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KFE's new phone charger powered by zinc-air batteries, science
Those AA alkaline- and lithium-powered phone chargers are a totally handy (and relatively inexpensive) thing to throw into a bag and carry around in the event -- the incredibly likely event -- that you end up running your set dry at one time or another, but there's a small problem: those AAs don't go very far. Generally speaking, you'll get a couple charges out of a set of batteries, which makes them environmentally dubious at best and less convenient than you'd like them to be. That's where KFE Japan's new solution comes in: same concept, but the batteries are zinc-air instead of alkaline or lithium -- the same tried and true chemistry used by hearing aid batteries -- whereby you pop a lid open on the charger to expose the batteries to air, which starts the juice flowing. The advantage is that you're looking at about 20 charges before the thing's depleted, and when you're there, you'll be able to send it back into KFE to be recharged. The chargers will run 3,000 yen (about $31) when they launch in March. [Warning: subscription required]
Exemode kicks out ultralight DC567 digicam
Although Exemode is entirely better known for its budget offerings than ones of professional allure, the firm's latest digital camera does sport one aspect that (somewhat) separates it from the uninspiring camera posse. The DC567 doesn't have a whole lot to offer, as its five-megapixel CMOS sensor, 12fps movie mode, fixed F3.2 lens, and two-inch LCD monitor could indeed provoke fits of snickering, but this compact point-and-shoot weighs in at just 80 grams (2.8 ounces) sans batteries. This lightweight cam also features 32MB of built-in memory, an SD card slot, USB 1.1 connectivity, and while it should only provide marginally better results than your current cameraphone, you can't help but appreciate the ¥10,000 ($82) pricetag it should carry when it lands next month.[Via FarEastGizmos]
Exemode DV308 pocket SD camcorder / MP3 player
If you've been eyeing all these glitzy SD camcorders, but can't conjure up the coin to afford such niceties, Japan's Exemode has released the DV308 for pocket-sized recording on the cheap. While Panasonic's latest effort may sport 3CCDs, and Sanyo touts 720p, that's not the DV308's game -- with a plain 'ole 3.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, the inability to play nice with SD cards over 2GB, and the not-so-legendary Japanese ODM build quality, this device provides a no frills, inexpensive way to record to SD. The biggest boon is its ability to utilize XviD compression rather than the more typical MPEG-4 / 2, which reportedly allows up to 1.5 hours of recording on a single 2GB card. An apparent last ditch effort to boost the feature set sees an MP3 player thrown into the mix, but this isn't likely to become your DAP of choice anytime soon. While you won't find stunning attributes nor remarkable storage capabilities on this SD camcorder, your wallet will greatly thank you after dropping just ¥19,800 ($171) on the DV308 in late August.[Via Impress]
