"With the Logitech Touch Mouse M600, things are set to improve, making mousing feel like second nature. You are able to scroll, swipe and surf regardless of where your fingertips rest on the mouse, and it does not matter whether you are a southpaw or not."

There are Touch people, Touchpad people and there are Mice people. Okay, there are probably some TrackBall people around, and TrackPoint/AccuPoint people too. Having grown up in front of desktops, I find mice the most efficient way of navigating my computing. For tablets and phones, sure, touch is great, but it is the mouse I crave when I want to deal with lots of information. But with Logitech's latest creation, why not get the best of both worlds? Touch mice have been around for a few years in several incarnations. I remember one of Logitech's earliest attempts 8 years ago with the v500, though that did not support multi-touch. The only problem is that I do not know if I will feel comfortable looking like I'm fondling my mouse while I whisk through all that data.

The big news of the past 24 hours is Olympus's E-M5 camera, which is part of the OM-D line. For the uninitiated, Olympus used to make small and very well-made film SLRs back in the day, under the OM moniker. I myself started photography using dad's OM-1 almost two decades ago. Ah, the memories!

Well, while Olympus is trying to stir feelings of nostalgia, I can say that the OM-1 and this E-M5 are quite different beasts once you get past the superficial. The E-M5 is a digital camera through and through, with the controls pretty much geared towards an electronically-controlled lens mount, unlike say, the Fuji X100. Still, it does look good, and the accessory battery grip is really retro; I have not seen something like that since the old motor winders back in the days of manual focus SLRs.

The camera itself is made from the best Micro Four Thirds has to offer. Highlights include a sensor that is the 16 megapixel Live MOS affair that goes from ISO 200 to 25,600 (presumably from Panasonic; about time Olympus ditched that old 12 megapixel sensor), a contrast-detect system that Olympus promises to be world's fastest (challenging cameras like the mighty Nikon D3S and Canon EOS 1DIV), an improved sensor-shift stabilisation system that promises to keep track and correct movement in five different axis, 1080i video at up to 60 FPS, continuous shooting at 9 FPS with single AF, 4.2 with continuous AF, 3" tilting VGA (presumably using a Pentile arrangement) OLED screen, a great SVGA EVF and a weather-proofed body that offers complete weather-proof capabilities when used with the right lenses. Despite that faux pentaprism hump (it is its successor, the EVF hump), there is no built-in flash, just like the old OM cameras.

Other niceties include things like a Live Bulb mode, so you can keep track of the exposure when it is progress. Ever shot in bulb and have no idea how long to open the shutter for, especially in conditions where the light level is rapidly changing? This is the crutch. There is also a tone curve overlay for finer control over how the camera handles shadows and highlights, though I suspect that is more for JPEG shooters.

All that nice stuff does not come cheap. The camera will ship in April for US$1000 for just the body, $1100 with a 14-42mm kit lens, and $1300 with the new 12-50 powerzoom lens (which is weather-proof). Along with the camera, Olympus also announced a 75mm f/1.8 lens, a 60mm f/2.8 macro, and a new flash with an LED for video work, the FL-600R. The FL-600R will ship in April for US$300, while pricing information for the lenses are not available.

More details and photos at the link, along with a preview! Be sure to see the grip, it just so old school!

Olympus has two compact cameras for show today as well. First is the SZ-31MR, which Olympus calls a compact superzoom. I am not sure what the difference between a compact superzoom and a travelzoom is now any more, since everyone is going crazy with the zoom ranges, but I digress. The camera has a 16 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a 24x 25-600mm equivalent f/3.0-6.9 (!) zoom lens, sensor shift stabilisation, a 3" VGA touchscreen LCD, 1080p video in h.264, 10 FPS continuous shooting mode, and of course, what Olympus camera would be without the Art Filters. Ships in late April for US$400.

Next up is the rugged TG-820. The camera packs a 12 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/3.9-5.9 zoom lens, sensor shift stabilisation, a 3" 720x480 LCD screen, 1080p video, a rugged body rated to be waterproof to 33 feet (10 metres), shockproof to 6.6 feet (2 metres), freezeproof to 14F (-10C), and dustproof. Ships in March for US$300. More photos and details of the two cameras at the links below.

DPReview: Olympus SZ-31MR

DPReview: Olympus TG-820

Pentax has updated their line of rugged compacts again with the WG-2. Strangely the press release makes a claim that this is the 13th generation. I thought superstitions would mean people tend to not talk about such things. Oh well! The camera itself has some updates, with a new 16 megapixel sensor (backlit CMOS, so hopefully it is not too terrible), a 3" HVGA LCD, and 1080p videos at 30 FPS in h.264. The lens seems to be the same unit as the WG-1, a 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/3.5-5.5 lens which does not appear to be stabilised. Also carried forward are the six LED lights surrounding the lens to act as lighting for close-up shots. Pretty neat. The camera is rated to be waterproof to 40 feet (12 metres), shockproof from 5 feet (1.5 metres), freezeproof to 14F (-10C) and dustproof. Ships in March for US$400 for the GPS version, and US$350 for the one without. More photos and details at the read link.

So the parade of compacts continues. Canon yesterday announced a bunch, and I will start with the more interesting ones. The Powershot ELPH 320 HS and ELPH 530 HS (IXUS 240 HS and IXUS 510 HS respectively outside of North America) are the latest additions to the ELPH/IXUS line up. The 320 HS features a 16 megapixel sensor with a 5x optically stabilised 24-120mm equivalent f/2.7-5.9 zoom lens, while the 530 HS features a 10 megapixel sensor with a 12x optically stabilised 28-336mm equivalent f/3.4-5.6 zoom lens. This uses folded optics to get fit into the small body. The two ELPHs share a lot of features otherwise, with a 3.2" HVGA touchscreen LCD and very little physical controls, 1080p video at 24 FPS, still shooting at up to 5.2 FPS, and new here, built-in wifi that in addition to uploading to various services, also allows transferring files to a smartphone, with an app coming for iOS and Android. The 530 HS also uses microSD cards instead of the usual SD cards for storing its photos. I sense many cameras will switch to the smaller form factor as time goes by; this is the third camera announced in 2012 utilising the smaller format. The two cameras will ship in late March, with the 530 HS going for US$350, and the 320 HS going for US$280. More cameras after the break!

DCResource: Powershot ELPH 320 HS / ELPH 530 HS

Next up, is travelzoom camera, the Powershot SX 260 HS. The SX 260 HS features a 12 megapixel sensor, a big 20x (up from 14x) optically stabilised 25-500mm equivalent f/3.5-6.8 (!) lens, a 3" HVGA LCD, 1080p video at 24 FPS, manual control of exposure, GPS and the usual Canon additions like high speed video and special effect modes. The SX 260 HS will ship in March for US$350. There also appears to be a SX 240 HS, which is the same as the SX 260 HS, but without the GPS, and does not look like it will be headed to North America.

DCResource: Powershot SX 260 HS

The Powershot D20 is an update to the D10, which has gone so long without an update I thought Canon had abandoned the rugged compact area. This is a more conventional affair, without the bulbous look the D10 had. Like the most rugged cameras, the D20's specifications are rather plain. It comes with a 12 megapixel sensor, a 5x optically stabilised 28-140mm equivalent f/3.9-4.8 zoom lens, a 3" HVGA LCD, 1080p video at 24 FPS, GPS, and of course, a rugged body that is waterproof to 33 feet (10 metres), shockproof from 5 feet (1.5 metres), freezeproof to 14F (-10C), and dustproof. The camera will ship in May for US$350.

DCResource: Powershot D20

Finally, Canon also announced six A-series budget compacts. I really am not sure what camera companies are doing. This is the segment most threatened by camera phones, has declining margins, and they see it fit to iterate more cameras at extremely fine price points. This is like fighting fire with fire, but being on the losing end.

Anyway, the six cameras share the same 16 megapixel CCD, and five use the same 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/2.8-6.9 (!) zoom lens. All are capable of recording 720p video at 25 FPS. The odd one out is the most expensive of the lot, the Powershot A4000 IS (US$200, ships in February), which uses an 8x optically stabilised 28-224mm equivalent f/3.0-5.9 zoom lens. It also uses a 3" QVGA LCD screen. The Powershot A3400 IS (US$180, ships in March) has a 3" QVGA touchscreen LCD, while the Powershot A2400 IS (US$160, ships in March) differs only from having a 2.7" QVGA screen. Both the A2400 and A2400 utilise the optically stabilised version of the 5x zoom lens. The Powershot A2300 (US$150, ships in March) is basically the A2400 IS without the IS, and the Powershot A1300 and A810 (US$120 and US110, ships in April) are the chunkier versions, utilising two AA batteries as a power source. The only difference between the two is the A1300 having an optical viewfinder.

DCResource: Powershot A-series

Product Category: HDR Software

Manufacturer: Oloneo SAS

Where to Buy: Oloneo's Website

Price: US$149

System Requirements: OS:Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit)

Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit) Hard disk: 200MB of available space CPU: 1.6 GHz Intel or AMD with SSE2, dual-core recommended RAM: 1.5GB Screen: 1280 x 720.

Specifications: Complete Feature List

Pros:

• Great-looking and pleasing HDR images in just a few clicks;
• Fast rendering live preview of changes;
• Offers a high level of control for the advanced user.

Cons:

• Auto-alignment for handheld HDR shots not perfect;
• Active noise reduction controls not present.

Summary: Oloneo's PhotoEngine may be the most expensive, but it is easily the best HDR software available in the market currently. Its ease of use with beautiful and natural results makes it hard to beat. It also has an additional neat trick in the form of HDR ReLight. There are a few minor issues, but for a 1.0 product, they do not overshadow the positives as a whole.

[Editor's Note: Today we bring a special review, written by a top professional photographer with well over a decade of experience. Jed Wee will be reviewing Oloneo's PhotoEngine, which made a splash when the beta was first released back in 2010. Now that the product is shipping, how well does it live up to the early promise? Join Jed as he puts the software through its paces!]

Introduction: HDR and Tone Mapping

Photography has always presented a unique number of challenges to its enthusiasts, such as the difficulty in rendering a three dimensional scene in just two dimensions. Despite the transition from film to digital and the unceasing advance of technology, capturing the full dynamic range that the human eye is capable of still eludes photographers today. This difference in the luminance between the darkest areas of a scene and the brightest can sometimes be as much as 100,000:1, and is something beyond the capabilities of current digital sensors and computer monitors. This results for example in blue skies that are never as deep or vivid as you remember them, or foregrounds that are too dark and underexposed.

Figure 1: The sun is actually just out of the frame to the right. Prior to PhotoEngine, every software used produced images that looked unnatural. Stitched shot from 5 frame brackets, converted to monochrome.

High dynamic range (HDR) imaging allows the photographer to utilise multiple exposures to capture more of this dynamic range that would otherwise go missing. By bracketing a sequence of images, the underexposed image(s) can provide the detail for the brightest parts of the scene while the overexposed images provide the detail for the darkest. Once captured, this then needs to be translated into an image that monitors and printers can deal with, in a process known as tone mapping. It is this step that frequently gives HDR a bad press - images can look totally unnatural with outlandish colours and garish halos, even though these seem to have gained a following in some circles!

Figure 2: This tawny owl was sitting in shaded woodland with sunlight coming through gaps in the trees. The dynamic range exceeded what current cameras are capable of, so HDR was used with a 5 frame bracket.

The process of tone mapping is usually accomplished with the help of software. One of earliest and most popular is HDRsoft's Photomatix Pro software, but there have been an increasing number of alternatives including native Photoshop support. Oloneo's PhotoEngine (US$149) is one of the newest to hit the market, and the subject of today's review.

Figures 3, 4 and 5: Examples of the same bracketed sequence processed through PhotoEngine, Nik HDR Efex Pro and Photomatix respectively. The Photomatix shot has had local contrast further boosted through default Tonal Contrast adjustment within Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=135883 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/135854/rca-s-usb-wall-charger-just-plug-it-in.html http://www.macworld.com/article/165...l#lsrc.rss_main

"Most modern smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, and other gadgets rely on USB-based chargers. Some of these come with their own AC wall adapters, while others include nothing more than a USB cable-meaning you have to plug them into your computer to get them charged."

The nice thing about this thing is that you just plug it into the existing outlet, so it's basically a cover. No need to replace the current outlet so you don't have to worry about shocking yourself silly. And it goes for the small sum of $15.00 USD at Lowes (currently out of stock in my area), or you can get it at Amazon.com for $12.47 USD (currently in stock with both white and almond colored versions).

]]> Jeff Campbell Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=135854 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/135623/canon-announces-three-new-lenses-for-ef-mount.html http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/0...IS_28mm_f2p8_IS

"Canon has released three EF lenses, including an updated 24-70mm F2.8 II USM. The latest version features what is promised to be a more durable body, despite being a little smaller. In addition to this high-end full-frame standard zoom, there are completely redesigned semi-fast 24mm and 28mm F2.8 primes, both of which feature USM focus motors and image stabilization."

Canon has updated three lenses, including a highly popular one, and leaves me slightly confused. For some strange reason Canon has seen it fit to add IS to light wide angle primes, but thinks the heavier 24-70 with a telephoto end needs it less (which in my opinion, does not). Sometimes you wonder what the camera companies are thinking. In any case, the 24-70/2.8 L II is a new lens, and not just minor update to the previous 24-70/2.8 L. It promises better image quality, and better physical durability. The 24/2.8 and 28/2.8 have small wideangle primes, but now come with IS (which I still find utterly weird), and newly designed optics. No word on pricing or availability.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=135623 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/135600/nikon-announces-d800-and-d800e-fx-dslr-cameras.html http://nikonrumors.com/2012/02/06/n...ouncement.aspx/

Alright, here we go! Nikon has just announced not one, but two cameras. The D800 and its sibling, the D800E. Both D800s feature a number of changes from the D700, the main difference being that 36 megapixel FX sensor. I am not sure if that many people need all those megapixels, but I guess Nikon is trying to woo the affluent amateur in addition to the thrifty professional with this camera. The sensor has a base ISO range of 100-6400, and an extended range of 50-25,600. No super high numbers like the D4 here. Still, a number of changes do carry over from the D4, including the new 91,000 RGB matrix sensor for determining exposures, the improved CAM-3500 AF module, and the 3.2" VGA LCD screen. There is an ambient light sensor for the LCD screen to boost its brightness levels, just like a smartphone, which is a nice touch.

The D800 also inherits the D4's video capabilities. That means the D800 does 1080p videos at 30, 25 and 24 FPS, with B frame compression in h.264 codec, HDMI pass through with uncompressed video data, a microphone jack, fine control of audio levels with visual indicators, a headphone jack to monitor said audio levels, and built-in time lapse recording. Each video clip is limited to 29m 59s (in other words, a second shy of 30 minutes, presumably for tax reasons in certain countries).

Back to the stills side, the camera has a maximum frame rate for 4 FPS at FX, and 5 FPS in crop mode. With the MB-D12 battery pack using other batteries than the default EN-EL15 (which replaced the EN-EL3e), the camera can do 6 FPS in crop mode. Shifting all those megapixels has made the D800 slower than the D700 in that aspect. Improved over the D700 however, is the viewfinder. It is now a 100% affair, unlike the D700 slighty cropped 95% coverage. Other improvements include faster contrast detect autofocus for live view, faster shutter response times, the addition of a SD card slot alongside the CF card slot, dual-axis virtual horizon (great for eliminating converging vertical lines), built-in two shot HDR, and overall changes to the UI. I particularly like the new frame advance setting dial on the left side of the camera. Finally one no longer has to peer at the top of the camera to confirm that self-timer mode has not been engaged. A dedicated bracketing button also means that the right function button next to the lens mount is no longer the only way to access bracketing. I hate it when camera manufacturers make features only accessible to custom function buttons, forcing you to pretty much set the custom function button to that feature anyway. It really doesn't leave much choice in setting the custom function!

Now, on to the D800E. It is essentially the D800, but with the anti-aliasing filter removed. Sounds pretty tasty. To compensate for potential moire, Nikon has added a moire removal feature in an upcoming version of Capture NX2.

The Nikon D800 will go on sale in late March for US$3000. The D800E will go on sale in mid-April for US$3300. That is right. Take away a part, promise higher image quality, charge US$300 more. More coverage at the link. Coverage of the D800 seems a bit sparse this time; DPReview even got the battery information wrong!

Update: DPReview has a preview up! Loads more information, especially on the new features.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=135600 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:27:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134754/test-dropbox-s-newest-photo-and-video-import-feature-get-up-to-4-5gb-space-free.html http://lifehacker.com/5881692/get-u...otos-and-videos

"You can never have too much Dropbox space, and now for a special beta period you can grab some additional free space while Dropbox is testing their automatic photo and video uploading feature. In exchange for trying their experimental build, you can get up to 4.5GB of extra space for free."

Free extra space, new features to try on Dropbox, what is there to not like? I just tried it, and the feature works very well. A bit too well for me, given I wanted it to sync the edited files folder on the phone, and not the original camera folder. There is no way to change the sync folder, so I guess the feature is not really for power users.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134754 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:30:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134564/pentax-announces-k-01-mirrorless-camera-and-confirms-they-cannot-do-mirrorless-right.html http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/0...01_announcement

Continuing with this weeks camera announcements is Pentax with their second attempt at a mirrorless camera. I am not sure if Pentax really knows what it is doing here. After the too-small-in-everything Pentax Q, Pentax has revealed the K-01. The specifications read pretty much like a Pentax DSLR, with a 16 megapixel APS-sized sensor, sensor-shift stabilisation, a 6 FPS continuous shooting mode, a 3" VGA LCD display, top ISO of 12,800, 1080p video mode at 24, 25 or 30 FPS with manual controls, even more manual controls for still photography, and being Pentax, also includes native Adobe DNG support for its RAW files. The problem with this camera is that is basically uses the venerable K-mount, which is a SLR lens mount. This means that there is a large gaping space between the sensor and the lens meant for the non-existent mirror, and just makes the camera big, which DPReview kindly shows at the read link below. Maybe that is why Pentax debuted a 40mm f/2.8 lens that is really thin. Mount a standard 50mm f/1.4 lens and this is just about as big as any modern SLR. There is also the issue that contrast-detection autofocus is just not good with lenses originally designed for phase-detection autofocus systems. Oh, and did I mention the camera this big is missing a viewfinder of any kind? The Pentax K-01 ships in March for US$750 for the body alone and US$900 with the 40mm f/2.8. The lens itself will cost US$250. More details and photos (including a comparison in size with Pentax's flagship DSLR, the K-5) at the read link.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134564 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:30:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134389/nikon-announces-new-coolpix-p-series-cameras-42x-zoom-lens-for-maximum-compensation.html http://www.dcresource.com/news/news...tem.php?id=4453

"For those whom 24X, 30X, and even 36X zooms aren't enough, the Coolpix P510 has a whopping *42X* optical zoom lens. And no, it doesn't come with its own tripod."

24-1000mm equivalent zoom lens. That's right. 1000mm equivalent. That is what the P510 packs. The lens is not too slow at a f/3.0-5.6 maximum aperture, and it comes with Nikon's VR optical stabilisation to help stabilise that really long focal length. I still recommend a tripod, and a bright sunny day to make use of that range! The rest of the camera is pretty much a current superzoom (or should it be ultra-mega-superzoom now?). It is equipped with a 16 megapixel backlit sensor, a tilting (as opposed to fully articulated) 3" VGA LCD, 1080p videos at 30 FPS, and includes a GPS sensor. The camera's UI means serious business: Two command dials grace the camera to accommodate the camera's manual controls, along with two zoom controllers to handle that monster zoom range. Ships in February for US$430.

Next up is the P310, an update of the P300. Like the P300, it is not quite a Canon Powershot S100 (or similar) challenger. While it offers a bright (at the wide end at least) 4x 24-100mm f/1.8-4.9 zoom lens, the 16 megapixel backlit sensor is the same 1/2.3" affair as the P510, which is almost half the area of the S100's 1/1.7" sensor. It also lacks the S100's RAW file recording capability. The rest of the camera is almost tantalising, which makes me wonder what Nikon is trying to do here. Like the P510, there is Nikon's VR optical image stabilisation, a 1080p video mode at 30 FPS, a 3" VGA LCD (but fixed here), and a number of nice touches to the UI (like a full rear command dial and a customisable function button on the front, like Nikon's DSLRs). Ships in February for US$330, which is cheaper than the Canon S100, but I really would rather have the bigger sensor and RAW capability for US$100 more. More details and photos at the read link.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134389 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:56:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134388/nikon-introduces-four-s-series-coolpixes.html http://www.dcresource.com/news/news...tem.php?id=4452

After the excitement (or disappointment) of the P-series cameras, here are the more standard releases. Let us start with the S9300 travelzoom camera. It has an 18x optically stabilised 25-450mm equivalent f/3.5-5.9 zoom lens, a 16 megapixel backlit sensor, 1080p video at 30 FPS, a 3" VGA LCD, and built-in GPS. Ships in March for US$350.

Next up is the S9300's little brother, the S6300. It has the same 16 megapixel backlit sensor, but a shorter 10x optically stabilised 25-250mm equivalent f/3.2-5.8 zoom lens. The LCD is a smaller one, at 2.7" with just QVGA resolution. GPS is also not present, but at least the same 1080p 30 FPS video is still present. Ships in March for US$200.

After that are a pair of budget compacts, the S4300 and S3300. Both use a standard 16 megapixel CCD, a 6x optically stabilised 26-156mm equivalent f/3.5-6.5(!) zoom lens and 720p video. The main difference between the two is that the S4300 uses a 3" HVGA touchscreen, while the S3300 uses a 2.7" QVGA screen. The S4300 will ship in March for US$170, while the S3300 will go for US$140. More details and images at the read link.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134388 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:55:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134387/nikon-announces-three-budget-coolpix-cameras-one-is-actually-interesting.html http://www.dcresource.com/news/news...tem.php?id=4451

It is not every day a US$120 camera is interesting, but I think Nikon has done it. The S30 is a camera with unremarkable, even mediocre, specifications: A tiny 1/3" 10 megapixel CCD with a 3x 29-87mm equivalent f/3.3-5.9 zoom lens, a 2.7" QVGA LCD screen, and 720p video mode. What makes it interesting is that the camera has been given a slightly rugged shell that is waterproof to 9.8 feet (3 metres), shockproof to 2.6 feet (0.8 metres) and dustproof. It also takes common AA batteries. Together with the price, I think this might be a great camera for the children, or for slightly more adventurous activities where a cheaper camera is good enough for to capture the fun. Ships in February for, as mentioned, US$120.

Next up are the L budget cameras. The L810 is a budget superzoom, packing a 26x optically stabilised 22.5-585mm equivalent f/3.1-5.9 zoom lens, a 16 megapixel CCD, 3" VGA LCD and 720p video mode. The camera uses four AA batteries to power it. The specs are pretty decent for a budget zoom. One can hope the photos match the specs. Ships in February for US$280.

Finally there is the L26. This budget shooter has 5x 26-130mm equivalent f/3.2-6.5 lens, 720p video mode, and a 3" QVGA LCD screen. The camera will ship in February for US$120. More details and photos at the link.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134387 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:53:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134275/what-to-use-for-your-home-theater-pc.html http://lifehacker.com/5879191/what-...-something-else

"The problem is, no one solution is "best"-it all depends on what you plan to use it for, how much you're willing to spend, and how much you're willing to tinker with it."

One of the challenges in building a home theater PC is where to start? Do you convert an unused PC, get a net-top PC, Boxee Box, Apple TV or build your own? This is an important consideration as it will dictate where your build goes and the amount of work. All have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Luckily LifeHacker has put together the pros and cons of each of the options and done some basic ground ground work so you won't have to go in blind.

Of the options listed in the LifeHacker article, they seemed to prefer either jail breaking an Apple TV or doing a custom build. What do you prefer when it comes to HTPC?

]]> Richard Chao Digital Home News http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134275 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:38:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134198/panasonic-introduces-four-lumix-compact-cameras.html

Panasonic today announced four Lumix cameras: Two travelzooms, and two rugged compacts. First up are the DMC-ZS20 (TZ30) and the DMC-ZS15 (TZ25). The ZS15 comes with a 14 megapixel sensor, a 16x optically stabilised 24-384mm equivalent f/3.3-5.9 lens, a 3" HVGA LCD, 1080i videos in 60 FPS in AVCHD. The ZS20 gets a 14 megapixel sensor, a 20x optically stabilised 24-480mm equivalent f/3.3-6.4 zoom lens, a 3" HVGA touchscreen LCD, 1080p videos at 60 FPS with a high speed 220FPS option at reduced resolution, and a GPS with a database of landmarks and maps that can be loaded from the included DVD. Both cameras bunch of special effects and in-camera software features (including a take on Sony's Sweep Panorama), burst mode of 10 frames a second, and full manual controls. The ZS20 will be priced at US$350, while the ZS15 will be priced at US$280. Both will ship in March. More photos and details at the link.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 and DMC-ZS15

Next up are the rugged cameras, the DMC-TS4 (FT4) and the DMC-TS20 (FT20). The TS4 replaces the TS3, and now has a 12 megapixel sensor, an optically stabilised 4.6x 28-128mm equivalent f/3.3-5.9 zoom lens, a 2.7" QVGA LCD, 1080i video at 60 FPS, and a rugged shell that is waterproof to 40 feet (12m), shockproof to 6.6 feet (2m) and freezeproof to 14F (-10C). There is also a GPS sensor, and has the same landmarks and maps capability as the ZS20 above. The lower-end TS20 has a 16 megapixel sensor, a slow optically stabilised 4x 25-100mm equivalent f/3.9-5.7 zoom lens, a 2.7" QVGA LCD, 720p video at 30 FPS, and a less-rugged shell that is waterproof to 16 feet (4.8m), shockproof to 5 feet (1.5m) and freezeproof to 14F (-10C). The TS4 will ship in March for US$400, while the TS20 will ship in February for US$180 (quite the price difference there). Photos and details at the link.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 and DMC-TS20

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134198 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/134184/sony-launches-a-trio-of-cameras-thinks-we-need-18-megapixels.html

This always happens. A company produces a minor design innovation that might allow for compacts to be less awful to the point where I might consider getting one again, then same company ruins it by increasing the megapixel count, thus negating (and maybe even worsening) any advantages said innovation might have brought otherwise. Sony's latest, the DSC-TX200V, is clearly intended to be Sony's flagship compact camera, but 18 megapixels? It packs the otherwise promising Exmor R CMOS sensor, which Sony touts it will be great in low-light situations (and I have a bridge to sell you folks), a slow-ish 5x optically stabilised folded optics zoom lens at 26-130mm equivalent with maximum apertures of f/3.5-4.8, a tasty 3.3" WVGA OLED touchscreen (which unfortunately also means most physical controls have been obliterated), 1080p video in AVCHD, crammed with a ton of software features, like Sony's famous Sweep Panorama mode, all in a slightly waterproof, freezeproof and dustproof body that is also pretty stylish. It is the second compact that will make use of micro SD cards, and will sell for a princely sum of US$500 in March. More photos and full details at the link below.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V

The other two cameras, The DSC-WX70 and DSC-WX50, are more conventional affairs. They are still slim cameras, but pack a more standard retracting lens. Both offer 16 megapixel Exmor R sensors, 5x optically stabilised 25-125mm equivalent f/2.6-6.3 zoom lens, 1080p video in AVCHD, and similar inter software to the TX200V. The difference between the two cameras are in their screens. The WX50 offers a 2.7" HVGA LCD, while the WX70 offers a 3" VGA touchscreen LCD. Both cameras will ship in March, with the WX70 going for US$230, and the WX50 going for US$200. More photos and full details at the link below.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70/WX50

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134184 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:30:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/133470/corel-s-re-introduces-bibble-as-aftershot-pro.html http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/11/...ac-and-windows/

"The crew in Ottawa is now taking square aim at Aperture, Lightroom and other similarly situated products with its new product called AfterShot Pro. Available for Linux, Macintosh and Windows, the software retails for $99 and promises to deliver a complete workflow for RAW files, including file management, batch processing and non-destructive editing capabilities."

Remember Bibble? One of the earliest after-market RAW software, Bibble has been around for a long time, and was bought by Corel a year or so back. Now the software is back as Corel AfterShot Pro. Since I have not used Bibble, I am not sure what the differences are present, but long time Bibble users can check it out. Like Bibble, Corel has maintained a Linux version, so those of you on Linux will be happy for an alternative to Lightroom.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=133470 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/133458/pentax-announces-optio-vs20-with-vertical-controls.html http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/0...ntax_Optio_VS20

Pentax, recently acquired by Ricoh, is now trying to be a little crazier than the competition by offering this travel zoom camera with vertical shooting controls, along with a tripod socket for mounting the camera vertically on a tripod. Almost like a SLR with a vertical grip. I am not sure how well it will handle in portrait orientation, but I certainly can see that it probably is not the most pressing concern for most buyers of such digital cameras. The specifications are not much to shout about as well. The most interesting thing is probably the lens, a 20x optical affair at 28-570mm equivalent f/3.1-4.8 lens, with a sensor-shift stabilised 16 megapixel sensor, a 3" HVGA LCD, and 720p video mode. The camera will go on sale in February for US$250.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Hardware & Accessories http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=133458 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/133341/adobe-s-lightroom-4-beta-previewed.html http://www.dpreview.com/articles/74...-beta-whats-new

"The Lightroom 4 beta introduces quite a list of features, including a completely new book-creation module, expanded support for video, soft proofing capability, and geo-tagging of still and video images via a Google Maps-powered module. Image editing tools have also been significantly updated, with a new process version (PV2012) that includes a reworking of the Basic panel controls and new localized editing options."

Adobe has announced a beta for Lightroom 4, and DPReview takes a look at the changes. While they look interesting, I am plenty invested in my current workflow to not start using a Lightroom-based one. I guess there are a lot more people who are excited though, so take a look at the comprehensive preview.

]]> Lee Yuan Sheng Digital Home Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=133341 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT