Jenis battery grip adds more than just power

For Jenis, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of camera accessories, the name "battery grip" is a misnomer. Its latest Super Model battery grip has a card reader function. That's right. There are two CF card slots on the back and side of the grip, so you can spend more time shooting and less time swapping cards.

A Jenis spokesperson claims that the company already has prototypes for six camera models, but was unable to furnish us with retail availability dates or prices.

The list of supported cameras:
Nikon D80
Canon EOS 5D
Nikon D200
Canon EOS 400D
Canon EOS 20D
Canon EOS 30D.

       

When was the last time you saw a Yashica camera?

Probably the same time you went down to the shop to pick up a roll of film.

So imagine our surprise when we saw a couple of new Yashicas lying around at the Imaging Expo Singapore. And these were not relics either. The star of the pile is the yet-to-be-announced 14-megapixel Yashica AV1400-HD. Yep, 14 megapixels. The largest we've yet seen on a compact camera.

According to the Singapore distributor, the AV1400-HD is expected to be available in the island Republic by end December. No pricing details as of press time.
Read more »

HD-DVD player going for just US$99? OMG!

Before you get all excited about it and start heading down to your local electronics store, here's the deal. The sub-US$99 player is the Toshiba HD-A2 and the special offer is available only in the US (read: The US of A) from selected Wal-Mart and Best Buy retail outlets. And get this. Toshiba (US) will also bundle five free HD-DVD movie titles with any purchase of its HD-DVD players. Talk about a super-duper deal. And all this action is happening this Friday only.

If you have friends or relatives in the US, this is the time to activate them to start lining up outside Walmart and Best Buy. And, oh yeah, don't forget to buy that all-important step-down transformer (if you don't already have one) for the HD-DVD player. Else all you'll end up with is another toasted device to add to your junkyard collection.

Oh, by the way, Wal-Mart is also offering a Sanyo 50-inch plasma HDTV for US$998 and an Acer 1GB RAM laptop for just US$348.

Via CNET Crave

Samsung SGH-i780--oodles of RAM

A month ago, we mentioned the Samsung SGH-i780 handheld, a WM6 (Windows Mobile 6) Professional device which looks very much like the SGH-i600 with a touchscreen. What little we knew about it was gathered from netizens who attended a tradeshow in the Middle East. Well, Samsung has now officially taken the wraps off the specs, and here they are.

• HSDPA (up to 3.6Mbps) and 3G
• Triband GSM with EDGE
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0
• 2.55-inch 320 x 320 16-bit display
• 256MB RAM / 2GB ROM
• 115.9 x 61.3 x 12.9mm
• 120g

The feature that strikes me the most is the inordinate amount of RAM, 256MB of it. Most WM6 devices are still running on 64MB, with a few high-end ones equipped with 128MB. Having 256MB of RAM will be phenomenal for the performance of the i780 as it means that more applications can be running at once without slowdown. This will surely take a toll on the battery life, so I wonder what measures Samsung has taken to counter that.

At this point, I'm still rubbing my eyes a little, checking and double-checking the spec sheet given to me by Samsung to see if I've read it wrong. I'm going to believe it for now, and hope no one from the Korean company calls me to correct this post. The i780 will be available in Asia Pacific in Q1 2008. Its price is yet to be confirmed.

Sega extreme arcade gaming

Picture this. You are strapped down in a full-scale Toyota Trueno, Subaru Impreza WRX or Mazda RX7, sweaty palms on steering wheel. Your eyes fixated on what's beyond the windscreen, desperately trying to "drift" your way through the narrow Japanese countryside roads. If all these sound all too familiar to you, yes, we are referring to the Japanese cult anime Initial D. Now Sega is redefining the arcade gaming experience with its Initial D Arcade Stage 4 Limited system.

This life-sized motion simulator has all three of the above-mentioned vehicles each lined up in front of a giant projection screen and installed with a moving platform. The level of detail is truly out of this world. Imagine real vehicle chassis, authentic racing wheels and even bucket seats! It's a pity some of the in-car instruments are non- functional, though we doubt it will be a major show-stopper for diehard manga fans.

Are you all fired up to give a shot? Well, first you have to buy yourself an air ticket to Tokyo, then head down to Sega Joypolis in Odaiba. Hats off to the Japanese for conjuring up the idea of an extreme arcade machine!

Click for larger images:



Via Akihabara News | Photo credit: Akihabara News

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