BenQ unveils iPhone-like touchscreen camera

The Taiwanese manufacturer has just introduced what it claims is the world's thinnest 8-megapixel digital camera, the BenQ T850. Measuring a compact 14.9mm thick, the camera also sports a stainless steel casing, a large 3-inch LCD display, 3x optical zoom and high ISO 1,600 setting.

But while its imaging features are nothing to brag about, the T850's iPhone-like touchscreen capabilities stand out from the competition. According to the press release, users can access almost all the camera functions with three simple finger movements: Tap, circle and swipe. The swipe gesture (left to right across the screen), for instance, can be used to view images, while drawing a circle lets you enlarge a specific portion of an image. You can also tap on the display to specify exactly where you want the focus to be on an image, tap the bar to navigate when watching videos or listening to music, and even add scribbles and fun artwork to photos.

Other nifty features on the T850 include image stabilization and face detection modes, as well as various preset settings and a "Smile Catch" function that shoots in succession to capture that perfect smiling shot. The camera is expected to be launched mid-May in China and selected markets across Asia and Europe. No pricing was given.

Via BenQ and FarEastGizmos

Mickey wants your kid to shoot

Japanese camera accessories maker Kenko is slapping pictures of Disney characters on its new point-and-shoot, and it seems it is targeting kids or ardent fans of Mickey and his gang.

The DMC-50 comes with a 5.17-megapixel sensor, 2.4-inch LCD screen, 128MB of internal memory (with SD card expansion slot) and 4x digital zoom. That's right, boys and girls, this shooter doesn’t have a zoom lens. Compared with digicams in our Lab, this new kid on the block is asking to be ousted in terms of specifications.

But what's interesting is the rear interface--it looks like a portable game console, all the more encouraging us to presume that this snapper is for kids. At the very least, the design is still quite conventional, unlike Polaroid's kids cam.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, and we're not sure if you can get it from Kenko's Web site, too. Your best bet is to get someone who's going to Japan and check it out.

Nikon's my Picturetown available in selected Asia regions

Nikon's picture-storing and sharing site, my Picturetown, has finally made its way to Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and selected parts of Europe.

When the free service was launched last year, it was available only to users in the US and Japan. In April this year, the Japanese firm piled on additional features to the service and it is now ready to welcome more users.

Signing up is free and you get 2GB of storage space to store and view your images, including Nikon's proprietary RAW format, .NEF, which is viewed as JPEG on other computers. As with most cataloging applications, you can tag the photos for easy retrieval. Users can also create full-screen slideshows with music and direct linking of pictures to blogs or social-networking sites.

If you have a Wi-Fi-enabled Nikon camera like the Coolpix S51c or S52c, you can upload the images via a wireless hotspot to your my Picturetown account. So it makes more sense to use this service if you own one of these cameras.

There are heaps of image-storing Web sites like Picasa and Flickr, but none were created by camera manufacturers. Perhaps other companies should take a peek at Nikon's textbook and service their customers beyond the hardware.

Picture credit: Nikon

Bling on the camera

We've spotted a trend that whenever a new gadget is launched, eager hands will try to modify it. Geeks will tweak the hardware, while the more business-minded individuals give the gizmo an exterior overhaul. Hot items like the gold iPhone are asking for US$6,000, but I doubt I will even give these cameras a second look.

Marcy Merrill of Merrill Photography has given a spin to some vintage snappers by putting bling on them. Sequins, stones and fabrics have been pasted onto the camera bodies and these have formed the Gala Collection. Sure, it may raise a few eyebrows but definitely not envious ones. It may even make you the butt of all jokes if you are sported with one at a socialites' party.

I always try to stifle a burst of laughter when I see a dolled-up canine, but I cannot guarantee silence if I see anyone hailing these ugly shooters as their bling.

No prices are indicated on the Web site, so we guess you have to drop Merrill an email if you really want to get one.

China camera-phone boasts Samsung's sensor and Canon's image processor

Technological wonders from China never cease to amaze us. For the pirates and copycats, mimicking the exterior is not enough, they now raid the names of the big boys and slap these onto their products.

An eagle-eyed colleague alerted us to the K-Touch C280 which supposedly uses Canon's DIGIC III image processor, the latest engine found in the EOS 450D and IXUS 80 IS. This baffled us because we don't understand why the Japanese firm would lease its secret to a China phone manufacturer. As of press time, we were unable to reach Canon for a comment, but we wouldn't dispute the fact that there could be collaboration between the two companies.

Tech blog Engadget went even further to speculate that the C280 "might very well be using a CMOS sensor from Samsung". If this is true, then the 8-megapixel camera-phone would have combined some of the best technologies in the market, giving point-and-shoot units a run for their money when launched.

For us, we're taking this with a pinch of salt, especially after so many reports of iPhone lookalikes.

Photo credit: Aving.net

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