http://www.ecoustics.com/latest/news Latest news, updated every five minutes http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/18038 At a press event in London today, Nokia took the wraps off its first touchscreen phone, dubbed the 5800 XpressMusic, previously known as "The Tube." The 5800 XpressMusic marks Nokia's first foray into touchscreen technology, and it hopes to appeal to media-savvy mobile phone users who find things like Apple's iPhone 3G too pricey: the 5800 XpressMusic will sell for €279 (about $400), which is low enough that many consumers will be able to get the phone "for free" with a contact.The 5800 XpressMusic runs S60 5th Edition, and features a 3.2-inch 640 by 360-pixel display, a 3.2 megapixel camera, integrated Wi-Fi and GPS, and a microSD card slot that supports up to 16 GB of add-on stRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:20:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17928 Pentax has taken the wraps of its new K2000 camera, a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera specifically designed to appeal to consumers ready to migrate to the DSLR experience from simpler—and more-limited—point-and-shoot digital cameras. The K2000 will offer simplified operation and automatic features, while enabling users to tap into the range of manual controls and interchangeable lenses available in the DSLR world.The K2000 will offer a 10.3 megapixel resolution, a 2.7-inch LCD panel, and a compact design to facilitate one-handed operation. The camera will also offer Pentax's Auto Picture mode that automatically selects correct picture modes for a shot (including aRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17847 Panasonic has taken the wraps off its Lumix G1 digital camera, which claims to be the first commercially available camera to use Micro Four Thirds technology. The idea behind Micro Four Thirds is that it gets rid of the internal mirror in traditional SLR and DSLR cameras, creating a system that can get the same image quality in about half the physical space. The result should be cameras that can deliver the quality and power of DSLRs—in part by opening up the world of interchangeable lensRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:45:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17698 Sony has taken the wraps off its new CyberShot T500 camera: it keeps the slim form factor of the CyberShot line, enables users to snap photos at a 10.1 megapixel resolutions, but adds one big extra: it can shoot 720p video at 30 frames per second in MPEG4 AVC/H.264 format."Our research revealed that people like to shoot video with their point-and-shoot cameras, but were very dissatisfied with the video quality and the resulting large files," said Sony Electronics' director of digital camera marketing Phil Lubell, in a statement. "Our new T500 fulfills this customer need for a digital camera that delivers high-quality movies in a small form factor."The T500 sports a big 3.5 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17670 Canon has taken the wraps off a new bevy of cameras, including the new EOS 50D DSLR, new A-series shooters, the new E1 aimed at tweens, and a new ultra-zoom model.First up, the EOS 50D DSLR offers a 15.1 megapixel resolution, can shoot 6.3 images per second, and has an expanded ISO sensitivity (down to 12,800!) for catching those low-light shots. The camera also features a Creative Auto Mode than lets users have most of the creative flexibility of a manual Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:20:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-13580_3-10025487-39.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Hasselblad cuts the price of its lower-end medium-format digital camera. Perhaps it will keep medium-format photographers from straying into the 35mm SLR fold. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:17:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17661 Olympus has taken the wraps off five new consumer-oriented digital camera models today, including the semi-rugged 1050SW and the new SP565 UZ with a 20× zoom. The company has also unveiled a new green packaging initiative, in which it has cut out 70 to 80 percent of the plastic used to package its audio products and xD picture cards.First up, the new semi-rugged Stylus 1050 SW sports a "shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof" body that uses a touch-sensitive body—rather than a touch-sensitive display—to access most camera setting. The 1050Sw offers a 10.1 megapixel resolution and Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17502 Nikon has taken the wraps off six new Coolpix digital cameras due to hit retailers in September, each targeting a different segment of the point-and-shoot digital camera market and offering unique features for different uses and different styles of photography. Each camera sports a smart scene selector that chooses an appropriate scene more for an image, along with smile detection and Blink Warning technology that displays a warning when it detects a subject has blinked.First up, the Coolpix S60 features a new 3.5-inch touchscreen interface, along with a 10 megapixel resolution, optic Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-1023_3-10004400-93.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Is it an accurate portrait of digital camera users? Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:16:32 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17412 Pentax has taken the wraps off its new Optio E60 and M60 point-and-shoot cameras, each offering a 10 megapixel resolution and a selection of intelligent features designed to appeal to entry-level users and point-and-shoot camera operators.The E60 sports a 2.4-inch LCD display, 3× optical zoom, 10.1 megapixel resolution, and runs off AA batteries—a feature designed to appeal to travelers and other folks away from wall chargers. The E60 sports facial recognition technology (handling up t Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17374 Whether you know it as the i8510, its old moniker Primera, or the newly unveiled Innov8 label, Samsung finally took the wraps off its latest smartphone on Thursday, and it’s a doozy by any name. The phone guns for Nokia’s position in the high-end smartphone market with an 8-megapixel camera, quad-band GSM radio, and sleek sliding design.Samsung has positioned the phone as a multimedia phone along the same line’s as Nokia’s N96, rolling a legitimate digital camera into a capable smartphone. Coupling an impressive 8-megapixel camera Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:40:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17352 Hot on the heels of announcing its FZ28 zoom camera, Panasonic has unveiled its new Lumix DMC-FX150 compact digital shooter—but it's not quite the same ultra-slim point-and-shoot camera aimed at fashionistas and casual snapshot fiends. Instead, the FX150 sports a 14.7 megapixel resolution, a 3.6× optical zoom, and a manual exposure mode that let users control the shutter speed. Plus, the camera stores images in RAW format for lossless pictures, and offers an Intelligent Auto mode makes automatic settings adjustments based on the environment."With the FX150, Panasonic Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17104 Finland's Nokia is sticking with its recent tactic of bringing its Nseries devices to the United States without benefit of a partnership with a U.S. mobile phone operator. The latest mutimedia hanset to make the jump is the N78, sporting a 3.2 megapixel camera, integrated GPS, and (of course) tie-ins to Nokia Maps (three months free!) and Nokia's Ovi Internet-based social and sharing services."Offering the robust feature set expected from an Nseries device, the integration of these features with Nokia's new suite of Ovi services is what makes the Nokia N78 a perfect companion for a conn Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16943 <p>We suspect <a href="http://www.samsung.com">Samsung's</a> announcement today might be a little overshadowed by pending news from Cupertino, but the company has officially taken the wraps off its 1900 Omnia smartphone, a WIndows Mobile 6.1-device boasting a 3.2-inch display covering almost its entire front surface, and up to 16 GB of RAM for carting around music, video, documents, and other media.</p><p>The i900 Omnia's display offers a 400 by 240 pixel resolution (meaning it's got less display than the current iPhone or competitors like the HTC Touch Diamond), but packs a five megapixel video-capable camera to make sure users don't have any trouble Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16910 Polaroid may not be making its famous instant-developing snapshot cameras anymore, but that doesn't mean fans of the instant picture will be left high and dry in the digital age. The company's new PoGo portable pocket printer aims to bring the spontaneous excitement of snapshots to the digital generation. The diminutive printer weighs just eight ounces (without paper), runs off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and can print full-bleed 2-by-3-inch snapshots in 60 seconds using new Zink inkless printing technology. The quality isn't as high as other photo printers on the market, but at snapshot size it seems to be just f Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:45:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16835 Taiwan's BenQ is again laying claim to having the world's slimmest 8 megapixel camera—it previously claimed its DSC X800 was the slimmest in the category—this time with its T850 point-and-shoot camera. The T8650 sports a 3× optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD display, ISO sensitivity down to 1600 (more for shake-free and movie modes, USB 2.0 connectivity, and SD/SDHC storage, along with consumer-friendly snapshot features like smile-capture, face-tracking, and image stabilization.Perhaps the most intriguing feature of Thu, 29 May 2008 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16338 NIkon has taken the wraps off there new Coolpix cameras, the slim Coolpix S52, its Wi Fi-enabled cousin the Coolpix S52c, and the bigger yet more-powerful Coolpix P80 compact zoom camera.The Coolpix S52 and S52c offer a 9 megapixel resolution, a 3-inch LCD display, a 3× optical zoom, and optical image stabilization technology to help ensure pictures aren't blurred by cam Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:20:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/16216 Verizon Wireless has announced it will be offering the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone beginning in May. The handset is RIM's smallest and lightest smartphone with a full QWERTY keypad, and is aimed at people who need to manage their professional "responsibilities" without giving up their personal communications and mobile entertainment options.The BlackBerry Curve 8330 sports a 320 by 240 LCD display, a two megapixel camera, an integrated trackball interface, stereo Bluetooth, a microSD/SDHC media card slot for loading and saving media, and comes in a silver-and-chrome body that at least won't put off the fashionistas in the world. Of course, the Curve 8330 taps into Verizon Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:10:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/15969 Casio has taken the wraps off its new Exilim EX-Z9 digital camera, offering an 8.1 megapixel resolution, 3× optical zoom, a 2.6-inch LCD, and electronic image stabilization in a sleek design intended to let users easily take the camera with them anywhere. The camera also captures video, and features a "YouTube Capture Mode" that enables users to record video and upload it to the popular video sharing site in as few as three steps."Whether you are taking snap shots of your family at the park or your friends at a concert, this high-quality digital camera is sure to satisfy all of your photographic wants and n Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:30:00 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/news/142332 Big touchscreens, multiple-megapixel cameras, maps, and more: Cell phones unveiled in Barcelona this week will soon make whatever's in your pocket or purse seem dated. Here are some of the most interesting. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:00:00 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/14862 AT&T has announced its first Napster-enabled phone, the SLM by Samsung, will be reaching consumers on November 23, just in time for the end-of-year holiday buying season. The clamshell-style phone also offers a 2 megapixel camera, 512 MB of onboard memory, a 176 by 220-pixel internal display, Bluetooth wireless networking, microSD storage for music libraries and photos, and advanced messaging option. And, of course, the phone connects to Napster Mobile, enabling users to sample, purchase, and download songs from Napster's library of 5 million tracks. The SLM is the first phone from AT&T to leverage th Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:20:00 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/14352 Pentax has tkaen the wraps off a new pair of cameras in its Optio point-and-shoot line of digital cameras: the 12 megapixel Optio A40 and the slim 8 megapixel Optio V10.The Optio A40 features a 12 megapixel resolution, a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, 21 MB of internal mem Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:10:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/14254 Taiwan's BenQ has introduced its new C840 digital camera, following up on the C740i the company announced just this past July. The C840 features an 8 megapixel resolution, a 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder, a face tracking mode which does its best to make sure people in your snapshots are recognizable, and an Shake-Free mode designed to prevent photos from being blurred by hand motion—BenQ doesn't say whether the camera uses digital or mechanical image stabilization, but we're betting on the former.The C840 also supports record Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/14167 In a pre-emptive strike, Canada’s Privacy Commissioner has warned Google that if it expands its Street View feature of Google Maps to the country, it could be breaking a law regarding individual privacy. So far, Google has used the tool in maps of just nine US cities. It offers 360-degree views at the street level, including people informally captured on camera who can easily be recognized. The Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, wrote to Google last month asking for clarification on its intent. The pictures of individuals are clear enough to be considered personal information, and under Canadia Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/14037 Snip:"It rarely surprises me when I see market research stating Canon is the number-one global digital camera manufacturer. The company just knows how to make cameras that take photographs that are better than good. And although they charge a premium to other makers, consumers keep gravitating to them when they place their credit cards on the counter simply because the digicams do the job. An excellent case in point is the 8-megapixel PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH, a compact point-and-shoot camera I’ve been using awhile. In fact, with 10MP D-SLRs readily available at arm’s length such as the Olympus E-510 and Canon Digital Rebel XTi, it’s the ELPH I pop into my pocket for everyday snapshots and even some Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:55:50 -0400