Samsung rolls text messaging and HSDPA into digicam

While some people are still fiddling with yesteryear's Wi-Fi shooters, Samsung has gone ahead to add texting capabilities and HSDPA support to its VLUU i70 digital camera, according to a report by TrustedReviews.

The VLUU i70 will be equipped with a 7.2-megapixel CCD, 3-inch LCD screen, Advanced Shake Reduction (ASR) and double as a portable media player. We think it's the i70 announced at CES, on steroids. If that is true, then the camera should also come with face recognition AE/AF functions, record 720 x 480-pixel MPEG-4 movies and have a maximum ISO 1,600 setting.

No word on when this Samsung will be available outside kimchi land, but being able to upload decent-quality pictures without being confined to a hotspot as well as send text messages with our snaps sound like good news. All we have to do now is wait.

Dopod U1000 (HTC Athena) to debut in Taiwan next week

Handheld maker Dopod has announced plans to introduce HTC's first ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), the Athena, in the Taiwan market next week. According to a DigiTimes report, the launch of the new Windows Mobile device has come earlier than expected as market sources were anticipating it to be released only at the end of Q1 2007.

It will be marketed as the Dopod U1000 and is also slated to roll out in other parts of Asia outside of Taiwan.

The QWERTY-enabled U1000 sports an impressive specs list, comprising top-of-the-line features like a Intel PXA270 624MHz processor, HSDPA, GPS, 5-inch touchscreen VGA display, 3-megapixel camera and 8GB hard drive. Equally impressive is the device's sticker price: NT$39,900 (US$1,211) to own the U1000. Stay tuned for more updates.

Via PhoneDaily and DigiTimes.

Olympus goes trippy with new cameras

Several new Olympus models were disclosed on dpreview January 25, ahead of the embargo at 1300 hours GMT imposed on the media (and we wonder why). Stealing the limelight is the SP-550 UZ and the Mju 770 SW. The 7.1-megapixel ultrazoom camera boasts an 18x optical zoom that begins at a wide 28mm angle, with CCD shift-type image stabilization and a 15 frames-per-second burst mode (1.2-megapixel resolution) thrown in as goodies.

Extreme photographers also have something to smile about. The Mju 770 SW is the latest upgrade to the company's range of tough cameras, with the ability to dive 10m underwater and withstand temperatures of up to minus 10 degrees Celsius. That's not all. This Mju can also survive 1.5m drops and a maximum load of 100kg.

Five other cameras were announced including the Mju 760 with dual image stabilization (CCD shift and high ISO settings) and the FE-250 with a maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 10,000 (no mistake here) at 3-megapixel resolution. Click here for the list of upcoming Olympus digicams.

Olympus Singapore was unable to comment with regard to the embargo issue. While we're still waiting for local availability and pricing details, the SP-550 UZ is estimated to cost US$499.99 and the Mju 770SW is expected to squeeze US$399.99 from your pockets.

Olympus SP-550 UZ first take
Olympus Mju 770SW first take

A US$24,000 mouse

World's most expensive mouse? This insanely blinged-out rodent comes from Swiss company Pat Says Now, procurer of weird and wondrous mice, which is offering a diamond-studded affair on its site at an ice-cool sticker of US$24,000. Just in case you doubt the Diamond Flower's authenticity, it's rubber stamped with a certificate swearing to the veracity of all 59 diamonds on an 18k-carat white gold casing. Your choice of black or white trim. So does anyone care whether it's optical or not? Right, stupid question.

See bigger image | diamonds up close | other range

Price: US$24,180
Availability: At Pat Says Now
Device: Mouse
Specs: Three-year warranty, three-button wheel, via USB or PS/2, PC or Mac system, 800dpi resolution

Motorola unveils new KRZR, RIZR and Q2

The world's number two mobile phone maker has offered a sneak peak of its latest handsets to be announced at the upcoming 3GSM World Congress held in Spain. In the lineup will be 3G variants of the KRZR and RIZR as well as EDGE and HSDPA versions of the Q.

The 3G-enabled KRZR K3 sports a similar design and feature set as the original KRZR K1, except that it comes with a second VGA camera for video calls. The RIZR Z8 appears to be a 3G upgrade to the earlier RIZRs, with a slight cosmetic change in colors.

Motorola will also be introducing new additions in its Q smart phone lineup, namely the much-anticipated GSM version Moto Q EDGE, as well as Q2, which will come in HSDPA and EV-DO flavors. Expect also to find a handful of new W-series handsets and new additions to the SCPL lineup at 3GSM.

Click here for larger images of the KRZR K3, RIZR Z8 and Moto Q EDGE.

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