Gadgets Blog

Our dreams of the perfect, barebones camera come a step closer to being answered. Ricoh’s GR Digital II has been fully tested at the Photography Blog and the conclusion is that, while there are flaws, it delivers great pictures and is a joy to use.

Probably the most important for a serious photographer, the GR II shoots RAW. Adobe DNG RAW, which means no pesky compatibility problems with processing software. The camera does struggle to record these files to a memory card, though, with a write time of up to four seconds and no real burst mode (you can squeeze off two shots before the camera locks up).

Noise at settings above ISO 400 is a problem, too, although not surprising as Ricoh has squeezed 10.3 million pixels onto a sub-APS sized CCD chip. Another possible problem for those too lazy to get up and walk is the lack of a zoom. The GR II comes with a fixed 28mm lens. The prime glass should make for better images, though, and it also allows a fairly fast maximum aperture of ƒ2.4.

Ricoh has also decided to leave out an optical viewfinder. This seems like a serious omission until you realize that you can buy an accessory viewfinder for the hot-shoe slot. It seems even less important when you consider just how crappy are the optical viewfinders in other compact cameras (we’re looking at you, Canon G9). The camera costs $700. This makes it more expensive than many DSLRs, and the same price as Sigma’s 2003 throwback, the DP-1. It’s still not the perfect pocket camera, but it’s baby steps, people, baby steps.

Review page [Photography Blog]

OK kids, get off the Kool-Aid.  AT&T, no matter how cool (or lame) you think they are, is not going to subsidize the second coming of the phone that made people sleep in streets to be first in line to get it.  There are probably a lot more than four reasons, but these four make a pretty solid case.

Reason 1: If we are to believe the current crop of improvements over the orignal: thinner, new color, GPS, 3G, Exchange-friendly and 3rd party app groupie; anyone really believe either company is going to offer it for less than the current price?  Frankly, I’ll be astonished (and rethinking my AAPL stock purchase) if they don’t introduce a new higher price point.

Reason 2: We paid the ridiculous opening price in droves.  We basically told Apple, you make it and we’ll buy it, no matter the cost.  Maybe they won’t hit targets this way with the mass populous, but the fun loving ipod (sans Shuffle) isn’t below $149 for a reason.  Apple knows we are willing to pay, why would they leave money on the table?

Reason 3: AT&T’s exclusive deal with Apple isn’t over yet.  When it is, you bet they’ll compete on price.  Until then, it is a potential cash cow that they’ll milk whilst they can.

Reason 4: I don’t believe Apple will stop selling the first gen iphone.  There are enough people that still live without GSM coverage and don’t care about GPS or being thin.  AT&T could offer the first gen with a discount and place the gen 2 at the old price (or slightly higher) with no big change other than more sales of gen 1.  I bet a lot of folks would jump on that gravy train and I am sure AT&T has some kind of marketing analysis to back that up.  iPhone 1 at $199 with the SDK fruit is a pretty compelling argument for folks who’ve been on the fence.

What is your take?  Or are you hopped up on the “K” (as we call Kool-Aid on the street)?

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TomTom, adding to their plethora of nice GPS units, recently introduced the new TomTom XL330S. This GPS seems to be a basic GPS, but still offering lots of nice features.

Some of the main features include a 4.3-inch touchscreen, text-to-speech functionality, revamped audio quality, and EasyPort. Basically, EasyPort is a new addition that allows the mount to fold into the GPS, allowing the driver to not have to leave the mount on the windshield. If you are worrying about the mount causing it to be bulky, you’ll be pleased to know that it still remains small, and should not be bulky at all. So far, there are a few other GPS units that have been added into the XL lineup, however, this is one of the main ones.

No word on exactly availability date, however, it is set to cost a meager $300. It looks to be a nice little GPS that gets the job done, while maintaining high quality.

Via [NaviGadget]

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The new LG 32LG5000 looks to be a very attractive mid size HDTV. The 32LG5000 has a nice price point of around £525, and it’s design speaks for it’s self. The high gloss black finish with subtle sliver line at the base makes the set look very much at home with highend, high price point HDTVs. The LG 32LG5000 has a 32-inch LCD screen resolution of 1366×768 pixels which is more than enough for a HDTV of this size.

It also supports 1080p/24p from it’s three HDMI 1.3 inputs. 24p support on the set will provide smooth, true 24fps playback of film content for the best viewing. The HDMI 1.3 inputs also support Deep Color encoded content. A very high quoted dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1 provides a very good range of colours with deep black levels, while LG’s XD image processing engine does a great job of both upscaling SD contact and accepting full 1080p HD signals. TrustedReviews say, colours are enjoyably intense during a play of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 on the Xbox 360 too, yet tones are also pleasingly natural when watching more ‘naturalistic’ video footage, such as a standard def drama. The 32LG5000 offers far more design and feature appeal than you’ve any right to expect for under £600.

For a very well priced HDTV the LG 32LG5000 also offers a nice selection of video inputs. There are three HDMI 1.3 inputs, along with component, s-video, scart, a PC VGA input, and also digital audio out for an external sound system.

IOGEAR has just rolled out some more desktop peripherals that aim to enhance productivity at the office, expanding its KVM product line in order to enable consumers to share multiple computers and USB 2.0 peripherals while viewing graphics in optimal quality. Both the IOGEAR 2- and 4-Port KVMP Switches with USB 2.0 hub and 2.1 Stereo target small and home office users, helping them share USB 2.0 peripherals like printers and scanners over multiple computers. Definitely a novel way to reduce operational costs in your organization, and while this isn’t exactly a new method, it is good to see IOGEAR not abandon this market. One of the main advantages of controlling several machines with a single keyboard and mouse is the ability to further reduce energy consumption. An improvement over older generation KVM switches is the ability to enable audio enthusiasts to groove to their favorite tunes, programs and audio clips through PC speakers since 2.1 stereo sound is supported.

The 2- and 4-Port KVMP Switches are known by their respective model numbers GCS1802 and GCS1804, will retail for $199.95 and $299.95. As for gamers and graphic designers, the IOGEAR 4-Port Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switch (GCS1204, retailing for $449.95) is able to supports up to a whopping 3,840 X 2,400 resolution, allowing easy viewing of extremely high resolution graphics that would normally appear distorted or even blurry on other devices with lesser resolutions. I find that rather strange though, as serious gamers are often not an impoverished lot, so it wouldn’t really make sense to share a display with other folks in the house, what more gaming at the office.

Do try to purchase these from IOGEAR’s website since the company has agreed to plant a tree for every product sold on its site or by members of its GREEN initiative partner program. The main goal? To plant one million trees (while making a handsome profit - a win-win situation for all).

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The Wireless Display Electronic Scale doesn’t force you to sit (or should I say, stand) for an impromptu eye examination each time you want to know your weight, thanks to a wireless remote digital display unit that comes with each purchase.

Accurate electronic scale has a wireless, remote digital display unit that can be removed and wall-mounted or handheld for easier reading. Sleek, heavy-duty glass platform and large, easy-to-read LCD display with clock and alarm. Automatic on/off. Maximum capacity: 400 lbs. Uses 6 AA batteries (not included).

This nifty device can be purchased for $39.99 a pop and would make for a pretty interesting housewarming gift.

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LG enV(2) is available now online at www.verizonwireless.com and at more than 2,400 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation, including those at Circuit City. It is a successor to the popular enV, the new enV(2) gets a makeover with slimmer design and sophisticated black or maroon finish. It features the V CAST Music and Video, VZ Navigator(SM), Bluetooth capabilities, dual speakers and a 2.0 megapixel camera. Its QWERTY keypad with large sized external keys makes messaging easy, while its 2.4-inch internal screen offers crisp, crystal-clear videos and images. More specs available after the break.
[ Source ]

I don’t know about you, but somehow many people still equate Asians, especially the Chinese, to be too thrifty for their own good. I suppose it is payback time for Microsoft as they are working on price cuts for its Xbox 360 console in Asia, trimming the recommended retail price by a measly 5% to nearly 20% in a quartet of areas throughout the region. South Korea benefits the least with a 5% cut, while Taiwan’s 20GB model will receive a 17% discount. Singapore benefits the most from this price revision exercise with a 19.5% drop. As for Sony, they took the opposite route in Singapore by raising its 40GB PS3 price to $394. Guess accountants from those two companies are busy trying to predict the impact of these price moves, while Nintendo execs sit back and continue smiling smugly knowing that their Wii and DS will still sell well at the current pricing that has remained unchanged for a fair bit now.

Source: Crave

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Need space?

This DualBay USB 2.0 external enclosure combines up to 2x SATA I or SATA II 1000 gigabyte (GB) hard disks each for a massive 2.0 terabyte (TB). The Dual Bay SATA Hot Swap JOBD Enclosure supports two hard drives of different sizes, brand & RPM so no need to waste puny smaller hard drives. A built-in powerful 4 x 4cm fan, provides excellent cooling and reliable operation. Also, the One Touch Backup and Secure Door with lock to ensure the safety of your precious data.

Gimmie!

Suggested Price: $64.99

Posted in Computers, Gizmo of the Day

Wired reviews the Motorola Z9 and writes, “The 2-megapixel camera isn’t bad either. Colors aren’t spectacular and the shutter lag is a bit pronounced. Still, it’s decent — you can definitely tell what you’re looking at…Would I recommend the Z9? Too soon to tell, definitely. I’m leaning towards “yes” but only if I can get past the ill-conceived button design. We’ll see how it goes in another day or so.”

Read more about the Motorola Z9.