Mobile Devices

Posted Jan 23rd 2008 4:35PM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Displays Coming in squarely at the opposite end of the spectrum of the monster 1080p projector it showed off at CES, LG has now let loose its new, mostly business-minded DX540B model, although it appears to be confined to Korea for the time being. If that doesn’t preclude you, you can look for this one to boasts a standard XGA resolution, along with the ability to “scale up” to SVGA+ (or 1400 x 1050), plus some seemingly decent specs all around, including 4,000 ANSI lumens and a 2,800:1 contrast ratio. If that meets your needs, you can apparently snag one now for a mere 2.9 million Korean Won, or just about $3,000.

[Via About Projectors]

We’re not saying pixel count matters anymore, or that anyone can tell the difference between an 8-megapixel shot and a 10-megapixel shot anyway, but if you want something unusual to brag about, the Pentax Optio S12 is certainly unique. The $280 camera has a 12-megapixel sensor not a whole lot else—that tiny little 5-oz. body measures 3.6″ x 2.2″ with a thickness of just under an inch. As you can expect, it’s got just a 3x optical zoom lens and a rather nice 232,00-pixel 2.5″ LCD, but sadly, in spite of its massive image sensor it only records VGA movies. I’m still trying to guess what it would be best for, besides cocktail party conversation, besides making massive poster-sized images of close-up subjects on the fly. Detailed specs and another picture after the jump. [Pentax]

CAMERA HARDWARE

MODEL: Optio S12
TYPE: Ultra-compact digital camera
PRODUCT CODE:
Silver: 17021, UPC: 027075139428
Black: 17041, UPC: 027075139473

SENSOR
Type: 1/1.7″ interline transfer CCD w/ primary color filter
Effective pixels: 12.0 MP
Total pixels: 12.4 MP
Recorded resolutions
Still: 4000×3000 (12M), 3648×2736 (10M), 3072×2304 (7M), 2592×1944 (5M), 2048×1536 (3M), 1024×768 (1024), 640×480 (VGA)
Movie: 640×480 (VGA), 320×240 (QVGA)
Quality levels:  Best,  Better,  Good

LENS
Type/construction: smc Pentax zoom lens, 7 elements, 5 groups (2 dual sided aspherical elements, 1 single sided aspherical element)
Optical zoom: 3x
Focal length (equiv.): 7.9-23.7mm (37-111mm)
Digital zoom: 6x
Combined zoom: 18x
Intelligent zoom: Approx 3.3x at 10M, 3.9x at 7M, 4.6x at 5M, 5.7x at 3M, 11.4x at 1024, 17.9x at VGA
Aperture: f/2.8-5.4

LCD/VIEWFINDER
LCD screen: 2.5″ TFT color LCD with LCD Bright Mode and anti-reflective coating
LCD coverage: TBA
LCD resolution: 232,000 dots
Wide angle viewable: YES
Optical viewfinder: n/a

FOCUS SYSTEM
Type: TTL contrast detection autofocus w/ AF assist lamp
Autofocus: 5 point autofocus, spot/tracking autofocus available
Manual focus: YES
Macro focus: YES, macro and super macro available
Focus lock: YES, by pressing the shutter release button half way
Focus range
Normal: 1.15′ to infinity
Macro: 0.39-1.31′ (wide)
Super Macro: 0.20-0.49′ (wide)
Manual: TBA

FLASH
Type: Built-in series-control auto flash
Flash modes: Auto, flash on, flash off, redeye, soft
Effective range: Approx 22′ (wide, auto ISO), 11′ (tele, auto ISO)

STORAGE MEDIA
Internal memory: 21 MB
Removable memory: SD, SDHC

INTERFACES
Ports: USB 2.0 hi-speed, AV out, DC in
Video out: NTSC, PAL
Printer interfaces: PictBridge

POWER SUPPLY
Power source: Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI68
Recordable images: Approx 270
Playback time: Approx 270 min
Movie recording time: Approx 80 min
Audio recording time: Approx 220 min
AC adapter available: YES (optional)

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions (W x H x D): 3.6 x 2.2 x 0.9″
Weight
Without battery or removable memory: 4.6 oz
Loaded and ready: 5.3 oz
Construction material(s): TBA
Operating temperature: 32-104°F

TIMING
Startup: Approx 2.1s
Release lag: Approx 0.006s

LANGUAGE SUPPORT
English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Russian, Thai, Korean, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, Japanese

IMAGE CAPTURE

IMAGE STABILIZATION
Still: Digital SR Mode (auto up to 3200 ISO)
Movie: Movie SR Mode

METERING SYSTEM
Type: TTL
Multi-segment: YES
Center weighted: YES
Spot: YES
Exposure compensation: +/- 2 EV (1/3 steps)

ISO SENSITIVITY
Auto: 64-3200 (3200 in Digital SR mode), auto range adjustable
Manual: 64-3200 (3200 in Digital SR mode)

WHITE BALANCE
Auto preset modes: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent
Manual mode(s): YES

SHUTTER
Type: TBA
Shutter speed: 1/2000 to 1/4 sec (4 sec available in Night Scene mode)

CAPTURE MODES
Mode selection: Auto Picture (xxxx, xxxx, xxxx, xxxx), Program, Shutter Priority, Manual, Night Scene, Movie, Voice Recording, Landscape, Flower, Natural Skin Tone, Portrait, Half Length Portrait (3M), Kids, Digital SR (5M), Sport, Surf & Snow, Pet, Text, Food, Frame Composite (3M), Dynamic Range Adjustment (auto and manual adjustments)
Green simplified mode available: YES
Face recognition available: YES, up to 15 faces in all modes, face selector available
P/A/S/M/B: P, S, M
Date stamp: YES (not available in Green Mode)
Digital filters (capture): n/a

DRIVE MODES
Mode selection: One shot, self timer (10s, 2s), continuous, remote control (3s, 0s), multi-exposure (5M)
Continuous FPS: Approx 1.47 FPS
Self-timer: YES (10s, 2s)
Remote control: YES, infrared (3s, 0s), remote optional

PLAYBACK MODES
Mode selection: One shot, index (9 thumbnails), magnification, movie playback, sound playback, histogram, select & delete, calendar
Mode pallet: Slideshow, resize, trimming, image & sound copy, image rotation, color filter, digital filter, brightness filter, movie edit, redeye edit, voice memo, protect, DPOF, startup image, frame composite (3M)
Magnification: Up to 8x, scrollable
Digital filters (playback): Color filters (13), digital filters (5), brightness
Movie edit: Save as still image, movie divide, movie extract

FILE FORMATS
Still: JPG (EXIF 2.2), DCF 2.0 (design rule for camera file system), DPOF, Print Image Matching III
Movie: AVI (DivX with MPG-4), 30 FPS w/ sound, Movie SR
Sound: WAV (PCM), monaural

FILE STORAGE MATRIX (BASED ON 1GB MEMORY)
STILL   
4000×3000 (12M) 201 291 404
3648×2736 (10M) 242 350 486
3072×2304 (7M) 342 495 685
2592×1944 (5M) 481 695 963
2048×1536 (3M) 728 1053 1458
1024×768 (1024) 1856 2682 3714
640×480 (VGA) 3405 4918 6811
MOVIE   
VGA (640×480) H:M:S 0:46:00 0:57:38 1:09:11
QVGA (320×240) H:M:S 2:57:56 3:41:03 4:14:52
SOUND H:M:S 17:11:28

COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS*
*For device connectivity. Bundled software requirements may vary.
Windows: TBA
Mac: TBA
KIT INCLUSIONS
Optio S12, USB Cable I-USB7, AV Cable I-AVC7(B), Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI68, Battery Charge Cradle D-BC68(C), AC Plug Cord, Strap O-ST20, Software TBA
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
AC Adapter Kit K-AC63U, Battery Charger Kit K-BC68U, PTX-210-LHM Leather Case, PTC-L45 Small Nylon Case, Remote Control E (w/ zoom), Remote Control F, Optio Extended Warranty (2 year)

Techdirt links to an article by criminal law professor Adam Gershowitz about the frightening prospect of police searching your text messages if you get stopped for a traffic infraction. Ever heard of the doctrine of “search incident to arrest?” Such a seach may not be limited to text messages — how about everything on your cell phone, including browsing history, emails, and voicemails?

I haven’t read the full article yet; I’m just not ready to look at it. Fourth Amendment issues make me a little crazy.

This was built a few months ago, but we just heard about it today courtesy of Jean-Luc Picard’s ancestor Steve. The guy who made this hooked up an Xbox 360 to one of those XFPS adapters that let you use a mouse and keyboard on your 360, then hooked it up to a custom microcontroller using a Samsung Q1 UMPC, then hooked it up to a PC with Wiimote drivers, then connected a Wiimote to it. The result: an ability to control an FPS game on the 360 with the Wiimote and Nunchuk attachment. The best part is that the creator’s documented the process so you can build your own if you really feel the need to play Halo with a Wiimote (and have money to buy a Samsung UMPC). [Live]

CNET UK reviews the Nokia E51 and writes, “Picture quality from the 2-megapixel camera is grainy when blown up but fine for MMS messages and small prints. You can also record video using the E51’s camera but don’t expect to shoot a hi-def short film.”

Read more about the Nokia E51.

Having a voice recorder around can be pretty handy since you will be able to keep vocal notes of your thoughts on-the-fly. Panasonic has just rolled out a couple of new models - the RR-US950-K and RR-US750-S. Both are powered by a single AAA battery and comes with USB interface and MP3 recording capability. I’m interested in the 4x Zoom Microphone - imagine being able to pick up noises from further away without putting in the extra effort. In essence, the Zoom Microphone will force both mics on the Dictaphone to focus its recording on a single direction by doing away with surrounding left and right sound.

This is the alarm clock that is guaranteed to wake you up!

Nobody sleeps through this!

It wakes you up by firing four puzzle pieces up in the air, and then it is your task to get the pieces and put them back in the alarm clock - it won’t turn off until then.

You can pick one of these for $97

[Product Page] [Via]

Although Yahoo! is refusing to comment on the rumors, articles in both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal are suggesting Yahoo! is about to lay off hundreds of staff.

The reason for the cuts is the company is attempting to streamline itself in certain areas to make it more competitive against its main rivals. It is also thought, however, that the staff numbers will not remain reduced for long, with the company planning to hire new employees, but in different areas of the company.

The only statement Yahoo! released on the matter so far is as follows:

Yahoo continues to attract and hire talent against the company’s key initiatives to create long-term stockholder value.

An official announcement as to how many and where the job losses will occur isn’t expected until Tuesday January 29. It will then coincide with details of its fourth-quarter earnings.

Read more at the IDG News Service.

Matthew’s Opinion

Yahoo! needs to handle this situation well so as not to scare new talent away from working at the company. Reading the rumors in haste makes it look like Yahoo! is dumping staff to try and retain profitability, but what it really looks like is the company taking stock and realizing it needs to change things around a bit.

If that’s the case, then it surely is the right thing to do. When you are competing against the likes of Google and Microsoft, you have to remain agile in your business practices. You also need to be a very forward thinking company–predicting and setting the next online trends.

Next Tuesday may not hold very good news for Yahoo!, but it does show that the management are at least attempting to take action and retain the company’s competitiveness.

I like this Kensington Bluetooth USB Micro Adapter as it is small enough to remain in your laptop to be stored in a bag without having to detach it or run the risk of breaking it on your travels. On the flipside, it is probably too small for most, and that makes it the perfect candidate to be misplaced wherever you go. It complies with Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR and supports A2DP wireless stereo streaming for those who cannot live without music. If your laptop does not yet have Bluetooth capability (because you were to cheap to realize your folly), the Kensington Bluetooth USB Micro Adapter can be picked up for $40.

Zune owners take note, Microsoft has dropped the latest update for the Zune, the software update which is 2.3 will include lots of fixes, but sadly not any new features. With a slight confusion possible with the ‘2.3’, this is not the previously released firmware update 2.3. The software update 2.3 includes “performance enhancements around set-up, sync and as always general reliability.”

Via [Zune Insider]