Category: CES 2007

Zoran COACH 9: DivX Record Coming To Digital Cameras: CES 2007

Everyone and their uncle are making digital cameras these days and companies like Zoran help them to do that by providing the chips for capture and processing.

Zoran COACH 9: DivX Record Coming To Digital Cameras: CES 2007

The news from the floor at CES is that the COACH 9 will now support the popular DivX video format, giving the benefit of video compatibility with the tens of millions of DivX Certified DVD players.

Zoran’s COACH 9 is already capable of capture images at up to 16mpx for still images and capturing and playing back WMV MPEG-4 video of VGA resolution at 30 frames/sec including audio and 20 frames/sec at SVGA resolution.

When it first arrived, DivX was used by many to encode copied videos, including a considerable amount to p0rn. They’ve worked hard to shift that image and this support is a boost for DivX furthering its aim to become a global standard for video encoding.

DivX certification

Samsung Set Free A Septet Of Snappers: CES 2007

Samsung Set Free A Septet Of SnappersSamsung have gone new-camera bonkers, unleashing a veritable pack of seven new snappers, all set to be hitting the shelves this Spring.

Ranging from 6 megapixel budget specials up to 10 megapixel style statements, the new collection underlines Samsung’s ambition to become a big bangin’ and crashin’ noise in the digital camera market.

They’re looking to tempt punters with keen prices too, with all of the announced cameras selling for less than $350.

Top of the range S1050
Sitting right at the top of the price range, the $350 10-megapixel S1050 comes with a beefy 5x optical zoom lens, a sizeable 3″ LCD screen, a top shutter speed of 1/2000s and a high ISO rating of 1600 for low light photos.

Samsung Set Free A Septet Of SnappersRather a sleek and seductive number in an all black finish with a saucy blue trim, the S1050 delivers impressive video functionality, managing to record movies up to 800 x 600 at a baby’s-bum-smooth 30fps.

The near-identical looking $249.99 S850 also packs a similar spec sheet but with a smaller 2.5″ LCD screen and a smaller 8-megapixel sensor.

Sporting Samsung’s groovy Smart Touch interface, the pocketable L73 ($249.99.) offers 7 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.5″ LCD screen, 1/2000 secs top shutter speed and high ISO 1600 rating.

Samsung Set Free A Septet Of SnappersFirst seen in last year’s NV series, the Smart Touch widget lets users twiddle about with settings and camera controls via two sets of pressure-sensitive buttons. We’ve not tried it yet, but in a world of identical cameras, we like it when companies try something a little different.

Not shaking all over
All of the cameras come with the fab-sounding Samsung’s ASR (Advanced Shake Reduction) system, which sounds like it’ll cancel out major earthquakes, but in fact just boosts the ISO (and therefore the noise) rather than offering a proper stabilisation system. Which is a bit rubbish, if you ask us.

Shuffling down to the cheaper end of Samsung’s offerings is a trio of snappers, the 7-megapixel L700 ($249.99), the 7-megapixel S730 ($199.99) and the 6-megapixel S630 ($179.99), all featuring 3x optical zooms and 2.5-inch LCD screens.

Samsung Set Free A Septet Of SnappersMaking up the septet of new snappers is the curious-looking i70, a multimedia-packed little fella with a sliding cover offering a
7.2 megapixel sensor, 3x zoom and a large 3.0″ LCD.

Doubling up as a Portable Media Player/MP3 player, the i70 is fitted with with Samsung’s Intelligent Face Recognition Technology (we could use that on weekends after we’ve had a few). Pricing is still to be announced..

Wisdom
The entire range will feature Samsung’s new “Wise Shot” feature, which doesn’t call up a clever owl for advice before each shot, but knocks out two pictures consecutively.

The first photo is taken with the flash doing its thing, while the camera turns off the flash for the second shot and sends ISO soaring skywards to minimise blur from camera shake.

Samsung UK

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet Announced

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet AnnouncedNokia has announced an update to their 770 Nseries widget in the shape of the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet, which comes decked out in a natty industrial chrome look.

Sporting a high resolution display, Nokia say that the tablet has been “optimised for enjoying the familiar Web experience anytime, anywhere,” and comes with support for internet calling, instant messaging and email.

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet AnnouncedNaturally, the thing’s stuffed full of multimedia gadgetry with stereo audio, media support and the ability to enjoy streamed content as you amble around your Tower Hamlets bedsit Hollywood-like mansion.

Boasting faster performance than its predecessor, the N800 comes with a full screen finger QWERTY keyboard (but not a proper pull-out hardware keyboard), easier connectivity via Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth phone, an integrated web camera packed up into a sleek new streamlined design.

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet AnnouncedSoftware wise, Nokia are claiming “Internet enhanced navigation” with Navicore, support for RealNetworks’ Rhapsody music service and a deal with Skype to let users make Internet calls from Nokia N800s. They added VoIP support to the 770 back in May last year. It was GTalk at the time.

“As the Internet becomes an ever more integral part of daily life, Nokia
N800 has been designed to offer quick and convenient access to your favourite Internet services regardless of location,” insisted Ari Virtanen, Vice President, Convergence Products, Multimedia, Nokia.

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet Announced“The Nokia N800 takes our offering to the next level combining speed, performance and mobility into a stylish, compact design,” he added, nearly running out of superlatives.

The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet runs on Nokia’s desktop Linux based Operating System and should be available immediately in the US and Europe for around 399 EUR/USD (around 250 quid).

Nokia N800