What's up with Japan getting all the cool toys first? Yeah, we can claim little victories like Pleo and basketball (shared with Canada, some say), but the two 1.5 of those don't even come close to measuring up to Her Cuteness. Differences aside, we're thrilled to see that Liquid Image's underwater digital camera mask is available anywhere after missing its March launch date by quite a bit. These face-swallowers pack a 3.1- or 5.0-megapixel CMOS sensor, LCD screen, 16MB of built-in memory, a microSD card slot, a USB port and even a VGA video mode. It's supposedly available as we speak in Tokyo and the surrounding 'burbs for just over $100, and yes, the urge to import is extraordinarily high.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

There's already plenty of waterproof cameras out there for those looking to engage in a little casual underwater photography, but those wanting to step up their game a bit may want to consider Liquid Image's new underwater digital camera mask, which'll let you capture those action packed moments as you fight off a shark, or pick up sea shells. You apparently won't be able to do that any deeper than 15 feet, however, and you'll have to make do without an optical zoom or most of the other features you'd expect from a regular camera. On the upside, you will get crosshairs on the googles themselves to help line up your shot, and you'll be able to capture as much VGA video as you can cram onto a microSD card (or the 16MB of internal memory). No word on a price, but you'll apparently be able to get your hands on your choice of a 3.1 or 5.0 megapixel version sometime in March.

It was just about this time last year that Vivitar snuck out of the woodwork to unveil a few ho hum shooters at PMA 2006, and now the firm is making a literal splash with its 6200W at this year's event. Deemed one of the company's first offerings since the recent acquisition by Syntax-Brillian, the six-megapixel compact touts underwater shooting abilities (up to ten meters), a practically worthless 4x digital zoom, SD card support up to 1GB in capacity, 16MB of built-in storage, PictBridge support, and a two-inch color LTPS display. Wrapped in "rubber armor," this rugged beast should take the abusive conditions of YMCA pools and oceanside fun with ease, but considering there's a complete lack of a flash onboard, we'd suggest snapping your photos whilst barely submerged. While there doesn't look to be a hard release date set just yet, it should reportedly hit shelves for around $233 whenever it lands.

[Via TGDaily]