High-def video comes to two new Kodak cameras

Kodak kicks off its fall lineup with two new cameras that pack a lot of resolution into a pocketable package. The camera company just announced the EasyShare V1233 and V1253, a pair of compact 12-megapixel cameras that focus on portability and simplicity.

Measuring just 23.4mm deep each, both models feature the same 12-megapixel sensor, 37 to 111mm-equivalent f/3.4-5.3 lens, face detection autofocus/autoexposure, and HDTV compatibility (with optional dock). For once, this HDTV compatibility doesn't just mean you can show off your photos on your high-def TV; both the V1233 and V1253 offer high-definition video modes that can record 720p Quicktime movies at 30 frames per second.
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Toshiba Satellite X200: SLI gaming laptop

We've just had a hands-on session at IFA in Berlin with the new Toshiba Satellite X200 gaming laptop, a machine that does for 3D polygons what anabolic steroids does for Olympic sprinters. It makes them run damn fast--so fast in fact, you could be forgiven for thinking Toshiba was in league with Alienware--or the devil.

Two versions are available--one of which has a single Nvidia GeForce 8800M graphics card with 512MB of RAM. The other version packs two of these suckers linked in an SLI configuration, which is simply frightening.

The rest of the specs are impressive, too. The version we looked at includes a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 667MHz RAM, and a whopping 300GB hard drive. It also packs an HD-DVD drive, but don't get too carried away--the 17-inch screen only supports a max resolution of 1,680 x 1,050 pixels. If it's 1080p you're after, you'll need to pump the video signal through a HDMI cable to a suitable big TV.

Our cheeky bouts of Stalker and F.E.A.R were made all the more pleasant thanks to a funky Toshiba gaming keyboard, which connects via USB. This has a circular control pad to the far left, which houses the strafe keys and a set of customisable shortcut buttons. Also pictured is a set of 3D goggles that Toshiba hopes to launch early in 2008. They weren't set up properly, so we'll reserve judgment until we get some time alone with them.

We're digging the X200. The understated styling makes a change from the garish designs seen on many Alienware laptops, and it looks like it won't cost the Earth either. Prices start from £1,494 (S$4,588.98).

New Palm phone imminent

Something new is coming from Palm and it looks like it will be a new phone device. Over in Europe, a teaser site has already been launched with indications that there will be a new "Palm smartphone". The device is supposed to be "great for email, mobile internet, instant messaging, text and--with a full keyboard--saying what you really mean." Hmm, sounds like the pitch Palm has been using for every single Treo since the first one. Anyway, the point of the teaser site is that users in selected European countries can sign up online and stand to win five of these new devices.

The graphical outline of the smartphone looks similar to the leaked Centro images we've seen previously. Those earlier images show the Sprint brand on the device, which indicates that it operates in the CDMA network. This teaser is based in Europe, so it's safe to say whatever new phone device will be a GSM one. So, are we looking at one new Centro with GSM and CDMA variants? We'll find out on 12 September, which is the expected date for all to be revealed, according to the Palm Europe site.

Credit: Treonauts (via Engadget)

A new Pentax pairing

Pentax very quietly announced two new cameras. The first, an 8-megapixel model called the Optio Z10, marks new territory for Pentax with a sliding lens cover that moves sideways and, like the sliding covers on Sony cameras, turns the camera on and off. Sony often gets credit for the sliding lens cover design in digital cameras, but many compact film cameras incorporated sliding lens covers years before Sony started using them in its digital cameras.

While those film cameras often had mechanical issues due to their extending zoom lenses, this Pentax has an internally zooming refraction lens. The Z10's 7x optical, 38-266mm-equivalent f/3.5-5.4 zoom lens should provide plenty of reach, especially for such a compact camera, for capturing far-away subjects. The Z10 also sports a 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen, sensitivity of up to ISO 3,200, a Digital Wide function that can convert two images into an approximate equivalent of a 28mm wide-angle shot, and Pentax's Face Recognition system, which can detect up to 15 faces and uses them to set autofocus and exposure.
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WM6 for Treo, finally

It has happened for a few other countries already, but now, it is here for Asia. We're talking about the Windows Mobile 6 (WM6) upgrade for Palm's Treo 750 and 750v handhelds.

This announcement is especially important for 750v users. Even though it runs WM5 like the 750, only the latter comes with HSDPA connectivity. This upgrade will put both devices on level playing field, activating the 750v's currently inert HSDPA capabilities.

In a press release, Palm announced that the upgrade will be available on its Singapore Web site by the end of September. This upgrade will also be available in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India, but the timeline for release in these countries is still not confirmed

WM6 gives added functionality including Windows Live integration and makes it easier to use the device as a modem for notebooks. Emails can also be viewed and composed in HTML format.

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