Epson's pricey photo viewers present prettier pictures?

To accommodate all those high-resolution photos you've shot with your new (or old) dSLR, Epson has doubled the hard disk size of its Multimedia Photo Viewers. This year's models, the P-6000 and P-7000, offer 80GB and 160GB, respectively over the P-3000 and P-5000's 40GB and 80GB.


Though screen size and resolution hasn't changed from the previous models--4 inches at 640x480--they incorporate Epson's latest display technology, dubbed Photo Fine Premia. Though the technology remains basically the same--it combines red, blue and two green filters in a single pixel rather than spreading them across pixels--the company claims claims the new gamut covers 94 percent of the Adobe RGB color space compared to 88 percent for its Photo Fine Ultra predecessors. That would certainly make it attractive for dSLR shooters. (Like some other photo viewers, these support raw files in addition to JPEG, but not all raw formats. You should always double-check on support before buying.) The new display also offers a wider viewing angle.

In addition, Epson has addressed some performance issues, and says that these models are up to 35 percent faster at downloading than before and supports USB 2.0 and UDMA CF cards. Battery life hasn't increased, though; the internal rechargeable is still rated to last about 3 hours. The company has also updated the design with a new jog dial for navigation instead of the four-way switch that's so last century. As with the previous models, these support video and audio as well.

When it ships in September, expect to pay a premium for that slightly larger but higher-tech display: The 80GB P-6000 lists at US$599.99 and the 160GB P-7000 for US$799.99 compared to, say, Digital Foci's 160GB, US$499 3.6-inch Picture Porter Elite. The 160GB model does come with a Travel Pack, which includes a dual battery charger, car adapter, viewing stand, carrying case and some other stuff.

Via CNET Crave

Lowepro alerts Facebook fans to new green bags

If you're already one of the 161 "fans" of Lowepro on Facebook, you probably know that a few days ago the bag and case manufacturer posted pictures and descriptions of six new products on its page.

Most of the bags are line extensions, such as the SlingShot 350 AW that includes "a customizable main compartment that comfortably fits a professional DSLR with a 70-200 f/2.8 lens attached plus 5-6 extra lenses or accessories." However, on August 1 the company announced a new line of eco-conscious multipurpose bags under the name Terraclime.

The series of bags are constructed of 100 percent post-consumer, recycled Cyclepet exterior fabric with a protective layer of spacer mesh made of 60 percent recycled PET. Plastic regrind, recycled, and repurposed industrial trimmings were saved from the factory floor for the hardware.

Via CNET Crave

Sony announces two slim shooters

Sony has unveiled its latest point-and-shoots lineup for this season, and it seems like the company's design department has scored another point in keeping the feature-rich cameras thin and pocketable.

First in line is the Cyber-shot DSC-T77, the successor to the T70. This shooter gets a resolution upgrade from 8.1 megapixels to 10 megapixels, and the profile has remarkably been trimmed from 20.7mm to 15mm, making it the slimmest point-and-shoot in the Cyber-shot family.

Next up is the Cyber-shot DSC-T700, which appears to be a hybrid of the T2 and the T300. It touts 4GB of onboard memory and the same 3.5-inch touchscreen panel seen on the T300. We noticed the specifications state that the display can show 921,000 colors, which is very impressive for a compact shooter. Sony has also reduced the side profile and the T700 is just 16.4mm thin.

These two models are equipped with 4x optical zoom, Sony's proprietary BIONZ image-processing engine, optical image stabilizer and the usual suite of features which include face detection, Smile Shutter and Intelligent Scene Recognition.

We've also got wind of a third model, the T500, slated to be released with these two snappers but further information for this unit was not available at press time.

Pricing and availability for Asia has yet to be confirmed, but Sony's press release states that the T77 will go for US$300, while the T700 will be priced at US$400 and they will ship in the US from late September.

Picture credit: Sony

Rumormongering: Nikon D90

Though he doesn't spill where he got the information, author Thom Hogan is usually a relatively reputable source of Nikon leaks and rumors. The latest whisperings to come out of his mill are about the replacement for the D80. Although he mentions that Nikon's first quarter financial meeting is this week, he doesn't explicitly draw the cynical connection that my brain's making about the timing of this information.

But anyway... he claims the D90 will have a 12-megapixel sensor, shoot about 4.5 frames per second, and have a Live View mode that shoots video. Cool, if it's true. Plus a new kit lens--the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR.

Via CNET Crave

Wireless mouth cam takes close-up of your chompers

Ever wondered what the inside of your mouth looks like? For those who missed out on dental school or are just purely curious about which teeth that piece of spinach is stuck between, Chinavasion will soon be selling a wireless dental camera for consumer use.

While it's not the first dental camera Crave has highlighted, the wireless capability and a promised cheaper price is worth noting.

The device has a 1.3-megapixel camera for video or still shots and a 2.4GHz wireless receiver that can connect with a TV or computer to transmit the toothy images to friends and potential suitors. Six built-in LEDs will light up the mouth for better viewing of plaque.

While the product's recommended for anyone willing to take a good look inside their oral cavity, product makers say dentists can also use it, even though it's not touted as a medical device. But it might be a surefire way to see if you knocked out that filling at lunch or to find that lost dental microphone, if opening wide and looking in the mirror doesn't suffice.

The Chinese gadget comes with software for Windows only, so Mac users may have to send the video of their pearly whites to the TV screen. Unless you want to make your guests queasy, its probably shouldn't be used during dinner.

Via CNET Crave

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