Beta version of Windows Mobile 6.0 leaked?

The new mobile OS from Microsoft, codenamed "Crossbow", has not been officially announced yet. But a link to a supposedly beta version of the new Windows Mobile platform is already being posted on MobileWhack. According to our sister site CNET.com, the software is "said to build out compatibility with Office 2007 and Exchange 12".

The Windows Mobile 6.0 platform is expected to be introduced in handhelds and smart phones later this year, replacing the current Windows Mobile 5.0. Check out more screenshots of the new operating system here. To see more of the user interface, you can also view a short video clip here.

Casio goes on megapixel high, skims on size

Unlike Samsung which usually employs an "overwhelm or biggest-fastest-tiniest" strategy, Casio is its usual gentle self when announcing new cameras--this time with the 10.1-megapixel Z1050 and the 7.2-megapixel Z75.

Both cameras are fairly mild upgrades to the current Z1000 and Z70 with support for SDHC flash media. By trimming the size of the LCD screen from 2.8 inches down to 2.6 inches, Casio has managed to shave a few "significant" grams off the Z1050. Maximum sensitivity, however, gets a boost to ISO 800. The thinner of the two--the Z75--has even less to talk about save for a slightly larger 2.6-inch LCD compared with the 2.5-inch panel on the Z70. No optical image stabilization like the V7 announced earlier at CES, though.

These two cameras are expected in Asia by the end of this first quarter.

Samsung goes into overdrive with i7, L74 Wide and NV11

Samsung's top echelons must have been working their engineers really hard. Camera dust from CES has barely settled and the Korean chaebol is already announcing three more new shooters to flood the market.

When was the last time you heard of a camera doubling as a tour guide? Never? Well, two of Samsung's cameras do exactly that. The i7 and the L74 Wide feature a built-in Tour Guide function that provides access to travel information covering 4,500 regions in 30 countries. If that's not enough, you can pump more tidbits into the 450MB internal memory which, frankly, is an awesome amount of space.

Both cameras are fitted with a large 3.0-inch touchscreen LCD and come with face recognition AF/AE functions. Here's the interesting bit: You can rotate the i7's screen. At neutral position, the camera doubles as a music player. Turn the panel 90 degrees and the shooter morphs into a portable media player; push it further and you'll have a camera that takes pictures and videos.

Paling in comparison with the i7 and the L74 Wide is the NV11 which features a 10-megapixel image sensor, 5x optical zoom, face recognition and a maximum ISO 1,600. No word on when these cameras will be available in Asia, but friends in the US can get the NV11 in May for about US$400. The L74 Wide ships this Spring with a suggested retail price of US$350.

On a totally separate note, either our eyes are playing tricks on us or our minds are still on vacation mode that the NV5 slipped past us unnoticed. Or perhaps we missed the announcement altogether. Other than the lack of an optical image stabilizer, the NV5 could almost be a replica of the NV7, with a 7.2-megapixel sensor, 7x optical zoom and 2.5-inch LCD.

BenQ W10000 rocks the boat!

BenQ has done it again! This time with its attractively priced W10000 full-HD projector going for a ridiculous S$7,999 (US$5,262.50)! This pricing is thousands of dollars off from its closest DLP counterpart and dangerously close to unseating the affordability champion from its rival LCD camp.

An upgraded model based on its award-winning PE8720, the W10000 offers an identical feature set to the former, including the renowned DCDi video-processing plus updated capabilities. Most notable is the DarkChip3 engine for a native 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution and future-proofed 1080p HDMI.

Another interesting addition is the provision for Imaging Science Foundation (ISF)-certified calibration. This should appeal to purists with an eye for Hollywood-tuned hues, made possible by onsite video calibration services provided by trained ISF professionals.

Expect the BenQ W10000 to hit Singapore retail shelves in mid-February.
More info here

Swatch Air Tube Watch

Don't write Swatch off just yet. The brand, which at one time was too hot to wear in Asia, is contemporizing its digital watches. First up is the Air Tube Watch. You'd think that borrowing from the bicycle pump would be a rather pedestrian design move. But the result from designer Lawrence Dawes is a surprisingly sleek bracelet watch in various strap motifs. Though, hopefully, the Swiss company does something about the irksomely loud tick-tock mechanism which has driven not a few Swatch owners nuts, including yours truly.

(The images have been removed on the request of the designer as he writes that Swatch Ltd. has not authorized the use of its trademark for the Swatch Air Tube watch.)

Via Yanko Design

Price: N.A.
Availability: N.A.
Device: Timepiece
Specs: N.A.

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