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Samsung's NX200 camera: 20.3 megapixels, interchangeable lenses, full HD video
Samsung continues its camera announcements today with the NX200, a 20.3 megapixel interchangeable lens system using the company's proprietary APS-C CMOS sensor. It also features a high-speed continuous mode that shoots up to 7fps and full HD video recording, 1920x1080 at 30p. If those specs aren't enough, notice the wide ISO range, from 100 to 12800, covering seven stops. Availability hasn't been announced yet, but pricing should run about $900 with an 18mm-55mm zoom lens and on-camera flash -- a number of other lenses will roll out in the coming months. Give your eyes a feast with the gallery below, and check out the full PR after the break. %Gallery-132210%
Xperia Play spins original PlayStation One ISOs via emulator hack
Android developer Yifan Lu has reverse engineered the Xperia Play's native PlayStation emulator to make it run ripped PSX ISOs. That means you're no longer limited to Crash Bandicoot or the handful of other PSX titles that have officially trickled out from Sony Ericsson. Instead, you can grab your original games from the attic, rip them into disc images, and bring them back to life on your Play. Er, assuming that's legal, of course. Perhaps you should move to Papua New Guinea before trying it. We've attached one of Lu's videos to prove that his tweaked emulator actually works. His custom ISO of choice? More Bandicoot.
Nikon D5100 impressions, head-to-head with D7000
Nikon has stirred up the camera crowds once again with its newly released D5100, filling the industry with the buzz of a new high-resolution articulating screen. In terms of consumer DSLR options, the D5100 has taken on the role of the mid-range model in Nikon's product line between the D3100 and the D7000 and we think it assumes the part rather nicely. In terms of price, the D5100 fits right in as well, fetching an MSRP of $900 (vs. $700 and $1600, respectively for the two aforementioned camera kits). Of course, the D7000 lands you the better 18-105 f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR lens, a larger and brighter viewfinder, built-in focus motor, weather-proof sealing, and a few other internal upgrades. But don't judge too quickly, because we've had some time to play with Nikon's latest creation and the D5100 can certainly shoot along with the big boys of consumer cameras -- read on past the break for our impressions and comparisons with the D7000. %Gallery-121549%
Olympus E-PL2 camera gets reviewed, deemed worthy to carry on the E-PL1's torch
Olympus's E-PL2 only surfaced on the public radar just last month, and already reviews are rolling in indicating The Schwartz is quite strong with this latest Micro Four Thirds entrant. Interestingly enough, both Photography Blog and Popular Mechanics saw the improved MSC 14 to 42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens as the most important change to the new rig. That's because it's been retooled to be lighter, slimmer, and shorter, adding to the overall compact feel of the camera. A new internal focus is also apparently much faster and nearly silent -- making it more appealing for video shooting. Outside of the lens changes, both saw the camera's new 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD, faster max shutter speeds, and greater ISO sensitivity as welcomed additions to the solid foundations laid by the E-PL1, resulting in a highly recommended rating from PB. Reviewers at Popular Mechanics also futzed around with the new Bluetooth-enabled photo sharing PENPal accessory and found it great for transferring photos to a phone -- but lamented how it blocked the camera's hot shoe in the process. To dive into all the juicy review details for yourself hit up the source links below.
PSP Go hacked to play UMDs, slightly increase its desirability (video)
For Sony, the homebrew community is both enemy and friend -- at the same time hackers are exploiting the living daylights out of the PlayStation 3, they're making the experimental PSP Go moderately interesting again. Here it is running UMD disc images directly from flash storage, letting it play games like Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, formerly off-limits since it was released on a physical disc. Sure, we've seen it play Sega CD games before, but this looks like the real deal -- working, user-installable ISO loaders for PSP Go backups and homebrew. Not to mention the skull-and-crossbones-clad elephant in the room. Perhaps these aren't exactly Sony's friends, on second thought.
Mirrorless camera shootout: DSLR alternatives get sized up and ISO-examined
It all started with Micro Four Thirds, but now just about everyone is jonesing to play along in the mirrorless camera game. The crew over at Serious Compacts managed to get ahold of quite a few contenders (Samsung's NX10, Sony's NEX5, Olympus' E-P2 and E-PL1, and Panasonic's GF1, GF2 and GH1), and rather than taking 'em apart one by one, they've decided to size 'em up in a fantastic size comparison piece. From lenses to bodies, all six cameras are shown from various angles, and even if you've convinced yourself to not be in the market for one of these bad boys, the eye candy alone is worth a peek. Furthermore, the group has been entered into a telling ISO comparison test, but if you came here looking for a spoiler, you'll be sorely disappointed. Tap those links below to get your study on, won'tcha?
Marshal's new media drive is no laughing matter, plays Blu-ray and DVD ISOs
Yes, it's just a hard drive that plays 1080p content, but this one can connect to your PS3; according to some machine translated Japanese, Marshal's new "Media Joker" can also act as an external hard drive for your Sony game console or a Toshiba REGZA TV. While you won't be able to install games on the up-to-2TB hard drive that you'll provide yourself, the black box can notably play Blu-ray ISOs -- though that, the company carefully cautions, will surely void your warranty. The case admirably provides most all ports you could want, including component, composite, both flavors of S/PDIF, HDMI 1.3, LAN, an SD card slot and a pair of USB sockets, and supports a host of audiovisual formats, the full list available at the more coverage link. Find it retailing for ¥16,800 (about $184) this Saturday in some neon-lit corner of Japan.
Shooting around with the Nikon D3S: the field review
Nikon's D3S didn't exactly emerge out of nowhere, but the DSLR's boosted ISO ceiling of over 100,000 (102,400, if we're being precise) has certainly shaken up the industry. Nikon claims that it's set a new bar for low-light performance and raw speed in the crowded DSLR arena, and we were tickled pink when given the chance to see if this thing was worth its weight in gold. Now, the master photogs over at DP Review have already broken down the nitty-gritty details in an exhaustive 34 page critique, but for those just looking for a little insight -- and perhaps a short answer to "should I buy this?" -- we've got exactly what you're looking for. Head on past the break for two distinct takes on Nikon's most capable shooter yet -- and some thoughts on how Nikon's latest monster professional cam will radically change the consumer camera as well.
Canon Rebel T2i / 550D squares off with EOS 7D in video performance test
We should all be pretty familiar with the specs of Canon's latest mainstream DSLR, so let's skip past the new 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, SDXC memory card compatibility and high-res 3-inch LCD screen, and just focus on the one area where the Rebel T2i has a shot at matching the EOS 7D: 1080p video. Ron Risman of Cameratown has perched the two black-clad champs atop a tripod, installed identical (for the purposes of the test) lenses on them, and gone to town with testing the ISO performance of the two bodies. As he sees it, there's no perceptible difference between the two up to ISO 1600, though looking at his video test we're also hard pressed to distinguish any notable discrepancies at the maximum 6400 setting. Needless to say, the conclusion is that if you're just after the 7D's video performance with a smaller price tag, the Rebel T2i / 550D is the shooter for you. To make that decision as informed as possible, there's also a feature comparison list, so skip along to the source link to get informed.
Canon's EOS-1D Mark IV gets unboxed, high ISO modes tested
Wondering how Canon's high-ISO response to Nikon performs in the dark? We've got the answer. Photographer John Deeb got his early and was not only kind enough to take a comprehensive set of unboxing pictures with a video, but also captured a series of pictures of model Lauren Howery to show off how the thing performs in extremely low light at increasingly excessive ISO settings. Lots and lots of pictures below. %Gallery-81623%
UMAzone UMA-ISO drive enclosure takes the sting out of mounting disk images
Hey, man -- aren't you sick of all the pain and expense of mounting disc images from the desktop? OK, we weren't either -- until we saw this: UMAzone's UMA-ISO is a drive enclosure (supply your own 2.5-inch HDD) that features a small display and jog wheel for scrolling through CD / DVD image files. Simply select the file of your choice and plug it into your machine via USB or eSATA and the disk will be mounted, the same as if you'd inserted an optical disc. It's that simple! There is also a mode for mounting as a standard external hard drive. Be forewarned, however: this guy is only compatible with a few flavors of Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7), and it's only available in Japan -- for the princely sum of ¥9,980 yen (about $111).
Nikon D3S shows its high ISO prowess in two sample videos
Well, we just got the first round of Nikon D3S previews this morning, but it looks like we now also have the first few sample videos shot with the camera -- possibly a bit ahead of Nikon's preferred schedule. While it's a bit hard to draw some firm conclusions due to their YouTube-ness (not even a "High Quality" version, unfortunately), the videos do go some way towards backing up claims that the camera truly delivers the goods when it comes to high ISO shooting -- something that's particularly evident in the stunning wildlife video shot by Vincent Munier (pictured above). Head on past the break to check it out for yourself, along with a second, also impressive short shot down under.[Via CrunchGear]
Matrix WiiZii mod hooks to external SATA HDD for speedy ISO loads
Though only a small fraction of Wii owners will ever mod their console, there's something strangely comforting to our status as a species that it's imminently doable. The latest in this long line of Wii hacks is the WiiZii, which is termed a "plug and play" no-solder method of playing Wii backups and other fun modchip-style stuff. WiiZii has an upgradable firmware, and is being touted as "future proof" against any forthcoming attempts by Nintendo to block it, but what's really exciting is the external SATA connector for extra-speedy ISO loads off of your favorite SATA hard drive -- no more dinky USB keys. Right now WiiZii is in prototype stage, but we're sure somebody will be hitting us up for cash for the mod in the near future -- if you're feeling a little stingy, just remember: hacking consoles that we've already paid money for to be able to do what we want with them is the only thing separating us from the apes. That and Hulu.
Wii ISO Loader demonstrated on video running "backup" copy of Zelda
Is this the day, is this the hack that frees the Wii console to finally run your legal (or, eh hem, otherwise obtained) "backup" games? As the story goes, Waninkoko, the latest name to emerge from the hacking underground, has developed a "work in progress" v0.1 Wii backup ISO loader for the Wii Homebrew Channel that will run backed-up game ISOs converted with a "special program" -- no modchip required. If true then the whole thing smacks of the original Xbox font exploit that turned that console into a hackers playground and noisy, all-media playing powerhouse. In support of the claim, TehSkeen has posted a video demonstrating the loading and execution of a backup Zelda game. If Waninkoko can deliver this to the masses, then the demand for a proper Wii storage solution is about to grow exponentially.[Thanks, Joseph B.] Read -- Video Read -- Exploit described
Trucha Signer paves the way for game mods
Presented with a new toy to play with, Wii hackers have gone right to work producing a variety of game mods with the recently released Trucha Signer. For those of you out of the loop, the application allows programmers to run augmented games on chipped Wiis -- the gore-enabled Manhunt 2 mod is a good example of the software's possibilities.So far, a lot of the developments focus on making it easier to play pirated copies of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but there are a few non-piracy-related modifications, too: Change the credits and increase character speed in Mario Strikers Charged Play Manhunt 2 in Italian or German Swap character movesets in Super Smash Bros. Brawl Invincibility mode in Manhunt 2 So, once you're tired of pirating Super Smash Bros. Brawl, make sure to test these out!
OLPC's Linux-based operating system available for download
If you've got a tick to spare, or you're simply the type who shoves any flavor of Linux on any flavor of gadgetry that'll accept it, here's yet another opportunity to kill some time and check out the OLPC a bit further. Apparently, the Linux-based Sugar OS from the One Laptop Per Child project is now available via a bootable LiveCD ISO, and according to user reports, works quite well aside from the "lack of WiFi capability" on a certain MacBook. But hey, why are you relying on us to tell you how it works out? Go on and tag the read link whilst grabbing a fresh cup of joe, and do report back with ample amounts of praise (or grouses) once you've checked things out.[Via Digg, photo courtesy of LinuxQuestions]
WiMedia UWB gets thumbs-up, becomes ISO / IEC-certified
Just recently, we finally heard a bit of good news from the IEEE camp in regard to 802.11n's progress, and now wireless freaks can celebrate a little more as UWB has been officially published as an ISO / IEC international standard. We've already seen a number of related certification programs, prototypes, and even products, but just a few months after edging legality in the UK, it seems the deal is done. WiMedia-based ultra-wideband technology, which is the "approved format for Wireless USB," unsurprisingly enables "short range multimedia file transfers" at data rates up to 480Mbps that operate in the UWB spectrum of 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. So while the brief rivalry was indeed entertaining, we're sorry about your luck, Freescale.[Via ExtremeTech]
Ask PSP Fanboy: Volume 7
Every Saturday, PSP Fanboy will answer your burning questions. If you have a question for the team, send an e-mail to andrew @ pspfanboy.com with the subject "Ask PSP Fanboy."Q: Is downgrading to 1.5 and upgrading to the latest Sony update later harmful to the PSP?A: Downgrading hasn't proven to be too "dangerous" on the PSP. However, you always run a chance of bricking your system whenever you overwrite its precious flash memory. If you're currently running an official PSP firmware at the moment, you can simply update by using "Network Update" or by accessing Sony's official website. However, if you're using OE firmware, you should downgrade first. There are reports that upgrading to the latest firmware from an OE edition will brick your system.
Debian released for PlayStation 3
Linux distribution Debian Live has been released for PlayStation 3. All of the components have been neatly packed into one ISO file, meaning you can burn the entire package onto a single CD, pop that badboy into your PS3, and install. What you do with the operating system after that is beyond us. We're just a video game site, remember?So is this why IGN chose PS3?[Thanks, DBX00]
Yet another Linux option for your PS3: Debian Live
At this point, running Linux on your PlayStation 3 shouldn't come as any surprise, but just in case you haven't snapped up the Yellow Dog variety, and you're still intrigued after seeing that Fedora Core video, here's yet another option for testing the open source waters on your machine. Debian Live is now available as a downloadable ISO for use on Sony's latest console, and while the task may seem a bit daunting to the uninitiated, there's a fairly thorough wiki set up at the site to guide you through the snags and help you get things running smoothly. So if you've got nothing better to do than tinker with an OS on your PS3, be sure to hit the read link, get your download on, and report on back with your tales of success (or failure).[Via PS3Fanboy]
