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Kodak licenses its name to JK Imaging for cameras and projectors
Kodak has been offloading many of its signature businesses, and we're seeing a another symbolic changing of the guard today: after deciding to quit digital cameras last year, the company is licensing rights to make Kodak-branded cameras to JK Imaging, a subsidiary of global supplier JA Capital Holdings. No, we're not expecting those names to be immediately recognizable, although the Kodak-badged cameras, pocket camcorders and projectors that should result from the deal will be familiar enough. While it's unfortunate that any future Kodak cameras won't come straight from the original source, we won't judge just yet -- after all, similar deals have led to surprising new directions for some of Kodak's competitors.
Toshiba intros Camileo BW20 waterproof camcorder, available now for $130
Toshiba might have missed the summer vacationers by just a bit, but with the beautiful fall season just around the corner in the US, it's that period to introduce a new Camileo to the group. This time out it's the follow-up to the company's rather colorful BW10 from last year. Enter the adequately named BW20. Aside from nabbing a numerical bump on its moniker, the BW20 brings the same 1080p video recording found on its predecessor, plus improved waterproof capabilities that now allow the camcorder to handle up to 16 feet below water. Perhaps, the most interesting fact here is the BW20's new price tag, which is now $130 -- 20 bucks less than the BW10. You can snag one for yourself now at the source link below; in the meantime, there's an appealing press shot gallery for your viewing pleasure down below.
Sony Handycam HDR-GW77V has pocket camcorder form-factor and waterproof design, we go hands-on
Waterproof camcorders have traditionally been popular in the pool but less compelling on land, given the somewhat-cumbersome designs, so-so image quality and form-factors that aren't necessarily more comfortable than a similarly equipped smartphone. This may describe nearly every pocket cam you've considered, but not Sony's new Handycam -- instead, think of the HDR-GW77V as a high-end camcorder you'll want to use everywhere, that happens to be just as rugged as it is practical. The camera packs the standard ruggedized punch, with a waterproof rating to 16 feet, the ability to survive a five-foot drop and a dustproof housing (though that's typically a given for tightly-sealed cams). You wouldn't think to take still photos with your camcorder, but Sony wants you to just that -- to the tune of 20.4 megapixels. The Handycam's 10x optical zoom lens can capture static frames just as easily as motion, with features like optical SteadyShot and Sweep Panorama, though the 1/3.91-inch CMOS sensor means you shouldn't expect point-and-shoot-level image quality. The GW77V can shoot 1080/60p video and features a wide-angle 29.8mm G lens, along with a 3-inch 921k-dot ExtraFine touch-enabled LCD. There's a dual Memory Stick M2/microSD slot, 16GB of internal memory and a GPS module with built-in NAVTEQ maps to boot (accounting for roughly 2.7 gigs of that internal storage). We spent a few minutes shooting with the GW77V and were quite pleased with its performance -- the Handycam was very responsive, with very fast focusing and an Optical SteadyShot feature that resulted in smooth footage, even while holding the camera by hand with the lens zoomed in completely. This certainly isn't your run-of-the-mill waterproof model, but considering the $700 price tag, you wouldn't expect it to be. The Handycam HDR-GW77V is slated to hit stores in silver, blue and black later this month.%Gallery-156601%
Samsung ships QF20 camcorder with WiFi, toughened-up W300 pocket cam
Samsung's CES blitz included a tease of five new camcorders, but precious little in the way of launch details. Some of the mystery has ended, as two of the camcorders -- the QF20 and W300 -- are at last hitting US stores. The QF20 caters to the Internet crowd and, for $350, will let you upload your 20x-zoomed 1080p videos straight to Facebook, Picasa or YouTube without thrusting a computer into the process. If you're more concerned about your camera surviving a rafting trip than producing viral videos, the W300 will give you dustproofing, 15-foot waterproofing and 6-foot shockproofing in a pocketable form for a more frugal $160. We're still waiting on launches for the camcorders' closely-related F80, Q20 and W350 (pictured) cousins, but for now you can catch full details of the QF20 and W300 after the break.
Toshiba Camileo Air10 WiFi camcorder available now for $160 from HSN
Remember that Toshiba full HD WiFi camcorder we got our hands on back at CES? Well, if you've been jonesin' for one since January, you're in luck. The Camileo Air10 is now available from HSN for the "event price" of $159.95 and ships with a 4GB SDHC card. In case you're a bit hazy on the details, the Air10 is ready for uploads and live-streaming without being anchored to a computer. It shoots 16 megapixel photos and the aforementioned 1080p video before sending it on to services like UStream, YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Twitvid. You may want to decide quickly, though, as the "HSN price" is $20 higher. Need a refresher on how the Camileo Air10 performed on the show floor? Take a peek back at our sample video.
Sony Bloggie Sport HD arriving in stores ready for your extreme weekend (video)
We do love documenting our dirt-trail journeys to show our friends at, ah, dirt-trail bike club. If you feel the same way, then you'll love Sony's Bloggie Sport HD, which ships today. Announced at CES, it takes the features we know and love from the pocket camcorder and wraps it in a shock, dust and waterproof shell you can take to depths of five meters for up to an hour. Fancy watching one get played with underwater? We've got video to excite you ready for this weekend's extreme sports adventuring.
Toshiba Camileo Air10 hands-on revisited: with sample video
We've already gotten our hands on Toshiba's Camileo Air10, but there was one crucial ingredient missing from our initial impressions -- an actual glimpse at how clips recorded with the device turned out. We swung by the company's booth on the floor, slipped one of our own SD cards in the device and took a quick video at 1080p with image stabilization enabled. The results? Not so great. While image quality and color reproduction was acceptable, clips were very shaky -- even with stabilization turned on. Perhaps someone with steadier hands (not running on two hours of sleep and caffeine fumes) would have better results -- actually, we sure of it. Check out a quick hands on clip and sample video after the break.
Toshiba announces Camileo Air10, its first WiFi camcorder, and the Z100 3D
Ever since the Flip went bye-bye all has been mostly quiet on the pocket camcorder front, but today we seem to be hitting the jackpot when it comes to new budget cams. First, Sony unveiled the Bloggie Live (which, er live-streams), and now Toshiba is showing off the Air its first wireless camcorder, the Camileo Air10. Like the Bloggie Live, it's equipped for easy uploads and live-streaming, though in this case the list of supported services includes UStream, YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Twitvid. For the money, it also snaps 16MP stills and does 1080p video, as does every other camcorder in Toshiba's stable. Moving along, Toshiba also announced the Z100 3D, a 3D camcorder with a glasses-free 3D touchscreen LCD (it's a wee one, at 2.8 inches, so we're not sure how much you'll be able to appreciate the 3D effects before outputting it to a TV). This, too, takes 16 megapixel photos. Look for the Air10 to hit for $150 next month, with the Z100 3D arriving in late March for $220. Sean Buckley contributed to this post.
Sony Bloggie Live review
Last April, Cisco unceremoniously shuttered Flip, two years after purchasing the company for $590 million. The end of the line came as a bit of a shock, marking the death of the brand that had become synonymous with pocket cams. But did it also mark the end of the miniature camcorder, in a world where more and more people carry portable cameras on them at all times, in the form of smartphones? In spite of Cisco's lack of faith in the market for budget standalone camcorders, a number of companies such as Kodak and Samsung have carried on. Most notable among them, though, might be Sony, which has continued to innovate with its Bloggie line. The company's latest offering, the Bloggie Live adds WiFi to the equation, for wireless file transfers and, as the name not-so-subtly implies, live-streaming. But are these features enough to keep buyers interested in pocket camcorders, or is this too little, too late in a world where video-capturing smartphones are the norm?
Sony Bloggie on the CES show floor?
Well hello there little guy. Sent in by a tipster and purportedly from the CES show floor, what you're gazing at looks an awful lot like something from Sony's Bloggie line. The silver pocket camcorder doesn't look like any model we've ever seen before, but boasts "Live Broadcasting," a WiFi certification and support for FaceBook and YouTube. It's also about the size of a Niagara water bottle. Won't be too long until we find out for sure.
Samsung W200 waterproof / rugged 1080p camcorder review
Samsung slid its 'multi-proof' W200 pocket cam out a couple of months back, and we've spent the past few weeks testing it out in a place that's no stranger to water (read: the Big Island of Hawaii). Hailed as a waterproof and shockproof 1080p pocket camcorder, it most resembles a ruggedized version of Cisco's now-deceased Flip HD, and it's definitely a heck of a lot more petite than Canon's PowerShot D10 -- a waterproof P&S that we reviewed back in June of '09. Aside from putting high-def recording capabilities in the palm of your pruney hand, the W200's other key selling point is the trifecta of digits to the left of the decimal. At just $150 on the street, it's certainly classifiable as a bargain in the category, but does it deliver results worthy of laud? Read on for our take! %Gallery-130996%
Vivitar rolls out 690 HD camcorder: waterproof, 720p, $60
Vivitar may have bad-mouthed newfangled digital cameras last year, but that hasn't stopped it from selling them. The company's latest is the 690 HD, a compact, Flip-like camcorder that records 720p video and is rated for use up to ten feet underwater. You'll also get an SD card slot for storage and a 2-inch LCD 'round back, but you'll have to make do without other niceties like an optical zoom or HDMI port -- compromises that shouldn't be too hard to take considering the $60 price tag.
Sony tears down Bloggie 3D, iFixit helps (video)
We all knew it would come to this, right? Tech corporations have apparently taken a cue from the blogosphere and started tearing down their own devices for all the world to see. Sony's in-house gadget site SGNL opened up the company's Bloggie 3D pocket camcorder, thankfully enlisting the supervision of Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. But while he does seem genuinely intrigued at taking apart and explaining the way the 3D camera works, there's not much in the way of the depth we've come to expect from the site, and Sony manages to make the whole thing a not-so-subtle plug for a newish device. Now who wants to buy a disassembled camcorder? I hear Sony's selling one cheap.
Toshiba's Camileo P100 and B10 continue their world tour, arrive stateside
We're pretty sure that most of the attention Toshiba receives today will center around the handful of laptops it unveiled this morning (particularly this handsome devil). But the outfit also managed to slip in some camcorder news -- those Camileo P100 and B10 models it announced for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East are now on sale in the US. If you recall, both camcorders shoot 1080p video and snap 16 megapixel stills, though the pistol-shaped P100 adds 5X optical zoom -- still an uncommon spec for pocket cam. The P100 is available now for $180, while the Flip-inspired B10 can be had for $120. PR after the break.
Casio Tryx (EX-TR100) review
Given the sheer quantity of marketing muscle that Casio put behind the Tryx, you'd think the company was gearing up to rival Nikon and Canon in the DSLR space. Instead, out popped the outre device you see above. Without qualification, this is one of the strangest, most bizarrely designed cameras we've ever seen, featuring a pop-out display and a grand total of two buttons for operation. At 4.8- x 2.3- x 0.6-inches, it's certainly one of the slimmest, easy-to-carry point-and-shoots on the market, but is the absence of an optical zoom and a removable battery enough to tank an otherwise radical idea? Head on past the break for our two pennies. %Gallery-122773%
Olympus' LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality
Cisco may have washed its hands of pocket camcorders, but Olympus is ready to dive into the market with gusto. The company, best known for its cameras and voice recorders, just brought those two worlds together by announcing the LS-20M, a handheld whose relatively high-end audio specs should help it go toe-to-toe with Zoom. In addition to 1080p video, the LS-20M records 24 bit / 96 hHz Linear PCM audio using a pair of condenser mics. Alas, at $300 it has a small 2-inch screen and no optical zoom, but at least Olympus borrowed four of the visual effects that make its PEN cameras so fun to use. Look for it in June, and in the meantime, hit the PR for more details.
Sony Bloggie 3D now available for aspiring James Camerons everywhere
Sure, we'll never see dreams of a 3D Cisco Flip realized, but Sony's offering the next best thing: the Bloggie 3D. The latest addition to the company's line of pocket camcorders was quietly made available this week for $249.99 a pop -- $80 more than the recently released Bloggie Duo HD, because extra dimensions ain't cheap. The camera takes a cue from Nintendo's latest portable, with a 2.4 inch 3D display that eschews the need for glasses. Or, if you're not in the mood to squint and don't mind the eyewear, you can output the video to a 3D-enabled HDTV.
Toshiba's waterproof Camileo BW10 does 1080p video, 5 megapixel stills for $150
Flip might have died an untimely death, but spring is here, the birds are chirping, and the march of vacation-ready pocket cams continues -- Toshiba just announced the Camileo BW10, whose rubberized coating makes it usable in water as deep as 6.5 feet. At $150, it's a smidge cheaper than other rugged 1080p camcorders, but then again, you'll pay a premium for models you can use in deeper water. In addition to video, it snaps 5 megapixel photos and has an SD card slot, USB port, and HDMI output, though Toshiba regrettably doesn't bundle an HDMI cable. Not a deal-breaker? You can nab one in yellow or silver on Toshiba's site today with an instant $20 rebate.
Samsung announces 'multi-proof' W200 Pocket Cam with 1080p recording
Cisco may not have seen a bright future in the pocket camcorder business, but it seems that Samsung would beg to differ -- it's just announced its new W200 Pocket Cam, which it proudly boasts is "multi-proof." That means it will hold up in harsh conditions and keep on working underwater (up to three meters deep, at least), and capture some full 1080p video in the process. You'll also get 5 megapixel still images from the camera, a microSD card slot to store them on (no internal storage, it seems), a 2.3-inch LCD 'round back, and the usual built-in USB connector. Still no word on a price, but Samsung says this one will be available sometime next month. Full press release is after the break.
Switched On: Flip-flops
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. This week's announcement that Cisco is shuttering its Flip Video business was but the latest twist in the history of the market share-leading device. The Flip got its start after its creator, Pure Digital, modified its original disposable camcorder to be reusable after hackers showed it could be done. And its success continued to defy convention that the product would resonate against a slew of digital cameras and increasingly competent smartphones that could shoot competitive -- and even high definition -- video. The Flip also soared above the market share of companies with far stronger brands such as Sony and Kodak, although the latter made gains on a string of hits, including the 1080p-shooting Zi8 and waterproof PlaySport. It even fought back an initial foray from Apple's iPod nano and was still holding its own after the debut of the latest iPod touch, which took the HD video capture feature from the iPhone and made it available without a contract. Yes, the Flip hung tough. That's why its cancellation says volumes about Cisco, the company that acquired it for some $590 million in stock. Cisco needed to show growth with a consumer product line that could not be easily augmented with acquisitions and that derived little connection with the mother brand -- even less than Linksys, the company's networking line. Cisco certainly tried. But the Flip group made a few false moves that stuck out like a pop-out USB connector, and with little of that spring-loaded joy.
