Tech Digest

BenQ's budget 7 megapixel E720 digital camera

BenQ has unveiled the E720 - a 7 megapixel camera in a brushed aluminium casing for under £140.

Along with the 7 megapixel sensor, the E720 also features 3x optical zoom, an smc (Super Multi-Coating) Pentax lens and a large 2.5 inch LTPS display. Inevitably, it's got the anti-shake to reduce blur, along with an ISO of 1200 to boost your shots in poor lights, 13 scene modes, movie recording with optical zoom and PictBridge.

Expect to see it in the shops from November, retailing for around £139.99.

BenQ website

You've been snapped - Endemol wants photo bloggers for ITV show

Endemol, the company behind hit shows like Big Brother, Restoration and Deal or No Deal is looking for photo bloggers for a new show - I was there: the people’s review of 2006 - an ITV1 programme which will showcase the news events of 2006 from the view of the "citizen journalist".

The show is in conjunction with Fotothing, with the two companies looking for either photos or video footage that capture anything reported in the UK press this year. To get your images on TV, you'll need to sign up to Fotothing, then upload your images/clips, tagging them "ITV".

Endemol will pay for any images used - so it's really just like You've Been Framed for the blogging generation.

Fotothing website

One Minute Video Review: Fuji S6500fd

I look at the Fuji S6500fd, which is their attempt to bridge the gap between compact and full SLR cameras. You can get one here for £275.

Canon launches M30 and M80 media storage devices

Canon has launches two media storage devices - the M30 and M80 - a one-stop device to store all your photos, as well as a way of getting a better view of your snaps before you get home.

The M30 and M80 devices feature a large ultra-bright 3.7-inch TFT screen with 160 degree viewing angle for image and video review, and a 30GB/80GB hard disk to store digital images, movie and sound files of various file formats (including RAW, JPEG, MPEG, MP3 and WAV). Both units feature a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface and slots for CF and SD cards. There's also a headphone jack for audio playback, a tough, magnesium alloy casing in case of accident and up to 8 digit password protection.

We're still awaiting details of price and availability - more when we have it.

Canon website

Fujifilm launches FinePix F31fd - a six megapixel camera with Face Detection technology

Fujifilm has launched what it hopes will be the hit of this year's Christmas parties - the FinePix F31fd - a "handbag-sized" six megapixel camera with Face Detection technology.

The Face Detection technology locks on to up to ten faces in one frame - so ideal for those group shots in a bar. There's also a 2.5-inch LCD screen, 3x optical zoom lens and the previously-mentioned six megapixel Super CCD HR V1 sensor, which means that photos can be enlarged to A4 size and above without loss of image quality or detail. There's also a top ISO of 3200 for sharp images, even at night or without using a flash - which can often make faces look washed-out.

The camera also features Fujifilm's Intelligent Flash system, which controls the flash output for more appropriate lighting or a Natural Light & Flash mode, which takes two photographs one after the other, one with flash and one without, so you can compare the results and select the most flattering shot. There's also 15 scene modes, VGA movie capture (30fps with sound) and a strong battery life, which is good for around 580 shots.

It should be out in time for Christmas, price to be confirmed nearer launch date.

Fujifilm website

Fujifilm announces FinePix S5 Pro SLR - the successor to the FinePix S3

Although not expected onto the market before February 2007, Fujifilm has already announced details of the successor to its FinePix S3 SLR - the FinePix S5 Pro.

Fujifilm claims the new model is a refinement of what it calls the "winning formula" of the F3. Fujifilm's Super CCD SR II will be updated to the new Super CCD SR Pro. Using a layout of twelve million paired photodiodes (6.17 million larger 'S' photodiodes for main image information, combined with 6.17 million smaller 'R' photodiodes for bright area information), the S5 Pro will deliver improvements in noise, dynamic range, colour and tonality. In addition, a new, low-pass filter will ensure that moiré and noise are kept to a minimum.

The new Real Photo Processor Pro should mean colour recorded as the human eye sees it. The processor's two stages of noise reduction will deliver a clean image and also permit light sensitivity up to ISO 3200 whilst achieving sharp, low-noise images. A new dark noise reduction process, subtracting the residual, ambient noise on the sensor from the actual exposure should produce smooth, clean images when long shutter speeds are used. Other improvements include the ability to record jpeg and RAW files simultaneously to the card, Face Detection technology, a tough, magnesium alloy shell with weatherproof seals and a durable shutter mechanism, which has been tested to exceed 100,000 cycles.

The FinePix S5 Pro is scheduled for launch in February 2007. Pricing and additional details will be available nearer the launch date.

Fujifilm website

Kodak launches Easyshare Z710 7.1 megapixel digital camera

Kodak has launched the Z710 digital camera - a 7.1 megapixel model with 10x optical zoom and a host of beginner-friendly features.

The Z710 with 2-inch colour display features a professional quality Schneider Kreuznach Variogon 10X optical zoom lens, which, in conjunction with the 7.1 megapixel sensor, should be good for high-quality prints up to 30 x 40 inches (76 x 102cm). The camera also features Kodak's Color Science imaging processing chip which boosts natural details, skin tones and colour.

On-camera picture enhancing features include cropping, a live histogram, and a capture grid line display. Advanced settings including programme, aperture and shutter priority, along with full manual mode. Or if you're more of a beginner, there's 19 pre-programmed scene and colour modes. And once you've captured your shot, the on-camera Share button gives you the option to print, email and organise pictures with one touch. 

Available in the coming weeks, you should be able to pick up the Z710 for around £279.

Kodak website

The Pod - put an end to your shaky photography

Virtually every new camera we see these days has some sort of clever anti-shake technology to reduce blurring of your images. But what if you've got an older/cheaper camera? And what if you wanted to take timed shots without a wobble? You need something like The Pod.

There's not much technology to The Pod - just good old-fashioned common sense. It's a platform for your digital camera and an alternative to a tripod - essentially a heavy-duty, waterproof-nylon bean bag that holds its shape when you place your camera on top of it. Add to that a non-slip base and you're guaranteed your camera will stay in place while you snap away. The real bonus is with timed photography, especially if you've got an awkward surface to place the camera on. And to make absolutely sure, it uses the "industry standard" mounting bolt to stay secure to your Pod.

Available now, you can buy it online from $17.99

Find out more

Via Product Dose

Samsung launches 10.2 megapixel GX-10 SLR

Another new SLR - this tiome from Samsung, with the launch of the 10.2 megapixel GX-10, aimed, according to the company at  "the discerning enthusiast photographer searching for comprehensive functions, stunning design, ease of use and real value for money - all in one camera". Blimey.

The 10.2 megapixel image sensor should offer a sharper image and richer colours. The camera also features a PentaPrism viewfinder with high magnification (0.95x) to provide a clearer field of view, along with a wide view 2.5-inch TFT LCD (210k pixels) and built-in Optical Picture Stabilisation (OPS) technology to avoid blurring. It's also got a water-proof and anti-dust coating, with an advanced dust removal function included to remove dust from the CCD by vibrating it when the camera is booted.

A one-touch RAW button makes RAW file shooting easy and instantly available, even during general JPEG shooting. RAW files can be checked on the LCD and then be directly converted to JPEG format via a built-in converter. There's  continuous shooting at 3 fps (frames per second), with RAW files shot at the same speed up to 9 frames.

The GX-10 is expected to be available from October, along with a new range of lenses, with a price being announced nearer sale date.

Samsung website

Tuesday Top 10: Ways to tell you love your new digital camera a bit TOO much

1. Every single plant and flower in your garden has been shot in close-up macro-vision. At different times of the day. With and without dew.

2. Your cats are waving image-rights contracts around before letting you come near them.

3. You actually understand and have used every single one of the scene modes on your camera.

4. You've forgotten what your other half looks like without their hand in front of their face.

5. The hard drive on your computer is groaning under the weight of hundreds of snaps of blurry, out-of-focus seagulls.

6. The yourpics@bbc.co.uk address has started auto-rejecting any emails you send it.

7. You're actually looking forward to the next family wedding.

8. You use Photoshop for purposes other than drawing comedy genitals on George Bush's face and putting your boss' head on a giant chicken.

9. You've single-handedly crashed Flickr's servers six times.

10. Your baby has bonded with your Cyber-Shot instead of your face. This makes feeding a bit complicated.

The Week In Tech: 10 stories you might have missed

The first in a new weekly feature rounding up some of the more intriguing, informative or plain baffling tech stories knocking about the internetweb. Casting aside all those cast-iron predictions that Apple would launch the iPhone this week, first up is News Corporation finally starting to throw its weight around in the Web 2.0 world.

Chief operating officer Peter Chernin (left) told a conference that MySpace wants to crush YouTube and, well, basically any other big Web 2.0 service. "If you look at virtually any Web 2.0 application, whether its YouTube, whether it’s Flickr, whether it’s Photobucket…almost all of them are really driven off the back of MySpace, there’s no reason why we can’t build a parallel business."

One reason why that might not be the case? If you look at virtually any Web 2.0 application, it's easier to use than MySpace. And you don't have to worry about your content getting spewed out of other parts of the Murdoch empire. Mashable's verdict on MySpace's plans: "This is such a ridiculous strategy that it’s not even worth contemplating."

This week's bear/woods story comes courtesy of Microsoft Exchange hosting firm Intermedia.NET, which released some survey findings claiming that IT staff are twice as likely to wear a heavy metal t-shirt as their non-IT colleagues, are 32% less likely than business managers to wear clean clothes every day of the week, and twice as likely to carry a Maglite and a Leatherman.

"Our large Microsoft Gold Certified team of engineers was comforted that IT people are twice as likely to wear Megadeth and similar t-shirts, and that black jeans and ponytails are still hot items," said Intermedia.NET's boss marketeer Rurik Bradbury. "However, they were distraught to find that the cellphone belt clip has gone ‘mainstream’ and lost its identification with the IT subculture."

Talking of heavy metal t-shirts, self-styled "software-Jedi" Dana Hanna starts his 'An App a Day' campaign today. He's writing 30 software applications in 30 days, and then giving them away for free. "I write tons of prototypes at home, and never end up doing anything with them," he says. "So I might as well toss them out there for the good of the world."

First up is this nifty app that turns your mouse cursor into a magnifying glass, although Dana reckons the most entertaining suggestion he's had so far is "an app to count polarbears in Norway and geotag them in Google Earth." That would be cool.

Moving on to enormous telephoto lenses, Carl Zeiss unveiled a whopper this week. It's got a focal length of over 5.5 feet, with 21x magnification. Oh, and it weighs in at a healthy 256kg. So you won't find it in a Cyber-Shot anytime soon. It's being shown at this month's Photokina show in Cologne. I'd like to see Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay try to pick a fight with a paparazzo holding this heavyweight jobby.

From the large to the small now. How about a projector the size of a sugar cube? Yes, it does mean a passing hungry horse could guzzle up your home entertainment system, but still, it's a feat of engineering. But hang on, read the story, and the ugly truth becomes apparent.

"Today’s technology allows RGB projectors with a side length of ten by seven by three centimeters to be produced. Although this is still distinctly larger than a sugar cube, it is only a quarter the size of a standard projector."

Fix! Apparently the key to getting sugarcube-sized projectors is shrinking green diode lasers. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile, boozers among you shouldn't consider paying a visit to South Dakota any time soon. The state attorney general's office is testing alcohol-monitoring bracelets on convicted drunk drivers.

The 'Scram' bracelets measure "vapours from the skin" (i.e. beer sweats) and send the results for analysis. If someone could invent one that would tell me the sixth pint of cider ISN'T a good idea on Friday nights, while flashing a photo of the local gutter in warning, that'd be grand, thanks.

Talking of items of personal clothing with unexpected digital-media features... How about the Egokast, a hefty belt-buckle that doubles up as a video player. You're not supposed to watch it, mind, it's for the people around you.

“This is the first media device that you don’t watch, but everybody else does,” says inventor Shaw Kaake, who I sincerely hope was named after the popular biscuit. “Instead of staring into your BlackBerry or your PSP, you’re looking at the reactions of people to the content.”

Surely this means entire train carriages of fellow passengers staring at your crotch. Where can I get one? Moving swiftly on, news of some Princeton computer scientists who've created prototype vote-stealing software that can be installed on public voting machines. Right now, someone's reading this in a secret White House laboratory and saying "Meh, we did that weeks ago. Now when's e-voting coming in..."

Paris Hilton, it's time to dump the BlackBerry. There's a new celebrity mobile on the block, codenamed 'Black Diamond' (right), which costs $300,000. Why? Well, it runs Windows Mobile 5.0, has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, an SD memory slot and a touch-sensitive keypad. Oh, and only five units are ever being made. Far better value than a chihuahua.

And finally... We may be also-rans in Miss World, but us Brits can boast the most beautiful computer-generated woman on the planet. Doesn't that make you feel proud as punch? Her name's Prada Woman (left), and she was created by UK designer David Cathro using Photoshop, for a competition organised by 3D site 3DM3.

She's a cross between Jennifer Lopez and the sort of secretary who appears in films pretending to be plain, until she gets to take off her glasses, swish her hair back and PURR LIKE A PUMA! She beat off competition from Poland, France, South Korea and Poland again.

Sources: Mashable, Intermedia.NET, Dana Hanna, Engadget, Physorg.com, Madisonet.com, New York Times, TechEBlog, 3DM3.com

Canon announces PowerShot G7 10 megapixel camera

Canon has announced a new camera in its PowerShot range, the G7, which boasts a 10 megapixel sensor (seems to be the current benchmark). It will take pictures in 4:3 and 3:2 format but not the 16:9 widescreen format natively. Its top output gives a 3648x2736 resolution, with a range of other sizes available depending on the quality setting. There are also 3 JPEG image quality settings.

It features 6x optical zoom, image stabilisation, a focal length of 7.4 - 44.4mm, aperture range of f/2.8 (W) to f/4.8 (T), auto-focus with face detection, and ISO range between 100 and 1600. There are 13 shooting modes, a 4x digital zoom, and movie mode up to 1024x768 resolution at 15fps. It has a 2.5inch LCD preview window. It comes with 32Mb internal memory and takes SD expansion cards.

It looks like a fairly substantial camera finished in black, and weighs in at 320g, with dimensions 106.4 x 71.9 x 42.5mm.

It'll be available in the US at least in October, priced $600. No word on its trip to the UK yet.

Canon

Leica M8 rangefinder camera for serious, rich photographers

Over 50 years ago since Leica introduced their first M series - the M3 - they've shown off their M8 digital rangefinder camera.

It boasts a 10.3 megapixel Kodak sensor. The benefit of the M8 is its accessory versatility - it will take almost all of the lenses made for the original M3 camera, albeit with a 1.3x FOV (Field of View) crop. I'm not enough of a photography expert to know how much of a practical difference this will make, though it's more likely to be an issue at the supposed target audience of this camera - this ain't no point 'n' click baby.

As Digital Lifestyles puts it:

Leica used some Teutonic cunning to get around the problem of corner vignetting on older lenses by employing a smaller sensor, offset microlenses and software correction optimised for the lens in use.

So there you go.

What you'll find on this camera, if you're fortunate enough to get one, is that you'll have to do most of the setup yourself. There's no autofocus or special 'modes' that you'd find on many digital compacts and SLRs. However, rangefinders do have advantages: smaller bodies and lenses, quieter operation, fewer moving parts, and less shutter lag.

The exterior body is made from magnesium alloy and the top plate is milled from a single block of brass. Controls are simple: on/off, shot mode, shutter release button, and shutter speed dial.

Exposure settings range from Bulb, to 4 seconds through 1/8000, plus automatic. ISO range is 160 to 2500.

The monitor screen is 320x240 resolution RGB TFT-LCD.

As to the price. Prepare to wince: £2990 for the body alone, then whatever lenses you can get a bank loan for. Leica have also introduced two wide-angle lenses: the Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm F4 ASPH and the Elmarit-M 28 mm F2.8 ASPH.

Dimensions are 139 x 80 x 37 mm and, with battery, weigh 591g.

Leica Cameras web site

Pentax introduces entry-level six megapixel Optio E20

Another new digital camera from Pentax, this time the Optio E20, a lightweight, entry-level compact.

The E20 is a six megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and up to approximately 12x total zoom magnification. It's got a 2.4-inch LCD screen, a mode dial for accessing the camera's features and a "simple mode" for beginners that optimises all settings. No rechargeable battery - you're stuck with AA batteries.

An entry-level camera with a price to match - £119.19 when it hits the stores in October.

Pentax website

Pentax introduces Optio T20 seven megapixel compact camera

Pentax has upgraded its Optio T10, rpelacing it with the Optio T20, a seven megapixel camera with touchscreen control and high-definition playback.

The T2 is just 19.5mm thick - one of the thinnest caeras in its class. It features a 3-inch high-definition LCD monitor, with a touchscreen control system for accessing the camera's functionality. There's also a "My Drawing" mode for manipulating images on the screen, 12 shooting modes and video shooting, along with built-in movie editing. Just 12MB of internal storage, but you can boost this via SD card.

The Optio T20 will hit UK stores in October with a retail price of £249.99. 

Pentax website

Pentax launches new flagship SLR - the K10D

Pentax has unveiled what its latest flagship SLR - the K10D - a lens-interchangeable digital SLR with 10.2 effective megapixels and a host of features, including Pentax's Shake Reduction (SR) system.

Along with the Shake Reduction (SR) system, which should minimise the adverse effects of camera shake for blur-free images, the K10D also features a newly developed A/D converter designed to convert a large volume of data more accurately and swiftly and a new high-performance imaging engine designed exclusively for the K10D. There's also a new Dust Removal (DR) system to keep dust off the CCD surface, a Pentax-original exposure system for accurate reproduction of your creative intentions, and a dust-proof, water-resistant body construction - which means you don't have to stop taking pictures when the rain starts.

In addition, there's an auto sensitivity control up to ISO 1600, continuous shooting at approximately three images per second and powerful rechargeable batteries for extended shooting. The K10D will be available from November 2006, with pricing to be confirmed nearer that date.

Pentax website

Sanyo's splash-resistant VPC-CA6 movie/still camera

For looks, I really rate the Sanyo Xacti movie/still cameras - with a retro-styling that leans heavily towards the look of the old super 8 cameras. Despite that, I'm guessing not everyone wants a device like the new VPC-CA6, which might not be enough of a camcorder and digital camera for your needs.

Saying that, it seems like a solid all-rounder. This latest model is splash-resistant, so you can use it outdoors without the worry of rain or splashing from the pool damaging your device and you're safe to use it with wet hands. It's a 6 megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom lens and a 2-inch flip-out LCD screen. It also records 30fps video in MPEG-4 format, with 640x480 resolution. Storage is to SD or SDHC memory cards - if you can get your hands on one of the new 4GB cards, that's around 4 hours of continuous video.

There's also a Digital Image Stabiliser for sharpening up images, Snow and Beach mode, which optimise settings for difficult conditions, PictBridge functionality and a Lithium-Ion battery for 60 minutes continuous recording . Available later this month, expect to pay around £300.

Product page

Fujifilm announces FinePix A700 7.3 megapixel digital camera

Fujifilm has announced the latest addition to its entry level "A range" in the form of the FinePix A700 - a 7.3 megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom and a sensitivity rating of 100-400.

As you'd expect from a beginner's camera, it's big on simplicity, with easy-to-use controls and menus, a decent-sized 2.4-inch screen for framing your images and scene selections for portrait, landscape, sports and night scenarios. There's nom mention of this year's favourite feature - anti-shake - so a steady hand may be required. There's also movie shooting at 10fps with sound and 12MB of internal memory, which can be boosted by memory card.

Not the highest of specifications, but if you're after something no nonsense for the family holiday, it might be worth a look depending on the price - which will be announced in October, when the camera hits the shelves.

Fujifilm website

Sony's 10 megapixel Cyber-shot N2 with touch-screen

Alongside the Cyber-shot T50, Sony has also announced the Cyber-shot N2, a 10 megapixel compact camera in "champagne gold" casing which also features a a large 3-inch touch-screen display.

The N2 features a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens, an improved sensitivity of ISO 1600 and special high sensitivity mode, which selects selects optimum ISO settings while reducing colour noise and luminance noise. That should mean clear, blur-free images, even in bad light.

The N2 also features a 3-inch 230k pixel Clear Photo LCD Plus touch-screen, with Clear Photo LCD Plus technology for more vivid reproduction, along with an anti-reflection layer. Most shooting and playback functions can be accessed directly via the touch-screen, with a Paint function and Paint Pen stylus to add your own touches to images. There's 25MB of storage (around 500 images), which can be boosted via Memory Stick, a Slideshow function for playback of images with music, eight preset scene modes and five colour modes for different shooting conditions.

Powered by a Lithium Ion battery (good for around 300 shots), the N2 is available from October. Price to be confirmed.

Sony website

Sony announces Cyber-shot T50 digital camera with large touch-screen display

Sony has unveiled the Cyber-shot T50 digital camera, a 7.2 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, double anti-blur technology and a large 3-inch touch-screen display.

Despite the large screen, Sony's new model is small (95.0mm x 56.5 mm x 23.4mm) and weighs just 130g. It features a high sensitivity of ISO 1000 for better results indoors or in fading light, with Sony Clear RAW NR image processing reducing colour noise that can occur at high sensitivity settings. Add to that Super Steady Shot, which cuts down on the effects of shaking and you get the double anti-blur functionality - the combination of high sensitivity and anti-shake, which should mean clear, blur-free images.

The 3-inch touch-screen features Clear Photo LCD Plus technology for clear image reproduction and an anti-reflection layer. A touch of the screen lets you zoom into a specific area of an image, while the supplied Paint Pen stylus lets you add your own artistic additions. There's also high-sensitivity movie recording and playback with optical zoom (also controlled via the touch-screen) and a slideshow function with musical accompaniment. The camera has 56MB of storage, but you can boost via Memory Stick Pro.

Supplied with a Lithium Ion battery, which should give up to 400 shots on a single charge, you can pick up the Cyber-shot T50 from October in the Uk, price to be confirmed.

Sony website

BenQ launches 7 megapixel C740 and 5 megapixel C540 digital cameras.

BenQ has announced two new digital camera models this morning - well, it's actually the same model in all but name and pixels - the 7 megapixel C740 and the 5 megapixel C540 digital cameras.

Feature-wise, I can't see any difference. Both have 3x optical zoom, a large 2.5-inch LTPS screen and a SMC (Super Multi-Coating) Pentax lens. They also include the usual anti-shake (known here as Shake-Free mode) and a high ISO portrait mode for clearer photos in a dark environment.

Both models also feature a PASM (Program AE/Aperture Priority/Shutter Priority/Manual) mode, which allows you to manually customise the aperture and shutter speed to your own preferences. Program mode controls the amount of light, aperture priority mode automatically sets the shutter speed for proper exposure (to control sharpness), shutter priority mode controls the shutter speed and exposure compensation to prevent blur when your subject is moving and the manual mode lets you be creative with the aperture and shutter speed.

And finally, there's a direct printing mode, continuous movie recording with optical zoom, 13 scene modes, multi-metering and 3:2 and 16:9 special output sizes - 3:2 resolution mode for printing without trimming edges and 16:9 resolution mode for displaying on a 16:9 TV.

Both models are available this month, prices still to be confirmed.

BenQ website

Review: Samsung NV3 digital camera

The Propaganda

Yes, that's the Samsung NV3, as in eNVy. Strangely, on the box the tagline is "A digital camera that others can only envy" which seems to refer directly to Samsung's competitors, rather than consumers. Odd. The idea behind this one is that it's not just a digital camera, and a 7.2 megapixel camera at that, but it's also a media player. It takes music, text and movies for you to turn it into an all singing all dancing media player

The Good

So, the NV3 is designed to allow you to dump your various media players, integrating it all into your camera. Whether it will stem the tide of people dumping their camera for their mobile phone remains to be seen. It's got two built in speakers positioned on the top of the camera, to take advantage of the MP3s you'll store, as well as a headphone jack for when you want to keep it personal.  Headphones are included out of the box, further indicating it's media player capabilities.

A key selling point for the NV3 is the design - they've gone for brushed gunmetal grey, highlighted with a very Samsung-esque blue light surrounding the lens and the power button. Overall, it's light and pocketable, and they're right, it does provoke envious glances.

The screen is clear, and at 2.5" takes up the majority of the back of the camera. It also completely does away with the traditional view finder still found on many digital cameras. The screen is used not only to frame pictures, but gives a visual representation of the mode you choose via the click wheel on the top, as well as displaying text and videos when it's in media playback mode.

The camera itself is quick to respond in most settings, and offers 11 different presets - more than the average person will ever need from their camera. It also allows you to manually change the ISO, for those that want to have a bit more control over the photos. There are the inevitable options that make owning a camera that much easier/complicated (depending on how you look at it) such as Wise Shot. This takes to successive photos - one with flash and one without, so that you can pick the best one.

The movie capture won't win anyone any Oscars, but is adequate for short holiday films and for sticking up on YouTube. There's also  the ability to edit the videos using software in the camera, although this is fairly limited to trimming and inserting within your clips.

The Bad

The two speakers on top of the camera are positioned so that the one on the right is larger than the shutter button, and it takes a little while to get used to it. It's a strange design, as the speakers protrude from the camera casing by quite a lot, and ruin the lines of an otherwise sleek camera. The headphone jack is also 2.5mm, rather than the more standard 3.5mm, so you'd need to find an adaptor to use headphones other than those provided.

The internal memory on the camera is none existent, and on it's highest setting I couldn't get anymore than 3 photos out of it. It takes SD and MMC cards, so is easily expandable, but since these aren't included in the box it's a pain. Bearing in mind the media capabilities they are so keen to push, it would be useful for the camera to be bundled with something that allowed you to take advantage of this.

The media capabilities all work fine, and the menus are relatively intuitive. There's no way of creating a playlist of your tracks, though. The text reader is also a fairly harsh green on black, and it's doubtful that it would hold anyone's attention for long without provoking headaches.

The camera functions are all easy to get to, although it's perhaps over-spec'd for it's audience with 7 megapixels and 11 different presets. However, the anti-shake mode, which does exactly as you'd expect, takes significantly longer to process and move on to the next picture - about 6 seconds, which is an age if you want to take another picture.

Geek Sheet

Image sensor: 7 megapixels

Lens focal length: NV Lens f = 6.3 ~ 18.9mm  (35mm film equivalent :38~114mm)

Shutter speed: 2 ~ 1/2,000 sec. (Night : 15 ~ 1/2,000 sec.)

File formats: Still Image : JPEG (DCF), EXIF 2.2, DPOF 1.1, PictBridge 1.0
                    Movie Clip : AVI (MPEG-4)
                    Audio : WAV

Audio format: MP3 (MPEG-1/2/2.5 Layer 3),

Dimensions: 94.5 x 57 x 17.5 mm

Weight: 142g (without battery and card)

In our opinion

For £190, this is a really nice compact camera. The number of megapixels means that you can always be sure of getting a high quality picture, and there are enough features to make the most of what you've got. Whether it would ever be used as a media player as they intend is up for debate. Personally, I think it's trying to do everything, and not succeeding in many, and would never replace my other devices with this alone. But if you're pushed for space, or want to minimise luggage, it might just work.

Photographers encouraged to shoot in RAW format

Phase One, a digital imaging firm, and SanDisk, makers of removable memory cards, are encouraging photographers to take photographs in the RAW format their camera supports, rather than JPEG format.

JPEG is an image format that relies on compression techniques to make digital files smaller. In these days of 10+ megapixel cameras, this compression can save significant amounts of space on internal and removable memory - however even at very low levels of compression, vital picture information can be lost in a JPEG that would be kept in RAW format.

The RAW format of a camera is often proprietary - that is it can vary from camera to camera - so it's not necessarily as easy for consumer computer software to work with. On top of this, files are completely uncompressed - i.e. they're raw - containing all the image information captured by the camera at the time the shot was taken.

Another advantage for more professional shots is that when a camera saves in RAW format no processing is applied to the image. That's not usually true with JPEG - not only are they compressed but the camera settings at the time are applied to the stored image. This makes post-processing more difficult - with a RAW image there's much more flexibility in post-processing effects, including changing exposure settings, white balance, linearity, matrix processing, colour space and saturation - to name but a few.

Of course, SanDisk could gain from this move by selling more storage cards - RAW photos take up significantly more space. It's probably not something that's going to bother hobbyist photographers - indeed many lower-end cameras automatically store photos as JPEG and can't be overriden. It's worth bearing in mind if you want the best quality images your camera can offer, and want to do more intricate image processing on your PC after you've taken the shots.

The main product news to come out of this interesting little diversion into camera formats: all SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash cards will come with a full free edition of Phase One's Capture One LE RAW Workflow software, so there's no excuse that you don't have the software to handle your camera's RAW output.

Phase One / Sandisk websites

Epson launches PictureMate PM 240 and PM 280 portable printers

Epson has announced two new models for its PictureMate photo printing range - the PM 240 and PM 280.

Both are standalone printers, similar in specification, but with a CD drive on the PM 280, which allows you to burn images to disc from a memory card or print photos directly from CD. Both feature PhotoEnhance technology, which optimises your image before printing, based on the type of image - skin tones enhanced on portraits, natural colours boosted on landscapes for example. There's also a 2.5-inch screen, which you can use for some basic editing, such as red-eye removal and cropping. And you can add a range of effects before printing.

Available from October, the PM 240 retails for around £130, with the PM 280 selling for £200.

Epson website

More photo printing:
Sony launches new digital photo printer models
HP launches D7360 and A618 Photo Printers

BenQ launch C1000 10.1 megapixel digital camera

BenQ, a name I still don't immediately associate with digital cameras, today announced an update to their C800 digital camera, in the form of the C1000.

Besides that whopping 10.1 megapixel CCD, with double-digit megapixel counts becoming the norm, it features a 3x optical zoom and 2.4 inch TFT-LCD viewing screen.

Featuring PASM (Program AE/Aperture Priority/Shutter Priority/Manual), the camera offers varying levels of automation, from completely automated shooting through to manual control of aperture and shutter settings.

The night-shot mode features an 8-second shutter speed, and there's a quick 4 continuous shot mode, which I'm presuming allows 'rapid fire' photography to be taken. There's also the obligatory VGA movie mode at 30fps.

It comes with a decent 24Mb internal memory and can be used with expansion SD cards.

Available this month for £189.99.

Five causes of lost digital holiday snaps

It's all very well taking loads of snaps to store on your ever-increasing memory card, but what if you can't access your photos when you get home? According to new research by Ontrack Data Recovery, this does happen - and they've outlined what they've found are the five main causes.

1. Reformatting
All too often, people forget that reformatting a memory card will remove all the files stored on it - including protected pictures. This data can only be retrieved by experts - so think again before you reformat.

2. Overwriting
Another common mistake is the accidental overwriting of images held on camera memory cards with new photos. Always check you’ve successfully transferred your images onto your PC, laptop, CD or DVD before taking new pictures.

3. Cracked and damaged media
Packing memory cards into overstuffed suitcases can result in them becoming bent or damaged on the journey home, making them unreadable. Wrapping cards in clothes and placing them in the middle of your case offers some degree of protection in transit - ensuring the safety of your pictures during your return trip.

4. Burnt media
Are you holidaying in hot weather? Your memory card isn't so keen. Leaving memory cards in an elevated temperature environment such as a car on a sunny day or close to a heat source such as a radiator or oven will increase the chances of failure. Add to that direct sunlight too. It's unlikely to cause damage to the digital photos on the memory card but may stop the card being recognised in a card reader.

5. Summer holiday injuries
Digital cameras often get dropped in the sand or splashed with water around the pool, damaging smart media to the extent that photos can’t be viewed. Only an expert can recover digital images from smart media damaged in this way, so be careful to keep digital cameras in padded and watertight cases to stay safe.

2,227 consumers were surveyed in the research.

Ontrack Data Recovery

IFA 2006: Toshiba announces first high-capacity (SDHC) SD memory cards

Good news for those for movie makers on the go - Toshiba has announced what it claims is the industry's first commercially available high-capacity SDHC memory card. Whether they mean in Europe isn't clear, because Sandisk announced one a few weeks back.

Regardless of who is first, Toshiba's cards will hit the market in November, initially as a 4GB card, but follwed by 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards in 2007. Before you rush out and buy one, remember that your device has to be SDHC-compatibile - some are available now, but mobile video and audio devices that take the cards will probably start to apepar in bigger numbers at the turn of the year.

The cards have a maximum data transfer rate of 5MB per second - the combination of this high-speed transfer and capacity should make them well-suited to the recording and playback of MPEG2 and MPEG4 video in both standard and high-definition formats. No news on price, we'll let you know nearer the shelf date.

Toshiba website

IFA 2006: Samsung's six megapixel SDC-MS61 digital camera

  Another sleek little black number from Samsung and unveiled at IFA - the SDC-MS61 digital camera.

The looks and small size are obvious selling points as a a fashion camera, with the six megapixel sensor coming in lower than most of the recent new models. However, it does have a few interesting features, including an impressive 3-inch LCD screen, which has a 16:9 aspect ratio, MP3 recording and playback, MPEG4 recording (which you can shoot in widescreen) and the ability to use it as a live webcam, when connected to your PC.

No price or availability details - expect something in the run up to Christmas.

Samsung website

More cameras:
Ricoh Caplio 500SE Model W digital camera with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Olympus mju:1000: 10 megapixel, 3x optical zoom, compact digital camera

Ricoh Caplio 500SE Model W digital camera with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Looking for a digital camera that can withstand a bit of wear and tear, but still packs in the features? It's perhaps worth sneaking a peek at Ricoh Caplio 500SE, and in particular, the Model W.

It's not the best-looking camera you'll see on the shelves, instead it's built for more extreme conditions, featuring a water, shock and dust-resistant casing. The Model W of this 8 megapixel camera also features both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. And if you're not near a hotspot to upload your snaps, you can transfer the photos to your mobile, then send/upload from there.

There's also a 2.5-inch LCD screen, 3x optical zoom and 26MB of internal memory (which can be boosted by SD card). The price of the Model W is $1,100 (around £578) and it ships in the US around the end of the year. As yet, there's no date for a UK launch.

Ricoh website

Via Engadget

More digital cameras:
Olympus mju:1000: 10 megapixel, 3x optical zoom, compact digital camera
Canon adds A710IS, A640 and A630 cameras to the PowerShot range

Jessops offers free online photo storage

Having trouble squeezing additional images onto your memory card? You could transfer them to your hard drive or you could upload your photos to one of the numerous online photos sites, the latest of which is Jessops' Picture House.

Picture House is an online photo centre for storing, sharing and printing images. It offers unlimited free storage for digital images, along with a selection of photo editing tools for red-eye removal, cropping out unwanted objects and lightening dark images. And once you've tidied them up, you can create albums of selected images online.

And if you want to print them out (presuming you haven't got the kit to do so at home), you can choose images for printing, then pick them up from your local store on the next working day.

Find out more at the Jessops website.

More digital storage:
Epson P-4000 Multimedia Storage Viewer
TViX mini portable multimedia jukebox

Toshiba boosts the transfer rates of its SD cards

  Toshiba is launching two new series of SD cards, including the first Class 6 cards, with transfer rates as high as 20MB per second.

In May this year, the SD Card Association introduced the SD Speed Class, defining three minimum data transfer rates for next generation SD Cards; Class 2 supports a minimum data transfer rate of 2MB per second, Class 4 supports 4MB per second and Class 6, 6MB. Toshiba's new high speed series of cards are Class 4, which offer a maximum data transfer rate of 5MB per second, along with the ultra-high speed series Speed Class 6 SD cards, with the 20MB per second transfer rate - double  the rate of any other Toshiba-brand SD cards.

Aimed at video recording and high performance digital cameras, the cards will be rolled out in Japan in October, hitting the UK in November in a choice of 512MB, 1GB and 2GB capacities.

Toshiba website

More storage:
Microsoft Live Drive to offer 2G storage
Eye-fi SD cards - storage cards with added Wi-Fi

Olympus mju:1000: 10 megapixel, 3x optical zoom, compact digital camera

Olympus expanded their 'mju' range of digital cameras still further with the mju:1000, boasting 10 megapixels in a compact shell.

Now megapixels aren't everything, sure, but this packs more punch for image capture than any of the other compacts Olympus have released in the range.

There's a 3x optical zoom which the Fine Zoom feature can take to 5x. There's BrightCapture for photos in low light, 20 pre-defined capture modes, digital image stabilisation, and Perfect Fix button for correcting blur, backlight, and red-eye.

Casing is weatherproof, as with all in the mju range, and there's a built-in help system. The camera comes with lithium-ion battery and charger, and will be available for around £330 from October.

Olympus FE-200 compact digital camera 5x wide-angle optical zoom

Olympus expand their FE range with the FE-200, a digital camera with wide-angle 5x optical zoom. It comes with many of the features found on the other new FE range (FE-170 / FE-180, FE-190), including 'one button, one function' design, 6 megapixel CCD, image stabilisation mode (ISO 800), 6.4cm LCD screen, 10 scene modes, movie recording with sound, 24Mb internal memory, stylish metal body, and built-in help functions.

Thankfully this camera does come with lithium-ion battery and charger, so no messing about with disposable batteries.

Available from September priced around £200.

Olympus SP-510 UZ boasts 10x optical zoom, smart price

Next up in our tour of the latest digital camera offerings is another from Olympus, the SP-510 UZ.

It boasts a 10x optical zoom meaning you can focus right in on distant action, together with a respectable 7.1 megapixel CCD. There's also a Fine Zoom function which can increase the optical zoom to 15x.

As with other recent Olympus offerings, the camera feature BrightCapture technology for shooting without flash in lower light conditions, boosting ISO to 4000 when in 3.0 megapixel mode.

There's a 6.4cm LCD screen, 21 pre-defined scene shot modes, as well full manual control, and semi-automatic with Aperture or Shutter Priority exposure modes. There's no more details on the initial specs of how much control one gets in manual operation.

As I mentioned but expected on the very entry-level Olympus models, I am disappointed that the camera has to use AA batteries rather than a dedicated rechargeable one. I suspect this is down to enconomics of providing the battery and charger, but plenty of compact digital cameras do use decent permanent batteries.

Anyway, the Olympus SP-510 UZ will be available from September priced around £260.

Olympus FE-170 and FE-180: low-cost digital compact cameras for everyone

Digital cameras are so commonplace now and prices keep on falling yet more features get packed in. So it is with the Olympus FE-170 and FE-180 models, with prices around £115 and £140 for 6 megapixel cameras with 3x zoom.

Aimed squarely at the fun market, they're designed with simplicity in mind. Point and shoot is the message here, with all functions on seperate buttons.

They feature super-macro mode for shooting as close as 5cm, and there's a movie mode - the FE-180 adds a soundtrack - limited only by available storage memory.

There are 10 scene shooting modes. Unlike their bigger cousin, the FE-190, there's no image stabilisation options, but that's not really an issue for the target uses of these cameras.

One thing to bear in mind is that these cameras take standard AA batteries - no lithium rechargeables here. You'll want to factor that into your buying decision, as not only is running out of batteries annoying, but also quite expensive to replace. Olympus claim the FE-180 can take 500 shots on one set of batteries, but the movie mode, lots of zooming, flash use, etc. will drain the power more quickly.

Available from September.

More Olympus mju with more powerful zoom: mju:740 and mju:750

Sporting similarities to the mju:730, the Olympus mju:740 and mju:750 give a bit more zooming power with a 5x optical zoom.

They both feature after-photo image stabilisation processing, like the 730, but the 750 also has a mechanical image stabiliser that compensates for camera shake by carefully adjusting the position of the CCD. It also has a high maximum ISO (up to 1600) to minimise image blur.

The rest of the specs are similar: 7.1 megapixel, compact, weatherproof, and BrightCapture technology for low-light shooting. They come with 23 scene shooting modes.

Pictured in classic Olympus metal au naturelle (OK, silver), the 740 also comes in red and blue finishes, whilst the 750 comes sleek black or silver.

They'll be available from September priced around £260 and £300 respectively.

Olympus mju:730 digital compact

Another compact from Olympus, the mju:730 (well actually it's a µ but that's a pain to type)...

This looks a bit different to the µ I bought a few years ago, with the lens up in the corner, and featuring a nice large 7.6cm LCD screen to view your 7.1 megapixel shots on. There's a 3x optical zoom. As per many models in this range, the whole body is constructed to be weatherproof (within reason).

It's evolved in other ways too, like the nifty way it'll illuminate its buttons at night-time, plus boosting the contrast of the LCD screen and the ISO value to 1600, which should reduce the need for the flash in lower-light situations. There are 20 scene modes. Just like the FE-190, there's image stabilisation built-in, and Olympus have kindly built-in a help system to guide you through the finer points of piccie taking. There's also the usual 640x480 movie mode, with sound.

Available from October priced around £270.

Olympus FE-190 stylish slimline compact digital camera

In our new camera marathon, time to turn our attention to Olympus who are also releasing new cameras in their FE (Friendly & Easy, apparently) range.

First up is the Olympus FE-190, a slimline compact at just 18.5mm deep done out in durable metal as per many of Olympus' previous offerings.

It's aimed at the 'hobby photographer' with button layout that equates to one function per button, a built-in help system, and nothing particularly complicated. Point and click is just what you want when you're not trying to be arty or journalistic and just want great, simple photos.

It has a decent 6 megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom lens, and ten themed shooting modes including sports, indoors and fireworks. The LCD screen is 6.4cm in size.

Previously less common on entrry-level compacts (well, mine doesn't have it) is an image stabilisation feature with ISO 800, which should cut down on blurry pics. There's also a super-macro mode for taking close-up shots, and a movie-with-sound mode limited by the camera or storage card memory. The internal memory is a respectable 22Mb.

All in all a rugged, compact, fun little shiny camera. It'll be available from September exclusively to Dixons. Price to be confirmed, though naturally it will be a 'very attractive price'.

Canon adds A710IS, A640 and A630 cameras to the PowerShot range

More new models from Canon. Hot on the heels on the launch of the EOS 400D comes three more family-friendly cameras in the shape of the PowerShot A710IS, A640 and A630.

The 7.1 megapixel PowerShot A710IS features a 2.5-inch LCD screen with wide viewing angle, along with 6x optical zoom. The company has also added Optical Image Stabilization technology to its A Series, which should reduce blurring and counteract that shaky hand we all occasionally suffer from. There's also ISO 800 and High ISO Auto mode for improved flash-free shooting in low light or when indoors.

There's also 20 shooting modes, plus five movie mode settings including VGA quality movies at 30fps and QVGA at 60fps. Available from September, price is to be confirmed.

The PowerShot A640 is a 10 megapixel model, while the A630 is an 8 megapixel, apart from that, therer's little to choose between the two. Both are upgrades from the existing A620 and A610 respectively, featuring a rotating 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD, 4x optical zoom lens, ISO 800 for shooting in poor light (and flash-free indoors), as well as 25 shooting modes and VGA movies with sound at 30 fps. A Second Curtain Sync function on both cameras alows you to do some creative flash exposures, such as light trails, if you're so inclined, whilst artistic photo effects can be applied with the camera during and after shooting with My Colours.

The PowerShot A640 will be priced around £480, while the PowerShot A630 should retails for around £390. Both should hit the stores next month.

Canon website

More digital cameras:
Olympus launches the Mju 1000 10 megapixel camera
Samsung launch Digimax L70 compact camera

Fujifilm launches the FinePix S9600

Fujifilm has unveiled the FinePix S9600, a replacement for the popular FinePix S9500, with improvements image quality, performance in poor light and in size of LCD screen.

Pitched as a camera for the "serious hobbyist and enthusiast photographers" (which probably means it's simple to use like a compact, but with performance nearer an SLR), the nine megapixel FinePix S9600 features Fujifilm's Super CCD HR sensor and Real Photo Processor II, delivering IS0 1600 performance for crisper/clearer images even in low light. There's also a Fujinon 10.7x optical zoom lens with manual twist barrel control, a two-inch tilting LCD screen, intelligent flash for more natural-looking illumination and TV-quality VGA movie recording of 30 frames per second with sound.

In low light, the S9600 has an autofocus response time up to 40 per cent quicker than its predecessor. With the camera's 0.01 second shutter-lag and 0.8 second start-up time, this means that images can be composed and captured almost instantaneously. Combined with the high ISO performance, which combats image blur through movement and camera shake, the camera should be well suited for anyone looking to photograph fast paced subjects such as sports or wildlife.

The FinePix S9600 will be available from UK retailers in October 2006, with price to be confirmed nearer the launch.

Fujifilm website

More digital cameras:
Olympus launches the Mju 1000 10 megapixel camera
Samsung launches Digimax L70 compact camera

Chuck away your digital camera for something truly old-school

Digital compacts are so last year, haven't you heard? The in-thing now is 71-inch wooden cameras from the early 20th century. Where would you find such a thing? On eBay of course. Bayraider's found this marvellous mahogany model, which was made in England and has been kept in really good nick. I'm not sure how you'd get the pictures into iPhoto, mind.

Bayraider's also been on a celeb tip today, finding a surprisingly good oil painting of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, a Japanese Saki box used by Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear, and a studio master tape from the mid-90s featuring both Snoop Dogg AND Tupac. On different songs, sadly.

Olympus launches the Mju 1000 10 megapixel camera

Hot on the heels of the Pentax Optio A20 comes another miniature 10 megapixel model - the Olympus Mju 1000.

Packed into a weatherproof metal body, the camera features a 2.5-inch LCD screen and 3x optical zoom and is ideally suited to low light photography, with the ability to boost its light sensitivity to 6400 ISO, which means improved brightness without having to use flash. Spotting your image in poor light should also be helped by the BrightCapture Technology, which increases the contrast of the LCD screen by up to 4 times. This same technology is also used to boost the sensitivity of the camera’s CCD in low light and for improved clips when in movie mode.

Other features include Digital Image Stabilisation to compensate for hand-shake, along with a Perfect Fix button to correct image blur, backlighting and red-eye after a shot has been taken. For beginners, there's also 20 scene modes and a Guide Function that explains what camera functions do directly on the LCD screen.

Available from October, you can pick up the Mju 1000 for around £330.

Olympus website

More digital cameras:
Pentax adds to Optio range with W20 waterproof digital camera
Samsung launch Digimax L70 compact camera

Pentax launches new 10 megapixel Optio A20 digital camera

As well as the M20, Pentax has also introduced the new Optio A20, with 10 effective megapixels, plus the latest optics and shake reduction technology.

The Optio A20 has a 2.5-inch low reflection LCD display and 3x optical zoom and features three types of anti-shake function. SR (Shake Reduction) technology reduces camera shake by using gyroscopic sensors to oscillate the CCD as the camera moves. If that sounds comfusing, lets just say it gives you sharp images even when the camera is moving. To further improve image quality, Blur Reduction optimises the settings for crisper images in any conditions and the Auto Tracking AF function ensures the subject of the image remains in focus even if moving, which should make for good action shots. The A20 also features Face Recognition technology, Auto-tracking Auto-focus, Red-eye correction after shooting and Auto Picture mode to get the right settings for the conditions.

Expect to see the A20 for sale from early October, priced around £279.

Pentax website

More digital cameras:
Pentax adds to Optio range with W20 waterproof digital camera
Samsung launch Digimax L70 compact camera

Pentax introduces the 7 megapixel Optio M20

The latest model in the Pentax Optio M series is the new M20, now with 7 megapixels and an extended battery life.

Aimed at the family camera market, the M20 features a 2.5-inch low reflection LCD display and 3x optical zoom. There's also a new Blur Reduction mode, which should boost your hands even if the subject is fast-moving or you've suffered a shake of the hand whilst shooting, along with an Auto Tracking Auto Focus function - the Optio M20's focus frame continually follows the main subject as it moves around in the image field, ensuring sharp, crisp focus at the shutter release. Other helpful features include Face Recognition technology and Auto Picture mode, which sorts out all the settings for the conditions/time of day.

Battery power is via two AA batteries. Pentax claims an "extensive energy-saving design" should boost the power from these  considerably - though they don't give an indication of how long they might typically last. Available from September, expect to pay between £229 and £249.

Pentax website

More cameras:
Pentax adds to Optio range with W20 waterproof digital camera
Kodak announces 7MP C875 and 8MP V705 Easyshare digital cameras

HP launches D7360 and A618 Photo Printers

Two new printers have been intorduced by HP - the Photosmart D7360 Photo Printer and the Photosmart A618 Compact Photo Printer.

The D7360 doesn't need a PC - it features a large 3.4-inch screen so you can insert your memory card or connect a camera to the PictBridge port to start your printing. It runs on six Vivera ink cartridges, and produces 10x15cm prints in just 12 seconds. Feature-wise, it has a PhotoFix button for one-touch red-eye removal and sharpening and the option of Bluetooth connectivity, with a Wireless Printer Adaptor for printing from camera phones or PDAs. Bundled with Photosmart Premier software, you should be able to pick it up for just under £200.

The A618 is a portable printer, with battery pack and handle and featuring a flip-up 2.4-inch screen. Again, there's a One-touch Photo Fix button, with 10 x 15cm photos produced in just under 40 seconds. It's available for £150.

HP website

More printing:
HP launches D7360 and A618 Photo Printers
Sony launches new digital photo printer models

Eye-fi SD cards - storage cards with added Wi-Fi

File this one under useful. There have been a couple of cameras with Wi-Fi capability, but the Eye-fi card promises to bring the functionality to all digital cameras.

It's useful because it means you should be able to send photos to yourself, your friends or an online gallery (like Flickr) simply by accessing a W-Fi hotspot and without the need for a PC. The Eye-fi is essentially an SD card featuring a tiny wireless transmitter - plug it in and you've got a wireless camera. The cards also will be able to hold up to 1GB of photos. It's all possible through miniaturisation - because the size of chips used to store data is shrinking, there's enough space to feature the transmitter.

The cards are approaching the final stages of development, with public beta testing due to start in autumn. When we find out more, we'll let you know.

Eye-fi website

Via Sci-Fi Tech

More Wi-Fi:
Sony Mylo - the Skype and Wi-Fi communicator
Wi-Fi detecting pen

Scan 1000 photos for $50 via the Kodak i660 document scanner

Despite the so-called advent of paperless, most of it do still have dusty shoeboxes of photos lying around that are deterioriating with each passing day.  Alternatively, you can send them to 30 Minute Photos in Irvine, California, and have them scanned to 300 dpi at the mouthwatering price of $50 USD per thousand photos.  It takes him a little over eight minutes to do that many if you organize them properly.  (If you don't organize them properly, he reserves the right to refuse you service; at that price you've gotta do the work up-front yourself.)  P + P is probably a tad steep from Europe, but then, it could just be one-way.  The scanning service, which owner Mitch calls Shoebox Reprints, uses a $60k Kodak document scanner, the i660, which is meant for tax documents and the like (and can even do double-sided documents, if you're worried about losing any valuable inscriptions on the back).  It can scan prints of up to 11x14.  While for $50 you can just buy your own scanner, your time is surely worth more than that.  At even 2 minutes per scan, that's 2 thousand minutes you could've spent reading Tech Digest.  [GT]

30 Minute Photos [via Gadgetress]

Related stories: xVista develops UK's first portable iris scanner | Bluetooth Wine Scanner

Digital Photo Frame - show off your holiday snaps

With the summer holidays in full effect, there's a good chance your digital camera's memory card is crammed with snaps of exotic locations, over-friendly waiters and red-faced relations. You could hide them away in an album (it's usually the best thing to do - trust me), or if you're not too ashamed, get them on display in this Digital Photo Frame.

It's claimed to be simple to use, just stick in a memory card, select your photos and you're away. You can also view your pics through an automatic slideshow (with screen effects - touch of class there) and adjustable screen time for each shot (so you can skip past that one of you in the ill-fitting beachwear). Video clips can also be run - and with sound via the integrated speakers.

There's also a remote to skip thorugh the images, which can be up to 12 megapixels each. It''s compatible with virtually all of the common memory cards and file formats and comes with two different frames - silver and wood. It'ss technology for the living room - though whether it adds any class to your living space is open to question.

Available now for around £150.

Find out more

More photo frames:
Parrot Bluetooth Photo Viewer
Picture frame TV aerial

One Minute Video Review: Nikon D80

I managed to grab one of the D80 launch samples at the launch yesterday and shot this quick preview video out in the hallway. It's not the most polished bit of video you're likely to encounter, but it does give you an idea of the size of the new camera and some of the features it's going to include.

Nikon D80 - a high end digital SLR for the consumer market

Those of you who've just splashed out on a Nikon D70 should probably avert your eyes. This upgrade from Nikon offers 10.2mp (up from the D70's 6mp), a 2.5-inch screen (up from 2-inch), a broader ISO range (100-1600) and all kinds of in-camera editing fun for consumers including red eye removal, D-Lighting (one of Nikon's Coolpix features that lets you improve the lighting of a shot after you've snapped it) and image overlay. You can shoot up to 3fps for 100 shots and it'll fire up in 0.18 seconds. 

The design has been tweaked as well, with a few buttons being added and the others having a bit of a re-jig. It's also a lot smaller than the D70 - more in keeping with the D50 in fact - plus it uses SD cards rather than CF (with support for SD HC cards). This is partly to position the camera more in the consumer market, but also partly due to the fact that Nikon obviously feel that SD is where it's at for memory cards these days.

The body alone will cost you £699.99 and with the 18-70 lens it'll cost you £899.99. The D70 will stay on sale until the end of the year, but the D80 will be on sale from the start of September. Anyone who pre-orders in August will get an SD card chucked in gratis as a goodwill gesture for those migrating from the D70.

Nikon D80 Product Page

How to: mount your digital camera on your motorcycle for £3

MAKE is one of the best publications on the web, and frequently blogs amazingly useful and inexpensive How Tos. This time they've posted a video of how to make a cheap camera mount for your motorcycle for only £3. Not only does this let you use your hog as a preposterously expensive tripod, more interestingly it allows you to put your camera in video mode and shoot footage (pixelage?) as you barrel around at insanely high speed doing crazy things that require both hands. Originally posted at Knick-Knack. [GT]

How to make a cheap camera mount for your motorcycle for only £3 [via MAKE]

Related stories: Build your own solar thermal panel for £2 at Hippyshopper | TechReviews - a new kind of gadgets website | How to beat the iPod

Pentax adds to Optio range with W20 waterproof digital camera

Like the style of the Pentax Optio S7 (announced last month) but need some waterproofing too? Then the Optio W20 may be the camera for you.

It looks as if it features much the same specs as its land-loving cousin, such as 7 megapixels, Blur Reduction, face recognition, 3x optical zoom, 2.5 inch LCD monitor, video capture, and over 21Mb of built-in memory, but with this baby you'll be shooting coral reefs and dolphins...

Well, so long as they're not 5 feet below the surface, and no more than 30 minutes at a time. OK so it's not a deep-sea diving companion, but it's still good. Available September, there are no fixed prices yet, but probably will come in at under US$300.

Pentax website

Review: Fujifilm F30 Zoom

Fujifilm doesn’t believe that megapixels are a particularly good way of gauging the quality of digital cameras now that we’re rapidly soaring into six, seven and eight megapixels in the compact range. And unless you’re a professional photographer or want to print out you pics in poster sizes, it probably has a good point.

The Fujifilm F30 Zoom is therefore taking a new tack by offering a massive sensitivity of ISO 3200, which is many times greater than most of its rivals and previously unheard of in a compact. With this level of sensitivity, you can happily snap away in those dingy places where people tend to socialise without either the bleaching effect of flash or the blurring effect you can get with long exposures.