consumerelectronics
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New Kodak pocket cam outputs 1080P and supports the Mac
The world of pocket video cameras is heating up. Kodak announced today a September ship date for a new competitor to the much loved Flip line, and more broadly, the iPhone 3GS, with a rather astonishing 1080P output at 30 FPS. The camera, the Zi8, can also output 720P at 60 FPS, or 30 FPS 720P. WVGA is also supported, along with built in image stabilization. The camera has a macro mode, and will shoot 5.3 MP stills. It also supports an external microphone for stereo recordings, and of course, still sports a mono mic built in. Video is H.264 which is very Apple friendly. Kodak says the camera requires OS X 10.4 or higher, and wants to see a 2.8 GHZ processor or greater, 1 GB of RAM, and 300 MB of hard disk space. The processor speed spec is pretty high end, understandable for 1080P 60 FPS playback. The camera comes with AV cables, but also HDMI cables, which many people have been clamoring for with these video enabled pocket cameras. This camera could be a worthy competitor to the Flip Ultra HD. The cost is expected to be about US$180.00. The iPhone 3GS camera is decidedly un-HD capable, and this Kodak camera, like the Flip line, will surely be of interest to Mac video mavens.
Research firm expects flat-panel sales to spearhead 2008 electronics growth
2008 -- the year of the Beijing Olympics, a global increase in HD adoption and four years away from anything meaningful. According to UK-based Understanding & Solutions, flat-panel sales will be paramount in revenue growth in worldwide consumer electronics products. The analysis jives with pretty much everything else we've heard thus far, as LCD growth in developing nations will purportedly give a nice boost to the sector. TV manufacturers are expected to ship 128 million LCD and plasma sets in 2008, which would be up 38-percent from last year if John Bird's assumptions are accurate. It's also noted that these figures should remain in tact despite estimated slumps in US / UK flat-panel purchases, but alas, only time will tell if 2008 becomes a banner year for HDTV adoption.[Image courtesy of Dallas News]
Macs could be riding back seat - and that's ok
Yesterday's keynote announcements that showed off everything but a Mac and Mac OS X understandably struck some fear in those who worry about the future of Apple's computers. Don't get me wrong: while I question how easy it is to dial numbers on a virtual iPhone keypad (fellow former owners of Samsung's i330 and Cingular's 8125 know what I'm talking about), I still think the iPhone and Apple TV are going to be fantastic and popular products. I know - groundbreaking analysis. Still, the surprising deletion of 'Computer' from what is now 'Apple Inc.'s' name, as Mat Lu pointed out, speaks volumes to the possibility that the Mac could be taking a back seat to what is Apple's obvious new focus on the broader consumer electronics industry. We saw nothing of iLife or *any* of Apple's software yesterday. Even the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was a no-show, despite the fact that both sides of the OS fence are eagerly anticipating and endlessly conjecturing in light of Microsoft's release of their first new OS in nearly half a decade. Now I don't use the term 'back seat' lightly, since Macs still being in the car for the ride is a good thing. That said, this lack of Mac and software announcements (heck, even the AirPort Extreme was a quiet release) from Apple at their key yearly product extravaganza can only say one of two things in my mind. First, and the worst: Apple could be on track to eventually stop the car and kick the Mac out to the curb in a few years because the consumer electronics industry is simply too juicy of a prospect. While there are plenty Mac enthusiasts who fear this as a worst case scenario, I think yesterday's Mac-less events betray some positive developments for our computers of choice that can instill a sense of security over the Mac's future. Mac hardware is now on-par with the rest of the industry, while their design still more or less leads the pack. Apple is using the same Intel chips as everyone else, and the rest of the hardware under the hood is from the better half of the QA fence (generally speaking, of course) that everyone can pick from. On parallel, Mac OS X has evolved into a stable and mature operating system which is still trumping Microsoft's just-released Vista, even in its current 10.4 Tiger iteration. To me, this sounds like Macs and their OS aren't going anywhere, but they might not exactly be a top priority for the company right now - and that's not a bad thing. Instead of earth-shattering Mac OS X innovations with every press release, I believe we can look forward to at least a few years of logical, steady evolution in Apple computers, perhaps until it is time for Mac OS XI. With a solid software and computer hardware foundation to build on, Apple is clearly going to explore other industries that can benefit from the company's design sense and unshakable quest for ease of use. Even though they might not be sitting in shotgun, Macs are unmistakably coming along for the ride.
Consumer electronics slowly killing the good ole days?
Hours spent frolicking in fields, down at the local YMCA, or simply tossing a baseball back and forth with pops: these are just a few of the things that modern day children are growing less inclined to do, at least according to a hoard of seemingly-distinguished British authors, professors, and counselors. A letter published in today's The Daily Telegraph is encouraging the British government to take action in preventing the "death of childhood" (as it was so aptly phrased), citing concerns that video games, television, and basically anything that attaches to an AC outlet and provides entertainment is destroying the fabled childhood experience that is presumably oh-so-superior to the lives kids are currently leading. The letter apparently showed a desire for kids to have "real play" (as opposed to fake play?), and also expressed worry that the media was warping the brains of youngsters and encouraging them to act like "mini-adults." Regardless of whether or not the "indoor generation" will miss out on the days when TV was a pipe dream and duck-duck-goose made for a thrilling Saturday, we can't envision the government actually declaring a little late-night fragging illegal -- but hey, what do we know? Maybe the kids aren't alright, after all.[Via Slashdot]
New game convention by CEA to ease the loss of E3?
The Consumer Electronics Association has given thought to a new trade show due to E3's change. The Consumer Electronics Show, CES, was the biggest in the US prior to E3's 1994 birth. Now that things have altered slightly, the industry calendar shows a gap where a new show could be instigated. What's the purpose of this new show? Gary Shapiro, CEA's president and CEO, said: "Since ESA decided to eliminate the E3 event in its known format, we have been deluged with inquiries on whether we could fill the tradeshow needs of smaller video entertainment companies."So the new show will be primarily for showing off electronics of a smaller company? Those extra gadgets and consoles that found their home in the bottom of the E3 barrel get their own show, now? Not that it's a bad thing... getting the word out on new, less-marketed goods can be life-changing. It would be great if the smaller game developers showcasing at the event get picked up by larger companies for distribution -- didn't Bungie go through a similar process? Practically all smaller companies do and this may be a great event to jumpstart some new innovative game developers. What about you? Support the new show or nah?
