Panasonic's new Lumix sets a new entry-level pricing

Panasonic's first announcement in its buildup to PMA this year is the launch of its latest entry-level model, the DMC-LS80. Now before you dismiss the LS80 as yet another run-of-the-mill point-and-shoot with 8-megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom and 2.5-inch LCD display, just take a look at its price tag.

According to Panasonic Singapore, the LS80 is expected to retail in Asia for just S$299 (US$219.85), which if this holds true, is a bloody good price for a compact shooter with optical image stabilizer (in Panasonic's case, its proprietary Mega O.I.S.).

The LS80 also offers several interesting features which Panasonic claims will make it really easy to capture good images. We've picked out four of these:

Intelligent ISO control: Said to minimize motion blur by automatically adjusting the ISO and shutter speed settings in reponse to the motion and light conditions.

Quick AF system: Which starts focusing on the subject before you half-press the shutter button, speeding up the autofocusing process.

Auto Macro mode: Aims to automatically switch to the macro mode when shooting closeups.

Other key features: These include high ISO settings (up to ISO 6400), SDHC card support and WVGA video recording at 30fps.

The Lumix hits US retail shelves in February. We're waiting for more word on availability for Asia.

Nokia adds French flair to its 7900 Crystal Prism

We aren't sure why Nokia's product announcements are coming in drips and drabs these days. Here's another one that's more drab than drib. The 7900 Crystal Prism doesn't have a lot to offer and the only reason anyone would get this instead of the earlier 7900 Prism is the sapphire crystal center key. Although the back cover and wallpapers are said to be designed by avant-garde artist Frédérique Daubal, it still doesn't take away the oddity of the triangular-shaped keys.

While we applaud Nokia for pushing the design envelope, there's such a thing as finding a balance between form and function. However, if you are a diehard Nokia fan, you'll probably dismiss what we've just written as baloney. So for those of you, the phone will be available in Asia this quarter. Pricing to be determined.

Upgraded LinkTheater streams HD recordings

Japanese company Buffalo has just released a firmware upgrade for its current series of LinkTheater multimedia streamers. The latest update enables the wired LT-H90LAN and wireless LT-H90WN to stream MPEG-4-AVC recordings from Sony's BDZ-X90 and BDZ-L70 Blu-ray recorders. That is in addition to it current suite of HD video format supports which range from AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) to Windows Media Video.

It's just a shame that these streamers are strictly for the Japanese market. Likewise for the Sony recorders. Tough luck, folks.

Click for larger images:



Via Akihabara News | Photo credit: Buffalo

33 things to complain about

From air travel to electronic spam, it seems that the more time technology is supposed to save us, the less time we actually end up having.

Wired Magazine made a list of 33 things that suck which we can all empathize with, unless you live the life of an aesthetic hermit. In which case you won't even be reading this article in the first place. We love how they broke down the annoyances and tried to explain why it happens... though our fingers are crossed for a more useful article on how to fix it.

But for the more optimistic among you, check out the list of things which do not suck as well.

Tiny iPod speaker packs a punch

We talked about the X-mini capsule speakers a couple of months back, a tiny accordion-like gadget which produced sound volume you won't have expected from its diminutive form factor. Now here's another product that could rival it, the Dancing Cube portable mini speaker.

You'd probably have guessed from the photo that the design of this model isn't quite as interesting as the X-mini's. Though it also has that accordion-style pull-out so that there's more space for sound to resonate, it's nowhere as cute as the capsule speakers. In fact, we would go as far as to say that it's bordering on ugly. The makers most likely went with function over form for the Dancing Cube, and they sure did squeeze in quite a number of features in it.
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