Gadgets and New Technologies

Panasonic has a new digital camera in the form of the Lumix DMC-FZ28, maintaining the 18x zoom range of its predecessor, the DMC-FZ18 but offers a slightly wider 27mm entry focal length. It will come with the following features for more serious shutterbugs :- 10 megapixels resolution Venus Engine IV Burst performance of 2.5fps 2.7″ LCD display Maximum ISO 1600 1,280 x 720 video capture at 30fps Supports RAW format The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 will ship later this August in black and silver colors, retailing for $399.95 each. (Read the full post about ‘Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 Digital Camera’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 21st 2008 at 9:23AM Directly rewarding efforts with results, now that’s the way to get someone moving. As we’ve seen time and time again, providing a clear, undiluted motivator is a perfect way to make fitness a top priority in life, and that’s exactly what Takara Tomy is hoping to achieve with its pocket-friendly Jinsei Game of Life pedometer. Essentially, this device is a portable version of the famed Game of Life board game, but users are purportedly not allowed to take a turn unless they take 300 steps first. Additionally, two players can take on one another via the “communication mode,” but there’s a good chance the most chiseled among you will take home the gold regardless of luck. (Read the full post about ‘Jinsei Game of Life pedometer makes you exercise to play’…)

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Verizon has just unveiled the brand new Motorola Adventure V750 clamshell handset that boasts the virtue of being the first phone based on the QChat push-to-talk network from the carrier. It utilizes EV-DO Rev. A cellular data to offer a somewhat similar experience as Sprint’s iDEN service, although in theory, it will be of better quality due to the 3G network. This tough handset complies with US military-grade specifications, offering protection against dust, drops and other shocks, temperature, and water splashes. Some of the other features include external music controls, multimedia support, a microSDHC memory card slot as well as navigation services.

(Read the full post about ‘Verizon introduces Motorola Adventure V750′…)

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At least we know that Microsoft doesn’t believe that PC gaming will die anytime soon: they are releasing their Sidewinder keyboard in September. The detachable numeric pad allows gamers to use this piece on the right or left side, depending on their preference. Also there’s a little software help named “cruise control”. Players will be able to record keyboard macros (hey, some people used to call that “cheating”) – I wish that I had this back in the C&C General days at the office. Finally, a good “gaming” keyboard always has additional buttons – including these two mysterious knobs on the upper-right. (Read the full post about ‘Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard’…)

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Panasonic launches two new camcorders named HDC-SD100 ($1299.95) and Hybrid HDC-HS100. Both can record at 1080p (Hull HD), using the AVCHD format (an Mpeg-4 derivative). They also both record on SD cards (Panasonic/Matsushita co-invented the format with Toshiba and Sandisk), but as its name indicates, the Hybrid HDC-HS100 ($1099.95) also have a 60GB hard drive. The camcorders are also good at taking photos: they come with a 3 Megapixel sensor and their software can wait for a smile before taking the shot. For my particular needs (web stuff) I’ll go for the flash-only SD100, because it is smaller than its HDD touting sibling. [specifications (external)] (Read the full post about ‘Panasonic SD100, HS100 HD Camcorders’…)

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The MIXA 2 USB flash drive is one that will surely bring you back to pre-CD days, where cassettes were the main method of playing your favorite songs. This unique USB flash drive makes an essential but simple improvement over its predecessor by including a retractable USB connector. You will be able to outfit the entire sleeve with your own custom design or customize it with other pre-made images according to your own whims and fancies. Available in 1GB capacity only, the MIXA 2 USB flash drive will retail for £19.99 and ships worldwide without having you to fork out a single cent. (Read the full post about ‘MIXA 2 USB Flash Drive’…)

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What makes the Samsung SPF-105P digital photo frame different from the rest is its ability to double up as a secondary computer display, allowing you to view a separate browser window (now why would you want to do that, unless you’re browsing sites that you’re fearful of getting caught red-handed by the boss or the missus), dock your contact list or read RSS feeds. Features of the Samsung SPF-105P include :- 10.2″ widescreen LCD display 1,024 x 600 resolution 500:1 contrast ratio 1GB internal memory (Read the full post about ‘Samsung SPF-105P Digital Photo Frame’…)

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BenQ will definitely introduce a smile to the faces of those who want to hop on the Blu-ray bandwagon by reducing the price of its BR 100 BD-ROM optical drive by a whopping 33%, touching a new low of $120 compared to the previous recommended sticker price tag of $179. Analysts have predicted a further decrease in prices later this year, targeting a level nearer to the $100 mark. If that were the case, do expect Blu-ray movie sales to start increasing slowly but surely. I would say this will indirectly impact the rise of widescreen LCD monitors that support full HD resolution. At what price are you comfortable with for a BD-ROM drive? (Read the full post about ‘BenQ Reduces BD-ROM Drive Price’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 21st 2008 at 6:43AM AOC did a stellar job of knocking off some rust and catching our eyes with the downright stylish 2230Fm, and the inclusion of a self-sustaining media player was also worthy of a closer look. Thankfully, the kind folks over at Gear Diary managed to get ahold of one such unit and put it through the paces, and in the end, it seems as if more positives were noticed than negatives. As an LCD, it was viewed as top notch; visuals were crystal clear, colors were sharp and accurate and ghosting was non-existent. The built-in audio and slideshow players were lackluster at best, but the integrated video player did a phenomenal job of handling a myriad formats and making things look right at home on the 22-inch panel. (Read the full post about ‘AOC’s 2230Fm HD3 display / media player combo gets reviewed’…)

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by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 21st 2008 at 7:06AM There’s no OS to speak of, no optical drive, just 4GB of flash storage and 256MB of RAM, and you’re limited to a 400MHz Freescale 5121E processor with integrated graphics under the hood. But the CherryPal desktop PC — just revealed with a $249 price tag — is definitely worth making a fuss over. About the size of a plastic paperback sporting a pair of USB ports and VGA-out, the mini PC plugs directly into the CherryPal Cloud via 802.11b/g WiFi or 10/100 Ethernet for 50GB of free Internet storage, automatic system updates, and access to a number of webified apps (which also reside locally) including iTunes, OpenOffice, and a CherryPal-branded instant messenger and media client (though we figured iTunes would have taken care of the media playback). (Read the full post about ‘The CherryPal cloud PC: $249, ready for (the new world) order’…)

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