Ricoh launches high dynamic range CX1 camera

Ricoh has taken its turn at pre-PMA introductions today and has unveiled the CX1. Rather than solely increase the resolution, the company has opted to give the 9.3-megapixel camera an emphasis on image quality. By using a 1/2.3" CMOS sensor instead of a typical CCD and including a new imaging engine, Ricoh hopes to significantly reduce the amount of noise and also to expand the dynamic range. An algorithm that interpolates pixel color values from the sensor gives the camera about 1 EV (exposure value) more of range than typical cameras.

The company also has a double-shot mode designed to generate high dynamic range images and creates the equivalent of 12 EV by overlapping two shots from the same scene. Action photography is also given an assist through continuous shooting modes that capture between 15 and 120 frames per second for the last one or two seconds before the shutter release and can appropriately catch exact moments.

Other touches include a relatively powerful 7.1X, 28-300mm equivalent lens as well as a unique multi-target autofocus mode that detects seven different AF points and shoots a sample of each, helping in macro shots or other situations where the automatically detected focal point isn't necessarily ideal. Ricoh hasn't detailed full availability, though the camera should be available in both the company's native Japan as well as Europe in mid-March. UK pricing sits at about £299 ($426) after tax.

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Verizon leak shows LG Versa, Nokia Intrigue

Verizon appears to be preparing to launch the LG 9600 Versa, Nokia 7205 Intrigue, HTC Touch Diamond and a CDMA version of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, according to a leaked presentation caught by Engadget. An earlier report suggested the Versa initially would launch at Best Buy Mobile on February 22nd, with a Verizon Wireless release expected around the same time. The handset can be used as a clamshell with a full QWERTY keyboard and a small external display, or the keyboard can be detached to use the device as a touchscreen phone only.
The Intrigue offers a cross-shaped directional pad similar to the Toshiba Gigabeat. Leaked information suggests the handset supports EVDO Internet access, a 2-megapixel camera, 180MB of internal memory and a microSD slot for expansion.

The Pearl Flip 8230 should offer many of the same features as the GSM variant, the 8220. Exact specs and pricing have not yet been announced, but the 8220 offers Wi-Fi, EDGE data and a 2-megapixel camera. The EDGE data would likely be traded for EVDO support, while recent CDMA BlackBerries have swapped Wi-Fi for GPS functionality.

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Nokia outs new Comes With Music phones

Nokia on Friday used one of the last days before Mobile World Congress to add multiple new phones to the Comes With Music roster. In addition to existing phones that come with the year-long unlimited music subscription, such as the N96, an introduction of the service into Singapore is also bringing both high- and low-end phones into the mix with the N79, N85, 5800 XpressMusic, 5320 XpressMusic and 5220 XpressMusic all getting the same option. The addition has the same rights as in other countries and lets owners keep any music they've downloaded once the subscription is over.

The cellphone maker has so far had a limited rollout of Comes With Music and has mostly focused on the UK, where the 5310 XpressMusic, N95 8GB and N96 are currently the only devices that support the feature. The US and other areas are expected to get the option later this year.In addition to the new phone choices, Nokia has also launched its music store in Austria and Switzerland. Those in either country can now buy songs both directly from their phones or from a PC, where they can be sideloaded to phones later. Songs and albums cost 1 and 10 Euros respectively in Austria; in Switzerland, the equivalents cost 1.50 and 15 Francs.

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Seagate intros 2TB Constellation enterprise HDD

Hard drive manufacture Seagate has introduced its first 2TB hard drive on Tuesday, which is part of the 3.5-inch, 7,200RPM Constellation ES family that also includes versions with 1TB and 500GB capacities. At the same time, Seagate has announced the release of two 2.5-inch, 7,200RPM Constellation drives with the lowest power consumption in their class and 500GB and 160GB capacities. All five drives in both new lines are meant for enterprise applications, working under heavy workloads in business servers.
The Constellation ES drives are the first 7,200RPM, 3.5-inch units to be offered with an SAS 2.0 interface for 6Gbps transfer speeds. They can also be had with a 3Gbps SATA connection.

Of the two regular Constellation drives, only the 500GB model can be had with the SAS 2.0 interface, with either available with the SATA connection. Seagate promises the 500GB Constellation will be the first SAS 2.0 enterprise drive on the market when it launches this quarter. To achieve their record-low energy consumption, the drives include Seagate's PowerChoice management that is said to reduce energy use by some 54% in enterprise environments.

The SAS models of these drives can be ordered with government-grade Self-Encrypting Drive security software.

While pricing for any of the new Seagate products has not been announced, the Constellation ES drives are expected to start shipping sometime this summer initially in Xyratex storage equipment, while the Constellation drives will be available before April, at first in Dell computers. Western Digital recently announced the release of its own 2TB drive, the Caviar Green 2TB, pricing it at $299.
Seagate Constellation

Seagate Constellation ES

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Blu-ray disc player prices to drop to $150 in 2009

The prices of entry-level, off-brand Blu-ray disc players are expected to fall to the equivalent of about $150 during 2009, according to a Tuesday DigiTimes report. Lite-On IT, Taiwan's largest maker of half-height optical disc drives, will enter the market of standalone Blu-ray players with its own entry and price it at about $150, says local Chinese daily, the Economic Daily News.

The daily paper turns to research numbers that say about five million Blu-ray disc players were sold worldwide in 2008, and the number is expected to more than double for 2009, rising to 11 million units. During this past holiday season, many Blu-ray palyers were priced at or near the $200 mark, with as many as four Blu-ray movies included as part of a bonus bundle.


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Nikon unveils 24X zoom P90, 15X L100 cams

As part of its launches ahead of the PMA photo expo, Nikon today released a pair of high-zoom COOLPIX cameras. The P90 is Nikon's most powerful non-SLR camera and centers on a 24X zoom lens with a rare 26-624mm coverage that lets it both accommodate wide-angle shots as well as very distant telephoto shots. The camera maker has also detached the LCD from the body and gives the P90 a swiveling 3-inch display, though it depends on an electronic viewfinder for head-on previews. The 12-megapixel shooter is also notable for a very high-speed, 15 frames per second shooting mode at a stepped-down 1080p resolution (up to 3 seconds) and can also up the light sensitivity as high as ISO 6,400 by capturing at 3 megapixels. Nikon further touts four-way hardware image stabilization, an improved face detection system that recognizes off-angle faces, motion detection that can auto-tune shutter speed and ISO, and smile detection.


The 10-megapixel L100 is a budget cousin of the P90 and has a 15X, 28-420mm lens along with a fixed LCD. It shoots at a slightly slower 13 frames per second (for 2.3 seconds) and can boost to at most ISO 3,200.

Nikon plans to ship the P90 first, with a March arrival and a $400 price. The L100 appears in April but will cost $280.

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Revamped Panasonic Toughbook 19 and 30 Laptops Introduced

Panasonic has announced the revamped version of its Toughbook 19 and Toughbook 30 laptops.

Both the upgraded versions now flaunt 1000 nit LCD bright screens, circular polarization technology, anti-glare (AG) and anti-reflective (AR) screen support for continuous operation of up to 10 hours even in low lit environments.

In addition, both the Toughbooks come with a distinct concealed mode that allows users to turn off all the lights with the help of the function (Fn) key. Users can also customize the screen, LEDs, backlit keyboards, volume and wireless connections according to their requirements.

The updated notebooks are powered by Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology and feature expanded memory capabilities and larger capacity hard drives along with optional 32 GB SSDs. The laptops support various connectivity options like Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/draft-n, Bluetooth and Gobi global mobile internet (WWAN).

Besides, the Toughbook 30 and 19 are complaint with Mil-Spec-certification and comply with UL1604 Class 1 / Div. 2 certification, ensuring the capability to survive hazardous environments.

The clamshell Toughbook 30 sports a 13.3-inch touch screen display, while the Toughbook 19 rugged convertible tablet comes with a 10.4-inch LED backlit display with a digitizer and a touch screen.

Backed by a three-year limited warranty expandable up to 5 years, the upgraded Panasonic Toughbook 30 and Toughbook 19 are available for a starting price of $3,649 (approx. Rs. 178,745) and $3,749 (approx. Rs. 183,645), respectively.

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AirLive launches POE-200CAM DOME and POE-100CAM IP Cameras

AirLive has expanded its IP Camera range with the launch of two new 1/3 sharp CCD Dual Stream IP Cameras, namely the AirLive POE-200CAM DOME and POE-100CAM.

Offering immense security, both the cameras are perfect for professional indoor surveillance and security applications. Users can watch videos from IP Cameras over the Internet to keep a check on their offices or house.

Equipped with PoE port, the AirLive latest IP Cameras get connected to network activity through one RJ45 network cable for high-performance.

Both the camera solutions feature remote recording function that easily records the videos and save them on any another physical location.

The AirLive POE-100CAM and POE-200CAM DOME are compatible with two-way audio function and allow users to view the recorded video from their mobile phone for enhanced scrutiny.

There is no word on the pricing and availability as of now.

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Acer Ferrari 1200 Notebook Introduced

Acer announces the launch of its latest Ferrari 1200 notebook.

Combining elegant design and feature-rich functionality, the Acer Ferrari 1200 offers an carbon-fibre cover - a material actually used in racecars, anodized-metal touchpad that resembles the brake and acceleration pedals of a Ferrari car, soft-touch coating and the velvety texture of the interior that give the feel of a Ferrari car.

It packs in a 12.1-inch Acer CrystalBrite LCD with white LED backlight display, integrated slot-loaded DVD SuperMulti optical drive, 2nd generation Dolby Home Theater and Bluetooth wireless mouse.

In terms of connectivity, the Ferrari 1200 is equipped with Acer InviLink Wi-Fi Cerfitied network connection, SignalUp technology for easy connection to any 802.11 based networks. Besides, the notebook also allows easy communication with the included Acer Videoconference solution, the Acer CrystalEye webcam, optional Acer Xpress VoIP phone and Acer PureZone technology.

Based on the powerful AMD Turion X2 Ultra dual-core mobile technology, the Ferrari 1200 travel notebook supports AMD’s innovative Direct Connect Architecture and incorporates the AMD M780G chipset, up to 4 GB of dual-channel DDR2 system memory and a large capacity Serial ATA hard disk.

Additionally, the notebook also comes with an Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint solution for enhanced network and data protection. For physical safety, the computing device is compatible with Acer’s enhanced DASP that claims to offer damper-like protection on the X, Y and Z axes, insulating the hard disk from damage in all directions.

The Ferrari 1200 notebook supports Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Home Premium operating systems.

The price and availability of the Ferrari 1200 notebook are yet to be announced.

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