Digital Tech News - Digital Technology & Consumer Electronics

EASYSHARE Z1012 IS Zoom Digital Camera

This Spring, Kodak will release the new 10-megapixel EASYSHARE Z1012 IS Zoom Digital Camera featuring 12X optical zoom with optical image stabilization. This camera adds a little fun with a multimedia slideshow feature that lets you combine your photos with music and transition effects right on the camera.

The EASYSHARE Z1012 IS boasts a few smart features including click-to-capture speed of 0.14 seconds, Face detection, advanced settings including program, aperture and shutter priority, as well as full manual mode, and there's also a smart capture technology that automatically identifies scenes and adjusts the settings accordingly.

S-Frame Digital Photo Frames from Sony Electronics

Sony's S-Frame brand of digital photo frames adds the new 9-inch DPF-V900, 7-inch DPF-V700 and 7-inch DPF-D70 digital photo frame models, featuring WVGA 800 x 480 pixels resolution / 15:9 aspect-ratio screens. Each of these thin frames pack an advanced image processor that scales and displays images up to 48 megapixels, and they each offer 10 slide show variations, clock and calendar views, and two index modes for previewing several photos at once. A handy remote control comes with the new S-Frame digiframes as well.

The 7-inch DPF-V700 and 9-inch DPF-V900 digital photo frames have 512MB of internal storage, while the 7--inch DPF-D70 model has 256MB of internal flash memory. All three S-Frame models support JPEG and RAW (SRF, SR2, ARW) image file formats, but the DPF-V900 and DPF-V700 frames also support TIFF and BMP file formats. The DPF-V900 and DPF-V700 also benefit from Sony’s Bionz processor with face detection technology, and in-frame photo correction features. 

The Little AgfaPhoto DV-5000G Multimedia Camera

PMA 2008 welcomes the little AgfaPhoto Camera that could. It's the AgfaPhoto DV-5000G, which is a slim digital camera that allows you to capture high-res photos and videos, view recorded movies or TV,  play MP3s, and play video games like Tetris, Penalty Cup, Black Jack, Adventure or Airforce.

The design is pleasant enough, with a rotating and pivoting 3" LCD display with 960 x 240 pixel resolution. The 5-megapixel AgfaPhoto DV-5000G is unfortunately stuck with an 8x digital zoom (no optical zoom) but it does record videos at 30 fps, with maximum 720 x 480 pixels. An integrated film stabilizer, and video lamp with flash should help when needed. You can save your photos and videos onto 64-megabyte internal memory or on an SD/SDHC memory card, not included.

Red BlackBerry 8830 World Edition Smartphone from Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless has introduced a new lively Red BlackBerry 8830 World Edition Smartphone for traveling customers. It featuring Verizon Wireless' Global BlackBerry service which allows customers to access e-mail and place and receive international calls from more than 185 countries, as well as send and receive e-mails in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and over 100 countries worldwide. The red BlackBerry 8830 World Edition phone has the familiar high-resolution color display, back-lit QWERTY keyboard and an intuitive trackball navigation, making for a pleasant experience when navigating menus, texting, and viewing e-mails, attachments, videos, and Web sites.

It also makes for a sweet Valentine's Day gift.

My Passport Essential USB Drives

Western Digital has a new tool for road warriors with a palm-sized 320 GB drive that will easily fit in your pocket. My Passport Essential Portable USB Drives come in a glossy black finish, and weigh just under 5 ounces. The light and compact drives are USB powered, and ship with Windows compatible sync and encryption software.

WD's My Passport Essential USB Drives are available now at select retail stores and from WD's online store, with the WD Passport Essential USB Drive 320 GB priced at $199.99 USD.

nuvifone - Garmin's nuvi Phone

The Garmin blog let's us know that GPS manufacturer Garmin International Inc. has officially announced the nüvifone, an all-in-one, slim touchscreen mobile device featuring web-browsing and personal navigation capabilities. Garmin steps into the mobile phone arena with a 3.5G HSDPA device featuring multimedia functions including a built-in video camera, MPEG4/AAC video, and MP3 playback. Garmin's nuviphone has a 3.5-inch touchscreen display featuring three primary icons - “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map.”   As we saw with the intitial "nuviphone" reports, the nuvifone is preloaded with maps of North America, or Eastern and Western Europe, and offers Google Local Search, e-mail, real time news, traffic, sports, weather, stock prices, and more via Garmin Online.  Garmin's nuviphone is expected to be available by the third quarter of 2008, no price has been given yet.

Garmin nuvifone Press release details:

The nüvifone is the ultimate multi-tasker. Calls are easily initiated by tapping the “Call” button and selecting a name from the contact list or by using the on-screen keypad. When the user is trying to juggle talking on their phone while entering their vehicle to start a trip, the nüvifone makes the transition simple. When the nüvifone is docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling so that the user never misses a beat in the conversation and is able to begin routing to their destination with ease.

NuviPhone with GPS and More Unveiled by Garmin

Garmin, maker of GPS devices, navigation software and accessories had a special announcement at a press event in New York today.  The company introduced the new Garmin NuviPhone, a GSM, 3.5G HSDPA phone with Wi-fi that is running Garmin's own operating system. Ovbiously the NuviPhone will handle all of your GPS needs, but the word is, this phone is also ready for multimedia and Web duties as well. It has a nice sized 3.5-inch touch screen, and comes preloaded with maps of North America, or Eastern and Western Europe with all the points of interests you would expect. Google Local Search, a Web browser, and e-mail capabilities are also good to go. This is breaking news, so I suggest you check in with Garmin for more NuviPhone details and features.

UPDATE: It's called the nuvifone

Sony Alpha A350 and A300 DSLR Cameras Announced

Sony has introduced two new Alpha digital SLR cameras with "live-view" shooting, Sony'€™s new Quick AF Live View€ technology that lets you frame photos on the camera€™s' LCD. The 10.2-megapixel DSLR-A350 camera and 14.2-megapixel DSLR-A300 feature Sony's innovative Pentamirror Tilt mechanism which, Sony says, "directs light to a dedicated live view image sensor, enabling fast and responsive TTL phase-detection auto-focusing, even during live view."  The new variable angle 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD screen, seen above, lets you frame scenes from high or low positions.

The Sony DSLR-A300 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens will ship in April for about $800. Expect the DSLR-A350 camera body to be available in March for about $800, and the DSLR-A350 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 3.9x zoom lens will be priced at about $900. Pre-orders begin online today at www.sonystyle.com/dslr

PSP v 3.90 Software Update Features Skype Voip Calling

PSP Slim & Lite owners can now get their hands on the latest PSP version 3.90 system software update which will have you making and receiving free Skype phone calls to other Skype users in no time. Well, maybe the time it takes to connect the PSP to the Internet at a Wi-Fi hotspot, attach a PSP headset and the remote control from the PSP-2000 headphones to the system, and insert a Memory Stick Duo to save the Skype application software. You'll then have to access the Skype sign-in icon within the Network category of the XMB menu. Of course if you don't have a Skype account, you'll need one of those, it's free you know.  And remember, the Skype functionality is available for the PSP Slim & Lite only.

Don't worry, John Koller, senior marketing manager for PlayStation Portable shows you how to get started with the PSP v 3.90 software update and Skype in the video below:

GZ-HD6 and GZ-HD5 JVC EVERIO Full HD Hard Disk Camcorders

JVC announced two new high definition Everio hard disk camcorders which are said to be the world’s first 1920 x 1080 Full HD hard disk camcorders with 1080 progressive 60fps HDMI output for Full HD 60p displays. About 45 percent smaller than JVC’s previous top-end GZ-HD7 HD camcorder, the new reduced size Everio GZ-HD6 and GZ-HD5 HD camcorders both feature a FUJINON HD lens, a progressive scan 3CCD imaging system and JVC’s HD Gigabrid engine that delivers 1920 x 1080 Full HD recording. These small HD cams offer 1080p 60 frame per second output via HDMI 1.3 with x.v.Color, and a long recording time in 1920 x 1080 Full HD, with 10 hours on the 120GB GZ-HD6 and five hours on the 60GB GZ-HD5. The GZ-HD6 records up to 24 hours in 1440 LP mode, while the GZ-HD5 records 12  hours in the 1440 LP mode. There's also the option of recording on an inserted microSD card.

The black JVC GZ-HD6 is priced at $1,399.99, and the silver GZ-HD5 costs $1,199.99. Both models have a microphone input and a wide range of manual controls, while the black GZ-HD6 adds a lens hood and headphone jack as well.  Both HD camcorders will be available in March.