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Thanko Microsports MP3 player is small, really small

Thanko is a brand forever tied to crapgadgets. It can, however, surprise us occasionally as it has with its new Microsports MP3/WMA/WAV player in 2GB (¥4,980 / $55) or 4GB (¥5,980 / $66) models. Measuring 16×25×22mm / 8g, it's about the size and weight of an average Bluetooth headset. And while we've seen similar micro players strung from lanyards, this is the first we can recall with an integrated ear-bud -- the second bud attaches via USB-cable for stereo audio. Looks comfy, eh?

Panasonic's HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10: nearly the world's lightest Full HD camcorders

"World's Lightest*," says so right in the Panasonic press release. What's that? It's a qualified statement? Oh we see it now, it's the world's lightest Full-HD AVCHD camcorder. Well, that'll make Sanyo's lawyers happy. Anyway, the new Pannys bring SD/SDHC card support, touch-screen control, intelligent auto scene selection and AF tracking along with Panasonic's optical image stabilization to keep the shake under control while zooming in at a 16x optical max. The TM10 differs from the SD10 in that it records to 40GB of internal storage before automatically switching to SDHC/SD cards of up to 32GB. The cameras also feature a 3 second Pre-Rec function that continuously pre-records content into an internal buffer which is then added to the beginning of the clip as soon as you hit record -- never miss a goal again. Pricing in the UK is set at £529.99 for the HDC-TM10 and £499.99 for the HDC-SD10 with June availability.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Sony develops "world's smallest" HD camera module


The tiny HD hits keep coming today -- first we saw eASIC's $5 integrated H.264 codec chip, and now Sony's crowing about the new MCB1172 HD camera module it claims is the "world's smallest." There's some pretty impressive tech packed into that tiny package: you're looking at an 8.3 megapixel sensor that can shoot 720p/30 video with image stabilization, face detection, high-ISO mode, and 120fps slow motion. Not bad for a piece smaller than a quarter -- hopefully we'll see this thing pop up all over soon.

Sony HDR-TG5 makes world's smallest Full HD camcorder smaller, adds GPS

The problem with Sony's previous world's smallest pistol-grip Full HD camcorder -- the HDR-TG1 aka, the TG3E -- wasn't size, it was usability. So we're happy to hear that Sony's TG5 counts a tweaked UI among its updates. And although Sony doesn't say in the press release, the TG5's touch-panel looks far more sensitive (capacitive maybe?) than that of the previous generation's finger bender. The other improvements are GPS to geotag your media (assuming your software supports it), Navteq maps, improved image processing, smile shutter technology, and 16GB of built-in storage (up from 8GB) all riding inside a slightly smaller and lighter chassis. Other specs remain unchanged: 1920 x 1080 AVCHD video, 2.7-inch touchscreen display, and a 10x optically stabilized zoom exposing a 2.4 megapixel CMOS sensor. Expensive? Oh most definitely: $1,000 starting in May. Check the video after the break.

[Via CNET]

Video: Z-Nano Mouse is world's smallest and most absurd


Even if we could verify the claim, what's the point? The world's smallest mouse is likely to be as useful as the world's smallest keyboard. The Z-Nano USB mouse measures 42 x 21 x 17.65-mm and, amazingly, includes itty bitty left- and right-click and up- and down-scroll buttons. Available now for $60. See it in action after the break.

[Via BBGadgets]

Sony TG3E: world's smallest 1080i camcorder unboxed, sized-up with 720p champ


Get a load of what just arrived at the doorstep of our European HQ -- the world's smallest 1080i camcorder, Sony's TG3E. Otherwise known as the TG1 in the US, this pup is small and sturdy and definitely looks the part of a Full HD (as it's defined for camcorders) 1080i shooter. Hell, Sony somehow managed to turn that boxy design into something sexy to hold. However, Sanyo's 720p Xacti DMX-HD700 (in red) still trumps the TG3E in size and weight. Unfortunately, it gives up significant lines of resolution in the process and uses inferior materials to boot. We'll be back later with a full review of this pup as soon as we find a nice, tropical island which can pamper this beast in the luxury a $900 camcorder deserves. So until then, check the gallery and call out in the comments with any questions you'd like us to tackle.

Toshiba to showcase "world's smallest HDTV camera" at NAB


Granted, Toshiba Imaging's IK-HD1 3CCD HDTV Camera may not matter much to the consumer as-is, but we're all about the progress. Ready to make its grand, er, wee entrance at NAB Show later this month, the aforementioned unit touts the planet's "smallest" HD camera head (1.6-inches; 2.3-ounces), which should give program producers in tight spots one less reason to not capture content in high-def. In that vein, Tosh even notes that its ability to capture at 1,920 x 1,080 at 30fps makes it "highly suitable for reality TV (you getting this, producers?), specialty broadcast, sports, news and commercials." We know, this totally opens the door for an HD version of Punk'd, but hey, you can't win 'em all.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Samsung announces world's thinnest 8 megapixel cellphone module


Measuring just 8.5-mm thin, you're looking at what Samsung claims to be the slimmest CMOS camera module of its kind. The 8 megapixel module is expected to supplant the 5 megapixel job found in todays top-end cameraphones sometime in the second half of the year. Fortunately, this isn't just a case of megapixel marketing as the module also features anti-shake, a 1-cm macro, and face tracking technology. It also packs a smile shutter feature to snap that picture just as soon as a smile, or vinegar, is detected.

Hands on with Olympus E-420 -- the world's smallest DSLR


There it is, the world's smallest DSLR -- the Olympus E-420 (left) -- snuggled up next to its slightly bigger E-410 bro. Note that the E-420 on display at CeBIT is a near-final, fully-functional engineering prototype. What more can we say, it feels great in hand and the space and weight savings are certainly welcome. However, without any images to compare the best we can do is ogle the gallery until the reviews roll in.

Sharp develops "world's smallest" 1seg TV tuner


Do you ever wonder just how realistic all these coin / hand / White House-to-miniscule item comparison shots are? We certainly do, and while the ¥1 coin seen above could be the size of a frisbee for all we know (we jest, we jest), we suppose we'll believe Sharp when it says its latest 1seg tuner is indeed the world's smallest. The VA3A5JZ922 checks in at just 5.9- x 5.9- x 0.9-millimeters -- about 35-percent smaller than competitors -- and should cost around ¥20,000 ($185) when samples start shipping out next week. Don't get too excited just yet, however, as mass production isn't slated to get going until late September.

[Via PMPToday]

Oculon's Hikari Pro920 might be the world's tiniest projector


On the lookout for portable projection? Sure, us too. That's why we were pleased to see these new Oculon Hikari Pro1440 and Pro920 (pictured) projectors land in our tips box this morning. The pair can project a 15- or 20-inch display from a distance of just 2-feet. The $399 Pro1440 LCoS model throws 250 lumens across a 20-inch, 800 x 600 pixel display from Composite or D-Sub15 RGB connected sources including game consoles, laptops, and portable media players. Things drop down to 25 lumens across a 15-inch, 640 x 480 pixel display for the $299 Pro920 which measures just 86 x 44 x 85-mm. "World's tiniest," as Oculon claims? Maybe. At least until TI and Microvision get their acts together. Pro1440 pictured after the break.

GeStream Technology's new robot challenges i-SOBOT's title


i-SOBOT, long the holder of the "world's smallest bipedal robot," finally has a proper rival, in the form of GeStream Technology's 15-centimeter-tall gold-colored bot. The latest tiny robotic overlord has 16 degrees of "freedom," which computes to something like 65,536 possible movements, and will be sold in unassembled so that owners can customize the look and functionality of the miniscule bot. With the price rumored at around $185 to $200, the company is laying claim to the "smallest, lightest, and cheapest in the world," though it wouldn't be surprising to see those titles usurped by some like-minded competitor. No word on availability, but as soon as we can get the Engadget offices crawling with a lethal army of these, we'll let you know.

[Thanks, Daanish]

Sanyo's Xacti DMX-HD1000: the world's smallest 1080i camcorder


We like giving Sanyo heaps of grief over their boxy gear from time to time. But make no mistake, they've nailed it with their Xacti series of solid state camcorders. Meet the DMX-HD1000, their first to record at full, 1,920 x 1,080 resolution video using the HD/MPEG-4 AVC codec. It features the ability to shoot 8 megapixel stills via its 1/2.5-inch CMOS sensor, a 10x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, HDMI-out, and the ability to record direct to SD/SDHC cards for up to 2 hours at a charge. That's plenty of juice since an 8GB SDHC card will only hold about 1 hour and 25 minutes of Full HD recordings. All this in an itty-bitty pistol grip shooter which Sanyo claims is the world's smallest at this resolution. Available in Japan starting mid September for about ¥120,000 or about $1,000.

[Via Impress]

Princeton's itty bitty USB Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module

Remember that crazy small, RF receiver used with Logitech's VX Nano? Meet the Bluetooth 2.0+EDR equiv, the Princeton's PTM-UBT3S which measures just 19-mm (0.75-inches) long. So yeah, it's small, in fact, it's claimed to be the smallest available in Japan when it ships in September. Whether or not it's the world's smallest is irrelevant as it's surely suitable for full-time laptop or handheld bunging without concern for sheering it off. Yours for ¥2,480 or $21 beans.

[Via Impress]

Panasonic's HDC-SD7 dons title of world's smallest HD camcorder


You can add one more "full HD" AVCHD camcorder to that mix of Panasonics announced earlier in the week. The new HDC-SD7 is said to be the "world's smallest and lightest" camcorder to record at 1,920 x 1,080 to SDHC cards. Otherwise, the SD7 is spec-for-spec the same 3CCD camcorder as the HDC-SD5 only in a vertically-held format. Just be careful what you ask for folks: that reduced chassis size comes at the expense of a cut in sensor sizes and drop in optical zoom from 12x to 10x when compared to Panny's earlier HDC-DX3 and HDC-SD3 models. Unfortunately, the HDC-SD7 looks to be Japan-only for now with a September 8 launch for ¥140,000 or about $1,188 with tax.
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