consumer report digital camera: 2008

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera

Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera
The Canon Ixus 850is and 950is impressed us so much we though that Canon might struggle to improve upon

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 1 into orbit

With the Space Shuttle scheduled to retire in 2010, alternative transport vessels will need to be developed to keep the International Space Station manned, and to keep options open for possible manned lunar missions. After three failed attempts, the SpaceX Falcon 1 has successfully achieved Earth orbit – the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to do so. ..

Tags: NASA, Space Travel, Transport

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NewEgg: refurb GARMIN nvi 200 3.5 Automotive GPS Navigation $106 shipped

Canon EOS 5D Mark II preview

Canon EOS 5D Mark II preview
Today Canon made the EOS 5D Mark II official. The successor to the first 'affordable' full-frame DSLR now features a considerable boost in resolution from 12.8 to 21.1 Megapixels. This matches Canon's current flagship EOS 1Ds Mark III, but it's a brand new sensor which Canon claims delivers its best quality yet. The sensor supports 14-bit files, continuous shooting at 3.9fps and extended sensitivity up to 25,600 ISO. The viewfinder's been improved to 98% coverage, there's a 3in VGA screen, the 9-point AF system is complemented by 6 assist points, and there's even HD movie recording with sound at 1920x1080 pixels, all for an expected body-only price of $2699 USD. Unlike the original EOS 5D though the new model faces tough competition from Nikon and Sony. Find out all about the new features and how it compares to these rivals in our Canon EOS 5D Mark II preview.

Photographic extravaganza with DayMen

From the 14-16 October join DayMen for photographic seminars hosted by some of the best photographers around. Read More

Sony KDL-40S3000 40 in. HDTV LCD Television

Sony KDL-40S3000 40 in. HDTV LCD Television
Sony has ensured the best technology possible has been included in the shape of the Bravia Engine and

Sony BRAVIA KDL-46W3000 Television

The Sony Bravia KDL46W3000 is one of the latest High Definition LCD TVs that Sony has released. The Read More

Large Hadron Collider, More bad news. Unlikely to Restart till March - April '09

Large Hadron Collider, More bad news. Unlikely to Restart till March - April '09
Unfortunately, the LHC has had further delays which could cause for a longer wait to get it up and running.

This is definitely disappointing to a lot of us who were eagerly waiting to see what the results would be.

Whilst the LHC may send particles around at nearly the speed of light, unfortunately the repair crew can't work anywhere near as fast.

The LHC Webpage has some more great information, (click the image below or follow THIS link - no its not the joke page)

NewEgg: LITE-ON DH-4O1S-11 Black 12X Blu-ray DVD Drive $95 shipped

JVC Everio GZ-HD40

The inexorable march away from tapes and discs has picked up steam in Camcorder Land—and this trend will continue until MiniDV and DVD home video makers take their place on the obsolete shelf next to Walkman cassette music players and analog televisions. This won’t happen overnight, but it’s happening right in front of our eyes as flash-based and hard disk drive camcorders win-over the public and take share from competing formats. Basically, it’s the iPod Phenomenon dramatically reshaping the camcorder biz. According to industry execs, tape and DVD cam sales are dropping while the new—and definitely cooler—formats take over. Almost all of the recent releases were memory card, flash or HDD based. And many of them are high-definition. I’m a big fan of high-def hard drive camcorders because their storage capabilities can’t be beat. It’s great not worrying if you have enough blank tape or DVDs for saving memories. And the small size and weight of flash-based models is also a winner. Finally, a high-definition camcorder is the only way to go, even though they’re much more expensive than SD ($799 USD is still about the cheapest, compared to $250 USD for MiniDV). With these preferences on the table, I was happy to test a new JVC HD Everio with a 120GB HDD. This high-def camcorder saves up to 15 hours of best-quality AVCHD video plus it performs several other unique tricks we’ll disclose on the following pages. Is it worth 1,300 clams? Read on, read on…

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Monday, September 29, 2008

Photographers are given a little more support

Pro-imaging can add another notch to the Bill of Rights supporters list as the Sony World Photography Awards have joined the fight. Read More

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 / TZ4 with 10x Wide-Angle Zoom

Panasonic has today introduced two new Lumix digital cameras, 9.1-megapixel DMC-TZ5 and 8.1-megapixel DMC-TZ4, each featuring a 28mm wide-angle 10x optical zoom Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28-280mm on a 35mm film camera). The DMC-TZ5 newly integrates the capability of recording 720p HD (high-definition) motion pictures together with its direct output function allowing users to enjoy watching both still and motion pictures in HD quality on a large-screen HDTV. See full story... Read More

Fast and Furious - New Movie coming `09.

This looks like they have gone back to the basic formula and blown it all up,

hopefully they haven't worried too much about the story line, and mainly focused on the action, but I think this should be a pretty good watch especially considering the budget they likely have. looking forward to it.

Silverlight 2 reaches release candidate stage

Running a little behind schedule, Microsoft have in the last few hours made Silverlight 2 RC0 available for developers to download. Originally the final release of Silverlight 2 was slated by end of the U.S. Summer which has now been and gone. Indica... (more in the full post)

Nikon Coolpix P6000 with 4x Wide Angle Zoom and GPS

Nikon Coolpix P6000 with 4x Wide Angle Zoom and GPS
Nikon has today introduced their new Coolpix flagship compact camera, the 13.5 MP Nikon Coolpix P6000. The Nikon Coolpix P6000 features a 4x optical zoom starting at 28mm and includes optical lens shift Vibration Reduction (VR), a 2.7-inch high resolution LCD monitor, four exposure modes (P,S,A,M), a dedicated hotshoe and an optical viewfinder. See full story...

Sony Alpha A350 Compared to Nikon D80 SLR Review

Sony Alpha A350 Compared to Nikon D80 SLR Review
We have just posted a side by side comparison review between the new 14.2 MP Sony Alpha A350 digital SLR with DT 18-70mm lens versus the 10.1 MP Nikon D80 digital SLR kit with the AF-S DX 18-55mm VR zoom. To see what real world benefits the latest generation technologies and features incorporated in the Sony Alpha A350 offer in terms of image quality or enhancing the photographic experience, we decided to compare this new camera model against the Nikon D80 which remains one of the predominant cameras in the current Nikon line up. See how these two SLR cameras performed in our tests...

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 with 15x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD

Sony Canada today announced the latest addition to its high-zoom camera line, the 9.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-H50 digital camera. This new model (which is a successor to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9) incorporates a 15x optical zoom lens with Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization to capture action at a distance. The Sony DSC-H50 also features extensive manual controls, including an exposure bracketing mode that newly includes settings for white balance and color modes. See full story... Read More

File Extensions - CPL File Format

Some details about .CPL files, Windows Control Panel applets.

Files with the CPL file extension are normally Windows Control Panel applets, found by clicking on "Start" - "Control Panel". Each .CPL file represents a tool to perform different types of configuration, including:

* Accessibility Options...

Read more at MalekTips. Read More

WMV - the little format killed by neglect.

Over the last 2 or so years I have witnessed the slow demise of yet another format that saw Microsoft no doubt spend millions on developing. Windows Media Video (WMV) has been a relatively safe format to deliver video content to users as it offered good compression along with pretty much guaranteed compatibilty. Doing post production myself I often have to email a quick proof and would generally use WMV. It worked. It Played - as long as the person recieving it had a PC.
Yet Redmond, with it's infinite wisdom, decided to kill Mac support in early 2006 and then leave it to a 3rd party to continue offering playback support, via Flip4Mac. No DRM support but 99% of WMV content plays. It does the job. Of course the irony is it now plays in Quicktime, and not the ugly Windows Media Player for Mac.

Here's a post from a zdnet blog post on the discontiunueing of WMPlayer for OS-X:

....the decision to halt work on Windows Media Player for the Mac was a matter of prioritizing for Microsoft's Windows Media unit.
"It's basically a business decision for Microsoft," Anderson said. "Like any other company, we have business priorities. Our focus really is in delivering the best experience to Windows customers."

Sure. You want to keep it real. Microsoft has an operating system and want it to be a feature to support playback of your awesome video format. Everyone else can go screw themselves.

But seriously, do they really think a format they hope would displace the original AVI container format (and possibly Quicktime), can really win if it doesn't work everywhere. I'd argue making sure it's as ubiquitous as it can be is one of the main selling points. That means it must be platform agnostic. It's worked for PDF, MP3 - it could have worked for WMV.

Windows Media Page @ Microsoft - Circa 2002

A clipping of Microsofts Windows Media page in 2002

Via iTunes on Windows, Apple has managed to slip Quicktime on nearly every windows computer - and via that promoted (for better or for worse) it's other Windows applicaitions. Microsoft could have had this same 'in' on Mac's and Linux machines but for sake of "delivering the best experience for Windows Customers" it doesn't.

Of course hindsight is a great thing, and even in 2006 I don't think we could gaurantee that DiVX/XViD/MPEG4 would become the default format of video distribution on the internet and the widespread adoption of Bittorent for media sharing. Heck - we could be downloading files with the RV/RMVB extension now instead - or even *gasp* WMV - but we don't - it's all AVI. Fine AVI a orginally a Microsoft format but I don't think you could say its in anyway controlled or even promoted by Redmond.

But this isn't the only format that Microsoft is killing by it's pigheadedness - lets not forget MODI - Microsoft Office Document Imaging - MODI was introduced and installed by default in Office 2003 but was dropped by Office 2007 - it was a format that could have competed with the functionality of PDF but because Microsoft kept the format proprietry and only offered supported for it within that install it never went anywhere. The legacy of MODI is still around - anyone upgrading to 2007 or still just using Office 2003 will find an extra printer installed - a printer they neither really chose to install, explained to what it did and I gaurantee will ever use. The technology did eventually end up becaming part of Metro and then finally XPS, which on top of being a file distribution format is the foundation of Vista's printing subsystem.

This is of course a direct copy of OS-X's Postscript based printing subsystem - which is also the basis of PDF. Postscript & PDF are the industry standard for printing - on all platforms. Because of this ubiqutousness, one things for sure - XPS will never truely offset PDFs domince. Everyone can open files in the PDF format. The same can't be said for XPS - as of writing, and 2 years since it's launch, I could only spot 1 application that lets you view/edit XPS on a Mac and is a bargin at $US99 (not) and no support at all for Linux. Not a good way to get people onboard you're awesome new format MS.

Microsoft is the king of failed formats.

P.S. One last bitch -
Of course with the eventual failure of MODI/XPS, it would be good to see implementing system wide PDF support in Vista. I doubt that will ever happen though. Instead every man and his dog will continue to have to go off to Adobe.com and download Acrobat reader - giving another company an 'in' to the Microsoft system. I'm not condoning anti competitive behaviour, more that if Microsoft had much interest in improving the end user experience and if everyone has to install PDF support - then shouldn't it be on the list of needed features in Windows 7?

Google Chrome - Drag and Drop URL from Firefox

Google Chrome - Drag and Drop URL from Firefox
You can drag and drop a tab from Firefox to view the same page from within Google Chrome.

Viewing a webpage in Firefox and want to see how it looks in Google Chrome? Instead of copying the URL from Firefox and pasting it into Google Chrome, or even retyping it, there's an easier way.

(This has been tested with Firefox 2 and Firefox 3.)...

Read more at MalekTips.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

2009 Aprilia RSV4 superbike - the most powerful, most race-focused Aprilia ever

We've been following Aprilia's 2009 V-4 engined superbike closely through its development stages, excited to learn what the company can do with its brand new, fully electronically managed and incredibly compact 1000cc motor. And the first official images and press information have been released. Stunning to look at, the RSV4 will make at least 180 horsepower in roadbike trim (and somewhere around 220 in the version Max Biaggi will race in WSBK 2009) - but more astounding than that figure is the amazing amount of chassis tuning the RSV4 will allow. With adjustable steering head angle, swingarm pivots and even engine mounting points, the new Aprilia can lay a genuine claim to being the most race-focused production motorcycle on the planet...

Tags: Aprilia, Motorcycle, Racing, Superbike

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Olympus E-420 - full review and video tour

The Olympus E-420 is an unusually small and light 10 Megapixel DSLR aimed at point and shoot owners looking to upgrade, along with enthusiasts who want a camera they can use in situations where a traditional DSLR would be too cumbersome. It shares virtually the same design as its predecessor, the E-410, which makes it the World's smallest and lightest DSLR. New to the E-420 are enhanced Live View facilities with contrast-based AF, face detection and an 11-point AF system. The screen's also slightly bigger, there's a stack of customisation, support for wireless flash, shadow adjustment technology, a larger grip and an improved sensor. Coupled with the new slim pancake lens, the E-420 makes for an extremely compact DSLR, but does it compromise comfort, quality or usability? Find out in our Olympus E-420 review where we'll test it with the new 25mm lens, and as always for a demonstration of its highlights, see our E-420 video tour Read More

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital Camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital Camera
The Panasonic TZ3 is an 8.5 mega pixel digital camera with a 10x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom and a

Tech and autographed gear for auction on Trade Me - help the Auckland Under 15 Boys Basketball team

Last night I've go an e-mail from Steve Graham, GM at Fronde AKL, also the coach of the Auckland Under 15 regonal basketball team.

In short Steve managed to get the support of some companies (Google, Microsoft, HP, Vodafone, Samsung, Kodak) and people (Hamish Carter, Dilon Boucher, All Whites) to a special "tech gear auction" to raise funds and help the Auckland's Under 15 Boys' Basketball Team to attend the National Championship in Rotorua.

There is a 60 GB Google Flip, 30 GB Microsoft Zune, HP iPAQ, autogaphed items, Family pass to Rainbows End and much more.

So if you are looking for tech and sport memorabilia, check the tech gear auction or search for "under15bball" on Trade Me.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Full Frame SLR with HD movie

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Full Frame SLR with HD movie
Canon has today introduced the much anticipated Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Building upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Canon's EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise. See full story...

T-Mobile G1: the first Android powered phone

T-Mobile G1: the first Android powered phone
Consumers will soon get a taste of the much anticipated Android operating system with the launch of the T-Mobile G1 handset. Developed in partnership with Google and designed by HTC, the handset features full touch-screen functionality, a sliding QWERTY keyboard and one-handed trackball navigation options and is loaded with a host of familiar web applications from Google as well as providing access to the open platform Android Market...

Tags: 3G, Google, Mobile Phone, YouTube

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