Digital Tech News - Digital Technology & Consumer Electronics

Pure Digital's New Flip Ultra and Flip UltraHD Video Camcorders

We have to give Pure Digital Technologies credit for starting the Flip video cam craze, and now they have added a few new models to the popular camcorder line. The second generation of its Flip Ultra line includes the new high-definition Flip UltraHD ($199.99) and standard-resolution Flip Ultra ($149.99) camcorders. Both models feature two hours of recording time, a high-resolution two-inch screen, and easy battery recharging through the built-in USB arm. The new Flip Ultra cameras are pre-loaded with FlipShare software, making it a breeze to organize, edit and share videos after plugging the flipping USB arm into a Mac or PC.

New Dell Design Studio Artwork for Dell Studio 15 or 17 Laptops

Dell wants customers to express themselves with a new collection laptop art from the Dell Design Studio, which now has more than 200 designs, artists, colors, patterns and causes that you can use to style your Dell Studio 15 or 17 laptop. The Dell Design Studio has more than 120 new artsy choices in its online gallery, including designs by Deanne Cheuk, Maya Hayuk, Jason Holley, TWEEQIM, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Filth, Robert Hargrave, Peter Stevens, Keith Warner and OBVLN. If you've never heard of these folks, you need to check out their funky artwork and grab one for your laptop if you've got $85 to spare.

Samsung SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 Digital Camcorders

Samsung's new SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 are a pair of sleek, ergonomically designed compact digital camcorders which are styled-up with Samsung’s "Touch of Color" finish that blends in just enough color to out do your average bland looking camcorder.  The Samsung SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 camcorders feature a 230,000-dot, swiveling 2.7-inch wide LCD screen, 10x optical zoom with blur reducing "hyper image stabilization," and Samsung’s "active angle lens" which allows you to grip the camcorder with less stress on the wrist and elbow.

There are just a few differences between these two ultra-compact camcorders. The Samsung SMX-C14 camcorder uses H.264 compression to record over six hours of standard definition video directly to 16GB of built-in memory or to an SD/SDHC memory card. The SMX-C10 camcorder has no internal memory, just an SD/SDHC memory card slot. Both models offer more than two hours and forty minutes of record time on a single charge.

The SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 come with a built-in intelli-studio program which makes it easy to connect the camcorder to a computer via USB and edit and play video, and to upload to video-sharing Web sites as well. Samsung has also put a handy one-touch upload button on both models to get your content up on YouTube quickly.

Look for these camcorders to be available in July 2009. Pricing has not yet been announced.

Nokia 5800 Star Trek Phone

Trekkies in Europe will soon be able to get their hands on the special edition Nokia 5800 Star Trek phone, which will come packed with exclusive content from the new Star Trek movie. This will include Star Trek themed wallpapers, ringtones, screensavers, etc. The device will be available in a choice of blue, red and black/silver colors when it is released on May 1st through Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2.

Apparently the Nokia 5800 Star Trek Edition phone has a special Phazer application which will add some fun for users. The phone is also said to be free with a £25 per month contract with Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2 in the UK. 

Related news:

Star Trek Movie Trailer in HD Video

Genius G-Shot HD520 Compact HD Digital Video Camera

The new palm-fitting Genius G-Shot HD520 high-definition digital video camera is a pocket-sized device that captures MPEG-4/H.264 720p HD video at 5-megapixels and 11-megapixels still photos to 32MB of internal memory, or SDHC memory cards up to 8GB. Features on this easy-to-use camcorder include an ultra-bright 2.5” LTPS LCD screen that rotates up to 270-degrees, a 7.1 mm lens with 5X digital zoom. WHAT? No optical zoom?!  You lost me there Genius.

The G-Shot HD520 is both Windows (Vista/XP/2000) and Mac (OS10 or higher) compatible, and includes Face Detection, Electronic Image Stabilizers, and Z-Lighting technology that enhances brightness in low-light environments. An included HDMI cable lets you output video to an HDTV.

The G-Shot HD520 weighs under 6 ounces, and it's priced at $149.

HP ProBook Notebook PC Line Announced

HP has announced a new affordable notebook PC line called the HP ProBook series featuring a mercury-free design, with matte and glossy surfaces in a choice of merlot or glossy noir finishes. The HP ProBook notebook starts at $529, and comes in a choice of 14-inch, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch diagonal widescreen sizes. While they all run Microsoft Windows OS, select HP ProBook s-series models will also offer Novell SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 preinstalled. Another design feature worth pointing out is the spacious keyboard with keys raised from the surface, which makes it easier to clean and less likely to get dirty and dusty.

VholdR's ContourHD Wearable HD Camcorder

VholdR has introduced its first wearable HD video camera, the ContourHD. The company claims that this is the world's first and lightest (4 ounces) HD wearable camcorder, and it will certainly sit nicely on your helmet while cycling or any other action sport that requires a helmet. The fact is, you can pretty much attach this device to just about anything and record 720p high definition video at 30 frames per second, as well as SD quality video at 60 frames per second.

The ContourHD Wearable HD Camcorder can capture up to 8 hours of HD video on to microSD memory cards up to a 16GB card. The package includes Easy Edit software, and a USB cable to plug the ContourHD into a PC or Mac computer. The company already has an online adventure sports community going on its website, where you can also share your videos.

ContourHD will be available in May 2009 for $299.99

Samsung I7500 Android-powered Smartphone Announced

Samsung Electronics has announced its first Android-powered smartphone, with the Samsung I7500 set to be released first in European countries from June, 2009.

The Samsung I7500 smartphone features a 3.2” HVGA (320x480) AMOLED full touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory and up to 32 GB of external memory, 7.2Mbps 3G HSDPA and WiFi connectivity. This phone is packed with all the Google Mobile services you could ask for, including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Calendar, and Google Talk.

The Samsung I7500's integrated GPS receiver lets you take advantage of Google Maps features like My Location, Google Latitude, Street View, local search and detailed route description. Similar to the Apple App Store, Android phone users will be able to access lots of Android applications in the Android Market. This device also supports MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV video, and MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, RA audio formats.

New Slim 12-inch Averatec N2700 Notebook

A new notebook choice for busy professionals and college students, this 12-inch Averatec N2700 notebook (starting at $699) features an Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 2GHz processor, 250GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM, 1.3 megapixel camera, Microsoft Vista Home Premium, and an 8X super-multi DVD optical drive. The Averatec N2700 also includes built-in 802.11b/g Wi-fi connectivity, three USB 2.0 ports, and an IEEE 1384 port.

Aliph's Colorful Jawbone PRIME Bluetooth Headsets

Aliph has upgraded its Jawbone bluetooth headset and introduced the new Jawbone PRIME with better noise suppression, more comfortable fitting, and new EARCANDY colors. The Jawbone PRIME is available for pre-order and it will hit retail stores starting May 2, 2009 for $129.99.

Jawbone PRIME Bluetooth Headset features include:

Talk Time: Up to 4.5 hours

Standby Time: More than 8 days

Range: At least 33 feet (10 meters)

Charge: 80% charge in 35 minutes, 100% charge in < 1 hour

Weight: ~10 grams with Earbuds / ~ 9 grams without Earbuds

Supports Bluetooth®: 1.1, 1.2, 2.0, 2.1 + EDR