Seiko's SlimStick is your new fitness companion

Forget the regular pedometer. If you want to keep track of your daily fitness, Seiko may have the ideal device for you.

The 15g SlimStick, about the size of a pack of gum, does more than count the number of steps in your workout. Thanks to its built-in dual-axis accelerometer, it can also track the magnitude of your movement, thereby monitoring the total exercise time and calories burned in a day. The Slim Stick even comes with built-in memory which stores up to 12 weeks of exercise data onboard.

The little gizmo measures just 64 x 20 x 8.9mm and comes in silver, pink and gold. It is powered by a CR1630 button Lithium battery that is rated to last for about eight months (on eight hours of usage a day). Users can either clip it to the clothes or simply put it in a pocket. The SlimStick is currently available only in Japan for between 5,775 yen (US$55) and 6,984 yen (US$67).

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Via technabob
Picture credit: AssistOn

Canon's price hike: Not happening in South and Southeast Asia

Last Thursday, Canon USA issued a letter to its dealers in the States that there would be an increase in dealership net price for most EF lenses, EOS/ PowerShot accessories and binoculars. This was due, it explained, to the increasing price of fuel as well as unfavorable currency exchange rates between the Japanese yen and US dollar. Come May 1, dealers could expect to pay 3 to 5 percent more for their orders on the stated products.

Photographers in Asia were concerned about this issue and whether they would have to pay more for their equipment in the future.

When contacted regarding this issue, Canon Singapore commented that it won't apply the price hike to retailers in South and Southeast Asia, and prices will remain the same to stay competitive in the region.

According to Canon Singapore, the countries under their jurisdiction not affected are: Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Thailand and Bhutan.

Correction: In the original story, we mentioned that the typically higher price of Canon's IS-enabled lenses, coupled with the recent price hike in the US, may be a factor in driving users to seek alternatives from other vendors. However, this has led several readers to incorrectly assume that the price hike is related to the use of optical image stabilizers in the lenses. We have since removed the section to avoid any misunderstandings.

Groovy Philips flat micro theater

Smaller and flatte--that's the way Philips likes it when it comes to the MCD299 micro home theater. For Bang & Olufsen Beosound 9000 wannabes, this may be your cheap ticket to owning something remotely similar for just S$529 (US$348.03). Consider that a bargain, too, with a four-disc changer for uninterrupted music and DVD movie playback, groovy motorized sliding door and Moto Razor phone-like metallic buttons.

We're only apparently touching on the surface here as this kit also covers JPEG, MP3 and WMA via CD or USB. Under the hood is a respectable 140W digital amplifier driving a pair of flat-panel speakers reinforced by a bass-centric subwoofer. What's not so "hot" is its onboard DTS decoding omission and a legacy component-video interface for TV output. Well, for that price, you can't always have the best of both worlds.

Photo credit: Philips

Camera-less Nokia E51 now available

We wrote about the non-camera version of the Nokia E51 back in February, and apparently, the handset is available now through MobileOne in Singapore. The camera-less model costs S$538 (S$20 cheaper than the original E51) without contract or S$148 if you sign a two-year plan with the operator. We are still waiting to hear from Nokia the regional availability of this E51 and will update when we know.

Folding balcony

Unusual idea aside, we're not entirely sure if this creation is even secure. What's anchoring it down? How high can this thing go? Is it even safe to contemplate two or more people sunbathing on it? What kind of wear-and-tear is there from all the moving parts? Why not just tack on a fixed balcony? Who's the space-saving for? Questions, questions. Though apparently, there's a preppy market for the BloomFrame--which won an award for Hofman Dujardin Architects--over in Sweden where old condos and buildings are now rediscovering a love for balconies. The Bloomframe allows homeowners to retrofit it to an existing wall where it poses as a picture window until you surprise your guests by telescoping it out into a balcony. All we can say is last one out is a scaredy cat.

Via Smart Stuff | Photo credit: Hofman Dujardin Architects

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