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Pricing for Sony's 2010 3DTVs revealed at JR.com
We've been eagerly waiting for some US pricing info on Sony's upcoming 3DTVs, and while SonyStyle still shows only a grim "notify me," JR.com is listing pricing information for the LX900, HX900 and HX800 series LCDs. As usual, preorder pricing on sites like this can shift, but at the moment $1,799 nabs a 40-inch LED edge lit XBR-40LX900 with integrated 3D emitter, WiFi and face-tracking, all the way up to the 60-inch version at $3,779. The HX900 (LED backlit) and HX800 (LED edge lit) are both "3D capable," requiring a separate emitter plus the requisite glasses to get down with the extra dimension and falling in somewhere in between in terms of price. The ship date is only mentioned as "coming soon," but at least now you know how many pennies to roll up before heading out to the store some time this summer. [Thanks, Ali]
Norcent cranks out 10-megapixel DCS-1050 camera
Norcent's done 10-megapixels on the cheap before, but apparently, one just isn't enough. Announced today, the DCS-1050 (part of the firm's new 50 Series) will be showcased at CES and will boast a 10-megapixel sensor, a 3-inch "scratch-resistant" LCD monitor, face-detection / anti-shake capabilities, a 3x optical zoom (along with 4x of the practically worthless digital kind), red-eye reduction and 22 scene modes. Additionally, the unit even includes voice recording functionality, 16MB of internal memory, an SD / MMC expansion slot, USB / AV ports, and an MPEG-4 video capture mode that supports resolutions up to 640 x 480. Unfortunately, Norcent is trying to keep a straight face while slapping a $179.99 price tag on this thing, which just seems a touch absurd for the features, no?
BenQ offers up 10 megapixel E1000 point-and-shoot
With BenQ executives somewhat preoccupied with keeping their own asses out of jail, and the company's camera division having been turned over to Ability Enterprises at the end of June, it's hard to say who's really responsible for the latest camera to bear the troubled Taiwanese manufacturer's name. Whoever designed the 10 megapixel DC-E1000, though, seems to have done a pretty good job, taking a cue from the handsome design of the P860 and adding such desirable features as face tracking (up to nine people), a 3-inch LCD, and digital image stabilization. Other specs -- like the 3x optical zoom and claimed 1600 max ISO -- are certainly nothing groundbreaking, and we're assuming that pricing will reflect that fact when these go on sale in China later this month.[Via Let'sGoDigital]
Philips unveils SPC620, SPC1000, and SPC1300 webcams at Computex
While we thought we'd already seen the crown jewel of webcams before, Philips apparently thinks otherwise, as it boasts quite heavily about its new trio of display-mountable cams that were unveiled at Computex. All three devices support background customization and emoticon integration, wide-angle lenses, and face-tracking capabilities. The SPC620 holds down the low-end with a vanilla VGA CMOS sensor and will run you €49.90 ($67), while the SPC1000 includes a directional microphone and noise reduction filter, two-megapixel sensor, and a 5x digital zoom for the very same price. The €99.90 ($135) SPC1300 features Pixel Plus 2 technology seen in the company's Flat TVs, a six-megapixel sensor, audio beaming system, twin directional microphones, and Digital Natural Motion technology that purportedly nixes any frame rate flickers when video chatting. All three webcams should hit shelves in Europe, America, and Asia this August.[Via TechDigest]
KornTech's Rogun robot recognizes faces and intruders
While KornTech's Rogun won't go down as the first humanoid that sports both face recognition and intruder alerting functions, it does one-up many of the other prototypes by actually being available for purchase. The Korean startup has developed a kid-friendly one-meter-tall robot that "recognizes people through embedded cameras and high-end face-tracking software." Additionally, the bot can walk on its own and "perform various functions suitable for a security guard or nanny" such as pace the floors at night and give its master a cellphone warning if it recognizes any suspicious behavior. Rogun can even use its camera to show parents what mischief their kids are getting into at home by beaming video via its integrated WiFi chipset, and if watching the big screen is just too 2006, the youngsters can focus on the seven-inch LCD set within the device's chest. Of course, video telephony, internet browsing, and priceless companionship also come bundled in, and while the company hopes to sell these fellows for a mere $5,000 in time, snapping up your own Rogun at the moment will run you a whopping $100,000 or so considering the current BTO nature of production.[Via I4U]
