Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, November 16, 2009

Casio stuffs backlit CMOS sensors in Exilim EX-FC150 and EX-FH25 superzoom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/casio-stuffs-backlit-cmos-sensors-in-exilim-ex-fc150-and-ex-fh25/

Casio's usual Exilim fare might struggle to engender a second look from the weary-eyed camera cognoscenti, but a few of the company's models do feature an attention-grabbing 1,000fps shooting mode (albeit at a relatively useless 224 x 64 resolution). A pair of those speedy shooters, the EX-FC100 and EX-FH20, have today been ever so gently upgraded with a set of new name badges and mildly improved performance. The EX-FC150 ups the pixel count to ten million while adding a backlit CMOS sensor, but retains the 5x optical zoom, sensor-shift image stabilization, and general performance of the previous generation. The EX-FH25 20x superzoomer (pictured above) has a similar (if not identical) ten megapixel CMOS sensor, which upgrades the camera's 40fps burst mode from seven to nine megapixel stills, and retains the 720p video recording at 30fps, something the FC150 can also boast. Both are coming out on November 27, though prices have yet to be announced. Hit the read link for the full dish.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

Gallery: Casio EX-FH25 and EX-FC150

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Casio stuffs backlit CMOS sensors in Exilim EX-FC150 and EX-FH25 superzoom originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnLive demonstrates iPhone app, set to redefine mobile gaming?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/onlive-demonstrates-iphone-app-set-to-redefine-mobile-gaming/

Okay, we admit to still being a little bit unsure about OnLive's pledges for high-end, high-resolution, lag-free gaming on any 'ol device with bandwidth, but we want to believe, and so it's with skeptical optimism that we report on news of mobile implementations. The company has demonstrated an iPhone app in which users are able to play against gamers on a PC or on the company's MicroConsole -- despite not having a single button to press. It's interesting stuff but, according to OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman, it'll be awhile before we see this in the wild, as plans for initial mobile apps will be limited to checking game stats and watching live gameplay. However, we presume it'll be a small step from there to flip the switch and two-way communications, meaning that perhaps by the time Modern Warfare 3 hits the wires you can keep gaming even while you're commuting.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming

OnLive demonstrates iPhone app, set to redefine mobile gaming? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia E72 in stores now, somewhere

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/nokia-e72-in-stores-now-somewhere/

Amazon's US pre-order site hasn't heard the news yet nor has Nokia USA's on-line store. Nevertheless, Nokia assures us that the E72 is "in stores now" and should cost €350 (as announced) before taxes and carrier subsidies are applied. Remember, this S60-powered followup to the much loved E71 sports a new 5 megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5-mm headphone jack, microSD slot (4GB included in the box), A-GPS and integrated compass, 10.2Mbps HSDPA, and new optical navigation pad right where a thumb would like it. The E72 also packs the latest version of Ovi Maps and Nokia Messaging with homescreen access to your IM accounts. Now scram buster and let us know if your pre-orders have been filled -- this baby's not going to unbox itself.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia E72 in stores now, somewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo IdeaPad shown to possess Pineview CPU by FCC photo shoot

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/lenovo-ideapad-shown-to-possess-pineview-cpu-by-fcc-photo-shoot/

Remember that Pine Trail fast-tracking we were talking about? Yeah, it's for real. Intel's latest submission to the FCC reveals details of a new member of Lenovo's IdeaPad netbook range, and is the first confirmed sighting of the Pineview processor every netbook diehard has been waiting for. The documentation suggests an S10-3 moniker for the new 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 machine, which is likely to pair up that Atom N450 with 2GB of RAM and 250GB of storage. Click past the break to see the sticker with all the specs on it, and do make your voices heard in the comments below regarding that buttonless touchpad -- a Synaptics ClickPad, perchance?

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad shown to possess Pineview CPU by FCC photo shoot

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad shown to possess Pineview CPU by FCC photo shoot originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N900 quick hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/16/nokia-n900-quick-hands-on/

We've finally had a chance to play around at length with a very late pre-production version of Nokia's N900 (retail units are already shipping, but not to our neck of the woods just yet) and we wanted to scribble out a few notes for you before taking delivery of a final build for a full review hopefully in the next week or two. Here are some highlights we've noticed so far:

Processor, processor, processor. Oh, and did we mention the processor? The N900's Cortex A8-based core yields significant improvements in day-to-day usability over the N810's ARM11 unit.
Though it's still quite raw and feature-incomplete, Maemo 5 is by far the most user-friendly version of the platform to date, if for no other reason than the fact that it's very pretty. Screen transitions are smooth and look great, the home screen is as attractive and versatile as any widget-based home screen on the market today, and the Expose-style task switcher is a welcome addition.
The N900 may very well offer the best browsing experience of any smartphone on the market today (yes, including the iPhone). What little ground it gives up in user friendliness is more than countered by the fact that you have the closest thing you can get to a desktop-class browser in a device of this size and form factor; it's straight-up Mozilla, after all, and everything renders faithfully. Flash doesn't blaze, but at least the Cortex A8 makes it usable.

Follow the break for more impressions and a quick rundown on video!

Gallery: Nokia N900 quick hands-on