We know, the PMA blitz really turns the bevy of digicams into one big pixelated blur, but Agfa is trying to steal a little attention with its relatively uninspiring DC-630i. The new compact marks the firm's first point-and-shoot with "integrated face-tracking technology," which allows up to three faces to be automatically detected along with optimal focus / exposure selections. Inside the black plastic casing lies a six-megapixel CCD sensor, adjustable image / exposure modes, and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor; additionally, users should also enjoy the SDHC compatibility, 3x optical zoom, 640 x 480 video mode, and video-out. While you're not likely to get overwhelmed with the simplistic button setup, you will need a few extra AA cells if you're looking to shoot all day, and at 128-grams it shouldn't weigh you down all that much. Still, there's not an awful lot to get excited about here, but the $169 pricetag you can expect to see come April is at least somewhat in line with the middle-of-the-road feature set.

[Via PMA Show]

We love when lofty claims actually get put to the test, and while we know that an iPod can't hold its own in a blender and an unshielded PSP is no match for a katana, neither of those actually touted any form of defense to begin with. Not so with Pretec's iDisk flash drive, which actually goes so far as to claim that it's "bulletproof," spurning a few shooters at a gun club to grab a few pistols, a camcorder, and give it a go. Initially, the battle-tested drive brushed off a 9mm round, .357 shot, and even a .44 slug without too much damage to the enclosure, but the little fellow didn't fare so well against the mighty .500 Magnum, which practically obliterated it in one fell swoop. Of course, a data thief desperate for your information isn't likely to destroy the very bytes he or she is after, but if you're frightened that Pretec's offering isn't quite macho enough for your needs, we're sure the "nuclear proof" Iron Drive could fit the bill -- until it meets the GP-219 or an eight-Megajoule railgun, of course. Click on through for the (admittedly lengthy) destruction process.

Although we're a bit partial to the more stylish NV lineup of Samsung shooters, the firm has unveiled a new duo of middle-of-the-roads compact for the budget-minded set. Both the S830 and S1030 sport the same silver casing, 3x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD monitor, built-in microphone for voice memo attachments, auto-macro, ISO 1600, SD / MMC card support, optional rechargeable battery pack, AVI / MPEG4 movie mode, and ten pre-set scene modes as well. The 8-megapixel flavor packs just 20MB of internal memory, but does add a "one-touch playback" mode for reviewing photos without fully powering the camera up. The 10-megapixel version boasts 45MB of integrated storage, a slightly faster shutter speed, and comes bundled with a nice two-year warranty right out of the box. Unfortunately, pricing on each wasn't available, but both the S830 and S1030 should be landing sometime this Spring amongst the hordes of other ho hum point-and-shoots vying for your dollar.

Read - Samsung S830
Read - Samsung S1030

Looks like Casio is in the mood for ever-so-slight upgrades rather than completely revamping a pair of its EXILIM digital cameras, as the EX-Z1050 and EX-Z75 both seem to be brushed up versions of their former selves. Nevertheless, the 10-megapixel Z1050 sports that all too common shiny silver enclosure, 2.6-inch LCD monitor, anti-shake technology, up to ISO 3200, rechargeable Li-ion battery, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a 30fps VGA video mode as well. The slimmer, sleeker Z75 comes in with 7.2-megapixels, a equally sized 2.6-inch screen, 3x optical zoom, anti-shake, USB 2.0, and a "best shot" feature that presumably measures lighting and surroundings in order to automatically snap the most attractive shot. So while Casio hasn't done anything revolutionary here, you can still pick up the Z1050 for ¥12,990 ($107) or the Z75 for just ¥9,990 ($83) if you're content with middle-of-the-road.

Update: Hold up, before you go buying a plane ticket to whatever fantasy land they sell these $80 cameras in: the quoted prices are actually in Taiwanese dollars, not yen, meaning that the Z1050 is dropping for $394 and the Z75 for $303.

[Thanks, Victor T.]
Read - Casio EX-Z1050
Read - Casio EX-Z75

Another month, another ho hum offering from Kodak. This time around it's an addition to the already loaded EasyShare lineup, as the 6.1-megapixel C653 joins the fray. Sporting a (somewhat) compact 3.5- x 2.6- x 1.4-inch enclosure, the point-and-shoot boasts a 2.4-inch LCD monitor, mediocre 3x optical zoom, 32MB of built-in memory, SD / MMC expansion slot, three pre-selected scene modes, panorama functionality, up to 1,250 ISO, and automatic red-eye reduction. Additionally, you can capture VGA movies at 10fps or QVGA clips at 20fps, and Kodak's Perfect Touch technology supposedly clears up your photos without a lot of effort on your part. You'll also find USB 2.0 connectivity and the company's EasyShare software bundled in, which supposedly helps the technologically disabled share and email photos without pulling what's left of their hair out. While there's clearly not a whole lot here to be proud of, at least the price is fairly reasonable, and those scouting a very run-of-the-mill shooter can pick up the C653 now for $129.95.

[Via PhotographyBlog]

Fujifilm is apparently in the mood for spewing out much-anticipated launch details today, as both its face finding portable and S5 Pro DSLR are getting tagged with a US release date and price. The Z5fd has added the "face detection" moniker since we last saw it, but keeps the same 6.3-megapixel sensor, metal enclosure, trio of color schemes, 2.5-inch LCD monitor, i-Flash (flash that adapts to the environment), and "Blog Mode," which will automatically resize your photos for easy web posting while maintaining the original biggie. On the DSLR side, the FinePix S5 Pro is getting all official too, touting a 12.3-megapixel Super CCD SR Pro sensor, the company's own RP Processor Pro for "smoother tonality," ISO up to 3200, film simulation mode, and the obligatory face finding technology to boot. So if you're looking for a pocket-friendly digicam to come your way next March, the Z5fd will be landing for $229, while the upscale S5 Pro would make a lovely Valentine's Day gift if you're down with the $1,999 pricetag.

Read - Fujifilm's Z5fd
Read - Fujifilm's FinePix S5 Pro

While it's no big deal when militaries establish sentry gun perimeters to protect their own backyard, crafting a slightly less dangerous version for your own property deserves its share of credit. While USB rocket launchers (even ones with lasers) are fairly potent at livening up your mundane office environment, their short range (and harmless nature) won't do you much good if you've got rodents (or mischievous kids) rummaging around your grasslands. Enter the RC Airgun, a remote controlled shooter that can be dictated from afar to take out any unsuspecting trespassers whenever you deem worthy. While details of its construction are scant, we certainly applaud the engineering efforts here, so be sure to click on for a few more pics, or hit the read link for some sweet video action.

[Via Slashgear]

In the rampup to Photokina nought-six, Pentax brings us another new Optio shooter with their entry-level Optio E20. As followup to the E10, the E20 brings 6 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom, 2.4-inch LCD, and a "simple" mode setting which relieves the user of all responsibility for doing anything other than pushing the shiny button up top. No, on TOP we said, that's the zoom button ferchrisake. The E20 runs off a couple of AA batteries 'cause Pentax doesn't trust noobs anywhere near a battery charger. Sorry, no pricing nor ship date, just these pretty pictures. Mmm, pre-tty cam-er-a.