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Video: Meet The Medic

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:21 AM PDT

I love the Medic. Wait, no. I hate playing TF2 as the Medic but a good medic can offset almost an entire team. This video proves it. Meet the Medic.

Conan Wastes No Time Lampooning “Final Cut Pro Ex”

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:17 AM PDT

Despite being the resident Apple fanboy, I’m not going to try to defend the new Final Cut Pro X. I simply don’t use Final Cut enough to know how good or bad it is compared to the old version. But I will say this, the backlash is very predictable.

Apple completely changed a very popular piece of software — rewriting it from the ground up. People hate change. Revolt. Some changes are made. Everyone calms down and forgets. End of story. It happens time and time again. It’s just more striking when it happens with companies like Apple and Facebook because they’re among the only ones seemingly not afraid to upset their massive user bases.

Read more…


LIFEBOOK TH40/D: Fujitsu Pushes Back Release Date Of Convertible Tablet Indefinitely

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:32 AM PDT

Do you remember the LIFEBOOK TH40/D, the pretty nice-looking convertible tablet that Fujitsu unveiled last month? It now turns out that the Windows 7 device will not hit Japanese stores this month, even though Fujitsu announced just that just about five weeks ago.

To recap, the tablet is powered by Windows 7 Home Premium, has a slide-out keyboard under its 10.1-inch LCD screen and comes with 1GB RAM, an Atom Z670 (1.50GHz) CPU, and a 120GB HDD.

On its website, Fujitsu doesn’t really explain [JP] what happened between now and May 13 (when the release date was made public) other than “problems in development”. The company just says the release is being pushed back indefinitely (usually not a good sign) and apologizes to all potential customers.

We’ll keep you posted, also regarding possible international sales plans.

Strange Video: Happinet Lets You Play Table Tennis Against Invisible Opponents

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:04 AM PDT


If you happen to be a table tennis player who’s never able to find a partner to play with, here’s your chance: a Japanese company called Happinet is selling some kind of virtual table tennis game that requires neither a second person nor a ball to play. Their so-called Takkyuu High-Tension toy is all about sounds and rhythm (strange video below).

The toy is essentially a bat that’s equipped with speakers and motion sensors. There are three game modes: rhythm mode (for beginners) plus rally mode (intermediate/hard), and the idea is to let players swing the bat (again, there are no balls) to the sound that’s coming out of the speakers. If your timing skill is good, you can eventually hit a “winning super smash” at the end of the rally.

The Takkyuu High-Tension toy will be released in Japan in October (price: $25).

Our friends over at Diginfonews have a shot a video that shows the toy, apparently called “Go with the rhythm! Hyper Ping Pong” internationally, in action (in English):

Daily Crunch: Rained Out Lunch Edition

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Quick Review: Dungeon Siege III (PC)

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 07:20 PM PDT


I can’t write a full review of this game because I have no intention of finishing it. I am a huge fan of Dungeon Siege and its sequel, and of the hack ‘n slash genre in general, but I felt it to be my duty to warn you guys away from Dungeon Siege 3 right now, in case you were thinking about picking it up.

I’ve played a little over two hours of the PC version of the game, which version (or port rather), it should be mentioned, was clearly an afterthought. I’m just going to list the things I jotted down during those first two hours.

  • Having to navigate by holding the right mouse button is silly to begin with. Being able to tell your guy where to go and then go click an ability or potion is an important part of top-down slashers like this. If they’d come up with something new or better, that’d be one thing. This just doesn’t control well, plain and simple.
  • The mouse buttons tend to get “stuck” down, and sometimes your character will simply continue running or the camera keep panning, even after you’ve interrupted your movement with an ability or attack. This happens randomly but frequently.
  • There is no customization of keys, at all. The in-game guide doesn’t mention what keys do what, either. It says you can transmute items into gold, but I had to check the manual to find out what key that was. Apparently they’re fixing this. How could they ship without it?
  • Aiming seems arbitrary. Sometimes I would shoot at the guy I had my cursor over, and sometimes the targeted enemy would just be another one. One time I couldn’t even see the enemy being targeted, and couldn’t for the life of me target the one whaling on me from two feet away. My character just kept on shooting this door, though I was clicking furiously on my attacker. I really don’t know how I managed to get her to switch finally.
  • I experienced a sort of lag time after certain actions during which the game discards your input. After activating a dialogue or door, for instance, I found it wouldn’t let me start holding the mouse button down to run until a half a second passed. It doesn’t “stack” your inputs, either, so if you attack and then quickly hit “1″ for your special attack after, the special attack will not fire when you finish that attack. You have to wait until that attack animation is over to activate it.

  • Attacking speed is somewhat irregular, which is realistic I guess, but troublesome for timing things like running and special attacks. When is this animation done? When can I play?
  • You have to click every time you want to attack. No, you can’t hold it down, and no, you can’t just order your guy to attack an enemy.
  • The AI is very much “run towards you and attack.” Perhaps later in the game there are more sophisticated enemies, but I’m not in a mood to be charitable. The monsters and guys I met just ran in a bunch toward me, giving me ample time to step back once they started their long attack animations (hraaaaaaah!). Occasionally one would get stuck inside a wall or door, which could be trouble if you couldn’t reach them, since you can’t save when there are enemies around, even if you can’t see them. Ranged guys stood there and took bullets like champs.
  • Occasional invisible walls seemed to bar my progress when trying to navigate around enemies. One boss seemed to have glass shields extending several feet to his right and left, which rather limited my movement options when he was pushing me against a wall.
  • I had limited experience with a companion, but it troubles me that you can’t take direct control, as you can in so many other games. Why do I carefully select abilities and proficiencies and create a play style for this character if I can’t play them directly? There’s no guarantee they’re going to use the things I select in any intelligent way, though to be fair my companion seemed fairly helpful most of the time.

  • The camera is a pain. It’s not wide enough or high enough to let you see enemies before they see you and position yourself right or take a few potshots. Why have a gun if you can only see 20 feet ahead? The camera also likes to jerk around, which of course changes the direction you’re running, since you have to hold the mouse down in the direction you want to go. Oh, sudden 90 degree camera turn! Now you’re running into the wall. And when you run into the wall, the camera likes to zoom so far in that you can’t see a thing, sometimes just floor, sometimes just your character or a nearby enemy.
  • The inventory screen is no fun to navigate. Instead of your character there are just menus with giant icons (many exactly the same or similar) and the standard epithets (Blouse of Quickness, Sword of Conflagration, etc). For something you’ll have to do every minute or two, inventory management is pretty inefficient, and not part of the game, as it has been in so many others. It’s just a list of items.
  • There’s no way to go directly from inventory to, say, quest management. The keyboard shortcuts don’t work. You have to return to the main game screen and then pause again. A loss of mere seconds in the grand scheme of things, but honestly now, this is some really basic menu system stuff.

  • In the first hour I picked up several items that had different names but the same stats. What the hell?
  • You can’t sell stuff you have equipped. Which means you have to leave the store, enter inventory, and unequip, then reenter the store. And if you don’t have any alternate pants, for instance, you can’t unequip. So you have to buy something to change into, then sell the original. I guess that situation isn’t likely to come up, but still. Just let me sell the damn pants.
  • The guns I found didn’t seem to differ much despite wildly different stats. I guess that’s subjective, but to me they looked the same, acted the same, and the only thing that seemed to change was the damage number popping up over the dudes. Where’s the burning on my gun with a fire element? If you’re going to spill the beans early on elemental weapons and such, instead of making them rare, at least make them look and feel different. Are the first ten guns I get more or less indistinguishable gameplay-wise? Don’t make them sound like badass endgame weapons, “Fierce Blunderbuss of Furious Doom” and all that. It’s not fierce, it’s 20% better than the weapon I started the game with.
  • There were some navigation bugs in the store and elsewhere, in which I couldn’t mouse over any items to see what their stats were. There were other miscellaneous interface bugs like that, probably a result of mouse input being a very low priority.
  • The effects of your stats are a bit arcane. You can’t see the effects of things like Will or Retribution without going to your stats screen, which means you have to equip an item, leave your inventory screen, open your character screen, and switch to stats view. If you’re going to talk about things affecting or relying on overall stat scores, why aren’t they right there?

  • The abilities are pretty boring. My special attacks as a cool gunwoman were basically “a big bullet,” “heal over time,” and “area of effect damage.” You can add some effects later, but the abilities/proficiencies/talents just struck me as generic. Granted I only had the patience to play one character type, but I deliberately picked an uncommon type to see some creative play options (not just a swordsman).
  • Speaking of abilities, you only have nine. Total! You can “customize” them with proficiencies, but character progression seems incredibly basic, and I couldn’t really get excited about leveling up just to select an extra 4% chance of critical. Sure, there different guys to choose from, but really, nine?
  • You use the same key to block, roll, and activate defensive abilities. So you might be trying to heal yourself and end up diving into the middle of the enemy army.
  • There are save points in every other room, but no autosave or quicksave. And of course you can’t save during combat, because we all know that’s impossible. And you have to activate the save point manually and then select a save slot. Give me a break! If you want to streamline things, why can’t I just walk through it and it updates an autosave?
  • The first boss-monster I encountered (a big fish-man), for a quest gotten in the first town (a quest which had me backtracking already, I should add) killed me in like four hits. Really? I came back forty minutes later with better gear and a pal and killed him, but come on.
  • Why would someone be carrying a big gold candelabra in the middle of the forest? Okay, it’s treasure. Make it a jewel, something logical.
  • The graphics are good, but I was more impressed by the unique visual style of Torchlight than this, which seems to more or less play by the rules, however shiny.
  • The accents are ridiculous.

Conclusion

So yeah. I realize there may be somewhat more to this game than this, but I’m not really interested in playing. What I’ve played so far makes me want to return it. It’s awkward to control, it clearly was never intended for the PC, and it doesn’t seem to bring anything new to the table. Or if it does, I got bored while they were bringing it. The game might fare better on consoles, but it’s an affront to PC gaming and there are far better experiences available for the discerning hack ‘n slasher on consoles. It shouldn’t have been released like this and in my opinion, the compromises made for console controls just spoil the game; they’ve turned it into a sort of flimsy action RPG with Dungeon Siege flavoring added. It doesn’t stand up to the competition, and it doesn’t stand up to its own kin. If you’re looking for a good action-RPG with loot galore, I highly recommend Torchlight , Sacred 2, and Titan Quest. The original Dungeon Siege and Dungeon Siege 2 are also still quite entertaining. You can skip this one.

Monster Announces Washable iSport And True-To-The-Music Gratitude Headphones

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 02:58 PM PDT

Whether you're an athlete or a musician, we've got two new sets of in-ear headphones coming from Monster, and if you don't like one, chances are you’ll like the other. The iSport Immersion in-ear headphones were developed specifically for athletes who use music to keep them "in the zone," while the Gratitude in-ear headphones were developed in collaboration with Earth, Wind, and Fire, and are more geared toward true music lovers.

What's cool about the iSport headphones is that they are completely washable, and also sweat-proof. In both black and blue models, the iSport headphones come with the Immersion in-ear clip design that keeps the headphones in place (even if you're jogging through the neighborhood wearing glasses and a helmet). They also feature an adjustable ear pipe located right on the headphone housing. Not all ears are made equal, and I'm sure the folks at Monster wanted to make sure that the iSport headphones could stay in place on anyone, even Spock.

The iSport headphones also feature Monster's ControlTalk technology, which lets you control audio and video playback from the headphones themselves. ControlTalk works with the Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, and features a microphone and answer button for hands-free chit-chat.

Monster's Gratitude in-ear buds are totally different. Created with the help of Earth, Wind, and Fire, the Gratitude headphones are engineered to keep the true harmonics of live music and the details of each note and instrument right on par with the real thing. And they're easy on the eyes, too. They come in a rose-gold finish with a sharp design, and a special little case is included to keep them safe.

Just like with the iSport earbuds, Gratitude headphones also feature Monster's ControlTalk system, meaning you can chat it up on your smartphone, or control playback on your iPad or iPod. “You hear incredible articulation and detail with these headphones. It’s impressive!" said EFW lead singer Philip Bailey. "There’s amazing separation, [and] you can really hear the difference between my voice and Maurice’s. I clearly hear details in the music that I don’t with other headphones, especially the bottom end.”

The Monster iSport Immersion in-ear headphones are slated to arrive in July for $179, while the Gratitude in-ear headphones should become available in September. Unfortunately, no word on pricing yet for Gratitude.


Apple Attempting To Patent In-Camera Perspective Correction

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 02:00 PM PDT


More patents from Apple, adding to the rumors that the iPhone 5 will have a significantly upgraded camera. Today’s patent, filed on December 22nd, 2009 (and not yet granted), is about making automatic corrections to an image based on distance and orientation measurements taken within the device. There are plenty of filters and tools for this purpose in image editing programs, but I don’t recall ever seeing on-device correction.

The process is fairly straightforward, and interestingly, relies primarily on hardware to determine correction, rather than processor-intensive image analysis. Orientation data would be taken from accelerometers or an additional device attached to the image sensor. Distance could be determined ultrasonically, though I’m not sure I believe that Apple would go that far in support hardware.

The effect would be to straighten your picture or re-distort the perspective to create a more even image. Again, standard stuff in Photoshop and Lightroom, but in-camera, not so much. One problem: these are destructive changes, not metadata, as the workflows they describe seem to come before the encode/write operation.

Some people might think this will lead to lazy photography, but the fact is on such a small and light device as an iPhone, and with its natural tendency to lag a bit before exposure, it’s not always easy to get alignment just right. And it’s just something you’d correct in post anyway. Whether (and how) this will actually be implemented is unclear, though, as it implies some fairly serious hardware changes. We’ll be on the lookout for more info.

[via Photography Bay]

VIDEO: World’s First WP7-Powered Nokia Handset Gets Caught On Camera

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 01:28 PM PDT

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Hungarian site Technet.hu knows this, and decided to shoot a spy-style video of Nokia CEO Stephen Elop showing off the first Nokia Windows Phone 7 smartphone at a secret event, despite the fact that the Nokia boss specifically asked attendants to put away cameras.

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Audyssey Lower East Side Speakers Attempt To Mimic The LES In All Its Shabby Glory

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 01:05 PM PDT


These speakers from Audyssey purport to be “inspired by the sights and sounds of New York's Lower East Side neighborhood,” though I don’t see a lot of the LES in them myself. Not enough sandwiches, for one thing.

But they’re more than a New York shout-out: they claim these speakers are powerful, well-balanced, and more than sufficient for your music and movies. No subwoofer required. Only one way to find out! $200 for you, my friend, shipping later this year.

Nevada Preps For The Future With Driverless Car Legislation

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 12:50 PM PDT


History has shown time and time again that progress cannot be stopped. Nevada legislators clearly knew that as they pass a law authorizing driverless cars. Assembly Bill No. 511 gives the Nevada Department of Transportation the authority to develop rules and regulations of driverless cars. “shall adopt regulations authorizing the operation of autonomous vehicles on highways within the State of Nevada.” is the exact wording and is a big door to the future.

It’s just not Google with autonomous cars. BMW has a clever race track-only trainer and VW just unveiled a near production-ready system, dubbed temporary auto pilot, which scans the road ahead so the driver can sit back and enjoy the ride. This is done through lane detection, speed monitoring and works up to 120 kph. Minority Report, here we come.

D-Dalus Aircraft May Actually Be Revolutionary In Flight Technology

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 11:35 AM PDT


It’s not often that you see technologies that can legitimately be described as revolutionary, though seemingly every press release describes every gadget as such. But this D-Dalus flying vehicle, presented at the Paris Air Show, appears to be an actually revolutionary technology within aviation, as it uses a completely unique form of propulsion. So unique, in fact, that I’m having trouble picturing exactly what it is.

Here’s what the D-Dalus site has to say about it:

The propulsion consists of 4 sets of contra-rotating disks, each set driven at the same rpm by a conventional aero-engine. The disks are surrounded by blades whose angle of attack can be altered by off-setting the axis of the rotating disks. As each blade can be given a different angle of attack, the resulting main thrust can be in any required direction in 360° around any axis. This allows the craft to launch vertically, remain in a fixed position in the air, travel in any direction, rotate in any direction, and thrust upwards thereby 'gluing down' on landing.

So, engineering aside (because I can’t comprehend it, and much of it is patented and shrouded in mystery), the ability this thing has is to essentially push its thrust in any direction, and from four discrete places as well. So not only can it take off vertically or hold itself down by sending thrust upwards, but it can float effortlessly in even choppy air. Surveillance platform, anyone?

Right now the prototype is about five feet long, runs on a 120bhp engine, and has a load limit of about 70kg. They’re looking at how to expand that, but I wonder if that is perhaps the limiting factor on this platform? Unlike an airplane, which can take a comparatively large load because of the aerodynamic principles involved, it seems like the D-Dalus must grow significantly in size and weight in order to push more air.

Hopefully they’ll release a video soon and what makes this thing go will become more clear.

[via GizMag]

Lacie’s Cloudbox Offers 100GB In The Cloud – And On Your Desk

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 09:54 AM PDT

The Cloudbox by Lacie is a little weird. It’s basically a $199 100GB drive with 100GB of cloud storage on Lacie’s own service. The backups are AES encrypted on the drive itself and then sent over en masse when you update your local copy.

It’s an interesting, if slightly odd, solution and the small size may put some folks off the solution. However, the drive is compelling enough for a SOHO user who is interested in backing up documents and a text rather than photos and video.

It will be available in July.

Product Page


Gunbrella Will Get You Shot For Sure

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 08:25 AM PDT

Let’s Check More Fun for Daily Life!! Crapgadget vendor Brando is really selling this horrible umbrella. It includes a sleeve and the admit that “colors may be variant” but that shouldn’t stop you from bringing this umbrella to your local police station for a bit of suicide by cop thanks to the front stock and rifle barrel tip.

It comes in two sizes, but you’re going to want the bigger one for $28.

Product Page


New Balance 2-In-1 Headphones Include A Heart Rate Monitor

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 07:48 AM PDT

iHome and New Balance teamed up to create a strapless heart-rate monitor/headphone combo that allows you to perform all of your favorite exercise measurements in a package about as big as a pack of gum. The headphones require a quick, firm touch to sense your current heart-rate and the information is audibly presented in to your ears.

That’s literally all we know right now, so we’ll assume that New Balance knows what they’re doing here even though most one-touch heart-rate monitors are pretty rough.

They’ll be available this summer.

Congresswoman Proposes Bill To Cut Down FauxG Claims: An In-Depth Look

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 07:26 AM PDT

Whose 4G is fastest? If someone asked me, I'd probably say Verizon, but then again, is Verizon's 4G LTE network really 4G? According to the International Telecommunications Union, it's not. While both Verizon's 4G LTE network and Sprint's WiMax networks are considered forerunners to true 4G technologies, neither network meets the ITU's required download speeds of 100Mbps delivered across true 4G technology. Meanwhile, AT&T and T-Mobile are calling their HSPA+ network 4G, confusing a lot of consumers who just want faster data, and to understand what it is they're paying for.

The good news is U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo of California is here to help, introducing a bill called the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which will force carriers to tell customers (before purchasing anything) the minimum data speeds of the supposed 4G network, network reliability, and coverage of their marketed 4G service. "Consumers deserve to know exactly what they’re getting for their money when they sign-up for a 4G data plan,” the Congresswoman said in a statement. "My legislation is simple–it will establish guidelines for understanding what 4G speed really is, and ensure that consumers have all the information they need to make an informed decision."

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Space Invaders Video Game Gets A Luxury Wrist Watch Treatment

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 07:02 AM PDT

The best part of these timepieces is easily the box. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, but Romain Jerome showed me a sneak preview of the Space Invaders watches back in March. The idea is to recall some of the fun and playfulness, as well as the novelty of the late 1970s video game. The box is actually a light box and you place the watch inside of it. Actually the watch is already placed inside of it and there are no doors, just a peep hole. If you want to remove the watch – consider it a fun challenge (like the game). Inside the box is a black light, then when lit illuminates the lume on the dial of the Space Invader watches. It is cool and fun, and perhaps better with LSD.

Read more…


ThinkGeek Now Selling The FastMac U-Socket, The USB Wallplug

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 07:01 AM PDT

Most gadgets charge off USB nowadays so it only makes sense to have a wall outlet with a couple of outlets. ThinkGeek has you covered with the FastMac U-Socket USB Wallplug.  The standard 110 volt socket has two 5.0V 2100mA outlets playing wingman. ThinkGeek has them in stock and shipping for just $24.99

Pentax Releases The Q Camera, The Smallest Interchangeable Lens Camera In Most Of The World

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 06:49 AM PDT


The ultra-tiny Pentax Q is the smallest interchangeable lens camera (which leaked today) in all the land and costs a little over $800, a wild price to pay for a camera that is arguably tiny. Sadly, as Engadget points out, the value for money just isn’t there with a “1/2.3-inch backlit CMOS image sensor” that competes with other compact cameras rather than other cameras from Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung. It’s tiny, sure, but it’s not particularly better.

However, doesn’t it look like a little cutie?

PR after the jump.

PENTAX UNVEILS THE PENTAX Q: The World’s Smallest, Lightest Interchangeable Lens Camera

GOLDEN, CO. (June 23, 2011)… PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX Q – the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera (ILC).* The Q offers the versatility and precision of an advanced DSLR in a body that is significantly smaller than every other digital ILC body available on the market today.

* The world’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens system camera, as of June 15, 2011 (based on PENTAX research).

The camera’s tiny size, lightweight design, and superior image quality are made possible by an innovative PENTAX-developed imaging system. With a high-resolution 12.4 megapixel, 1/2.3 inch CMOS image sensor, the Q carves out an entirely new camera category that extends beyond traditional digital compact, APS-C or 4/3 digital cameras. The backlit sensor is a highly efficient light-gathering instrument that produces very little noise at high sensitivity levels particularly in low light settings. Further, the new Q lens mount is a perfect match with the new sensor and every interchangeable Q lens is designed for more advanced image quality than may be found on traditional compact digital cameras. This innovative PENTAX design is the foundation of the Q’s position as the world’s smallest, lightest ILC system with superior image quality.

Several important features of the PENTAX Q include:

• A newly designed PENTAX Q-mount lens system for convenient interchangeability with a variety of specialty Q lenses including prime, zoom, fish-eye and more.
• Exceptional image quality in 12.4 megapixels from the Q’s 1/2.3 inch backlit CMOS image sensor. Capable of producing 12 bit DNG RAW and JPG images, the backlit CMOS sensor is a highly efficient light-gathering instrument designed specifically to produce very low noise at high levels of sensitivity.
• Extremely compact, durable, lightweight, scratch resistant magnesium alloy body.
• The power and flexibility of traditional DSLR shooting modes such as Program, Aperture/Shutter Priority, and Metered Manual exposure control as well as highly convenient PENTAX Auto Picture and 21 scene modes for casual shooting, including new Forest and Stage Lighting options.
• A variety of creative modes, Smart Effect options, or camera settings that assign to the Q’s Quick Dial located on the front of the camera. Smart Effects modes enhance digital photography by applying a series of effects to images to achieve high quality finishing. Brilliant Color, Vintage Color, Warm Fade, Bold Monochrome, and Water Color are just some of the Smart Effects available and may be assigned on the Q’s Quick Dial.
• In-camera HDR capture mode shoots 3 images of varying exposures, blending them to bring out the details in even the darkest shadows and brightest highlights of extreme contrast shots.
• High quality motion video with stunning full 1080p HD clarity at 30 frames per second. The Q processes the full HD video using high quality h.264 compression for superior color and detail and offers creative video effects through custom image modes, digital video filters, and interval shooting.
• A sensor-shift Shake Reduction system with integrated DRII Dust Reduction for blur and dust free images even in low lighting.
• 5 frames per second continuous shooting mode for any fast action setting.
• Effortless bokeh control with the Q’s Bokeh Control filter. (Traditionally controlled through a DSLR lens’s aperture, bokeh is the out of focus part of the background that helps to emphasize the subject, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the most important part of the photo.) The Q offers a fine degree of extra control over image bokeh via an in-camera filter operation.
• Powerful USER modes allow the creative photographer to save a series of favorite camera settings, filters, and custom image modes for instant reuse.
• Shutter speeds range from 1/2000 to 30 seconds for freezing fast action or capturing long nighttime exposures. Bulb mode adds flexibility for low light photography and motion effects.
• A built-in popup flash adds the perfect amount of extra light to an image with a high extension to naturally reduce the redeye effect common to compact cameras. The Q’s flash is effective to 23 feet at 200 ISO, and covers a wide angle 28 degree field of view.
• Compatibility with the latest generation SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards for ultra-high capacity storage as well as outstanding image file portability.

Along with the Q, PENTAX introduced the PENTAX 01 Standard Prime kit lens and an optional optical viewfinder. The unifocal standard lens has a focal length equivalent to 47mm in the 35mm format. The lens offers a natural perspective similar to that of the human eye and is ideal as a multipurpose, everyday standard lens for various subjects including landscape and portraiture. With a maximum aperture of F1.9, it performs superbly in dim lighting and may be easily adjusted for bokeh. Incorporating two high grade aspherical optical elements, this lens compensates various aberrations to a minimum.

Featuring high-end optics incorporating special optical glass elements and PENTAX exclusive lens coating technology, this lens delivers beautifully defined, high quality images that are sharp and high contrast even at the edges. The AF motor installed in the lens assures smooth, quiet focusing operation. The lens shutter mechanism allows the PENTAX Q’s built-in auto flash to be synchronized to the camera’s top shutter speed of 1/2000 second (or 1/250 second when using an accessory flash unit). This lens is also equipped with a built-in ND (neutral density) filter, which comes in handy when shooting with open aperture at bright locations or when using slower shutter speeds.

The shoe-mounted viewfinder attachment is an optional accessory. This External Viewfinder O-VF1 offers outstanding compositional framing, even in the brightest sunlight where viewing an LCD screen is traditionally a challenge. (Note: The Viewfinder offers framing marks for the Standard lens.)

The PENTAX Q will be available in white or black body models and shipped in a Standard Prime lens (available in silver) kit. Initially, the PENTAX Q system will ship in Japan. Anticipated shipping time to the United States is early Fall 2011 at around $800 for the standard lens kit.
The optional shoe-mounted viewfinder will be available at the same time for $249.95 USD. Each may be pre-ordered now on www.pentaxwebstore.com The PENTAX 01 Standard Prime kit lens will not be sold separately. More information is available here: www.pentaximaging.com/news

PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of a variety of adventure ready digital cameras including weather-resistant digital SLRs and stylish, compact, waterproof cameras, as well as lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, and eyepieces. For more than 90 years, PENTAX has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of adventurous consumers and businesses. With headquarters in Golden, Colorado, PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc.

HP Giving Employees 20% Off The Touchpad

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 06:10 AM PDT

The HP Touchpad will be fighting uphill for the foreseeable future and it seems HP is helping its employees eat their own dog food on the cheap. At this point it doesn’t matter how good webOS multitasks, makes video calls, or browses the Internet. There are already a billion (or so) iPads worldwide and a proportionate amount of developers very comfortable with the slick iOS SDK. The key to the Touchpad’s future is to get it into anyone’s hands, including HP employees, and let the marketing go viral. This is why HP is reportedly giving employees 20% off the Touchpad, effectively dropping the $500 price of the 16GB version down to an attractive $400. Will it help the Touchpad’s chances? Probably not. [Twitter via PreCentral]
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