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3D Shot Cam: Takara Tomy’s “3D” Toy Camera

Posted: 06 Sep 2010 05:00 AM PDT

The 3D hype is now entering the toy market as well. Takara Tomy announced [JP, PDF] the so-called 3D Shot Cam today, a simple photo camera with two lenses. This “toy version of Fujifilm’s FinePix REAL 3D W3” is aimed at children aged 12 and older who have to use a special viewer to view images shot with the camera in 3D (see below).

For that, the pictures have to printed out first (showing two shots side by side).

The 3D Shot Cam features a 0.3MP sensor and an SD card slot (8GB max.). It’s sized at 55×142×30mm, weighs 100g and comes with two 3D viewers.

The camera will hit Japanese stores sometime next spring with a $70 price tag. Takara Tomy expects to sell 50,000 units per year in Japan, without saying anything about international distribution plans.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Up On Amazon.de For 799€

Posted: 06 Sep 2010 04:22 AM PDT

Oh boy. 799€ ($1030) for the Tab is definitely a whole bunch of money for something you probably don’t need. It’s still a better deal than $150 for the new Apple TV. You could also buy a mac and actually do stuff with it. Or netbooks for the whole family.

[via Giz]

Review: G-DRIVE Mini

Posted: 06 Sep 2010 02:32 AM PDT

The G-Drive Mini has a lot to offer for people who need FW and USB connectivity. This of course comes with a price of $250. $1 for each GB is obviously not satisfactory for someone who needs a normal portable HDD. For this price you can get two Toshiba Canvios and get 2 TB of storage. What can the Mini offer? Click to read my review.

The Mini is very light (9 oz) and has the usual G-Drive case as all other models. The test unit has 2 Firewire 800 and one USB2.0 ports (triple interface). There is also an on/off switch and a 12V DC in. As usual you can find all the USB and FW cables in the box. The drive is formatted for OSX, and Time Machine (?) which is generally a good thing however Windows users will have some trouble setting up the Mini for on first use. Inside the rugged aluminum enclosure is a 5400 rpm drive that can do good speeds over the Firewire ports. As for USB speeds were okay but nothing special really. My early conclusion is that if you want to use this device over USB, look for something else.

What I really liked when testing the SSD version of the same drive a while back was the SSD. No moving parts, no second thoughts when dropping my bag with the drive in it, and great speed. That drive had a retail price of $1300 for the 250GB version. This is all gone with the new Mini. I have a constant fear of killing it because of the HDD – just like with any other portable drives. I believe that this Mini could (should) have an SSD instead. It’s portable, yes, you can move it around and it’s very light. But you can’t just toss it in the backpack because you’ll eventually break it. And then there are cheaper models with a lot more storage that you can break.

Above connectivity, the industrial design can be a selling point of the Mini. It really looks good just about anywhere you place it. I even tried out with the Xbox and installed games on it and it blends well with the TV and all the other stuff in the living room. But then again this is supposed to be a portable drive.

If you need an external HDD and you are a heavy Apple user you will appreciate the Mini. It will look good with all the Apple stuff you have, you can use Firewire and it’s very light to carry around. I would definitely go for the SSD version and possibly save $ on broken drives. USB 3.0 would be a great addition and it would also justify the price. SSD with USB3 and FW ports and we have a deal.

The good:

  • Light (only 9 oz)
  • Industrial design: looks good, blends with everything that’s made by Apple
  • Connectivity: 2 Firewire, 1 USB is all you’ll ever need

The bad:

  • No USB 3.0
  • HDD: no SSD
  • Price: $250 for 250GB

Specifications:

Ultra portable external storage solution
Storage capacities up to 500GB
Time Machine ready
Mac OS formatted out of the box (Windows compatible)

Two high performance versions:
Combo Interface: (1) FireWire 400, (1) USB 2.0 Port
Triple Interface: (1) FireWire 400, (1) FireWire 800, (1) USB 2.0 Port
FireWire Bus powered – no AC adapter required
Compact size, weighs less than 9 oz
Unique silent cooling technology with high quality all aluminum enclosure
Industrial design complements MacBook Pro and other laptop computers
Standard 3-year factory warranty
MSRP: $129.00 for 160GB (combo interface) and $319.00 for the 500GB (triple interface)

Don’t Dispose Of That Disposable Camera, Make An iPhone Macro Lens With It

Posted: 05 Sep 2010 02:54 PM PDT


I’ve found that the iPhone, and indeed many phone cameras, are actually pretty good at close focus photography, but if you really want to get up close and gross with some bugs or flowers or what have you, a macro lens is the only way. And as it turns out, you can use the lens that comes with a disposable camera just for that purpose. Of course, it’s not as simple as cutting and pasting the thing on there, but this Instructable will walk you through it.

[via Lifehacker]
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