Kodak next-generation CMOS sensor in entry-level digicam

New sensor offers 2X to 4X improvement in light sensitivity thanks to a new colour filter.
In a surprise move, image company Kodak has decided to use its new revolutionary CMOS image sensor in an entry-level 5MP/3X-optical zoom digital camera.
Originally announced on June 14, the new KAC-05011 CMOS sensor adds new panchromatic or “all colour” pixels to the traditional red, green and blue pixels to allow the sensor to establish more accurate light levels for all three primary colours.
But while the new image sensor was originally described as “groundbreaking” in its initial press release, the company has decided to be its first customer but use the sensor in a low-cost budget entry-level digicam, the EASYSHARE C513.
Kodak’s rationale is that the C513 shows off exactly what the image sensor was designed to do – make a decent photographer out of anyone who can basically hold a camera.
Kodak hopes to also sell a truckload of these cameras, pricing it at a very competitive $US79.95.
Image size is 2592x1944-pixels and images are captured in JPEG format. In addition to the CMOS sensor, the C513 incorporate digital image stabilisation with shutter speed range of between ½ and 1/1400th second.

While the camera can also capture video, the specifications are below par for typical cameras these days with VGA (640x480-pixel) capture only at 15fps (frames per second) and QVGA (320x240-pixels) at 24fps. The C513 comes with 16MB of on-board flash storage but supports SecureDigital (SD) flash memory cards.
Taking advantage of the increase in high-definition widescreen televisions, the C513 in addition to capturing 5MP images, can also capture 1920x1080-pixel stills suitable for use on HD LCD televisions.
Power for the C513 is provided by two low-cost AA-size batteries. Alkalines are provided in the kit although we recommend you consider NiMH cells for added firepower and vesting lower running costs.
“The C513 provides consumers true value through easy-to-use and intuitive technology at an affordable price, thanks to the efficiencies that Kodak’s CMOS technology has brought to camera design,” said John Blake, General Manager, KODAK Digital Capture and Devices. “Traditionally, CMOS has allowed for lower cost camera design but was not able to provide top image quality. Kodak has changed that dynamic with the introduction of a digital camera at a remarkably affordable price without compromising image quality or camera function.”
The C513 comes with software for both Windows and Mac OS computers but requires at least Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.3 or newer operating systems.
The camera retails for $US79.95 and will be available in August 2007.

SONY NWD-B100 Series MP3 Walkman

This time the lipstick lookalike range is designed to be the easiest and most effortless way of transferring and storing music from your PC to your MP3 player. A new ‘Auto Transfer’ function allows you to load your fave tracks without the need for wires, just by plugging the NWD-B100 directly into your USB port and the tunes will automatically be loacted and transferred without any instruction from yourself. It will also search for the most recent downloaded tracks, so if the NWD-B100 is getting full it will replace the older tracks with the newly downloaded ones. And just to add the cherry to the cake, the NWD-B100 will also charge its battery whilst plugged

in to the USB port.

Searching for songs is a dodlle too, as tracks are displayed on the 3 line colour LCD display and are stored by song/album/artist or by file/folder.
The models which will be available vary in storage capacity and start with the NWD-B103/103F which has 1GB and can store upto 660 tracks and the NWD-B105/105F which has 2GB and can store upto 999 tracks. The NWD-B103F & B105F versions can record radio shows from the bult-in FM tuner, which is a fantastic added bonus (we think the F is for Fantastic). All models double up as voice recorders and can record voice memos and personal voice notes instead of having to search for a pen and paper as you will always have this handy device with you at all times, we guarantee it.
There is a 6-mode equaliser so you can alter the sound levels as you prefer, but the sound promises to be superbly crisp and dynamic without needing to.
The Sony NWD-B100 series comes in three trendy shades, black, white and violet and will be available from August 2007.

Apple TV

The diminutive 8-inch-square and 1-inch-high Apple TV works a like a charm and is a cinch to set up. Just plug everything in, note the five-digit code that it displays on the TV screen, and enter that number into iTunes on your computer. Things get a bit more complicated with Wi-Fi, but even here the Apple TV's setup is easier than most--if you stick to the established 802.11g standard. Interoperability issues between some current draft-n products forced me to use Apple's own AirPort Extreme Base Station to get the Apple TV to operate over an 802.11n network (it's the only 802.11n media streamer in the group reviewed here).

If you can play a file in iTunes on your PC, you can play it through the Apple TV. But that means no .wma music or Xvid videos, without converting them first. Aside from a few video podcasts, 720p movie trailers are about the only HD content currently available for the Apple TV. Most iTunes Store videos are encoded at what the company describes as "near-DVD" quality. They still looked pretty darn good in my tests, but as Apple says, they are not quite at DVD level.

The Apple TV uses iTunes to transfer selected video and music to its built-in hard drive (40GB on our $299 review unit, or 160GB on the $399 model). You can transfer photos by directing iTunes to a folder on your PC, or by using software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0.

The Apple TV connects to wide-screen TVs only, via an HDMI, component, or analog connection. Apple TV decodes movie files at up to 720p resolution, and it can up-convert them to 1080i, the maximum resolution it can display.
The minimalist but easy-to-use remote has a ring-shaped section for playback control and a Menu "go back" button.
Test files that the Apple TV could play looked great. I saw no blockiness in the streaming video, and images looked naturally sharp without any signs of artificial edge enhancement. Using 802.11g Wi-Fi produced some unwanted video pauses, but everything moved smoothly with ethernet or 802.11n wireless. Soundwise, I detected a very slight harshness in Pink Floyd, but nothing I was likely to notice with the volume set at a regular listening level; Itzhak Perlman sounded perfect.
Apple plans to improve the Apple TV's features over time (as evidenced by the YouTube streaming update); meanwhile, a number of unofficial hacks (including keyboard/mouse support, the ability to install OS X, and DivX and Xvid file playback options) have surfaced online. See "Hacking the Apple TV" for more details.
If iTunes and an iPod are the beginning and end of your PC-and-Internet media world, the Apple TV is a great choice. But if you dislike those limitations, keep looking.

Nokia 6110 Navigator

A smartphone that finds you places when you're lost. This Symbian smartphone features built in GPS system and built in maps, HSDPA technology which is many a times faster than 3G and many Office applications aimed to aid professionals on the go. The Nokia 6111 Navigator has a 2.0 megapixel camera on board to shoot panoramic photographs as well as a multi format compatible media player with stereo 3D speakers to enjoy your music in full blast. Get more time out of your hectic schedule to truly enjoy life with the Nokia 6110 Navigator.

Features
Weight : 125 g
Talktime: Up to 3 h 30 min
Standby : Up to 265 h
Colour Display : TFT, 16M colors
Ringtones : Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC
Camera : 2 MP
MP3 : Yes
Bluetooth : Yes
Infrared : N/A
GPRS : Yes
Video Recording : Yes
3G : Yes

Google Mobile Search

Google is working on a service to let mobile-phone users find and buy items such as ring tones, the Wall Street Journal said, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
The technology will allow consumers to use Mountain View-based Google to obtain lists of companies that provide the content they're seeking and links to where the products can be purchased, the Journal said on its Web site Monday.
Google and competitors such as Yahoo are bolstering their mobile offerings with services including maps and calendars after handsets outsold personal computers by more than 4-to-1 last year, according to researcher Gartner. Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in May that the company's biggest growth opportunity is in mobile phones.
For the new services, Google is working with entertainment companies and smaller mobile-media providers to index material and make it available through searches, the Journal said.
The project has suffered delays and it's unclear when the services will be available, the newspaper reported.
Google spokeswoman Erin Fors declined to comment on the report.