on the subway or clip it onto clothing, when working out--it even works when the iPod has the Hold button activated. Not bad!

Availability is sketchy, but definitely by August 15th we should see these watches in stores and online for anywhere between $99 and $125.

Post by Tim Gideon
source:gearlog.com
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Hitachi Announces Two Blu-ray Camcorders

Hitachi has launched two new camcorders - the DZ-BD7H and the DZ-BD70.

The DZ-BD7H is the world's first Blu-ray Disc (BD) Camcorder, which records one hour of 1920x1080 Full High-Definition video onto a BD (single side, single layer.)

The DZ-BD7H is a Hybrid Cam with a BD drive and a 30 gigabyte (GB) built-in hard disc drive (HDD) which can record approximately four hours of 1920x1080 full high-definition video, or up to eight hours of 1440x1080 high-definition video. It can also copy the contents from HDD to 8cm BD within the camcorder so that users do not need to use any external devices.

The DZ-BD70 is a BD single drive camcorder, which can record approximately one hour of 1920x1080 full high-definition video (two hours of 1440x1080 high definition video) on an 8cm BD.

The new BD camcorders have a system which captures, records and stores 1920x1080 full high-definition video with its newly developed full high-definition lens. It's equipped with a 5.3 mega pixel progressive CMOS image sensor with effective 2.07 megapixel for video and 4.32 megapixel for still photo. The camcorders also feature a full high definition signal processor "Picture Master Full HD," and the world's first 8cm BD drive that can record 1920x1080 full high definition video, which has 5 times more capacity than a 8cm DVD.

The new camcorders will start selling in Japan on August 30, 2007, and overseas market sequentially starting from October.



source:tech2.com
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Logitech Introduces New G-Series Products

Logitech recently introduced their wave keyboard/mice and MX Air mouse and has now updated their famous G series of gaming peripherals with the launch of the G9 mouse and a new refresh of the G15 keyboard.


The G9 mouse features a wealth of customizable features, including two interchangeable grips: Wide-Load grip and Precision grip. The Wide-Load grip provides a fuller shape and soft-touch, satin feel while the Precision grip’s DryGrip technology and compact shape offers better fingertip control. The G9 also offers customized weight tuning and weight distribution. The weight-tuning system enables gamers to choose from among hundreds of weight settings by inserting up to four additional weights in the mouse’s weight tray, adding up to a maximum of 28 grams. In total, gamers can choose from eight additional weights. The spring-loaded weight cartridge fits in the bottom of the G9 mouse and can be easily opened, retuned and secured in moments.


The mouse also supports profiles which when used in conjunction with Logitech SetPoint software Version 5.0 allows the profiles to be saved on the mouse itself, as it sports onboard memory. The G9 also offers up to 3200 dpi response for faster more precise cursor movements, or down to as low as 200 dpi for games that require pixel-precise control. A full-speed USB connection delivers up to 1,000 reports per second for smooth tracking without cursor lag.


The Logitech G15 which has been refreshed now offers built-in support for popular games, including World of Warcraft, Battlefield 2142 and Quake Wars for use with the integrated LCD panel. The G15 keyboard also offers six on-the-fly programmable macro keys with three modes, for a total of 18 programmable keys per game or application. This means, for example, World of Warcraft players can program the G keys to access their spells more efficiently. The G15 keyboard activates game-specific settings when a programmed title is launched.

The Logitech G9 Laser Mouse (MSRP $99.99 U.S.) and the upgraded Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard (MSRP $99.99 U.S.) are expected to be available in September.


source:tech2.com

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Sony Unveils World's First HD Video Walkman

Through the sheer brilliance of Sony we had the Walkman, now obsolete though, then came the Discman, which was just the next-gen Walkman for playing CDs and not tapes and let’s not forget the Walkman phones from Sony Ericsson. If you were wondering what Sony’s next step (or should I say “Walk”) would be, wonder no more. Enter the world's first HD Video Walkman. Ta –Dah!

The HD Video Walkman is the portable solution for viewing HDV and DV tapes while traveling. It also plays back miniDV tapes (SP and LP) and can also record HDV1080i/DV signals from an external source. It also has an HDMI output that allows HD viewing on any connected HD-ready TV or monitor.

It’s equipped with a 7-inch widescreen (16:9) LCD that offers a resolution of 1,152K (800x480x3[RGB]) dots for monitoring video and still images. An All-scan function ensures that 100% of the recorded frame area is displayed on the LCD monitor for accurate reviewing. Up to six LCD panel setups can be stored and loaded at any time. The on-screen position of displayed timecode can be moved to any of six positions according to user preference. The screen folds down when the GV-HD700E is not in use.

It’s the first Video WALKMAN supporting x.v.Colour. Based on the new xvYCC standard, x.v.Colour almost doubles the gamut of colors that can be displayed accurately on an xvYCC compliant display. HDV tapes recorded with x.v.Colour can be replayed with x.v.Colour signals available via HDMI and i.LINK outputs. x.v.Color signals can also be read via the i.LINK input, and x.v.Color information is passed through to the portable deck’s HDMI output.

A separate HD/SD component output is provided in addition to the HDMI output. An i.LINK port allows direct recording and playback of HDV and DV signals, while analogue video and audio can be recorded and monitored via S Video and RCA input connectors. In addition, still images can be captured from tape (HDV or DV) during playback and stored onto Memory Stick. For convenient operation, any of fourteen commonly used functions (including search, index mark and playback zoom) can be assigned to three function buttons. There’s also a Status Check mode that gives a handy on-screen confirmation of key Audio, Output, Assign and LCD settings. The GV-HD700E can also be used with InfoLITHIUM L and M Series batteries. Supplied accessories include an AC Adaptor, wireless remote controller, component cable and AV Multi Cable (without S Video).

The GV-HD700E HD Video WALKMAN will be available throughout Europe from September 2007 but there’s no information on its price tag yet.


source:tech2.com
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HTC Touch Now Available in India

The HTC touch has been launched here in India and it's about time. This is the latest Windows mobile phone that employs a similar touch screen experience as the iPhone. However, since all its functions can still be activated by using a stylus as well as your fingers, HTC has designed the Touch’s interface to be smart enough to actually distinguish the difference between the two. This technology is called TouchFLO.

“With the HTC Touch, access to your most commonly used content, contacts and features is only a simple finger flick away,” said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer of HTC. “Mobile phone makers have done a great job of cramming ever-more exciting features into ever-smaller phones. But the way in which one accesses these increasingly sophisticated features has not kept pace. That ends today with the HTC Touch.”

The Touch runs off the latest Windows Mobile 6 Professional and includes applications like Outlook Mobile, Office Mobile, Internet Explorer, Windows Live and also has the capabilities to run many third-party applications as well. It also supports Direct Push Email and HTML email. The HTC Touch is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE Tri-band enabled phone that also uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility.

It’s not a very large or heavy phone either with dimensions like 99.9 x 58 x 13.9 mm. and weighs in at 112g. It has a 2.8 inch LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 65k colors. The HTC touch is also equipped with 2.0 megapixel CMOS color camera and of course it has a video and an audio player that reads MP3 and Aac files. It has 64 MB RAM and 128 MB ROM and memory can be increased using microSD( (Transflash) cards.

The HTC Touch from HTC Asia will be available from next week in India from all authorized resellers at a price (inclusive of all taxes) of Rs. 19,900.


source:tech2.com
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iPhone Battery Not Good Enough

So here’s a major glitch with the iPhone. And it’s so big that a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple for the same. It seems the battery of this here revolution in the tech kingdom, is only good for 300 – 400 charge cycles. Once you’ve crossed that bar you’re going to have to send your precious iPhone back to Apple who’ll charge you a fee of approximately 75 USD (Rs. 3035) to replace it, this being due to the fact that you can’t replace the battery yourself since the iPhone is very much like the iPod. The battery is soldered into the device hence the rear panel isn’t designed to be removed.
Besides the fact that you’ll have to pay to Apple to replace the battery pack you’ll also have to pay them a fee if you want to have a replacement while they tinker with yours. That should set you back another 25 USD (Rs. 1011) or so. So you’re going to have to shell out about 100 (Rs. 4047) USD just to get the battery replaced. No fakes here.

Though the information on the battery charge is clearly evident in writing when you purchase the device the costing for a new one is not mentioned. So, till there's an alternative solution to the iPhone's battery woes, I'm going to seriously reconsider my purchasing one.


source:tech2.com
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Panasonic Shows Smallest HD Camcorder

Panasonic's tiny HDC-SD7 camcorder weighs only 12 ounces, records high-def video on a Secure Digital card.
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

Two days after unveiling in the U.S. what it said was the smallest high-definition video camera in the world, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) took the wraps off an even smaller camcorder on Wednesday.

The HDC-SD7 measures 52 millimeters by 110mm by 87mm, giving it a volume of 330 cubic centimeters -- that's smaller than the 375cc of the HDC-SD5 that got its international launch on Monday. It weighs 350 grams with the battery and memory card against 400 grams for the SD5.

Design-wise, the two cameras look very different: the SD7 is taller than it is wide or long so has the appearance of being held vertically while the SD5 is longer than it is tall or deep so is held horizontally.

They have almost identical technical specifications. Both pack 3CCD (charge coupled device) sensors behind a 10X zoom lens and have a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor.

One of the secrets to their small size is the use of an SD memory card as a recording medium. The electronics and socket needed for a flash card takes up much less space than a DVD or hard-disk drive and thus contribute to the size and weight savings over other high-def models.

Both record full HD (1,920 pixel by 1,080 pixel) MPEG4 AVC/H.264 video at a range of quality levels. At the average 9M bps (bit per second) rate, a 4G-byte SD card can hold up to 60 minutes of video, said Panasonic.

The cameras will both cost around %140,000 (US$1,175) when they go on sale in Japan. The SD5 will launch on Aug. 25 and the SD7, which will only be available in Japan, will hit the shelves on Sept. 8.


source:pcworld.com
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Samsung NV Series Next-generation Digital Cameras announced

Yesterday, we had reported about Samsung’s latest slim i85 PMP digital camera. Along with this, the company also launched three more cameras, expanding its revolutionary NV series of advanced point & shoot digital cameras.

The three new models introduced include the 8 mega pixel NV8, the 10 mega pixel NV15 and the 12 mega pixel NV20, all of which feature a sleek, elegant design and the innovative Smart Touch interface. The Samsung NV8, NV15 and NV20 digital cameras feature premium Schneider optics with a 3x optical zoom. The cameras have a brushed black and stainless steel body, lending them a very minimalist look.

Also, all three NV series digital cameras feature Samsung’s Smart Touch user interface that enables the user to slide his/her finger across the control buttons that are positioned around the camera’s 2.5-inch LCD screens.

Besides, the Samsung NV8, NV15 and NV20 point & shoot digital cameras can shoot at ISO 3200.

The newly introduced cameras also boast of other features including an improved Advanced Shake Reduction (ASR) feature and Samsung’s new Auto Contrast Balance (ACB) and Image Noise Reduction modes. ACB automatically adjusts the brightness of subjects composed in harsh lighting, such as those that are back-lit, while the Image Noise Reduction feature helps to limit the amount of noise in captured images, especially those that are shot at higher ISO settings.

What’s more; all of Samsung’s latest NV series digital cameras feature the company’s Face Detection technology that detects up to nine faces and is then automatically able to adjust focus and exposure, ensuring better composition and image quality.

Plus, the Samsung NV8, NV15 and NV20 cameras have around 14 scene modes to choose from such as Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-Up, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow, Café, Food, and Self-Shot.

Besides clicking photos with the new NV series digital cameras, users can also shoot in a high-resolution movie mode which has the ability to record at VGA resolution (640×480) at a maximum frame rate of 30fps. Plus, the cameras are loaded with Samsung’s Successive Recording mode that allows the user to pause when recording a video, and then resume filming without the need to save the clips as individual files.

Each of the new digital cameras in the Samsung NV series have 20MB of internal memory and a maximum of 8GB external memory with the use of external SDHC or SD cards.

The 12 mega pixel Samsung NV20 digital camera costs $399, while the NV15 carries a price tag of $299, both of which will be available by Fall 2007. The pricing and availability for the NV8 camera is yet to be announced.


SOURCE:techshout.com
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Panasonic 8GB SDHC Memory Card with High Capacity and Data Transfer Speed unveiled

Panasonic has announced that it plans to launch an 8GB Pro High Speed SD Memory Card that not only features high capacity but also high speed recording as well.

The 8GB Panasonic SD Memory Card carries a model number of RP-SDV08GU1K. With this announcement, Panasonic now offers four Pro High Speed models- 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and now 8GB card sizes.

All of these Panasonic Pro High Speed cards have a Class 6 Speed specification. In fact, Panasonic launched this 8GB SD memory card in order to meet the demands for larger capacity and higher data transfer speeds.

Now, this latest Panasonic 8Gb Pro High Speed SD memory card meets such demands with its SDHC specification that is compatible with the SD Memory Card Ver.2.0 standard as well as Class 6 Speed specification that guarantees a minimum data transfer speed of 6MB per second.

Since the Panasonic RP-SDV08GU1K SD card has 8GB of massive data storage capacity, it is able to record a High-Definition movie of around 2 hours in AVCHD normal mode. It is also able to store around 3080 high-resolution still images.

The Panasonic 8GB Pro High Speed SD Memory Card works well with Panasonic’s new High Definition SD video camera, the HDC-SD5 that was also launched yesterday. This card is able to record detailed High Definition video in real-time.

Specifications of the Panasonic 8GB Pro High Speed Memory Card:

*Product Name: 8GB SDHC Memory Card
*Model No: RP-SDV08GU1K
*Memory Capacity: 8 GB
*Usable Capacity: 7676 MB
*High Definition movie recording time(Mpeg-4 AVC/H.264):
Fine mode (13Mbps/CBR) Approx. 80 min.
Normal mode (9Mbps/VBR) Approx. 120 min.
Economy mode (6Mbps/VBR) Approx. 180 min.
*Still images recordable: Approx. 3080
(10 Megapixels, 3648×2736, Fine mode)
*Music data recording time: Approx. 136 hr. 27 min.
(AAC,MP3 HQ mode, 128kbps)
*Physical Specification: Version 2.0
*Data Transfer Rate: Up to 20MB/s
*Speed Class: Class 6
You can expect the Panasonic 8GB SDHC card to be in stores this September. Also, the company plans to launch a 16Gb version of this card sometime later this year.


source:techshout.com
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Ultra-slim Samung i85 8 Mega Pixel Digital Camera with PMP features launched

Today, Samsung Camera launched its 8 mega pixel i85 digital camera. The Samsung i85 is an ultra-thin digital camera which packs in a number of great features. First off, the i85 is roughly the size of a credit card as it measures just 3.7” x 2.4” x 0.8” and has a brushed silver aluminum body to match. It also sports an impressive 3-inch high-resolution LCD screen.

Along with the 8 mega pixels, the i85 also manages to pack in a non-protruding 5x optical zoom NV lens that boasts a maximum shutter speed of ½,000 sec and a super macro focus of 1cm.

What’s more; the Samsung i85 digital camera features a PMP functionality that enables users to enjoy movies, music videos, TV shows and even their favorite music playlists while on-the-move.

Besides, the i85 also features Samsung’s innovative World Tour Guide function that provides useful travel information covering 4500 regions in 30 countries worldwide. This features helps users to plan their trips and even find their way on the road.

So, when the i85 is set in PMP mode, one can listen to MP3 files or watch videos on the camera’s large 3.0-inch high-resolution display.

In case you need to convert music and videos to load on to the camera then the Samsung i85 digital camera comes bundled with the Digimax Converter software that seamlessly converts the user’s MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV and ASF, MP3 and WAV files to be loaded on to the camera with ease.

Plus, the Digimax Converter software also allows users to view subtitles, adjust the screen size and even crop and stretch the image to fit the camera screen as desired.

And, if you were wondering about the audio capabilities of this camera, then you must know that the i85 digital camera features a 2.5mm headphone port as well as stereo speakers that boast SRS 3D acoustic technology.

Now for the actual features of the Samsung i85 digital camera:

*i-movie mode: The i85 features Samsung’s i-movie mode, which offers users high-resolution SVGA (800×592) MPEG-4 video and advanced editing controls.
*By using the i85’s Successive Recording mode, users can pause and then resume filming of video clips without having the save the clips as individual files
*Advanced Shake Reduction: In low-light situations shooters can rest assured that their images will come out sharp and clear as the i85 is equipped with Samsung’s Advanced Shake Reduction image stabilization system and is an ISO equivalent of 1600.
*Face Detection Mode: Users can also take advantage of the i85 camera’s face Detection mode, which makes clicking pictures a breeze Due to this technology, the camera is able to detect up to nine faces and is also automatically able to adjust focus and exposure, ensuring better composition and image quality.
*Wide Shot: The i85 also features Wise Shot, which automatically takes two consecutive pictures in rapid succession- one with the ASR image stabilization enabled, and one with the flash- and prompts the user to review both and keep the preferred version of the picture.
*14 Scene modes: The Samsung i85 camera features 14 scene modes including Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-up, Text, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow, Café, Food and Self-shot.
*Fun feature: This unique feature allows shooters to create a composite photo by saving up to four individual images as one. This feature also enables the user to highlight an image by sharpening the foreground and softening the focus of the background, as well as to customize their saved images with photo frames and stickers.
The Samsung 8 mega pixel i85 digital camera has 256MB of internal memory and also has provision for an external SDHC/SD card with a maximum of 4GB storage capacity.

This 8 mega pixel digital camera carries a price tag of $349 and will be available in Fall 2007.


SOURCE:TECHSHOUT.COM
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