Filed under: Digital Cameras
As much as we love shiny new toys, there’s something to be said for the elegance of polished wood. At the Photokina exhibition in Germany, Olympus recently wowed everyone with a Japanese cypress encased camera
[Via FarEastGizmos]
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Filed under: Digital Cameras
C|net just layed mits to the 8 megapixel Olympus Stylus 810. In their review of this weatherproof (not waterproof) shooter with image stabilization, c|net calls the 810 a "very good" camera with "solid" image quality. Sure, noise is the "biggest problem" with the 810 -- quite visible at ISO 400 until becoming a "distinct texture" by the time you reach IS0 3200. However, the reviewer still considered the quality "acceptable" when compared to the alternative of dark and blurry shots taken under low lighting conditions. But by now, no one should really expect the small CCDs found in these compact shooters to perform any differently, right? Notably, the camera suffered from an "easily washed-out" LCD when used in sunlight which is potentially crippling at times due to the lack of a glass viewfinder. Still, the $349 cam pulled a 7/10 rating largely due to its hot (for a compact) burst mode capable of 12 shots in about 2.6 seconds (at 3 megapixel resolution) and generally good image quality. Still, if you're looking for an 8 megapixel camera, you can probably do better.Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Audio
If you're an owner
of the late, ill-fated
Olympus m:robe 500i, we're pleased to inform you that one
rather obsessed fan known only as mrobe.fan has successfully cracked the firmware of your dear late device, so as to,
um, re-skin the player. Yeah, that's it. Anyone wanting to add codec support, turn this thing into a portable video
player, or basically do something -- anything-- to make into something useful (no offense intended to the four who were
really into "remixing" photos and music) will have to continue their silent vigil over the device as the
hackers continue to have their way with it. Perhaps some day soon the m:robe will actually live up to its potential,
though we're sorry we can't report that being today.
src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/garmin_nuvi.jpg" alt="" />Digital convergence makes for some strange
bedfellows; these often turn out to be little more than a one-thing fling. Last year, for example, Olympus fumbled
after spending big on a SuperBowl ad with the m:Robe 500, an attractive hard disk-based digital music and photo display
device with a camera
indicated a dilemma common to many products in this emerging category. Go too small and you have an unsatisfying visual
experience. Design a player too large and you lose portability.
The most successful digital portable video
player to date has been Apple
unwilling to compromise the device’s appealing size for a very large screen. But Apple’s competitors have been missing
the mark in terms of targeting the video player at a market that has embraced wisps of products such as the iPod nano
Forget the jogger; the driver is a better target for portable video.
As the portable
audio market has been adding such features as PIMs, podcasts, and pictures, the portable GPS
adding functionality while shrinking size and prices. As a result, the traditional boundaries between automotive and
personal navigation products is starting to blur and the product category has attracted domestic interest from Sony
JVC, and other consumer electronics companies.
Indeed, it has been possible to bring together these functions for years through those perennial
jacks-of-all-trades, PDAs. Garmin has tried several GPS / PDA hybrids and Palm has pushed a GPS it as a key accessory
for its abstractly named LifeDrive Mobile Manager. But GPS customers have shown a preference for dedicated devices.
Probably the best example of this convergence today is the Garmin nuvi. This popular, sleek navigation product includes
a photo viewer and MP3
clock and currency and measurement converters. The nuvi is pricey, but other newcomers to the market like Korea’s
FineDigital are also embracing the slim portable GPS form factor.
While the nuvi 300′s screen isn’t large
compared to other GPS devices and lacks the hard disk of competitors from Magellan and Lowrence, its screen is larger
than that of the video iPod
jogging is a better form factor for watching videos or looking at navigation maps, but manufacturers might struggle in
marketing a product that has two distinct usage scenarios: in the car and outside of it.
On the surface,
combining video and GPS may seem like creating a Frankendevice. The last thing anyone wants to encourage is distracted
driving, but some simple electronics could prevent video on the main screen while attached to a suction mount. Besides,
several of today’s DVD-based in-dash GPS systems such as those from Pioneer already support DVD video for delivery to
passengers’ screens. As shrinking storage prices make such products more practical, portable GPS systems may do the
same using high-speed wireless technologies such as ultra wideband.
Ross
Rubin is director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm
On are his own. Feedback is welcome at fliptheswitch@gmail.com.
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Filed under: Digital Cameras
The 7 megapixel
from Olympus has some pretty steep claims, including waterproofing up to 10 feet deep and shockproofing for up to 5
foot drops, but does seem to live up to its claims and happens to be a pretty good camera
silver, or blue, the camera’s metal housing is the main story here, with claims to be the world’s only shockproof
digital camera
version seems to do a decent job. The pictures are generally low noise, the camera does a good job of focusing, and the
small flash manages to light up an indoor scene quite well. The reviewer liked the 2.5-inch screen, though the
resolution was a bit low, but found the workings of the camera to quite quick, and the camera body easy to use and
comfortable to hold. You could easily find a 7 megapixel shooter for less than the 720SW’s $410 asking price, but good
luck with dropping one of those in the drink.
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