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Pandigital frames offer Bluetooth, WiFi, battery packs
If there always seems to be something upsetting about your digital photo frame experience (long cords, low-connectivity options, ugly friends), you might want to take a peek at what Pandigital has got going on. The company's new line of frames use a modular system which allows you to add features like Bluetooth, WiFi, or a battery pack at your leisure, and the company's PictBridge technology allows you to print images directly from the frame. Other new features enable you to set an on/off schedule, program a calendar for play at specific times, and use the device as an alarm clock. The frames come in varying sizes, from 15-inches down to 6, but all can utilize the modules to upgrade their functionality, with prices ranging from $120 to $300 for the frames, and between $40 and $50 for the add-ons. No word on how much it will cost to get better looking friends.
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-S800 point-and-shoot sports 6x optical zoom
While it may be getting tougher to not only smuggle a decent digicam into a decent concert, but to get even remotely close to the action, it's good to see a few camera manufacturers cranking up the optical zooming abilities of their point-and-shoots. Sony's latest Cyber-shot DSC-S800 proudly joins the currently-lacking clan, and features an 8.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD, ISO rating up to 1250, metallic frame (backside snapped after the break), 2.5-inch LCD monitor, Direct Playback mode, 54MB of internal memory, MSPro / MSDuo compatibility, and the reported ability to handle 390 shots before calling it quits. Moreover, users can enjoy the two-centimeter macro mode, 16:9 playback, PictBridge support, and variety of on-screen language choices, but the Motion JPEG video mode isn't apt to cause any gleeful celebrations. Of course, any Americans who were already working their credit card out of the wallet can stop right there, as this sucka won't be available until May at the earliest, and only to Europeans (at least initially) at that.[Via RegHardware]
BenQ intros six-megapixel DC-E610 / DC-C610 shooters for Europe
Not too long after gifting its Joybooks with Vista, BenQ is unveiling a duo of ho hum six-megapixel shooters for the European market. Both compact digicams sport a classic, silver finish, ISO ratings of 80 to 400, and SD support, but the slightly thicker E610 gets a more fleshed-out set of specs than its admittedly lacking (albeit thinner) sibling. The E610 comes in with a 6.1-megapixel CCD sensor, Pentax lens, 3x optical zoom, VGA video mode at 30fps, "shake-free" operation, 2.4-inch LCD monitor, USB 2.0 connectivity, a rechargeable Li-ion cell, and PictBridge support to boot. The less-featured C610 gets a six-megapixel sensor, a fixed 42-millimeter lens, two-inch LTPS LCD screen, 320 x 240 resolution movie mode, AA-battery support, USB 1.1 connectivity, and a presumably lower pricetag to compensate. Currently, no information regarding price is available, but you can reportedly pick either of these uninspiring point-and-shoots up in Europe right now.[Via LetsGoDigital]
Pantech's feature-packed IM-U140 multimedia phone
If for some reason we lived in a world without highly-configurable, QWERTY-fied smartphones, our next choice on the cellphone tip would be a feature-packed multimedia handset, and Pantech has delivered just that with its new IM-U140. The most prominent feature of this new model is its SideKick-like form factor, although the U140 eschews the swivel screen for one that slides up to a 30-degree angle at the touch of a button -- all the better to watch programs from its integrated satellite DMB receiver (complete with TV-OUT). At 2.6-inches wide and 262,000 colors, the QVGA touchscreen is no slouch, either, and even throws in a vibrating function so you know that your every command has been acknowledged and received. Other goodies here include a three megapixel camera (a nice bump over the two megapixel shooters found on the IM-R100 and IM U-MU110), PictBridge support for PC-less printing, MP3 playback enhanced by four-channel stereo speakers and an FM transmitter, plus that popular Korean add-on, the electronic dictionary. Curiously absent from the spec sheet are any mention of Bluetooth or memory card support, but with the music and imaging functions, we imagine that there's at least a microSD slot tucked away in there somewhere. Expect the U140 to land in Korea sometime this month, although the presumably hefty pricetag has yet to be announced. To get the full overview of what you'd be stuffing in your pocket everyday, keep on readin' to peep this rather chunky number from the side...
Digital Foci's Picture Porter Elite photo viewer / PMP
Hot on the heels of MediaGear's HD2GO is yet another photo viewer / PMP, but with 40GB or 80GB hard drive options, the Picture Porter Elite is more akin to Epson's P-4000 line of capcious convergence devices. Manufactured by Digital Foci, the USB 2.0-enabled PPE-360 features a 3.6-inch screen (only QVGA, though -- Epson gives you VGA on its models), line-in recording, PictBridge printing support, and video out for displaying your pics and vids on a regular TV. Supported memory card formats include Compact Flash I / II, MicroDrive, SD / MMC, and Memory Stick (xD, miniSD, and MS Duo cards work with an adapter), while the compatible file types include JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and RAW (image), MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV (audio), and MPEG-1/4, AVI, MOV, and WMV9 (video). The Picture Porter Elite will begin shipping on the 7th, starting at $450.[Via Digital Media Thoughts]
Three more digital cameras from Acer
Since they don't release these products in the US, you might not know that Acer's got quite the little digital camera business going on overseas, and now they've announced three more new models to join the 8.28 megapixel CP 8660 we spotted earlier. If you were hoping for some of the retro styling or compelling features we saw on the CP-8660, though, you'll probably be disappointed, as there's not much noteworthy about the 5.05 megapixel CE 5430 and 6.36 megapixel CE 6430 point-and-shoots or the 5.05 megapixel CL 5300 (pictured), other than the fact that this latter model seems to be Acer's first foray into ultracompacts. Both new members of the CE line feature those standard 3x optical zooms that have become so tiresome along with 2.36-inch TFT LCDs (no viewfinder here), while the 5300 sports a 2.0-inch LCD and seemingly no optical zoom. Rounding out the ho-hum specs for all three devices are a USB 1.1 connection, SD slot, PictBridge support, and that old standby, QVGA video capture (thankfully it's at least 30fps), although so far pricing remains a mystery. Keep reading to check out the two new CE models, although we should warn you that they look like a thousand other cameras you've seen before...Read- CL 5300Read- CE 5430Read- CE 6430
ASUS' "Goose" clamshell takes flight
While we're all for cellphone manufacturers giving their handsets "regular" names along with those annoying model numbers (Chocolate, RAZR, everything HTC makes), we're sure that there are still enough good words left that ASUS didn't need to resort to naming their latest cameraphone after a common waterbird. Besides its rather clunky pseudonym, "the Goose" sports a pretty attractive set of feathers features, including a two megapixel camera, music playback via the built-in MP3 player or FM radio, Bluetooth, PictBridge support, 64MB of RAM plus a microSD slot, voice recognition capabilities, and perhaps the ability to to use it as a webcam. No word on when a gaggle of these Geese will be touching down (probably just in Korea), nor for how much, but we've already moved on to wondering about that "Superman" phone that seems to be referenced in the background of this pic...[Via MobileMag]
Sony expands 4x6 printer line with DPP-FP55 and DPP-FP35
We're still a little baffled by the continued rollout of new 4x6-in photo printers from the likes of Epson, HP and Sony. Sure, they're handy, but how about a little more flexibility? Where's the printer that can do both 4x6 and 5x7 shots (we know, it's the letter-size photo-capable printer we already own)? That said, we shouldn't be surprised that Sony has expanded its line of dye-sub 4x6 printers with two new models, the DPP-FP55 and DPP-FP3.5 Both use print packs that include both paper and toner, which Sony says keeps printing costs at about 29 cents per print, and both are PictBridge compatible for direct printing with most recent digicams. The DPP-FP55, which includes a 2-inch LCD for image previews, is expected to roll out next month for $150, while the DPP-FP35, which skips the screen, will go for $100.
