It is that time of year when most camera manufacturers come out with new models. I’ve already shared with you information about Canon’s G11. Just as powerful as the G11 but with a more slender body is the PowerShot S90. The S90 marks the return of Canon‘s S-series prosumer compact cameras.
Dual Anti-Noise System The high-sensitivity 10.0 megapixel image sensor combined with Canon’s enhanced DIGIC 4 image processor enables greatly reduced noise in photographs taken in low-light conditions. Low light is definitely the must-have feature in compact cameras. Have a look at my post on Sony’s TX1 that makes use of a new Exmor R image sensor.
f/2.0 + IS A wide aperture of f/2.0 means that the lens is fast and allows for more light to come through within a defined period of time. For instance a f/2.8 lens will take about twice as long to capture the same photograph compared to a f/2.0. The faster you capture something the less likely the photo will end up being blurred. Pair this with optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology and you’ve got a 4-stop advantage over the competition according to Canon.
3.0-inch LCD According to the company this 3-inch LCD makes use of PureColor II LCD technology that feature very wide viewing angles. Usually small LCDs that are integrated into digital cameras have poor color rendering and even poorer viewing angles. Canon must have procured something special that’s in the S90. The resolution seems to be… well, I don’t know. As I have mentioned before camera manufacturers seem to think that the total number of pixels is all we need to know: 461,000 pixels. The LCD, which is your viewfinder, gives you 100-percent coverage.
US$429 The S90 isn’t cheap. For $429 you can get a low-end DSLR body, like Canon’s Rebel XS with a kit zoom lens. But we’re talking about two different markets, aren’t we? The shopper looking for something like the S90 cares about portability just a little bit more than photo quality. The DSLR shopper is willing to sacrifice portability for a little more photo quality. The price is the same and it really is up to you to decide what features are important. Personally, I take most of my pictures on my iPhone because it is always with me. So, I’m guessing if I sell my DSLR and get a S90 I’ll take a ton more pictures and without sacrificing too much quality. Of course the best option is to keep my DSLR, make more money and get the S90! The S90 can be pre-ordered at Amazon for $429.95.
Sony is moving in the right direction. Instead of increasing the megapixel count on the tiny image sensor that does not have much of an impact on picture quality, Sony has decided to improve the light gathering capabilities of the image sensor itself: the Exmor R CMOS light sensor is born. Compared to a conventional CMOS image sensor, Sony’s Exmor R sensor is twice as sensitive according to the company.
Better Light Capture The Exmor R sensor is unique in that the light receiving surface composed of photo diodes are moved in front of the metal wiring. The metal wiring can reflect some of the photons and by having the photo diodes right behind the on-chip lens and color filter light can be absorbed much more effectively. More light equals better quality, especially when there is little light to begin with. DSLRs have excelled at taking pictures with less light compared to compact digital cameras. The reason is simple: the DSLRs have larger image sensors. Larger image sensors allow you to grab more light compared to smaller image sensors. But by tweaking the structure of the image sensor itself, Sony has improved the light capturing capability enabling even tiny digital cameras like its Cybershot DSC-TX1. The slightly larger DSC-WX1 with optical zoom also uses the Exmor R sensor.
Low Light Darn Right! David Pogue published an article titled “Low Light Becomes a Highlight” on August 19, 2009 on The New York Times. He reviews Fujifilm’s FinePix F200EXR and Sony’s WX1 and comes away with this conclusion: “…the Sony WX1 pretty much mops the floor with the Fuji… The Sony WX1 is nearly irresistible for its low-light abilities, HD video, sweep panorama and burst mode. Still, in good light, a Canon PowerShot still offers better color and sharpness.” David notes that the Fuji is six months old and that a new model, the F70EXR, will be coming out next month. You can see the difference in low-light capabilities and it does seem Sony has a gem in the Exmor R sensor.
Hands-on: Sony DSC-TX1 review by techradar.com – “Clean, slim and easy to use, the TX1 carries on Sony’s seemingly effortless task of bringing cameras with both style and substance to the market.”
3-inch Touch LCD I really like the way Sony went with the TX1. The company’s designers put nearly all of the functions of the TX1 into the user interface on the 3-inch LCD. The touch LCD can be a tad hard to see in direct sunlight but in most cases it seems you’ll have little trouble getting to the settings you wish to change.
The megapixel race is over. Thank goodness! With 10 megapixels both the WX1 and TX1 has enough. Now companies are focused on improving real photo quality. Sony has done a remarkable job of redesigning the core of a digital camera: the image sensor. With the Exmor R image sensor integrated into the WX1 and the ultrathin TX1, Sony has raced ahead to capture the hearts of those who have been yearning for better quality photos especially in low-light situations. And that includes me. You can pre-order Sony’s Cybershot DSC-TX1 on Amazon.com
Just wanted to help inform the display community about the IntertechPira 11th Annual OLEDs World Summit 2009. IntertechPira, in partnership with the OLED Association, will be holding the 11th annual OLEDs World Summit 2009 at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco from September 29 to October 1, 2009.
There are the topics that will be covered at the OLEDs World Summit:
The keynote will be titled “New Opportunities of AMOLED Technology” and will be given by Ho-Kyoon Chung, Advisor at Samsung Mobile Display. Chung will be covering the following issues:
For more information visit OLEDs World Summit 2009. I’ll be attending so if you would like to meet up, send me an email at jin@displayblog.com.
Canon: Do you have a DSLR? When you’re getting ready to take the kids to the park or on a mini-vacation do you cringe at the thought of having to lug that big DSLR? More than 80-percent of the time I just grab my tiny Canon compact digital camera and go. Yes, picture quality will suffer but at least I’ll actually get some pictures. But is there a compact-ish digital camera that takes pictures like DSLRs that I can take with me almost everywhere I go? I thought I had the answer when I was researching Panasonic’s DMC-LX3 yesterday night. It goes for, mmm… it was going for $499.99 on Amazon
Canon just announced the G11, the successor to the G10. The G-Series from Canon have been the flagship compact digital cameras and have earned many positive reviews over the years. According to Canon, the G11 is: “Designed for those looking for a pocket-sized camera with SLR functionality.” If Canon’s claim is true that this little G11 is what I have been searching for, what relief! But I must stay calm until real reviews come in since the small portion of my brain that is logical is telling me that a marketing person wrote that. I used to be a marketing person and I know that things can be exaggerated. Just a bit.
Here are some specifications to back that claim:
That is an excellent price. I think. Maybe not. When you compare that price to a low-end DSLR, for instance a Canon’s Rebel XS with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is going for $499.00 on Amazon
High Resolution The nuvifone M20 from Garmin-Asus makes use of Windows Mobile and launched in Taiwan. The carrier in Taiwan will be Chunghwa Telecom. The 2.8-inch LCD sports a 640 x 480 resolution, accelerometer and touch capabilities. The VGA resolution is one of the highest among smartphones. As a quick comparison the much larger 3.5-inch LCD on Apple’s iPhone has a resolution of just 480 x 320.
Specifications
The nuvifone M20 is also available in Hong Kong with launches in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand to follow soon. Asustek will be focusing on Asian customers while Garmin will set its eyes on customers in the US.
The Possibilities I wonder whether the nuvifone M20 would have been a more compelling smartphone if two things were changed: the OS and the touch technology. Instead of Windows Mobile if Garmin-Asus decided to go with Android (the mobile OS from Google) the touch technology could have been improved to capacitive. I would have liked that more.
Here is a video from MobileBurn.com:
Source: Mobiletor.com, Garmin-Asus
Dell‘s Inspiron 11z is a thin-and-light 3lbs notebook PC sporting a 11.6-inch LED-backlit LCD with a 1366 x 768 resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Here are the rest of the specs:
Pros & Cons The 1.2GHz Celeron is all likelihood faster than any Atom; so that’s good. The GS45 integrated graphics will probably be too weak to do anything but your usual: Office apps, email, surfing the Internet; that’s kind of bad. The keyboard will be barely big enough for the average person with average-sized hands and fingers. If you’ve got big hands and big fingers, stay away. The 11z is thin at just 1-inch and weighs just 3lbs, but that’s with the limited 3-cell battery. You’d want a bigger battery if you need to use the 11z for more than a couple of hours and that means (most likely) thicker and (most definitely) heavier and (absolutely) more expensive. The 11z does look very nice; I think Dell has done a very good job with the quality of materials (especially the ports) and the overall design.
Look Ma! No Buttons! Look! The trackpad: it seems to have no physical buttons except for those little things (what else to call these!) on the lower left and right. I hereby forecast that all notebooks will forego physical buttons on the trackpads and go the way Apple did and integrate the buttons into the trackpad. Except for ThinkPads.
“Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.” -Charles Caleb Colton, Lacon, volume I, no. 183
Beautiful. Simple. Elegant. A minimalist FireWire connection. The FireWire cord, in white, flows naturally out of the iSight. Brilliant product design. And then there’s Microsoft’s LifeCam Cinema HD…
Imitation, Of Course! Not only is there a similarity in external design, the name, LifeCam Cinema HD, sounds familiar too. And it should: Apple’s line of LCD monitors are called Cinema HD.
Loud Apple’s iSight has an integrated mic, but you wouldn’t know it from the external design. Microsoft’ss LifeCam Cinema HD has a built-in mic (noise-canceling): that’s the big bulge on top. Like the name suggests it’s HD–you can clearly tell from the front. And yes, it is from Microsoft. The mount too. I wonder if the cables are branded. I think that’s about enough Microsoft bashing for its non-simple, non-elegant product design.
Tegra Powered What is NVIDIA’s Tegra processor and why is it so important that Microsoft’s Zune HD has it? According to NVIDIA, Tegra is the brand for a family of “computers-on-a-chip” processors that “brings the power of advanced visual computing to a broad range of handheld and mobile platforms. Tegra enables intuitive user interfaces, advanced multimedia features, and access to rich online interactivity, all while delivering longer battery life.” So, simply put, it is a powerful graphics chip for portable devices like the Zune HD that sips power. What’s so great about Tegra on the Zune HD?
HD Video Playback The Zune HD can playback 720p HD movies, TV shows, via a connection to your HDTV. On the Zune HD itself, video playback is limited to the resolution on the Zune HD, which is just 480 x 272–certainly not HD. You’ll need an optional cable to connect the Zune HD to your HDTV. Let’s hope that the Zune HD2 will support Full HD playback on a connected HDTV with a native resolution that’s a bit closer to HD: how about 800 x 480?
Microsoft is Big HD video playback on an external HDTV is about it when it comes to the special qualities of NVIDIA’s Tegra processor. The other three that gets mentioned on NVIDIA’s site are: Web Browser, Music and Photos, Exceptional Battery Life. These features can be found in other mobile devices and do not seem to be all that special. Microsoft is the largest customer to integrate NVIDIA’s Tegra processor into a mobile device; other companies include: CCI (CN88), ICD (Ultra), Inventec (Rainbow), mobinnova (Mabo, elan), Pegatron (Vivid) and Wistron (M5). These are mostly no-name brands; why aren’t other major brands like Samsung, Sony, LG, Sharp, Panasonic, HP, Dell, etc. jumping on the bandwagon?
Today is the day I announce the winner of a free IBM T210 20.8-inch QXGA LCD monitor. On August 9, I decided to give away the T210. All you needed to do was comment. I would pick the person who provides the most compelling reason why he or she should take the T210 home. I was somewhat disappointed to see just a few comments but I think that was a good thing: it would have been exponentially harder if there were significantly more comments. So what should be the basis of my decision?
So who is the winner? Let me share with you some things I thought about before making this decision:
I want to be blessed, happy, emotionally well, satisfy my heart and brain, etc. Out of the comments I received there was just one that wanted to receive the prize but in turn give it away to another in need. To me that’s like getting blessed doubly! I get to be happy twice over! It truly is more blessed to give than to receive and the winner is… jaewoosong!!! Congratulations jaewoosong!!! You’ve won the 20.8-inch QXGA LCD monitor!!! I hope the teenager and the family will be blessed with peace now that they will have one less thing to fight about. A complete PC is a very powerful resource and I hope thanks to jaewoosong the teens will be able to make the most of it in a good way. Thanks everyone for participating! Look forward to other free items in the future on DisplayBlog…
The Best but Distracting I think the iPhone is one of the best phones in the market. With thousands upon thousands of apps to choose from there is almost nothing you can’t do. Visual voicemail… how could we have lived without this for so long? Google Maps: a limited-GPS and lifesaver when you’re lost (and doesn’t cost you extra). Of course the one in the 3GS is a very capable GPS. iPod! A great Internet browser in Safari. Email. I can go for a bit more but you get my point. All this encased in an elegant design coupled with a touch experience that is bar none and the iPhone stands on top as the best phone on the market today. But you pay a price. And I’m not talking about the $199 or $299 you had to fork over to get the iPhone. What I am talking about is the monthly data plan and something more important: the iPhone can be a major distraction if you lack self-control.
Expensive It is $30/mo for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The original iPhone is just $20/mo. The cost to have this unlimited data plan (it is actually limited at 5 gigabytes per month) for a year is $360 and $720 for the life of the contract, which is normally two years. That’s a considerable sum. In some cases this data plan can be more than your much-faster DSL at home! A lot of us have to make a dollar go further during these difficult times and I am thinking that I can live without the iPhone and the $30/mo unlimited data plan. I’ll save $30/mo, $360/year and $720/2-year contract. How will I do this? That’s where Motorola’s MOTOFONE comes in.
E Ink Motorola’s MOTOFONE was designed inside and out focused on the Indian market. The company wanted to get the price down to make it eminently affordable and bring down the number features to the bare minimum–so no one gets confused, though this phone can get confusing at times. The MOTOFONE even incorporates E Ink‘s display technology to reduce power consumption. E Ink technology is used in Amazon’s Kindle and does not require power when the display does not change; it only consumes power when the information on the display changes. I hear it can last up to seven days without a recharge!
Simple & Limited I’ve been testing the MOTOFONE for the last couple of days. The MOTOFONE is best at doing just two things: taking calls and making calls and in that order. You press the green button to take the call. To make a call you can simply type in the number or you can use the address book. Adding entries into the address book is a chore precisely because of the keypad. Another interesting ‘feature’ about the address book is that it is alphabetically sorted. I was expecting it to sort by the entry number starting from 1, but that’s not the case. If you have a lot of contacts you want to enter, set aside a good chunk of time and muster up a lot of patience–you’ll need both.
Text? Don’t Even You can receive and send text messages but I wouldn’t recommend sending text as the keyboard is your regular mobile phone keyboard; it doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard. Because the MOTOFONE is not officially available in the US, it is not listed on AT&T as one of the options. And that is why I don’t get voicemail notifications nor can I receive text messages. I’m sure there is an AT&T-approved phone that uses a similar system on the MOTOFONE but I haven’t found it yet. Without voicemail notifications or the ability to receive text messages the MOTOFONE might be too limited.
LOW Price With such limited features the MOTOFONE better have a low price to match. And it does! I bought mine from eBay for just $25 shipped. Now mine didn’t come with a manual, but I did find one online so that was no biggie. You can get lucky get one for even cheaper than I did. If you don’t want to mess with eBay and buy from an reputable retailer Amazon has it for $42.
Problems Yesterday while I was shopping at Target with the family, I had to run off and go to the bathroom. Coming back I didn’t know where my wife and kids were so I called my wife. Just as I dialed and put the phone to my ear I saw them so I clicked the red button a few times. Problem. The MOTOFONE went blank. And it wouldn’t respond to the buttons. So I took the battery cover out, took the battery out and then put it back in. Still nothing. So I forgot about it and focused on getting stuff for my kids to prepare for a new school year. After a while, I checked the phone and it was asking me to set the time and date. So it was working but it was also annoying that I had to set the time and date–you’ll have to do this every time you take the battery out.
Two Bars Down Today while eating lunch with my church friends, I shared about my “iPhone Fast” and they interested in the MOTOFONE. A couple of them couldn’t figure out how to do anything on it so I unlocked it and told him to press the ‘up’ button to get going or the address book icon to get to my list of family and friends (it’s a very short list!). Before I gave the phone to him I had five full bars of power. After he played with it for about one minute, I was shocked to see just three bars of power. Weird. As I am writing this at around 10:45pm there are still three bars. I’m guessing I’ll get at least five days of use before I have to plug it in.
Two Days So far after two days, I think I am not going to be able to live without my iPhone. But I’m going to give the MOTOFONE a fair chance: seven days. There is just too much that I miss. But I do like that I am not constantly doing something on my iPhone. I actually go to the bathroom without my phone!
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