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Hands-on with Samsung's new holiday lineup


We got a gander at Samsung's fancy new tellervisions and other stuff, and while the basic design language hasn't changed a whole ton in recent years, there's always something new going on. We're particularly enthusiastic about the new Series 8 LCDs, which manage a standard complement of ports in 2-inch thick form factors -- none of that ports-in-the-base nonsense. The cute little InfoLink RSS widgets (pictured) are also quite the welcome addition to Samsung's lineup, since these days we really can't be bothered to lift our phone up to eye level and check the weather on there. We bet you think we're kidding. Samsung is always droning on about the "Touch of Color" design, which is present in all its new televisions, along with its new computer monitor / TV hybrid displays. The flavor of the month is a new honeycomb pattern worked in with the color, but we really couldn't care less -- we'd rather watch TV. Elsewhere in the event we got to handle Samsung's new cameras and camcorders. The new TL34HD is a particular stunner, though we do prefer the older black / blue color scheme. Nothing could have prepared us, however, for the SC-MX20. While in press photos it appears to be just another cheap-ass YouTube camcorder (which it is), in person the build quality and amazing color choices really blew us away -- and trust us, no one is more surprised than we are by this fact. Most everything on display will be available next month.

Panasonic pushes out 14.7MP DMC-FX150 pocket shooter


Taking the wraps off of three cameras at once just isn't good enough for Panasonic, so how's about a fourth? The pocket-friendly LUMIX DMC-FX150 arrives in a trio of stylish hues (black, gold and silver) and features an admittedly absurd 14.7-megapixel sensor, 28-millimeter wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens, a 3.6x optical zoom and a host of manual controls to boot. This shooter can also capture shots in RAW format, and the usual suspects -- you know, red-eye correction, optical image stabilizer, face detection, intelligent ISO, etc. -- are all there. If this one fits the bill, expect to receive one of your own for $399.95 when picking it up next month.

[Via Impress]

Canon churns out HF11 / HG21 HD camcorders


No sooner did we have a chance to wrap our mitts around JVC's Everio GZ-HD40 and Samsung's SC-HMX20C than Canon comes out with a pair of its own. Kicking things off is the iVIS HF11 (which turned up in name back in April) -- an HD camcorder with 32GB of built-in memory, an SD / SDHC card slot, Full HD recording capabilities (using the polarizing AVCHD format) and a 12x optical zoom. The iVIS HG21 (pictured after the break) relates most closely to the aforementioned HD40, as it packs a capacious 120GB internal HDD, 2.7-inch flip-out LCD and most of the same specifications as its sibling. Expect 'em both to land next month (at least in Japan) for ¥140,000 ($1,317) apiece.

Sony Ericsson pushes out a trio of new Walkman phones, right on cue


Happy 3rd birthday mister Walkman phone. To celebrate, Sony Ericsson is getting official with its W902 "Patti" (pictured), W595 slider, and W302 candybar Walkman handsets. We knew the celebration was coming with the exception of Patti making a last minute substitution for Alicia. SE's quad-band GSM/EDGE W902 is the all-singing, all-media workhorse with UMTS/HSDPA 2100 data, 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of M2 memory, and 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 pixel display. It comes bundled with a pair of premium HPM-77 headphones and the promise of a clear audio, bass-thumpin' experience similar to that offered by SE's W980. The W595 shares the same radios but packs in stereo speakers, 2GB of M2 memory, a 3.2 megapixel camera, motion sensing Shake control, and a stereo Share jack to split the music with a friend. The quad-band GSM/EDGE W302 neglects 3G entirely in favor of a low price tag and dreams of mass adoption. As such, it offers a number of middling specs like a 2 megapixel camera, 512MB of M2 memory, FM radio, and stereo Bluetooth. All three Walkmans will hit select markets in Q4.

Panasonic reveals DMC-FZ28 megazoom, DMC-LX3 and DMC-FX37


Shortly after Samsung unveiled its summer stable of cameras, along comes Panasonic with a new trio of its own. Kicking things off is the zoom-infatuated DMC-FZ28, which features a remarkable 18x optical zoom, 10.1-megapixel sensor, Intelligent Auto Mode, Auto Focus and a 27-millimeter wide-angle lens. Moving on, we see the DMC-LX2's rightful successor -- the unimaginatively named LX3 -- which lands in August alongside the aforementioned FZ28. Said shooter packs a 10.1-megapixel sensor, F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens and the ability to capture 720p movies at 24fps. Bringing up the rear is the pocket-friendly LUMIX DMC-FX37 (due in September), which touts a 25mm ultra wide-angle LEICA DC lens, 10.1-megapixel sensor (are you sensing a trend?), a 5x optical zoom and 720p movie mode. Ready for the sting(s)? Try $449.99, $499.95 and $349.95 in order of mention.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

Read - DMC-FZ28
Read - DMC-LX3
Read - DMC-FX37

Digital Foci's Photo Safe II takes the load off of your flash card


Digital Foci didn't go out of its way to drastically redesign the original Photo Safe, but we 'spose that's alright in the grand scheme of things. Essentially, the Photo Safe II picks up where its predecessor left off by including a multicard reader (now with 100% more MS Duo and miniSD support) which automatically transfers photos from your flash card onto the built-in 80GB / 160GB hard drive. The integrated display tells you at a glance how much space is remaining and how much battery life is left, though it won't show your stored photos in slideshow (or any other) fashion. A touch steep at $139 (80GB) / $189 (160GB), but that's convenience for you.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Chinavasion's HD camcorder is just as lame as you think


Okay, so we won't totally judge Chinavasion's "High Definition Great Value" camcorder before we get to know it, but we'll be frank, we ain't gettin' to know it. Those willing to give this heap a fighting chance can look forward to hope for 720p capturing at 30fps, 8-megapixel still shots, a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, 19MB (and not a byte more) of internal memory, an SD / SDHC expansion slot and an HDMI output for showing off your adventures to friends and family (who will inevitably whisper behind your back about what camcorder you chose). Nah, we're not seriously riding this thing that hard, but do tell if you're the first soul to lay down $157.50 for one. Anyone, anyone?

[Via Random Good Stuff]

Parrot offers up $450 Andrée Putman-designed digiframe


Remember that Andrée Putman-designed digital photo frame that was showcased in the UK earlier this year? Even if not, Parrot would like to remind you of this apparently exquisite device, which features commonplace luxuries like a 7-inch 720 x 480 resolution display, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, an SD / MMC card slot, an undisclosed amount of internal memory and USB connectivity. Oh, and did we mention the $449.99 price? Yeah, there's that, too. Heard enough, haven't you? (Psst... it ships on July 28th in the US.)

[Via Digital Picture Frame Review]

Samsung gets official with 14.7MP TL34HD point-and-shoot


So the rumor mill wasn't too far off on this one: Samsung is indeed cranking out a 14.7-megapixel point-and-shoot, but the US name will be TL34HD. While it's hard to say if nearly 15-megapixels in a shooter this size is overkill (though signs are pointing to "yes"), users will also find a Schneider lens with a 28mm wide-angle focal length and 3.6x optical zoom to complement the 3-inch VGA monitor around back. Furthermore, the cam features a 720p movie mode at 30fps, and you'll likely be thrilled to know that the movie stabilizer and optical zoom can be used while logging clips. Check out the full array of specs after the jump, and feel free to try one yourself this September for $329.95.

Samsung fleshes out new digicam line with TL9, SL310W and SL201


While there's no doubt that the well-endowed TL34HD was Sammy's pride and joy here today, the firm still has three others to round out its 2H 2008 digicam family. The TL9 point-and-shoot features a 10-megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD monitor and an SVGA movie mode, while the SL201 gets a 10.2-megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom and most of the same fringe benefits. Holding it down in the rear is the 13.6-megapixel SL310W, which packs a 28mm wide-angle lens, 3.6x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD and lots more of the standard fare. Look for these to land this September for $279.95, $169.95 and $229.95 in order of mention. Full release waiting after the cut.

Samsung NV100 and NV9 digicams make the scene

Samsung's been jacking megapixel counts all over the place lately, and the Korean giant's latest digital cameras are no exception -- the new NV100 HD (pictured) packs in a ridiculous 14.7 megapixels, and the new compact NV9 tops at 10.2 megapixels. That's probably a little ridiculous, but we're not going to argue with progress, and the cameras seem pretty nice: the NV100 HD has a 3-inch touchscreen, a 3.6X Schneider Kreuznac lens, face, smile, and blink detection, 720p video recording and ISO3200 sensitivity, while the NV9 sports old-school analog battery and storage meters, as a well a 2.7-inch display, optical image stabilizer, and smile and blink detection. Both go on sale in August -- check out the NV9 after the break.

Read - NV100 HD
Read - NV9

Fujifilm FinePix S100FS gets reviewed


FujiFilm has made some pretty bold claims about its FinePix S100FS "DSLR-styled" camera and, according to the folks at Photography Blog, it looks like it has mostly managed to live up to them. They seem to have been especially impressed by the camera's solid build quality, which they say leaves an "impression that stays with you" and, just as importantly, they had few complaints about the image quality, with the 14.3 x zoom delivering the goods and the resultant images boasting great colors and detail. On the downside, the camera is, as expected, more sluggish than a proper DSLR, it's battery life is only "average to poor," and it's $800 list price isn't exactly a bargain considering what you can get for just a couple of hundred bucks more. Of course, you can likely find it for cheaper than that if you do a bit of digging, which Photography Blog says makes it even easier to recommend.

D-Link's Internet Surveillance kit lets you see two rooms over


Okay, let's get this straight. If D-Link is marketing its new $499.95 Internet Surveillance Starter Kit (and $399.95 Expansion Kit, for the hardcore snoopers) as a method for spying on someone residing within your domicile (save for your infant), you probably need a family counselor -- not a gimmicky IP camera. Now, if D-Link is hoping to tickle the fancy of geeks who'd rather check out a room in low resolution rather than taking four or five steps down the hall, we're pretty terrified about the fate of humanity. Still, the weird(est) part about this thing is the D-Life website which it ties into. Video of your home piped through someone else's servers -- need we say more?

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

Casio's EXILIM EX-Z150 makes the 3-inch LCD ordinary


It wasn't too long ago that you'd find a 3-inch LCD only on the backside of flagship, point-and-shoot cameras. Casio's new EX-Z150 features that biggie LCD plus CCD-shift image stabilization, a 28-mm wide angle lens, 4x optical zoom, an 8.1 megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD, and face detection all from a camera that sits somewhere well south of the top of the EXILIM Zoom-series. And since this is the age of self-immolation by video humiliation, the EX-Z150 also features a YouTube capture mode -- branded marketing-speak for saying that it shoots 640 x 480 at 30fps for up to 10 minutes at a time. All this in a slim, 20.1-mm package tapering down to 18.9-mm. No date, price, or availability announced yet but we expect to hear more shortly.

[Via Fareastgizmos]

Kodak intros the C913, M1073 IS and M1063 cheapcams


We're not certain why Kodak is trickling out these middle-of-the-road digicams instead of announcing them all at once, but here we are. Joining the M1093 IS are the new M1073 IS (pictured) and M1063, while the C813 get a new friend in the C913. As you'd expect, almost nothing about these is all that spectacular: the $179 M1063 and M1073 IS are both 10 megapixel units with ISO1000 sensitivity and face detection, while the $120 C913 is a 9.2 megapixel unit with a 2.4-inch display and digital image stabilization. Expect to see these all in October, and check out the C913 after the break.

Read - M1073 IS
Read - M1063
Read - C913



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