Beyond 3000

New Sony noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones

2009-05-10T21:40:00.000+07:00

Sony’s new Bluetooth® headphone range lets you immerse yourself in perfectly clear audio without any cable clutter. Whether you are listening to music or making a phone call, Sony’s echo and noise cancelling technology will ensure exceptional sound quality. In addition, compatibility with the latest Bluetooth® 2.1 standard means not only can you say goodbye to troublesome wires, but reduce interference as well.

The new Bluetooth® headphone range from Sony is comprised of two models; DR-BT100CX and DR-BT101. Both feature simple, easy to use finger-tip controls which make it straightforward to adjust the volume, play and skip music tracks, and accept or reject incoming calls at the touch of a button.

The DR-BT100CX in-ear headphones are the perfect partner for your MP3 player or mobile. USB charging and cord free styling make them easy to use, whilst three sizes of silicon ear bud ensure superior sound quality can be enjoyed in comfort. With eight hours of playback time, these lightweight Bluetooth® headphones will keep you in connected, whatever you’re listening to.

For a headband headset without the inconvenience of cables, the DR-BT101 Sony headphones are the ideal choice. Enjoy rich, clear sound for hours on end through the headphone’s 30mm neodymium driver; twelve hours of playback means there is no risk of running out of power on long journeys. As both models support A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP Bluetooth® profiles, Sony’s new Bluetooth® headphone range keeps you connected and cable free whether you’re travelling, exercising or just listening to your favourite tracks at home.

Source
Sony

Samsung SPF-87H and SPF-107H Photo Frames Now Heading Toward Japan

2009-05-09T16:33:00.001+07:00

Announced in Korea earlier this month, Samsung's latest photo frames the SPF-87H and SPF-107H, are heading toward Japan with a possible launch in late May and beginning of June.

The SPF-87H features a nice 8” LCD with a resolution of 800x400 LCD with a 500:1 contrast ratio and 200cd/m2 brightness while the SPF-107H feature a 10” LCD with 1024x600 resolution, a 500:1 contrast ratio and a 250cd/m2.

Both can also be used as a secondary display.

Source
Samsung

Eee PC Seashell - Indulge in the Extraordinary.

2009-05-08T16:30:00.000+07:00

Introduced t the CeBit 2009, the Asus Eee PC Seashell, aka 1008HA is now available for purchase in Japan and overseas. This netbook is powered by an Atom N280, 1GB or RAM, a 10” WSVGA LED Backlight screen, Bluetooth, 160GB of HDD….

Taipei, Taiwan, April 30, 2009 – Surf with the Eee PC™ Seashell—The beach brings to mind images of clear blue oceans, soft silk-like sand and, of course, the seashells. ASUS has taken one of nature’s most beautiful designs and combined it with the best of today’s innovations to provide users with the most stylishly functional Eee PC™ yet. Weighing just 1.1kg, the Eee PC™ Seashell is a highly portable companion that users can carry about, allowing them to surf the Internet, watch videos or keep in touch with their friends and family—even while at the beach. Equipped with a more-than-ample 10-inch display, ergonomically designed keyboard, intelligent energy management system and an intuitive multi-touch touch-pad, the Eee PC™ Seashell aims to provide users with the best mobile computing experience, wherever their journeys take them.

Source

Asus

Nexto announces NVS2500 backup storage device

2009-05-07T16:28:00.000+07:00

Nexto, a manufacturer of portable backup storage devices, has announced the NVS2500 backup device claiming to offer back up speeds of up to 80MB/s. Primarily designed for video professionals, it is compatible with Compact Flash, SDHC and MemoryStick Pro, though its fastest speeds are reserved for SxS media. Built around a 2.5” SATA hard drive, it offers eSATA/USB and FireWire support. It also allows simultaneous backup to both its internal HD and an external USB hard drive. It also features a 2.4" preview LCD, rugged construction and a free-fall sensor for maximum drive protection. The NVS2500 is available in 160GB, 250GB, 350GB and 500GB storage capacities.

Phase One Launches P 40+ with Sensor+

2009-05-06T16:26:00.000+07:00

Medium format camera quality plus hand-held flexibility in one system

COPENHAGEN, April 30, 2009 -- Phase One, the leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions, today announced immediate availability of the Phase One P 40+ -- the company’s second Sensor+ enabled digital camera back/camera system.

Like the P 65+ introduced last year, this new system offers two separate image-capture modes. In normal mode, the P 40+ delivers full 40 megapixel captures for high-quality image details. And when shooting conditions demand, a photographer can push a button and instantly switch from 40 megapixels to 10 megapixels, gaining a four-fold increase in light sensitivity (ISO to 3200), and a capture rate of up to 1.8 frames per second --an ideal performance for hand-held and/or low-light conditions.

“Our second Sensor+ enabled system has been designed to deliver the fastest capture rate of any high-end medium format camera system on the market today,” said Jan H. Christians en, marketing director for Phase One. “Our relentless innovation is inspired by the needs of quality- conscious professional photographers who seek flexible and reliable camera systems that can work as hard as they do.”

The versatility of the P 40+ system is important for those who seek quality medium-format 16-bit capture under a variety of working conditions. Both modes feature a 12.5 f-stop dynamic range. From high-end wedding, fashion and fine-art photographers to photojournalists, the choice of capture modes in a single camera system frees photographers to focus on the job at hand rather than worry over equipment.

Best results of Sensor+ technology are available by processing images using Phase One Capture One software version 4.8 or higher.

Technical specifications:
P 40+ full resolution capture mode:
Resolution: 40 megapixels
Pixel size: 6 x 6 micron
RAW file compression: (IIQ large: 40 MB) (IIQ small: 26 MB)
ISO: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800
Capture rate: Up to 1.2 frames per second

P 40+ Sensor+ capture mode:
Resolution: 10 megapixels
Pixel size: 12 x 12 micron
RAW file compression: (IIQ large: 10 MB) (IIQ small: 7 MB)
ISO: 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Capture rate: up to 1.8 frames per second

Phase One P+ camera back mounts:
Phase One 645 AF, Mamiya 645AFDII/ AFDIII, Mamiya RZ67 PRO IID via adaptor, Hasselblad H1 and H2, Hasselblad 555ELD, 553ELX, 503CW and 501CM, Contax 645.

Wide angle & technical cameras: 4 x 5" via FlexAdaptor: Arca Swiss, Cambo, Linhof, Toyo, Sinar, Plaubel, Horseman.

Pricing & Availability
The P 40+ digital back starts at €14,990; the P 40+ camera system starts at €16,990. All products are available now.

Additional image

Asian Babe, Fight of the Week... For real this time we swear !

2009-05-05T21:36:00.000+07:00

Hi everyone, here's another fight between two gorgeous ladies, and today we have two new contenders with Sun Yiqi on the left (Chinese) and Fukuoka Sayaka on the right (Japanese).

Which one of these beautiful babes won your heart over the weekend?

Source
AkihabaraNews

Vestax Handy Trax USB Turntable Recorder Now On Sale!

2009-05-05T16:24:00.000+07:00

Vestax introduced the handy trax USB, a turntable that plays vinyl and converts vinyl to WAV or AIFF up to 24bit/48kHz (CD quality is 16bit/44.1kHz) thanks to its USB interface. The handy trax USB comes with a built-in 4W speaker and offers volume controller fader as well. You can find line-in, line-out and, headphone out jacks. It was three play speeds, 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm.

Source
Vestax

Samsung’s latest 29mm thick PDP TV

2009-05-04T21:38:00.001+07:00

Samsung announced this Sunday the full HD 850 PAVV, a 50” PDP (Plasma) “Finger Slim” with a thickness of just 29mm, as well as being 40% more power efficient that Samsung PDP previous Generation TVs and 20% lighter (26kg).

Our 850 PAVV 50” PDP TV feature Samsung’s Full HD Crystal Engine, DLNA Support, “USB 2.0 Videos” giving you the possibility to watch DivX videos, photos, or play your MP3 directly from an external HDD or USB Thumb key to your TV.

If 50” is not enough for you, Samsung also happen to have 58” model ready to ship for you. Unfortunately there are not much information on the 58” thickness, Samsung only state that this model is 50% slimmer than before and just weight 36kg.

Source
Samsung

JAPAN TEXTURE for iPhone 3G: Gorgeous Hand Made Lacquered Cases for Your Beloved iPhone

2009-05-04T16:22:00.001+07:00

Softbank just sent us a hi-resolution picture of this gorgeous series of hand made lacquered cases. Not much to say here since the pictures speak for themselves, but this series of six iPhones cases are 100% hand-made and built like any other luxury lacquered wood that you can find in Japan.

Now don’t get too excited since we're not talking about average iPhone cases, but real works of art and each one cost no less than 39,800 Yen or €306 ($407USD) and are limited ONLY to 50 units each.

Source
Akihabaranews

Sunday Stories : Subaru Begins Testing the Stella Electric Vehicle in Japan

2009-05-03T16:39:00.002+07:00

Today Subaru announced the successful development of a prototype of its Subaru Plug-in STELLA electric vehicle (EV), to be introduced this summer in Japan. FHI will provide the Ministry of the Environment, Japan
with fifteen units of the Plug-in STELLA Prototype for verification tests to be conducted by five prefectural and city governments.

The new prototype model improved driving performance by increasing power output from 40kW to 47kW and further enhanced its efficiency by lightening body weight and fine-tuning output management. In addition to the optimization and downsizing of the battery pack design, it changed the instrument panel and interior design. Specifications of a production EV model, to be introduced this summer, are basically identical to those of this model.

The Ministry of the Environment, Japan is now carrying out the promotion of the next generation vehicle, aiming to further spread the use of EVs. By June this year fifteen units of the Plug-in STELLA Prototype will be loaned: four units for Kanagawa Prefecture, three units for Aichi Prefecture, three units for Osaka Prefecture, three units for Hyogo Prefecture, one unit for Yokohama City and one unit for Japan Post Service Co., Ltd.

FHI has been researching lithium ion battery technology, which has attracted attention as a future power source, and a next generation EV powered by those batteries. It has jointly developed the Subaru R1e with Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. since June 2006. Making good use of the R1e’s EV system and know-how, FHI successfully developed “Subaru Plug-in STELLA Concept” in June 2008, and five units of this EV were provided for use of Hokkaido Toyako Summit and the Japan Post group for use in mail collection and delivery. FHI plans to test-market production EV models from July this year in Japan and around 170 units of EV are planned to be delivered during this fiscal year. Pricing, selling system and after-sales service are now under study.

FHI pursues the perfect integration of a pleasant and reliable driving with environmental considerations in its vehicle development philosophy. Not to mention enhanced improvement of the current power unit line-up, FHI positions EVs as one of viable solutions and key technologies for environmental preservation, and it will further research and develop its EVs.

Source
NihonCar

Sunday Stories : Outlander GT Prototype in the Flesh... Unfortunately.

2009-05-03T16:36:00.000+07:00

We finally succeeded in getting hi-res pictures of the Outlander GT prototype and we're pretty disappointed.
We at NihonCar.com really like the stock Outlander for its versatility and ability to really go off road and not being ONLY a urban family carrier. The Outlander GT prototype seems to really go against the “Outlander” mainly due to its low chassis and front bumper design that will stop you from any off road activities.

Let’s talk about the new and redesigned bumper and front grill. We love it on the Lancer Evo, we accepted it on the Colt, but on the Outlander it's really ugly… As we said… the Outlander GT prototype is quite a disappointment.

Building on the success of the Mitsubishi Outlander, Mitsubishi Motors North America today conducted the World debut of a distinctive new model that takes the compact SUV to another new level of performance and sportiness - the Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype. The all-new design study is the centerpiece of the Mitsubishi Motors exhibit at the New York International Auto Show, which continues through April 19.

The Diamond white Outlander GT Prototype infuses performance and design inspiration from Mitsubishi's Lancer sport sedans and provides clear indicators of the future of Outlander.

"The Outlander GT Prototype is packed with technology, performance and premium features that are uncommon in the compact SUV class," commented John Koenig, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors North America. "Along with its faster heartbeat, we also wanted to quicken pulses by channeling the look of our sportiest cars."

A front grille design inspired by the Lancer Evolution's "jet fighter" look is clearly in play on the Outlander GT Prototype, which sports complementary new design elements, such as a reshaped front bumper, side mirrors, fenders and hood. Reshaped Bi-Xenon HID headlamps, a new rear bumper and side sills, plus a bold polished finish on the already standard aluminum roof panel accentuate the sporty appeal.

The Outlander GT Prototype also benefits from improvements to the all-aluminum 3.0-liter SOHC MIVEC V6 currently found in the Outlander XLS, including a reduction in intake restriction plus optimized camshaft timing and compression ratio. The engine changes raise maximum output by 10 horsepower, for a total of 230 horsepower, with an improved torque curve for more responsive city driving and enhanced fuel economy and emissions.

To further increase fuel economy, the Outlander GT Prototype features an upgraded shifting program and Idle Neutral Logic, which automatically, and smoothly, shifts into neutral during vehicle standstill. It reengages at the slightest lift of the foot off the brake pedal, thereby providing instantaneous response.

Source
NihonCar

Samsung's New 1.5TB Data Backup Solution, the Samsung STORY ™ Station

2009-05-02T16:20:00.001+07:00

Here's a new 1.5TB USB 2 external HDD enclosure fitted in a nicely designed case, the Samsung STORY ™ Station. If I admit that I'm in love with this external HDD the lack of either eSATA or FireWire800 renders this USB2.0 only external HDD less attractive… Don’t know about you, but having to store huge video files I can tell you that FireWire800 is really a minimum!

This external HDD is also available in 500GB and 1TB in Korea.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, today announced its new 1.5-Terabyte (TB) external hard drive, Samsung STORY™ Station, which is designed to meet the explosive demand for external, secure and eco-friendly desktop PC storage. The 3.5-inch external hard drive, which features enhanced security software and a solid aluminum casing, is ideal for data backup of personal, hard-to-replace data, music, photos and video files.

To protect against data loss and security compromises, the new Samsung STORY Station features three important safety features: Samsung Auto Backup, SecretZone™ and SafetyKey™. Samsung Auto Backup backs up data in real time or through a prearranged schedule. The backed-up data can also be securely saved by setting a password with Samsung’s SafetyKey™. And to protect confidential files and folders, Samsung’s SecretZone™ creates a virtual drive which provides encryption for data security.

Designed with environmentally-friendly materials that comply with international environmental standards such as RoHS, the new storage supports green operation with a power-saving mode that automatically goes into standby after five minutes of inactivity.

Based on the same innovative design philosophy as the Samsung S1 Mini and S2 Portable external hard drives announced last December, the Samsung STORY Station displays passionate red lines against a high-tech “brushed” aluminum surface with red cable ports. Samsung now provides a full range of external hard drives: the 1.8-inch S1 Mini and the 2.5-inch S2 Portable for portable use, and the 3.5-inch Samsung STORY Station for large volume data back up.

The Samsung STORY Station’s heat dissipating design – the ventilation and the aluminum cover – prevents heat build up and keeps the drive inside cool.

Available in 500GB, 1TB and 1.5TB densities, the Samsung STORY Station has a USB 2.0 interface and provides a three-year warranty.

Source
Akihabaranews

NEC's Eco Friendly Wireless Router

2009-04-29T22:53:00.000+07:00

NEC released two new wireless lan routers from the AtermWR8150N Series, (BGN), with an Eco Button,when pushed switches off ALL LEDs except the Power to provide 30% less power consumption. If you're too lazy to push a single button you can set your router into Eco Mode where it will do it automatically depending on your usage and predefined settings.

Source

NEC

DRV-XD08, Pioneer’s Latest External High Quality Audio CD Player

2009-04-28T22:50:00.000+07:00

At 15,000 Yen (€11, the USB 2.0 external DVD and cd player burner isn't the average crap, but a high-end CD audio player with DVD burning capabilities with both Pioneer's PURE READ and PowerRead Technology… Not sure it will be Pioneer’s best seller this year, but just in case… If you're into this kind of stuff, you know what to get.

Source
Pioneer

Century Dual SATA Bay NAS

2009-04-27T22:47:00.000+07:00

Century has a new dual SATA bay NAS, the CRNS35NAS. Nothing specal, this NAS is a DLNA, iTuner server, Gigabit Ethernet… Basic NAS stuff and will be sold in Japan for less than 20,000 Yen (€160).

Source
Akihabaranews

Nissan to Release a New Skyline Crossover This Summer in Japan… Finally

2009-04-26T23:07:00.003+07:00

t's about time, but what can you expect from a bunch of old salarymen form Nissan Japan. I mean they make pretty decent cars sometimes for the overseas market, like the latest Infiniti SUV… And while many in North America and Europe can enjoy these beauties… We, in Japan, will have to wait for summer… To Nissan Japan and Carlos Ghosn … Please do us all a favor; launch a heavy wave of early retirements at your Japan HQ…

The all-new Skyline Crossover makes its foray into the crossover segment with a unique and distinctive design, that arrives from a fusion of a coupe with an SUV. The luxury crossover utilizes smooth, soft-to-the-touch and high-quality materials to provide an elegant and personalized interior space.

Powered by a VQ37VHR engine with VVEL technology, the powertrain delivers high response and high torque for an exhilirating driving experience. The powertain also offers cleaner emissions and good fuel-efficiency. Powerful, seamless and continuous acceleration is realized by mating the powertrain to a 7-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode. Stable handling and supple ride comfort are optimally balanced for a pleasurable drive.

The all-new Skyline Crossover will be showcased at Nissan Galleries nationwide starting April 18, 2009.

Source
Nissan CrossOver

FIA GT1 GT-R, the Ultimate 600hp Nissan GT-R

2009-04-26T22:58:00.003+07:00

Last week in the South of France Nissan and Nismo unveiled their FIA GT1 ready GT-R, a “little” 600hp modified 5.6l V8 engine (VK56DE) that provides no less then an incredible 650Nm of torque achieveing a quite honorable 2:05.447 lap time by Paul Ricard…

We hope both Nismo and Nissan are as successful on the old continent as they are here in Japan!

Media Days and the Official Test Session for the FIA GT were held at Circuit Paul Ricard HTTT (5.842km) in the South of France on the 6th and 7th April.

At the Press Conference of SRO, the official promoter of the FIA GT Championship, which took place at midday on the 6th April, the R35 NISSAN GT-R, built according to the 2010 FIA GT1 regulations was unveiled in front of more than 200 people.

The objectives for NISMO's FIA GT program for 2009 is to develop GT-R race car which shall be available for sale to the privateers who wish to take part in the FIA GT World Championship from 2010 and onwards.
The team is going to race at Silverstone (UK, 3rd May), Oschersleben (GER, 21st June), 24 hours of Spa (BEL, 25th - 26th July), and is planning an additional race in Europe.

GT-R will be driven by Michael Krumm (GER) and Darren Turner (UK).

Under the observant eyes of the media and other competitors, the GT-R ran 119 laps and completed all test menus as planned without any major trouble throughout the 2 days. As the GT-R is built according to the next generation 2010 FIA regulations, which allow less modification, lap times cannot be compared with the current GT1 cars, however the best lap time was 2:05.447.

The team will participate in the next official test at Algarve (POR) on 15th and 16th April.

"I am very excited about the FIA GT program as it is 10 years since I participated in an international racing with NISMO." said Michael Krumm. "I am very happy to race in Europe with the NISMO people I have worked in Japan for years. The test at Paul Ricard went very well, and I really enjoyed the test with other cars. Since the shakedown in last December, the GT-R has improved a lot. We still need to work very hard to make the car competitive, but I am confident that we are in a right direction."

Darren Turner said "I'm looking forward to helping NISMO and Gigawave MotorSport to develop the GT-R to make sure it is competitive in time for the new regulations in 2010. It is a real privilege to play a part in such an exciting program. It's also good to be racing in the FIA GT Championship again as I have had good results there in the past."

Source
NihonCar

Hitachi lied about its Eco appliances… Really?

2009-04-25T00:07:00.000+07:00

It seems that Hitachi is a big fat lying company after all, well at least for some of its Eco friendly fridge which apparently where no way near being “Eco”

The Japanese Newspaper Yomiuri, reported earlier today that some of Hitachi fridge which were supposed to been built in the most advanced Eco process, and reducing up to 48% its CO2 emission during the production process was just a big fat lie.

On top of this quite shameful discovery, the Yomiuri report that both the “Eiyo Ikiiki Shinku Chirudo V” and "Big & Slim 60" series, 9 fridges in total, announced to have been built thanks to recycled material… Were in fact built with regular material, Well actually only 3 of them were built with 50% of recycle material and the 6 other never seen any of this Eco friendly recycled material at all…

To make things worse, and after being caught lying, Hitachi announced that they have no intention whatsoever to compensate or refund the 150 000 owners of these fridges in Japan…

Source
Yomiuri

evanui μ, your ultimate omnidirectional Speaker

2009-04-24T00:03:00.000+07:00

ViV laboratory will propose in Japan the evanui μ, an high-end luxury wooden omnidirectional speaker featuring the FDM technology (Floating Diaphragm Mechanism) sold at the end of this month, and more precisely for my birthday, April 30, for 210 000 Yen (1660€).

The evanui μ offer a maximum output of 100W with an impedance of 8Ω and work on 80Hz-30kHz frequencies.

Source
ViV

Kenwood gorgeous Glass Speaker with LED Stand

2009-04-23T17:20:00.001+07:00

Kenwood propose in Japan for just a little bit more than 100 000 Yen (765€) a pair of gorgeous glass speaker the SP0001 offering a not so impressive 10Wx2ch at 8Ω output power. I am sure that if you are interested in these speakers’ performances may not be exactly what you are looking for immediately. Anyway for a little extra, Kenwood also propose a set of stands with white and blue LED giving your speakers the perfect touch to show how wealthy you are !

Source
Kenwood

DVR-DS120, Mitsubishi latest DVD Recorder

2009-04-22T17:18:00.000+07:00

For just 40000 Yen (300€) here you are Mitsubishi latest DVR, the DVR-DS120, with 250GB of internal HDD, a DVD burner, a Digital TV tuner and the capability to record HD Video thanks to its support to AVCREC. Definitively not the most powerful DVR ever made but if you just need to record Magnum PI time to time, this will be far to be enough !

Source
Mitsubishi

DC-ACPCDP, the Latest Acrylic Cowboy PC Tower

2009-04-21T23:43:00.001+07:00

It's been a while since Digital Cowboy introduced an new acrylic PC case.

Just enough to hold your motherboard (ATX and Micro ATX), your power supply, HDD and ODD, these acrylic PC cases are extremely popular among Japanese geeks.

With a strict minimum the new DC-ACPCDP/B gives you, on top of the basic ATX / Micro ATX 2 LED and a power OFF/ON, a reset button, and a holder to carry your setting around.

Source
Akihabaranews

I-O Data latest 26mm thick NAS

2009-04-21T17:16:00.000+07:00

Far from being a real competitor to Apple time capsule, the HDLP-G Landisk is I-O Data latest ultra compact NAS (126x130x26mm). Available in 3 different capacities, with 250, 320 and 500GB, the HDLP-G has been built to be your TV best friend, if at least your TV is compatible with the DLNA v1.0 standard.
The 500GB model will be sold in Japan around 23000 Yen (175€).

Source
Akihabaranews

Sunday Stories:

2009-04-20T23:36:00.000+07:00

TRD Upgrade Kit for the Toyota Wish

Just announced in Japan, the Wish can now be purchased with an sport upgrade kit from TRD. It comes with a selection of front spoilers, a set of 17” aluminum wheels (TF4), a TRD Start/Stop button, and a sportive suspension set…

It many not improve your overall performance, but will greatly add to your car's style…

Source
Nihoncar

Sunday Stories:

2009-04-20T23:33:00.000+07:00

Scion Reveals iQ Concept at the 2009 New York International Auto Show

Scion’s iQ concept is the intelligent answer to this need for highly emotional and efficient urban transportation. The convenience of having work, entertainment and culture nearby for young city-dwellers is a significant draw to urban centers. The vehicle must be able to navigate narrow, congested streets, park in tight places, have impressive fuel economys, and have compelling design and function.

“Scion’s iQ concept turns traditional auto design upside down,” said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president. “Traditionally small vehicles have been thought of as being basic. The iQ concept is just the opposite with its innovative features and iconic urban design, and we believe it fits in well within the Scion brand. Our young, trendsetting buyers are creative and innovative forward thinkers, and we think they will appreciate what iQ has to offer.”

The production iQ is currently sold in Japan and Europe. Five Axis of Huntington Beach, Calif. took the iQ to the next level with aggressive exterior and interior modifications that show the vehicle’s potential for personalization.

With its 78.7-inch wheelbase, the three-door hatchback can deftly maneuver through city traffic. At the same time, its overall length of 126.9-inches, overall width of 71.4-inches, and short front and rear overhangs allow the iQ to fit in virtually any city parking space. The front-mounted differential and repositioned steering rack decrease front end length. In addition, the iQ is equipped with a flat gas tank housed beneath the floor that reduces rear overhang.

Pushing the wheels of the small, bold concept towards the four corners of the body gives the iQ a confident stance. The custom 18-inch wheels with a nickel finish and wide tires fill the wheel well, adding to its surefootedness. The iQ’s custom front air dam, aero headlamps and high-intensity LED driving lamps signal urban road readiness.

“We believe the Scion iQ micro-subcompact concept is the future of transportation,” said Hollis. “If it should join our future line-up, I think it could reach iconic status like our xB. Its styling will attract attention and if it’s a Scion, you know it’ll be easy to personalize.”

The iQ’s profile is defined by a strong and high beltline. Smooth lines glide from the large, dark finish headlamps, up the A-pillar, across the roof and wrap around the rear emphasizing the concept’s geometric beauty. Side mirrors with integrated turn signals accent the clean design.

The rear emphasizes the vehicle’s modern style. Trapezoidal lines run toward the wheels, from the hatch to the thick rear diffuser, creating a substantial presence. A center-mounted trapezoid exhaust adds to the vehicle’s distinctiveness, while large, matte-finished rear taillights help keep the vehicle visible.

The iQ’s interior fuses function, style and entertainment. Attention to detail and modern accents can be seen in the illuminated door handle; the swiveling spotlight that hovers over the dash; an illuminated iQ logo on the passenger-side dash and nickel and raw aluminum toned interior panels. Iridescent green and gray honeycomb upholstery covering the door panels and seating areas, combined with the custom exterior paint, provides a balance of freshness and sophistication. Black matte scuba-like polyurethane covers the seat bolsters and is also used on the headliner with a bright green topstitch for a contemporary finish.

The iQ features a 10-inch panel LCD screen on top of the center cluster that serves as the main entertainment console and navigation system interface. With the push of a button, the touch-screen articulates to reveal the entertainment hub. The touch screen can also play movies while the vehicle is parked. When not in use, the screen lays flat on the dash with a translucent cover that emits a colorful display of light patterns to make the interior even more unique.

A few quick strokes to the black panel below the entertainment hub, or steering wheel controls, command the audio system to shuffle through a music library. The center cluster also features three control knobs for dual front heating and air conditioning settings. The driver and front passenger each have a knob that displays their desired temperature and controls their temperature and fan settings. The center knob dictates zone control for both occupants.

The instrument panel has a speedometer, warning lamps, and a multi-information display. The multi-information display allows the driver to toggle through the odometer, average speed, temperature and eco lamp. The eco lamp illuminates during efficient driving to help the driver achieve maximum fuel economy.

Comfortable front passenger legroom was achieved with a newly-engineered, compact air conditioning unit located behind the center of the front console. The iQ employs a glove bag, with the same textured, honeycomb fabric as the front and rear seats, that can be easily snapped on and off for storage or additional legroom.

Rear seating can accommodate one adult behind the front passenger and a child, small package, or pet behind the driver. Extra slim front seat backs provide rear passengers with legroom. The rear seats are 50/50 and fold flat for increased utility. In addition, the rear seat cushion lifts up to reveal a small flat storage space that can be used for pocket-sized portable music players, small books, digital cameras, or slim laptops.

The iQ does not skimp on safety and is equipped with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC); an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD); Brake Assist (BA); and nine SRS airbags, which includes the world's first rear window curtain airbag. Other airbags include driver and front passenger front airbags; driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags; side curtain airbags; a driver knee airbag; and a front passenger seat cushion airbag.

Source
NihonCar

I-O Data's Latest SSD Express Card

2009-04-19T23:30:00.000+07:00

Not sure if this will be the ultimate setting for those wantling to install an SSD on their PC. Just in case, here's I-O Data's latest SSD Express Cards with a 32GB capacity (16,800 Yen) and a 64GB (24,000 Yen).

Source
Akihabaranews

Gateway's Netbook

2009-04-18T23:25:00.000+07:00

Alongside Acer’s Aspire One D250 and AS3935, we had the pleasure of discovering the ID5800-25K (15.6” 1366x768 0, a stylish notebook designed by Pininfarina for Gateway. It's powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo P8600, 4GB of RAM, a GeForce G105M with 512MB of VRAM, 320GB of HDD, DVD Super Multi, WiFi ABGN, Bluetooth, Multigesture trackpad… And sold in Japan for just 119,800 Yen (€91.

Definitely more compact, Gateway also introduced a N280 Atom powered Netbook, the LT2000. It's available in either black or red with the usual 1GB of RAM, 945GSE Chipset, 10.1” LCD with a 1024 x 600 resolution, Dolby headphones, WiFi B/G… Sold for 49,800 Yen (€381)

Source
Akihabaranews

Novac's Latest Mp3 Wonder: Cassette Tape to Digital

2009-04-18T17:14:00.000+07:00

There are plenty of LP to MP3 solutions, but not many cassette tape to MP3. If you're looking for one, well, we happen have exactly what you're looking for, Novac's latest cassette to digital MV-CM001U.

Simply put an old cassette tape in this little wooden box, hit "record," and voila! You've digitally saved your music as an MP3, WAV, or WMA file.

Source
Akihabaranews

The AVC-1610, Denon's Latest HD AV Amp

2009-04-17T23:23:00.001+07:00

Here's Denon's AVC-1610, a 5.1 AV amp (130Wx5ch at 6 Ω) that supports HDMI 1.3a, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby NR professional logic IIz… Available in Japan from middle of May for around 55,000 Yen (€420).

Source
Akihabaranews

Nikon announces 10-24mm F3.5-4.5G ED lens

2009-04-17T00:26:00.000+07:00

Nikon launches the AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED

New ultra-wide-angle zoom with SWM

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 14th April 2009 – Nikon Europe is pleased to announce the introduction of the AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED lens. This new NIKKOR DX-format ultra-wide-angle zoom lens has a focal range starting at 15mm equivalent in FX/35mm format.

At a very affordable price, this new lens with superior build quality would be a great addition to anyone’s Nikon system. It is perfect for users wanting to shoot scenes that require a wide angle perspective effect such as in a small room, or for shooting architecture and landscapes.

Ludovic Drean, Product Manager Lenses at Nikon Europe B.V says: “This great new lens is perfectly suited for Nikon D300 and D90 users, and works very well with our other mid-class DSLRs too. Thanks to its Silent Wave Motor, it is also suitable for models without a built-in motor such as the D40 and the D60, for example. Its affordable price is no reflection on its superior quality, though, as its high-reproduction performance, minimum distortion and build quality are almost equivalent to those of the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED.”

Superior quality build and excellent reproduction capacity
The AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED offers a focal length between 10 to 24mm and a picture angle equivalent to a focal length of 15 to 36 mm in FX/35mm format. Thanks to its ring-type Silent Wave Motor (SWM), its autofocus is quiet and fast. Housed in a compact and lightweight body with Nikon’s unique high-quality exterior design, the NIKKOR advanced build quality ensures smooth operation and durability.

The optical system features ED glass and a-spherical lenses optimised for digital SLRs with an excellent capacity for accurate image reproduction, delivering high-resolution, high-contrast images whilst minimising chromatic aberration. Using the internal focusing (IF) system, the lens barrel length does not change whilst focusing, giving it a more durable build and allowing for the use of heavy attachments.

The lens also has two focus modes – M (Manual) and Manual-priority auto (M/A). M/A mode enables a user to switch rapidly between autofocus and manual focus by merely rotating the focus ring even during AF operation. This allows precise focus adjustment without taking your eye off of the viewfinder.

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED is supplied with 77-mm snap-on front lens cap LC-77, rear lens cap LF-1, bayonet hood HB-23 and flexible lens pouch CL-1118.

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED will be on sale from May (TBC) with an MSRP guide price of EUR849.

AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED specifications

Maximum format size	DX
Focal length	10-24mm
35mm equivalent focal length	15-36mm
Diagonal Angle of view (APS-C)	109º - 61º
Maximum aperture	F3.5-4.5
Minimum aperture	F22-29
Lens Construction	• 14 elements/9 groups • 2 ED glass elements • 3 aspherical elements
Number of diaphragm blades	7, rounded
Minimum focus	0.24m /0.8 ft
AF motor type	Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
Focus method	Internal
Image stabilization	None
Filter thread	77mm
Supplied accessories*	• 77mm Snap-on Front Lens Cap LC-77 • Rear Lens Cap LF-1 • Bayonet Hood HB-23 • Flexible Lens Pouch CL-1118
Weight	460 g (16.2 oz)
Dimensions	83 mm diameter x 87 mm length (3.3 x 3.4 in)

MTF Charts

Click here to understand the MTF Chart (link to Nikon USA site)

Additional image

Nikon D5000 DSLR: Announced and Previewed

2009-04-16T00:23:00.000+07:00

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 14th April 2009 - Nikon Europe is pleased to announce the introduction of a new DSLR for the hobbyist and for family fun: the D5000. Packed with features that make taking pictures easy and fun, this camera stands out above the competition with its unique vari-angle LCD monitor, which allows you to shoot easily from any angle you can imagine.

The D5000 has inherited the D90’s groundbreaking HD movie capability, Nikon’s proprietary D-Movie function. Coupled with extensive in-camera editing features, a wide choice of scene modes, 12.3MP sensor and high-sensitivity between ISO 200 and 3200 (which can be extended to ISO 100 and ISO 6400 equivalent) for shooting in a wide range of lighting conditions, this camera makes it easier than ever to take great quality pictures.

View life from a different angle
The D5000’s 2.7-inch vari-angle LCD monitor offers a whole new perspective on photography, allowing you to take pictures easily from any angle. Its flexible, moving screen allows you to position the camera perfectly to suit the angle or shot you’re trying to take - so whether you’re at a concert and you want to get a clear view above the crowd for your shot or you want to take a picture from ground level, you can adjust the vari-angle monitor to give you the best view of your subject. Close it to protect the monitor or place it in the standard position for regular shooting using the viewfinder. You can even reverse the monitor for effortless, perfectly-framed self-portraits. Thanks to Nikon’s ergonomic design values and the downward opening direction of the screen, it will never get in your way, and you’ll be able to maintain a steady grip on the body which will prevent camera shake. The choice is limitless.

D-Movie and Live View
Shooting movie clips with a DSLR will allow you to get really creative. For example, you can change the lens for a new perspective and enhance the emotional impact of your movies using the Picture Control settings before you even start shooting. The D5000 offers D-Movie (with audio) - high-definition movie capture perfectly compatible with the latest television screens and an HDMI output for easy connection. The single button access to the Live View function allows you to view and compose your shot or movie on the vari-angle LCD monitor for optimal framing. When taking still shots, the camera offers four types of contrast AF (wide area, normal area, face detection and new subject tracking) to make capture as easy as possible. In subject tracking AF mode, the camera will even restart tracking the subject once it leaves the frame and then returns, so your target will always be in focus.

Setting the Scene
With a total of 19 scene modes, you don’t have to know the ins and outs of digital photography to take great pictures. Simply turn the dial to ‘scene’, choose the appropriate scene mode setting and the camera will do the rest for you. The camera will even display a sample scene to make the scene selection easier for you. Another easy-to-use feature is the camera’s extensive range of built-in editing function, with which you can edit your pictures and create visual effects in-camera, before you even get to a computer.

There’s more
In addition to all these features, the D5000 is a high quality camera in its own right. With its high-sensitivity 12.3 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor, Nikon’s innovative EXPEED high-speed image-processing system, fast and precise 11-point AF system and highly-durable, high-performance shutter, it is also perfectly suited to those with a higher level of photographic knowledge. Image quality is guaranteed further by the image sensor cleaning mechanism with airflow control system, Active D-Lighting and Picture control. The different playback options of the D5000 are as enjoyable as they are practical. You can view photos in batches of up to 72, and there is also a calendar view that organises images by date and time. And for serious photo enthusiasts, the D5000 can display a histogram on magnifies areas of the image to facilitate exposure control. It feels good to handle, too, with Nikon’s typically ergonomic design in a compact, light-weight body. Those who shoot pictures in quieter settings will appreciate the new Quiet shooting mode and, the built-in pop-up flash which will automatically detect when the flash is needed. For those on the move, GPS-compatibility with Nikon’s GP-1 unit will come in handy when pinpointing shooting locations as will the HDMI output when you finally want to present your great shots to your family and friends. The Nikon D5000 is compatible with a wide variety of AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses.

Nikon D5000 specifications

Additional images

LCD images

Asian Babe, Fight of the Week

2009-04-15T00:21:00.002+07:00

Hi everyone, here's another fight between two gorgeous ladies, but first let’s check last weeks winner. With 2049 participants, the winner is the cute little babe on the left with 66% of the votes, Sayaka Ando.

Today we have two new contenders… Reimi Tachibana on the left (Japanese) and Choi Yu Jung on the right (Korean).

Which one of these beautiful babes won your heart over the weekend?

Source
Akihabaranews

AspireRevo, Acer’s first Nvidia Ion-Based Nettop

2009-04-13T09:30:00.000+07:00

Finally someone made it, the first nettop (Atom powered desktop) powered by Nvidia's extremely promising Ion-Platform that supports full HD Video quality and Blu-ray video quality on an Atom based device.

The AspireRevo is also not your average Atom. As it's powered by an Atom 230, it can take up to 4GB of RAM, 250GB of HDD, a 4 in 1 card reader, HDMI and VGA out, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0… The ideal little desktop that I'd love to plug under each TV at home.

SANTA CLARA, CA-APRIL 7, 2009-NVIDIA and Acer reshaped the PC landscape today by setting a new standard for small PCs with the introduction of the world's first NVIDIA® ION™ -based PC, the Acer AspireRevo.

No larger than a typical hardcover book, the AspireRevo is a fully capable desktop with advanced graphics and impressive multimedia features. Equipped with NVIDIA ION graphics, the system can handle a wide variety of computing needs including high definition video, gaming, sharing digital photos, surfing the web, and other tasks consumers expect from full-size systems.

The AspireRevo represents a sharp break from 20 years of big, power hungry, and expensive PCs by delivering a full PC experience in a small, energy efficient, and affordable system. NVIDIA ION graphics make this possible with performance that is 5-10 times faster than traditional PCs with integrated graphics.

"The AspireRevo is small and quiet enough to go anywhere, yet big enough to handle all the needs of your digital lifestyle," said Gianpiero Morbello, corporate vice president of marketing for Acer. "It's perfectly suited for the living room, because NVIDIA ION provides a brilliant graphics experience with digital photos, watching video, and playing family-friendly games."

"The Acer AspireRevo with our new NVIDIA ION GPU is so small and powerful it's unbelievable," said Dan Vivoli, senior vice president of marketing at NVIDIA. "Watch Blu-ray movies1 and HD movie trailers, or clean up jerky, dim cell phone videos for internet streaming. This is the perfect PC for today's consumers."

The NVIDIA ION graphics processor in the AspireRevo supports:

• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Outstanding 1080p HD video with true-fidelity 7.1 audio
• Popular games including Spore, Call of Duty 4, and Sim City 5
• DirectX 10 graphics with advanced digital display connectivity
• Accelerated video enhancement and transcoding using NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology

About NVIDIA ION graphics processors
NVIDIA ION graphics processors turn up the visuals on small PCs with up to 10X faster graphics performance than similar systems. ION graphics processors provide support for premium Windows Vista features, outstanding media capabilities including 1080p high definition video and Blu-ray movies, and support for popular PC games.

1 Requires an external Blu-ray movie player.

Source
Acer

Clevery Mini HomeServer SP9C WHS

2009-04-12T23:53:00.000+07:00

Clevery is a quite well known store in Akihabara and they announced this morning their new Mini HomeServer SP9C WHS offered with Windows Home Server for 65800 Yen (490€) and 2TB of HDD (2x1TB), 1GB of RAM PC5300, an Intel Atom 330 Dual Core at 1.6GHz, DVD… Definitively the perfect little Torrent station or NAS for the rest of us.

Source
Akihabaranews

Sony Gets 64 Crazy with Their Vaio Line-up Update

2009-04-11T23:49:00.000+07:00

Sony announced they will upgrade their Type S, C, N, J and L to Vista 64Bit with 4GB of RAM on each model… Minor improvements were also announced like better video cards, digital tuners on some models, and new design like on the Type C below… Finally someone, here Sony, decided to ditch the 32bit for the 64bit, we only hope many will follow soon!

Source
Akihabaranews

PhotoFast eSATA and USB SSD, the G-Monster-eSATA

2009-04-10T23:43:00.000+07:00

Here you are another wonder from PhotoFast the G-Monster-eSATA, an eSATA/USB Key like SSD which is available in 32, 64 and 128GB capable to provide while used on a eSATA capable device a 175MB/sec in reading mode and 100MB/sec writing speed.

If unfortunately where are no prices yet available for this little wonder, PhotoFasta announced however to be capable to ship this SSD within the end of April in Japan.

Source
Akihabaranews

Three New Gorilla Sanyo SSD GPS

2009-04-09T09:27:00.001+07:00

Several years ago the Gorilla GPS line-up from Sanyo was everything but exciting, but recently Sanyo worked AMAZINGLY hard to change its old fashioned design by releasing a new and cool looking portable GPS full of nice features. Like the three latest Gorilla SSD portable GPS announced this morning in Tokyo, the NV-SD730DT (7”), NV-SB450DT and NV-SB530DT (5.2”) with LED backlight, 8GB SSD, VICS traffic information (not included on the NV-SB530DT), 1 Seg TV tuner, Eco Mode (to let you know when you're driving too fast) and so on…

Source
Akihabaranews

LG’s New W53 LCD… Smarter Than You!

2009-04-08T23:38:00.000+07:00

Simply because we're not stupid, LG thought it was about time to do something and introduced their new W53 Smart LCDs that automatically brightness, and feature a cinema mode blacking out the rest of the screen when playing videos, a timer that reminds you to take a break, a proximity sensor…. All of these nice little things are available with LCDs from 18" to 27” with a full HD Resolution (21” to 27” only), a 50000:1 contrast ratio and a 2ms response time.

Source
Akihabaranews

Toshiba launches the new Regza Z series in Japan

2009-04-07T23:41:00.003+07:00

Not less than 10 new LCD TV has been announced by Toshiba this morning, with some pretty interesting models like the :

- ZX8000 Series available in 46 or 44” (Full HD), featuring an Full HD Clear Panel with LED Backlight, USB and HDD LAN Video recording, Digital W (120Hz) with InstaPort,
- ZH800 Series available in 47 and 55” (Full HD) No LED Backlight but feature an internal 300GB HDD, as well as USB and LAN HDD Video recording, Digital W (120hz)…
- Z8000 Series, available in 37, 42, and 47”, Full HD Clean Panel, Digital W (120Hz), InstaPort, USB and LAN HDD Video Recording.
- H8000 Series with 37 and 42” (Full HD) TVs and a HD Ready 32” model, no Digital W Panel, and just 300GB of Internal HDD and USB HDD Recording only.

Source
Toshiba

GPS, HDMI Out and Atom Z520, the New Inspiron Mini 10 Ready to Conquer Japan

2009-04-05T23:01:00.001+07:00

This morning Dell Japan announced their plan to launch an updated version of their Inspiron Mini 10, with a 10” LCD (1366x768 resolution), 160GB of HDD, GPS, WiFi B/G, Bluetooth, Web camera (1.3Mpix), 1GB of RAM and the new Atom Z520 CPU (1 Core 1.33GHz).
Source
Akihabaranews

Acer and e-Machine Japan Introduces a New Atom Powered Desktop

2009-04-04T23:06:00.001+07:00

Here 's the EL1600 e-Machine, a nice little underpowered desktop with the usual ATOM 230 (1.6GHz), 1GB of RAM, 160GB of HDD, 945GC Express Chipset, DVD Super Multi, and a motherboard that allows you to add a PCI Express one free slot and Windows XP Home.

Definitely not the ultra killer that you may have expected, but for 35,000 Yen (2€70), this may be the perfect micro FTP server, NAS thingy, or ultimate Torrent machine… Oh, and a regular PC for your kids or grandma.

If you are interested in getting something more powerful but with the same body, Acer and e-Machine Japan also has the EL1800 powered by an Pentium E5200, 2GB of RAM, 320GB of HDD, Nvidia 7100+nForce 630i.

Source
Acer

Onkyo Unleashes a New Set of High-end Speakers for PC

2009-04-03T22:57:00.001+07:00

Powered by Onkyo’s VL Digital technology this new set of PC speakers, GX-500HD, will hit Japan next week. Feature wise, they offer 2x40W, and work on a 50Hz to 100kHz.

A true all in one solution, the GX-500HD has an Optical In, Analog-In, and a Subwoofer Pre Out, only support 100V (50/60Hz), and will cost around 49,800 Yen (€380).

Source
Onkyo

Corega's Latest Four Bay RAID HDD Enclosure

2009-04-02T22:54:00.001+07:00

If you you have no interest in a NAS but still need a solid RAID backup solution for your PC or home server, Corega's latest 4 bay RAID HDD enclosure is made for you. Behold the CG-HDC4EU3500!

Supporting RAID 0/1/3/5/10, it can be connected to PC or Mac via eSATA or USB and has been confirmed to work with 1.5TB HDDs, giving you up to 6TB of disk space in Raid 0. and 3TB in Raid 10.

It will be sold in Japan for around (€225).

Source
Akihabaranews

New Carat Emerald Hi-Fi USB Audio DAC

2009-04-01T22:52:00.001+07:00

Styleaudio is a Korean based company with offices in Japan. Today they announced the availability of their latest Hi-Fi USB Audio DAC in Japan. The Carat-Emerald now replaces the one year old Carat Period.

I'm not going to give too many details simply because I could make myself look rediculous. The Carat Emerald (24bit, 192KHz / 1.5ppm TCXO / 300 ohm headphone accepted), is a REAL hi-fi audio DAC and headphone amp with USB support that provides ideal sound without having to carry heavy stuff in your ears.

Source
Akihabaranews

Asian Babes Fight of the Week!

2009-03-31T22:39:00.003+07:00

Asian Babes Fight of the Week!

Today we have two new contenders… Hwang Mi Hee on the left (Korean) and Yumi Sugimoto on the right (Japanese). If you need to see more, please check our gallery below.

Which one of these beautiful babes won your heart over the weekend?

PMA 2009 Interview: Olympus

2009-03-29T10:06:00.000+07:00

PMA 2009 Interview: Olympus

Back at PMA we sat down with a handful of senior Olympus executives from Europe, the USA and Japan for our usual show briefing and, as promised, we dedicated a section of the meeting to an 'on the record' interview for publication here. Unfortunately, much of what we discussed can't be talked about just yet, and perhaps inevitably we failed to get through the huge list of questions generated by our active Olympus users community - we're working on getting written answers to all of them. For now here's a transcript of the parts of the conversation we can report on!

Olympus people in the interview:

Akira Wantanabe, SLR Business division, Product Planning department, Manager
Olympus Imaging Corp.
Miquel Angel Garcia, Managing Director European Marketing, Olympus Imaging Europa GmbH
Heino Hilbig, Head of Corporate Communications & Marketing Services, Olympus Imaging Europa GmbH
John Knaur, Senior Marketing Manager DSLR, Olympus Imaging America Inc.
Sally Smith Clemens, Product Manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc.

We're obviously not going to get through all these questions here, but I think that the willingness of Olympus to listen to them - and to answer them where possible - is hugely appreciated by the community, and is in stark contrast with some of the other manufacturers we deal with.
SSC: We're glad to be able to do it because we are interested to know what the forum members are thinking and also to share what’s going on at Olympus.

When you look at the scores of questions we've got and the hundreds of daily posts on the forums there are a few themes that turn up again and again, and one of the biggest is the need for reassurance about your commitment to Four Thirds since the arrival of MFT, which we spoke about at Photokina. I think there's still some concern about resources being diverted to MFT and away from the main system. I mean there's little evidence for it; you're bringing out new FT cameras all the time, but there's still and undercurrent of concern that their investment in this system will at some point be wasted.

MAG: I think that there is a basic understanding which we have to set, which is that there are not two separate worlds for investing in Micro Four Thirds and then investing in Four Thirds, actually it is all Four Thirds to us. Therefore, part of our investment in the Four Thirds system itself, is the Micro Four Thirds development. There is a good reason for the order of our development roadmap. We announced the Micro Four Thirds extension in August 2008, then we launched the E-30 and now the E-620 FT cameras.

A benefit of the development for both Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds can be seen in the new image stabilization system that we are using in the E-620 which is 20% smaller. We will surely also see a similar type of mechanism in the Micro Four Thirds product. I think that any fear from our loyal customers will disappear because for us, it’s not ‘here’ or ‘there’ – we are utilizing resources from the development of both of our systems. This is similar to the way many of the innovative technologies from the E-3 found their way back into other E-series cameras. This will also happen between both Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds: it’s not one of the other.

AW: Many of the components used in FT models can be also used in MFT bodies. The sensor - and getting the image from the sensor is a big use of resources - and also the image stabilizer can be used for both, so we don't think it's 'split'. Of course some modification is needed for MFT bodies and FT bodies, we're confident we can develop both at the same rate as before.

And in terms of optics; are there technologies developed in the design of lenses for MFT that are applicable to FT or is that completely separate?
AW: Of course the biggest difference when it comes to interchangeable lenses is the back focus distance, so especially for wide-angle lenses the design has to be different. But for telephoto lenses, as you know - for example the 300mm lens - there is no lens element at the back, so the back focus distance doesn't matter. But yes, for some of the lenses we need to separate the designs.

So I would presume that the form factor you've chosen for your Micro Four Thirds camera lends itself to a particular type of lens, so you may not have a situation where you have competing FT and MFT versions of many lenses?
AW: In general terms in the design of a lens the size of the lens can be minimized when the focal length and back focus distance are roughly equal. In essence the thickness of the MFT body is the best focal length for the lens to make it the minimum size. But for longer focal lengths there would be virtually no difference in size.

In terms of the differentiation between the two lines, one of the questions that we see quite regularly is whether there will be ruggedized or weather sealed or otherwise 'pro grade' MFT bodies, or are you going to keep the two lines completely separate?
HH: The important point is that for us, in our understanding, there is no difference between MFT and FT. From our perspective we have to be very much aware that the only difference is that there is no mirror inside, and because of that we can make the camera body smaller. And I would like to get rid of this fear that we are no longer developing components for 'the' Four Thirds products because of MFT, because this implies an incorrect idea of how we develop a product. We don't develop a product in isolation; what takes time to develop are the components inside, which means that - as we talked about earlier - the image stabilizer used in the E-620 was developed for the MFT camera and introduced in a FT product.

So actually the development of MFT will benefit FT users.
HH: Yes, that's the way to see it. If Four Thirds is the 'master-class', the MFT development is, in R&D terms, one step higher. To make it smaller is more difficult, but this means that FT will benefit from MFT.

So can we talk about the FT lens roadmap. The one that has been published doesn't go beyond 2009,
HH: That's the one that's been published, yes.

So when are we likely to see a new lens roadmap, and what can you tell us about the general direction of current development?
AW: The way we set the roadmap is always like this; We get requests from the market, from your website and so on, and we put them together and make a list and put them in an order and simply develop from the top one down. I cannot tell you which lens is in the first place or second place but I can tell you we do have a long queue.

So how long does it take to get from the top of the list to actually being available to buy?
AW: When we revealed the system and the roadmap for the first time I think there were almost twenty lenses and we've now shown all of them. That took about four years.

JK: Which is kind of phenomenal when you think about it; 20 lenses in four years.

AW: The first lenses we produced were the very basic lenses, which is inevitable for a new system. so we needed to quickly fill the range. The situation now is a little bit different. One year we may focus on the bodies, the next we may focus a bit more on lenses, so we will not launch lenses constantly but we have been listening to the voices of our customers.

How about updates to existing lenses such as the 50mm macro; would they come quite low on the priority list?
AW: That's correct.

So what about the process of moving to contrast detect AF; is there a separate program to upgrade existing designs or is that just something you'll be concentrating on for new lenses? Are you likely to go back and update some of the more popular lenses so they're more compatible with CD-AF systems?
AW: This is something we'll need to clarify by the time we launch the MFT system, so please wait until the summer.

Now that professional cameras are increasingly moving towards full frame is the pro market an area you're still actively looking to participate in?
HH: Can I just make a 'marketing' comment on that first before the business and technical guys answer. Where does the term full frame come from? Full frame is 35mm which is half of the cinema film used in Kodak projectors. The question is 'where is the quality satisfied?' From our perspective, it's a subject of a market-orientated quality which has to be delivered; whether this is quality of the picture in general, or its pixels inside, which I don't think is a mark of quality. So this is an issue of talking about the format, which fulfills the market standard rather than 'full frame'.

OK. That's fair, because obviously the format shouldn't make any difference, but for a 'pro' camera to compete against the kind of camera professionals are buying it has a lot of work to do, and our only question is whether that will be an area where you'll be actively competing?
JK: From our side, and I'll speak because I work with a lot of professional photographers in the states - not all professional photographers are looking for 'full frame'. There's a lot more to the quality of the image than the size of the sensor and the number of pixels involved, which I know you guys are well aware of. Cameras like the E-3 have been used very successfully by many professionals. In fact, right now one of our professionals is traveling around the globe with (National) Geographic, and all he's using are E-3s. He can use whatever he wants but he's choosing to use E-3 because the lens quality he feels is better, he can shoot wide open and get good sharpness at the edges, the color quality is there, the image quality is there. So to characterize any camera - whether it's an Olympus or anything else - and say 'this is a professional camera' based on one feature is an injustice to any camera. In fact we’ve got one Magnum guy out there who still uses C5050's because he thinks its the best camera ever made - for what he's doing. So I think it's the quality of the image we can deliver that's more important than the size of the sensor.

Sure, but I don't think that you'd argue that any of the full frame cameras that have been released don't also offer excellent image quality.
JK: No, I think that across the board a lot of the cameras out there today - compared to five years ago - are very good and very high quality, but I don't think you'd argue that those manufacturers' with APS-C cameras aren't any good simply because they're not full frame.

But the point is they have the advantage that they can offer both full frame and smaller sensor bodies, and whether you can persuade enough professionals that you can offer a viable alternative to the full frame systems offered by other manufacturers to justify the continuing development of your professional system. To us the E-620 is represents exactly what FT is 'about' and the sensor format gives it genuine benefits over the competition. It's easy to understand its position in the market and its easy to see its appeal.
MAG: If we were targeting to really lead the professional market this would be a key issue. So the question is, are we targeting to lead the professional market in the short term? Today that's not in our plan. If we really wanted to succeed we would have to look at all the alternatives, which would most probably break all the work we've done on Four Thirds. But I don't think Olympus is trying to lead the professional market. We are, on the other hand, leading by way of technical innovations that many Pro’s and consumers now recognize as very useful; built-in dust reduction, digital specific lenses, etc.

I think part of the problem is that you launched the FT system with a professional camera and so the perception was initially that this was a system aimed at professionals. I guess the main question is whether you're working on an E-3 successor or whether you are now concentrating on cameras like this (the E-620)?
MAG: The reason we launched with the E-1 all those years ago was a decision taken in Japan. There are many ways to enter - or re-enter - a market, as we did in 2003 after 15 years out of it, and still I believe that this was the best way for us to get back into the market. And again there will always be professionals - and not in small numbers - who apply common sense. There is a lot of common sense and rational decisions being made amongst the professional photographers and many can come up with a good reason why an Olympus professional camera is the right choice. Moreover, for the FT system, for Olympus, the E-3 as a professional camera has a lot of meaning. You're right that this camera (the E-620) is what FT is all about, but most probably without the E-3 we wouldn't have this. I think this is very important for your readers to understand.

Of course your pro system does offer some unique benefits over others that will be really important for some users, just as full frame offers other, different advantages over FT. There will always be some systems better suited to some kinds of photography and some kinds of user.
JK: Sure, and it's always been that way. When I got into photography all my peers were using medium format and I was one of the first to jump into 35mm because of the size and weight - everything that FT brings to the table in the digital era. There is no one camera that suits everybody or every need, I had medium formats when I was out in the field as a professional and I had 35mm when I was out in the field as a professional. I see no reason why, in the future, you won't see people who have multiple types of cameras out there based on the need, based on what the job/application is today.

Well Micro Four Thirds has certainly led a lot of people to consider investing in a second system. Moving on, you currently get all your SLR sensors from your partner, Panasonic. How much involvement do you have in the development of sensors and how much R&D does Olympus itself do in this area?
AW: We're doing research, though we're sticking to the Four Thirds format of course, nothing else. We're now developing a new sensor and new image processing engine, and improvements are always being done to get higher sensitivity or higher dynamic range. We’re not very keen on increasing the pixel count because if you want over a 20 million pixel sensor, there are many models on the market to choose from.

Is there an optimum pixel count for Four Thirds sensors with current technology?
AW: Theoretically there is no limit, but we have no intention to compete with other manufacturers in terms of pixel count alone. I think the current 12 megapixel point is a very good one, covering most applications, so we're not placing a priority on pixel count at the moment. We'd rather concentrate on other features.

So how do you compete at a retail level when everyone else is offering, say 15 or 20 million pixels next year? What are you going to be offering - and will it be enough - to make people choose Olympus given that most consumers don't understand that they don't actually need the extra pixels? Are features like the Art Filters and small form factor going to be the Olympus differentiators?
JK: I think not only features but the image quality is becoming more apparent. A few years ago people buying computers only looked at megahertz, or how many gigahertz, and so on. Today, even though that perception is still there to some degree, it's no longer the main selling or purchasing feature for that type of product. It’s becoming apparent at both the retail counter and for the customer, that with digital cameras, more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean better image quality.

Do do you think that consumers at this level - E-420, E-520, E-620 etc - understand that?
JK: I think they're getting to that point. At retail you're not hearing so much 'how many pixels does it have' from the people coming into stores. You're beginning to hear 'what's the picture quality like?'. And even at the dealer level the guy behind the counter is beginning to ask 'what are you using the camera for?' and 'how are you using it?' and telling people 'you really don't need more pixels than this unless you're going to print really big prints'. The purchaser understands this, today, they are most interested in products that satisfy their specific needs/ applications.

MAG: We have to understand the maturity of the DSLR market, and at Olympus we're starting to try to forecast who the consumer of 2010, 2011 will be; trying to figure out what those new people will be getting into - I don't even want to call it an SLR, really, or getting into the SLR world. I mean MFT won't be an SLR, but in terms of quality and features it is going to be an SLR, exactly the same, so how is the consumer changing? What are they going to be looking for? Maybe we're fooling ourselves, but we ask ourselves are people coming to high quality cameras in 2,3,5 years time, are they really going to be talking about reflex cameras? I don't know. Anyway for buyers interested in that level of high quality camera with high picture quality and high performance - not only in the still images but also video more and more, are they really going to be megapixel orientated? We really don't believe they will. We started with Art Filters and in the beginning it looked like a compact camera feature, but we are witnessing internally, the potential of this functionality from the positive reaction of the people using them.

I think they're (Art Filters) a great idea, but I was concerned as to whether they would be enough to swing anybody to buying one camera over another, whether they would be given any value.
MAG It's a nightmare for marketing when you really believe in something and you wonder how long will it take you to get people to really understand the pleasure of this different kind of photography. But things are easier when it's something that your consumers are, in some way, looking for. I don't mean they're looking specifically for Art Filters in an SLR camera, they're looking for something that consumers in the past were not requesting in an SLR, something different. So are we visionaries? I don't know. But we're working on the principle that in 2010, 2011, the game is going to be different and if you look at Micro Four Thirds or you look at FT we are changing, we are moving. I don't think that in the future the consumer for an SLR or interchangeable lens-type camera - a high image quality camera - is going to be looking for the same things they were at the start of the market a few years ago.

Of course the problem is that it's quite easy for any other manufacturer to watch what you're doing and just say 'oh right, that works, I'll put that on my camera', so your window of opportunity may not be that big.
MAG Of course; art filters, multi aspect, multi exposure, wireless flash; there are many things that you can do with our cameras and they could be copied by other manufacturers. As in the past, features like built-in dust reduction, digital specific lenses and full live view have been copied by other manufacturers after first being introduced by Olympus, What is important is that a manufacturer leads as opposed to follows.

HH: The FT system is the only system that allows for a MFT system . There is no other system that does it, and I think the combination of an SLR with the technology and features possible with MFT - which they may want later; to combine these two things will make a unique proposal to users; for FT as well as MFT.

How has the E System market share fared in the last year or so?
JK: In the United States last year up until October we were doing very well; when the economy tanked things changed, but we're still getting a lot of encouragement from our dealers on the new products such as the E-30 and the E-620.

The E-30 is a great camera, it's just too expensive.
MAG: We absolutely feel that it is important for us to be aligned with the market. That's a good point you bring up regarding the E-30, and I thought you were going to ask me. We have received some similar feedback from other sources, and we're seriously looking at ways to address this response. I'm sure your readers will be pleased with the outcome.

PMA 2009 Interview: Samsung Camera

2009-03-28T10:04:00.001+07:00

PMA 2009 Interview: Samsung Camera

Soon after the announcement of Samsung's 'NX' hybrid interchangeable lens system at PMA 2009 we met up with Mr Seung Soo Park, Vice President of the Strategic Marketing Team and Mr Choong-Hyun Hwang, Vice President of the Strategic Marketing Team's Product Planning Group from Samsung Digital Imaging Company to see if we could find out any more about their plans for the system.

Mr. Seung Soo Park Vice President Strategic Marketing Team	Mr. Choong-Hyun Hwang Vice President Product Planning Group	The Samsung NX system camera - announced at PMA 2009.

Although they remained tight-lipped about the fine details of the system - which is slated for full launch some time in the second half of 2009 - they were able to give us a little more insight than was contained in the the rather vague press statement (click here for our report on the initial announcement).

The NX system was hardly a surprise (Samsung had hinted at its development over a year ago, and we spoke to Mr Hwang about it during our Photokina 2008 interview), but the unveiling of a relatively finished camera at PMA was unexpected. We were certainly led to understand that the camera shown behind glass was more than a mere 'concept' mockup, and that the shipping product would be substantially similar to what we saw, even if the fine details are still being ironed out.

What is certain is that the basic idea is very similar to Panasonic's Micro-G system: an interchangeable lens camera with a large (APS-C in this case) sensor in a smaller form factor enabled by replacing the mirror and prism (the 'reflex' bit of a Single Lens Reflex' camera) with an electronic viewfinder and full-time live view system.

We couldn't get any concrete information on the sensor, the electronic viewfinder or the lens roadmap (and inevitably much of our conversation has to remain 'off the record' for the time being), but we did end up with a clearer view of where their ambitious plans for the NX system are headed. Mr Park supplied most of these answers.

First question is about the lens mount. Is it a new lens mount? Is it the Pentax K mount?
It's our own mount.

So it's a new mount, smaller. Will it be compatible with the K mount used on your current DLSRs?
As far as I understand it will be, using an adaptor. That's part of the plan.

We couldn't get a clear answer on whether such an adaptor ever allow autofocus - or even aperture control - with K mount lenses, though it would seem that AF with any lens without a built in motor would be nigh-on impossible.

So when are we likely to see the first 'real' NX cameras?
Second half of 2009 - that's all I can say at the moment. It will be decided based on the market situation. In terms of the technology we don't have any problems, but we're measuring the timing based upon market conditions.

So the specifications have been more or less decided?
Yes

That's interesting, because one of the questions we had prepared was about how the current economic situation affected your product development schedule. But you're saying this is simply about the timing of the release, that's all?
Actually the economic situation doesn't impact on the product development at all. It only influences the timing of the launch.

At the time of launch how many lenses do you expect to make available?
We won't be revealing those details until we launch, but I can assure you that we are preparing a series of lenses for this product. So I can't say the exact number today, but we will bring the full system to the market.

The announcement of the NX system throws some uncertainty on how far the Samsung / Pentax collaboration actually goes. Samsung has struggled to make much of a mark on the DLSR market with its re-badged versions of Pentax DLSRs (though it does supply the sensors for Pentax), and we wondered if this new system represented a break in the partnership - something Samsung wasn't keen to comment on. What did become clear is that the new system is 100% Samsung.

I'm sure you won't want to answer this question, but does this mean that you're abandoning the 'full size' reflex camera system?
The market exists in three different form factors at the moment. One is the existing DLSR, second is compact, and hybrid is emerging. We will not abandon the DSLR market, we will just focus more on the hybrid form factor.

We ask because there's not been a Samsung equivalent of several recent Pentax DSLRs.
We simply want to focus our energies on our own hybrid first.

So is this something that you're developing completely independently of Pentax?
Yes. The lenses, sensor, processor, display - everything comes from Samsung.

So there won't be a Pentax version?
At some point maybe we'll collaborate - but not only with Pentax. To fully develop this kind of product we'll need a lot of collaboration with other industries in general terms, so there are lots of partners we have, but the majority comes from Samsung, all coordinated by Samsung, all done by Samsung.

I presume you intend to open the system to third party lens manufacturers?
Certainly. Once we've succeeded with this format that is our intention. We will open our system and license it to others.

To body manufacturers as well?
Yes, sure.

Since the announcement we've seen quite a lot of feedback on our forums, with many questions not covered by the initial announcement. People are quite cynical about this announcement - it's easy to say 'we intend to do this', they're waiting to see when - and if - you actually ship anything.
(laughs) We will announce the first products in the system in the second half of 2009.

What was the thinking behind designing a camera that looks like a mini SLR rather than, say, a digital version of a rangefinder camera?
It was all decided by market research. We always implement very pervasive market research, so when we first brought this idea to verify the concept, we did lots of research first.

So you tested different form factors / shapes?
Yes, always.

And is that research done internationally?
Yes, we always do global research, and even though it's small and light and designed for portability, what they want is a 'professional' feel.

Interestingly Panasonic said exactly the same thing about the G1.
Although ours looks a little like an SLR the design is quite sophisticated; all the lines are more 'aerodynamic'.

With your sensor size being a little larger I presume that means that the lenses - and indeed the cameras - have to be bigger too?
Yes, the sensor size is larger than Micro Four Thirds, but the lens size will be almost exactly the same. The thickness of the body is almost the same too.

So does the reduced flange-back distance give you problems with wide lenses? - you've got quite a big sensor and the lens is pretty close. This is one area where Four Thirds would seem to have an advantage in this kind of camera.
That was one of the challenges when designing the system - working with wide angle lenses. We solved those issues. For one thing our flange-back distance is slightly longer than Micro Four Thirds.

I presume there will be an element of in-camera correction (such as for corner shading)?
That is correct.

Can you tell us anything about the sensor specification - such as the pixel count, for example?
All I can say at the moment is that it is APS-C. Of course we already have the specification but we're not revealing it now.

Image quality is going to be the making or breaking of this new system. Will the NX be based on your existing image processing?
For the hybrid we are opening a completely new horizon.

So it's a completely different team developing it? Will developments make their way into all your cameras?
Sure, It's a completely different team, different sensor, different processor, etc etc. We're constantly working on improving image quality and we're structured with an advanced development group working on the hybrid camera that will have a benefit on the development of compact cameras down the line.

Finally, one quick question going back to compacts, is there any reason why a camera like the TL320 (WB100) doesn't have a raw mode ?
I recently asked exactly the same question. There was a discussion about including raw mode, and later - after we launched - we realised that raw mode is essential if we're going to claim this is a serious users model, and we're working very hard to ensure that we have raw mode in our compact premium models in the second half of 2009.

Nikon announces new Coolpix cameras

2009-03-27T09:31:00.000+07:00

Nikon announces new Coolpix cameras

Nikon UK announces three new affordable, exciting COOLPIX cameras: the L100, L20 and the L19. All three are packed with high-quality features that make taking photographs a joy, without stretching the budget.

With superb quality NIKKOR lenses, these cameras are both easy to carry and easy to use and include features such as Scene Auto selector, Smile Mode and Blink Warning - making great images possible for everyone.

Mark Pekelharing, Product Manager Consumer Products at Nikon Europe B.V: “Not everyone wants to spend a lot of money on a camera. With these three new cameras, you get the best of both worlds: quality imaging with many exciting features, and all at an affordable price.”

Enjoy your photography
The L100 boasts 10 effective megapixels, Nikon’s EXPEED digital image processing system for high performance and a 15x zoom NIKKOR lens covering a wide-angle 28mm to super-telephoto 420mm (35mm-format equivalent) - you know you’re going to capture almost any scene in detail. Put it in macro mode, and you can even capture objects from as close up as 1 cm. With four anti-blur features, including Image Sensor Shift VR image stabilisation, you can rest assured that it’s also going to be in focus.

You will also appreciate the L100 if you enjoy sports photography, as the L100’s Sports Continuous Mode allows up to 13 fps. Scene Auto Selector automatically adjusts the settings to suit the scene. Smile Mode takes the picture when your subject looks his or her best whilst Blink Warning warns you when your subjects have their eyes closed. Other features include In-Camera Red-Eye Fix for beautiful portraits, D-Lighting for in-camera image enhancement, 15 Scene Modes, movies with sound, and Active Zoom, amongst others.

With a sensitivity range up to ISO 3200, problems images in poor lighting are a thing of the past. This is further enhanced by the camera’s Motion Detection system, which detects camera shake or subject movement during shooting, automatically selecting a faster shutter speed and higher ISO sensitivity.

Easy does it
The L20 and L19 (10 and 8 effective MP respectively) have several features that ensure smooth and comfortable shooting, such as Full-Auto Mode, Scene Auto Selector, Smile Mode and Blink Warning. Power them with two AA-size batteries that are available anywhere, and you’ll never miss a shot. Large buttons and controls, and a 3-inch and 2.7-inch LCD monitor on the L20 and L19 respectively, improve operational ease.

Both cameras record movies and a special new feature for both is the Scene Auto Selector. This automatically judges a scene by its subject and surrounding conditions and chooses the best setting. Now you won’t have to worry about the mode-setting procedure and you will always be ready for speedy, smooth shooting. The L20 is available in black metallic and deep red, the L19 in bright silver or shiny pink.

Taking great pictures with a great looking camera is easy, and very affordable.

The L100, L20 and L19 come with a strap, AA-batteries, USB and audio/video cables, and the COOLPIX software suite. All cameras come with 2GB free online image storage at Nikon’s my Picturetown service on mypicturetown.

Nikon Coolpix L100 images

Nikon Coolpix L20 images

Nikon Coolpix L19 images

Samsung LCD SyncMaster 43

2009-03-26T09:26:00.001+07:00

Samsung LCD SyncMaster 43 Series Sales Reach the 10 Million Mark!

Today Samsung proudly announced their SyncMaster 43 Series LCD for PC, available in various sizes, has exceeded the mark 10,000,000 million in worldwide sales...

Quite an achievement!

Source
Samsung

O.T Stealth.Com Releases a Powerful Rugged Fanless Mini PC

2009-03-25T09:23:00.001+07:00

O.T Stealth.Com Releases a Powerful Rugged Fanless Mini PC

Early January Stealth.com (Toronto) introduced the LPC-650, an Ultra Compact desktop PC powered by a Core 2 Dou… And yesterday for us in Japan or Friday in North America, Stealth.com announced the LPC-625F a fanless mini Core2Duo
In Just 200 x 200 x 60mm Stealth.com succeed to fit a Penryn Dual Core P8400 CPU (optional P9500), from 1 to 4GB of RAM, 120 to 500GB of HDD Sata with optional SSD, Intel GMA X4500, HDMI & DVI Out, WiFi… For $1,595… Way more expensive than a Mini but also way more powerful too.

Source
Akihabaranews

Fujitsu FLEPia

2009-03-24T09:08:00.000+07:00

Fujitsu FLEPia, an Outrageously Expensive Color e-Book Reader

Fujitsu Begins On-Line Consumer Sales of World’s First Color E-Paper Mobile Terminal FLEPia
- Displays up to 260,000 colors; features Bluetooth and high-speed wireless LAN; thin and lightweight -
Tokyo and Kawasaki, Japan, March 18, 2009 – Fujitsu Frontech Limited and Fujitsu Laboratories Limited today announced the start of consumer sales in Japan of the world’s first color e-paper mobile terminal, FLEPia, available for purchase from today through Fujitsu Frontech’s online store “FrontechDirect”. Developed by Fujitsu Frontech and Fujitsu Laboratories, FLEPia is the first ever mobile information terminal to feature color electronic paper (color e-paper). In addition to being lightweight and thin, the color e-paper mobile terminal features an easy-to-view 8-inch display screen capable of showing up to 260,000 colors in high-definition, in addition to being equipped with Bluetooth and high-speed wireless LAN. FLEPia is also power-efficient, enabling up to 40 hours of continuous battery operation when fully charged, and does not require power for continuous display of a screen image, consuming power only during re-draw. Featuring significant storage capabilities, when used with a 4GB SD card, the color e-paper terminal can store the equivalent of 5,000 conventional paper-based books when each book is 300 pages long at 600KB per book, thus being environmentally friendly.　In Japan, FLEPia can now be easily ordered from Fujitsu Frontech’s online store. As an additional option, through Fujitsu Frontech’s dedicated website, FLEPia users can purchase e-books from the largest e-book online retailer in Japan and download the e-books directly into FLEPia. As the only color e-paper mobile terminal commercially available, FLEPia offers a convenient, paper-free and eco-conscious enriched innovative mobile reading experience to users.

Background
Fujitsu Frontech and Fujitsu Laboratories co-developed proprietary color e-paper, and announced the launch of FLEPia in April 2007 as the world’s first color e-paper mobile terminal. Previously, commercial samples of FLEPia were available for purchase on a limited basis for corporate use only, as part of field trials of the first ever color e-paper mobile terminal. Compared to the FLEPia commercial samples which were used in field marketing, the latest FLEPia offers 1.5 times higher brightness and greater contrast, enabled through optimization of the color e-paper’s optical properties. Re-draw speed was also enhanced by 1.7 times. In addition to previously available high-speed wireless LAN, FLEPia is equipped with Bluetooth, enabling users to easily download and access various content from nearly any desired location.

Key Features

1. Lightweight, thin and high-performance: 8-inch screen displays up to 260,000 colors in high-definition
Weighing just 385 grams (385g) and only 12.5mm thick, FLEPia is lightweight and easily portable, while offering an easy-to-view 8-inch screen. Featuring world-leading color e-paper technologies, the mobile display terminal enables users to view a multitude of documents and images in high-definition at 768 dots x 1,014 dots (XGA), with up to 260,000 displayable colors (4,096-color and 64-color display is also possible, if desired).

2. Power-efficient color e-paper; enables up to 40-hour continuous battery operation
As the color e-paper employed displays text or images by reflecting external light, FLEPia does not require power to maintain screen display, consuming power only during re-draw (power consumption is approximately just 1/50 that of standard notebook PCs under similar usage conditions). When fully-charged, FLEPia offers up to 40 hours of continuous battery operation (conditions: display of 2,400 pages at 1 page per minute with 64 colors).

3. Feature-rich external interface (Japan: Bluetooth, high-speed wireless LAN)
Equipped with Bluetooth in addition to high-speed wireless LAN, FLEPia offers dial-up connection via various Japanese mobile carriers, thus enabling easy download of content featuring images and text (excluding audio and video content) from nearly any desired location. Also included as standard features are a USB mini-B connector supporting USB2.0 (480Mbps) and a SD memory card slot. Stereo speakers (embedded) offer audio playback of e-books, including picture books.

4. User-friendly operation: touch screen, digital stylus, scroll key, function buttons
A touch screen featured on the 8-inch display screen, along with a digital pen, enables easy operation of FLEPia. Also included are a scroll key and 6 function buttons, enabling users to freely and quickly implement commands on the screen in all 4 directions (up, down, left, right), as desired.

5. Two e-book viewers included as standard features (XMDF and .book formats)
Two popular e-book viewers widely used on PCs or mobile phones in Japan - “BunkoViewer” (XMDF format; “bunko” refers to “library” in Japanese) and “T-Time” (.book format) are included as standard features. These e-book viewers enable downloaded e-books to be easily read with FLEPia. The e-book viewers offer an enriched reading experience compared to conventional paper-based reading, enabling readers to jump from the table of contents to desired sections and freely enlarge or shrink text or images. A vast number of e-book sites are currently available on the Internet, and a wide range of approximately 20,000 Japanese e-books in either XMDF or .book format can be downloaded with FLEPia (see “Content Storage Capacity” under Specifications).

6. Equipped with Windows CE5.0 (Japanese version)
In addition to the content browser, Microsoft’s Windows CE5.0 (Japanese version) enables use of an internet browser, e-mail, and various software on FLEPia. Microsoft’s Office can also be used to generate text documents, spreadsheets, or presentations, making it possible to view a variety of documents - including e-mail file attachments - while in transit or in the field and away from an office environment, thus fully maximizing FLEPia’s multiple functions as a mobile information terminal. In terms of text input, a software keyboard and digital stylus make it possible to send e-mails and other text

Dedicated customer-support website offers technical support, maintenance, software upgrades (Japan)
Fujitsu Frontech will offer a dedicated customer-support site, FLEPia World, on its Japanese website. FLEPia World will offer product information to potential customers considering purchase of FLEPia, in addition to technical and maintenance support to FLEPia users. Software upgrades will be offered free-of-charge.
Furthermore, customers will have the option of purchasing e-books through the FLEPia World website via Japan’s largest e-book online retailer - offered through a collaboration between the retailer PAPYLESS CO.,Ltd. and Fujitsu Frontech - and downloading the e-books directly onto FLEPia.

Source
Akihabaranews

PMA 2009 Interview: Panasonic We caught up with a team of executives from Panasonic Japan at PMA for a chat about the new GH1 and their plans for the

2009-03-23T10:01:00.002+07:00

PMA 2009 Interview: Panasonic

We caught up with a team of executives from Panasonic Japan at PMA for a chat about the new GH1 and their plans for the DSC market. As part of our meeting Mr Ichiro Kitao, General Manager of the DSC Product Planning Group agreed to answer some of our questions - and some of those posed by our forum members - in an 'on the record' interview.

Obviously the big story for Panasonic at this year's PMA was the announcement of the GH1, so naturally the conversation started there. Panasonic wouldn't comment on what's next on the Micro G lens roadmap, and could only tell us that the GH1's price should be announced within the next few weeks.

There's been some suggestion that the GH1's sensor will offer slightly better high ISO performance than the G1, can you confirm this?
It's too early to know for sure, but it's a newer sensor, so yes it should be slightly better, but it's difficult to say at this moment.

How does the pixel density of the GH1 sensor compare to the G1?
The size of each pixel is same as G1. The total pixel number is different because the GH1 offers multi aspect.

We spoke at length about the physical size of the GH1's sensor without getting a definitive answer, though Panasonic was later to confirm that the GH1's sensor is indeed larger than the standard Four Thirds sensor. This is in order for it to allow the use of three different aspect ratios yet retain the same diagonal (and therefore the same angle of view).

Of course the GH1 is only half the story with this announcement; the new 14-140mm 'HD' lens being the other half.

From what we understand this lens has taken a lot of work to develop...
We're still working! Yes, it's been a challenge.

When you design a lens this ambitious do you still stick to the same strict optical standards as with your other shorter zoom range lenses?
Of course. We make no compromises.

What's the reception been in the camcorder division been to the GH1?
(laughs) 'Stop now!'. No seriously, that's quite a tough question. We can approach a different world from camcorders; the depth of field, interchangeable lenses, things like that. But for ease of use a camcorder is much simpler. This kind of zooming (manual, mechanical) would be quiet challenging for normal consumers.

So did you ever consider using a powered zoom for this lens?
We have an idea but it's quite difficult to realize because it would result in a lens that was quite big. The optical components of the lens are small, but we'd have to include a big motor, so it would end up much fatter - bigger than the camera.

Presumably you're using different compression, codecs and so on, so is there a difference in the video quality between the GH1 and your best camcorders?
In terms of resolution the camcorder is still better because they offer full 1080P (50i / 60i) codecs, and also the compression is a little bit different; a camcorder can manage compression wisely, with B pictures, which this one doesn't have. Of course in the future it will get better.

So who is the target user for this camera, as distinct from high end camcorders - and also as distinct from the target market for the G1?
High end camcorder users are one of the big targets. Also video journalists and maybe broadcasting companies.

In other words it's very different to the target market for the G1?
Yes. Of course the normal consumer wanting to shoot their children or whatever is one of our target customers, but as I said, operating the GH1 is a little more difficult than a camcorder.

We saw a lot of feedback - before and after our review - about the lack of even a basic video capture mode on the G1. I think most people would have been happy even with a simple VGA movie mode, and don't understand its omission given the 'full time live view' operation. Was that technically impossible or was it a marketing decision?
The output from the sensor is different to the GH1, the GH1 is a new high speed live view sensor. Of course we can realise full time live view on the G1, which means that obviously we can get some video off the sensor. But for the first product with this capability we wanted to target the absolute highest possible quality of video, and that's why we developed the GH1. Maybe next time the G1 type of product will have some kind of, say VGA movie mode; we'll look into this.

Of course even if you only go to VGA, you still have all the advantages of the bigger sensor.
Exactly, and the benefits of being able to change the lens. Wideangle video, for example, is quite interesting.

The new 7-14mm lens isn't an 'HD' lens - how well does it work for movies on the GH1?
It's not as fast as the 14-140mm, but it's certainly usable.

And I guess with a wide lens that's almost always focused on infinity it's not going to be so much of an issue anyway.
No exactly.

We're not big fans of the dedicated movie button. Would it be possible to allow the main shutter release to optionally be used to stop and start movies?
No, but we will consider this option for the future.

What happens if you press the shutter button when recording a movie?
It activates a one shot AF operation.

All of the technology that you developed for stills; CA correction, distortion correction and so on; is that also being applied on the fly when shooting video?
Basically, yes.

There's been some controversy on the whole subject of in-camera lens correction and the fact that Panasonic makes it very difficult to override, even in raw mode, even when using third-party converters such as Adobe Camera Raw. We wanted to know if there had been a fundamental shift in lens design, away from purely optical correction of aberrations.

Your approach to lens design appears to have changed; there's now an element of digital correction built into the design. Do you consider the future of lens design to be partly optical and partly digital (using in-camera corrections)? And are there any compromises involved in digital aberration correction?
Without the technology we've developed to allow digital lens corrections we simply couldn't make such lenses. In order to minimize the size and in order to maximize the performance of the lens we choose to use this technology. It's a digital camera, so it makes sense.

We agree completely, we don't think it's an issue at all how you get the performance you want as long as the results are good, but to many purists this is hard to swallow. So when you're designing a lens now you're designing it partly optically and partly digitally?
Yes. Of course we work closely with the lens engineers. But Leica doesn't allow us to use digital corrections, so that's why there are no Leica lenses for the Micro G system. But of course, we have a plan with Leica as part of the roadmap.

So does the camera need a database of lens corrections? Does it need a firmware update every time a new lens is released?
No, the lens has some information which it sends to the camera.

What about third-party lens manufacturers? Will they be able to use the same mechanism to tell the camera to apply corrections to their lenses?
Yes, members of the Four Thirds consortium can.

So do you know if there will actually be any third-party lenses for Micro Four Thirds system?
I think not in the near future. First will be Olympus and Panasonic.

I guess they're going to wait and see how well the system does; this isn't just a new lens mount for them; they have to design a completely new lens.
Indeed.

Does it offer any benefits for stills? Can the camera change the aperture in smaller steps when, for example, shooting in shutter priority mode?
With the G1 you get exactly the same 1/3 steps. With the GH1 you get almost continuous control from F4.0 to F8.0 - 1/6 step. Over F8 it's 1/3 steps.

One of the most important things about the new 14-140mm lens is the continuously variable aperture. Is this something that we'll see in all future MFT lenses?
No, it's an expensive and difficult to produce component.

Moving on, we've been looking at the feedback since the G1 was announced, and we've got a lot of questions from our community, some of which we'd like to cover here.
First up; there's a lot of demand for a smaller Micro Four Thirds body - more 'rangefinder' style than faux DSLR. It's not really a question, it's more just telling you what they want. But do you have any comment?
(mock surprise) I didn't hear anything about such a request? This is news to me!

OK, we're obviously not going to get anywhere with that line of questioning. Another question which we suspect you're not going to want to answer concerns your plans for your 'non Micro' Four Thirds cameras such as the L10. Are we likely to see a statement about whether there are any plans for further models or lenses?
We've just started with Micro Four Thirds with the G1 and at this PMA have introduced the GH1, and our first priority is to survive these severe market conditions with Micro Four Thirds. So, we'd like to strengthen the Micro Four Thirds lineup first. After that - if the market requires it - our Four Thirds models, such as the successor to the L10, will be considered.

At the moment you're targeting the high end amateur. Is that as far as you'll go or would you ever consider going to the really high end - the professional end - of the market, with Micro Four Thirds?
We don't want to go to the real 'professional' area. We would, however, like to expand our lineup with more consumer-type products, but we've really just started, and are still in the initial phase of introducing Micro Four Thirds. So maybe in the future? I don't know when, but there is certainly potential. Micro Four Thirds has the potential for entry level models and step-up models.

How has the G1 done for you? has it met expectations?
In some countries yes, some countries no. Of course just after the G1 introduction the economy started to fall.

So how does the state of the global economy affect your research and development projects and launch timings?
We carry on. We're still the number five camera brand globally and we're not going to give up anything.

One of the big questions we've had from our community concerns the FZ50 replacement. A lot of people are saying 'if I wanted a G1 I would've bought an SLR'. Is this now a discontinued line?
The problem is price. Now that entry-level digital SLRs are so cheap it's incredibly difficult to sell a bridge type camera at the high end. When we introduced the FZ50 the price was something like $599 but now I don't think we could sell it for that much. Of course we're not going to give up on such kind of products but in the next year or two we currently have no plan introduce another model.

So the FZ50 is now discontinued?
Yes, it will be shortly. But sometime we'd like to come back to this area.

Moving on to the LX3, have you been surprised by how popular that camera has been? We understand that there are availability problems.
(laughs) Yes, on eBay an LX3 is being sold for $799! We will solve the availability problems.

The problem with cameras like the LX3 is that no matter how hard you try the image quality hits a wall due to the limitations of current technology in such small sensors. Are you actively researching next generation sensor technology that will allow you to break through this wall, or is there any chance of larger sensor compacts appearing.?
Yes, we have several ideas, but there's still nothing concrete. We have several choices when it comes to sensors, including CMOS, and we have to study the options carefully, and are going to be proposing some completely new ideas. However this year it's going to be quite tough - especially in the US market - because of the number of megapixels demanded even on entry-level models. We'll maintain our approach of slightly lower pixels counts compared to our competitors, who are pushing 10 and 12 megapixels in their mass market models, where we'll only have 8 megapixels and concentrate on more important things. Unfortunately the consumers' biggest measure of a digital camera's 'image quality' is still megapixels.

We were talking earlier about how to make Panasonic's offerings stand out now that you have a lot of competition in the compact super zoom market, is there any reason why you don't include manual controls - such as aperture priority - on these models?
Actually the new lens on these models (the TZ6 / TZ7) has a 'real' bladed aperture so we could now incorporate manual exposure functions into TZ cameras, but there were some hurdles to including full manual functions, so this time we didn't include them. But in the future - next time - we'll look at it again.

What's the thinking behind using AVCHD on a consumer compact like the TZ7 and not a simpler MPEG file format?
AVCHD is a very convenient format for use with televisions and blu-ray recorders. Our Viera models have the capability to play AVCHD directly, and we will expand those lines. We believe videos should be played back on a TV; it's much nicer than looking at it on a PC screen. With the software we've developed it's easy to share AVCHD videos by burning them to a DVD - and everyone has a DVD player. And of course you can convert to an MPEG file for sharing via PC. The cameras have a Motion JPEG option for customers who only want to use their movies on a PC. Windows 7 will be fully compatible with our AVCHD files, allowing them to be played without converting them first.

At this point we ran out of time. Obviously there was a lot that we discussed that we can't currently talk about, but we'll be meeting with Panasonic's Japanese executives again in the Summer so will continue this interview - and pass on more of the questions raised in the forum - then.

USB To HDMI Dongle from Lancerlink

2009-03-22T09:20:00.002+07:00

USB To HDMI Dongle from Lancerlink

Lancerlink released in Japan their latest USB to HDMI dongle, the GHC-U2H. Compatible PC or Mac, it displays 720p video (max 1280x720).

Rest assured it's HDCP and will let you use any HDCP compatible display or TV. The only drawback is the price, 19,800 Yen (€155)… Luckly it looks like Lancerlink will offer a nice discount for the launch, 12,800 Yen (€100) for a limited time.

Source
Akihabara

Sunday Stories: 2009 Nissan Cube: Big Bang For Small Bucks

2009-03-22T00:55:00.001+07:00

2009 Nissan Cube: Big Bang For Small Bucks

Recently it seems every time we turn around there’s another addition to the ever-swelling B car segment. The surging demand for small and economical from the American car-buying public means the manufacturers need to expand their small car offerings. Nissan is now widening that end of their model line up beyond the Versa and Sentra and finally shipping the Cube to America. JDM versions of the Cube have been rocking the home market since 1998, with an arsenal of features, big space in a small package and iconic styling. Now, much to delight of American JDM B car fans, the Cube’s latest iteration is headed Stateside with Nissan promising all the features American buyers need in a small car plus a few extras they’ll definitely love.

The Nissan Cube comes packed with more safety features than your sweet mother’s arms. An advanced air-bag system, vehicle dynamic control with traction control system (TCS), ABS with electronic brake distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA), a tire-pressure monitor (TPMS), adjustable seat-belt shoulder harness height and a dizzying slew of other safety-related acronyms all come standard. That’s a lot of safety gear.

Safety isn’t the Cube’s only strong point. There’s also an impressive list of standard features like air conditioning, power windows and locks, keyless entry, 12-volt outlet, a cargo light out back and intermittent wipers front and rear. And f you’re willing to spend a little more money, Nissan is also offering up its Nissan Intelligent Key™ with Push Button Ignition, a Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System and a kickin’ Rockford Fosgate subwoofer with six upgraded speakers.

That’s all the stuff we’re used to seeing from a well-priced B Car, but Nissan’s taken a different tack on the functionality front. Aside from the unique rounded edge-square styling, the biggest variation comes at the rear door. We say door because unlike other hatches, the back of the Cube doesn’t open with a tail-gate or clam shell. Instead, the door opens just like a refrigerator. The move maximizes space inside and keeps you aware of the end of the door – saving the Cube from embarrassing parking lot dings. Plus with its asymmetrical rear window, it looks darn cool too!

With all the goods crammed inside the Cube, Nissan has armed its new-for America B car with the style and features it needs to take on the competition and win. And with the recently announced base price of $13,990 we have a feeling you’ll be seeing quite a few of them on the road very quickly.

Source
Nihoncar

Sunday Stories: Nissan Announces USA Pricing for the 2010 GT-R

2009-03-22T00:53:00.003+07:00

Nissan Announces USA Pricing for the 2010 GT-R

By far the most exciting and exceptional JDM car produced this decade, the GT-R 2010 will be even better worldwide including the USA. If the 2010 GT-R is even better than its predecessor don't expect to get a Spec-V in disguise, but some nice little improvements. Beside the 5hp boost, Nissan gave the GT-R a redesigned re tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, upgraded braking system, standard front seat- and roof-mounted side curtain airbags, a darker set of wheels, and a new Pearl White color…

Not sure about Pearl White, if I had a GT-R it would either be Sliver or Orange like the Zele Show-Car.

March may be the month known for madness, lions and lambs, but at Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA), the biggest roar is coming from the early introduction of the new 2010 Nissan GT-R supercar, including a number of important enhancements. Specifically, five additional horsepower, a revised suspension, updated wheel finishes and standard front seat- and roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags.

First introduced in the United States in July 2008, the Nissan GT-R earned near universal acclaim, including being named Motor Trend "2009 Car of the Year," Automobile magazine's 2009 "Automobile of the Year", and winning Kelly Blue Book's "2009 Best Resale Value Award."

For 2010, the horsepower rating of the GT-R's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine has increased to 485 hp (from 480 hp) and the car's high-performance, 6-speed, dual-clutch transmission receives new Transmission Control Module (TCM) programming designed to optimize clutch engagement for improved drivability, and improve vehicle acceleration with the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) on (activated). In addition, the braking system has been updated with more rigid brake lines for improved durability, and the brake calipers now carry both the Brembo and Nissan logos. Finally, the GT-R's state-of-the-art suspension has been retuned with redesigned Bilsteinâ shocks with a new valve body design and revised spring and damper rates.

The base GT-R model is now equipped with slightly darker, high-luster, smoke finish for the 20-inch RAYS forged aluminum-alloy wheels, while a new "near-black" metallic wheel finish is standard on the Premium model. For 2010, one new color – Pearl White – is offered, while the Super Silver exterior color has been enhanced to include a polished front bumper.

For 2010, the Nissan GT-R will again be offered in two models – GT-R and GT-R Premium. All 2010 Nissan GT-Rs are equipped with a standard 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 backed by an advanced paddle-shifted, dual clutch rear transmission and a world's first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* is $80,790 for the GT-R, and $83,040 for the GT-R Premium model. Destination & Handling (D&H) is $1,000.

Two options and two accessories are available for the 2010 GT-R: The Cold Weather Package (no charge); Special Super Silver Paint ($3,000); iPodâ Converter ($400); and carpeted GT-R floor mats ($280). Complete pricing information is available on the attached sheet.

The 2010 GT-R will be available only through officially certified Nissan retailers that have met a number of strict sales, service and facility commitments, including dedicating a master technician to GT-R service, on March 21, 2009. A complete listing of the nearly 700 GT-R Certified Nissan dealers is available to consumers on NissanUSA.com.

Source
Nihoncar

ASUS's Bamboo Covered U6V Notebook

2009-03-21T07:21:00.003+07:00

ASUS's Bamboo Covered U6V Notebook for Korean Geeks

Back in 2007 and 2008, Asus announced their intention to release a bamboo covered notebook, so far it's only available in a few countries including Taiwan. Finally Asus Korea launched their very own bamboo notebook in a high-end device, the U6V… Besides the obvious bamboo thingy, the U6V is powered by a Core 2 Duo T9400, has 4GB of RAM, a GeForce 9300M GS with 256MB of DDR2 VRAM, 320GB of HDD, a DVD Super Multi or Blu-ray drive, a 12.1” WXGA LED Backlight LCD, Wifi ABGN, and HDMI Out.

If only it were available in Japan too, I'd seriously consider buying it.

Source
Akihabaranews

LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH

2009-03-16T00:54:00.000+07:00

A New Micro Four Thirds Digital Interchangeable Lens
LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH.
Featuring Ultra Wide Angle in Compact Size

March 3, 2009: Panasonic today unveiled a new interchangeable ultra wide-angle zoom lens called the LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. In spite of its impressive wide-angle zoom range of 7-14mm (35mm camera equivalent; 14-28mm), the new lens is surprisingly compact and lightweight for casual on-the-go use.

Taking advantage of its wide, 114-degree angle of view, users can easily fit subjects into the frame even when shooting indoors where the distance is limited. The world looks extraordinary when viewed through the new lens, allowing photos and movies to be recorded with a uniquely rich perspective.

This high-performance lens system achieves outstanding compactness by combining 16 lens elements in 12 groups, including two aspherical lenses and four ED lenses. Image resolution is high from corner-to-corner even at the wide-angle setting. It also features F4.0 brightness over the entire zoom range thanks to its large-diameter glass moulded lens elements.

When mounted on the DMC-GH1 Lumix G Micro System Camera, the new lens allows use of the advanced contrast AF system, which includes a Face Recognition function, for more convenient, more enjoyable shooting. Seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings.

The LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH lens also features a highly reliable metal mount, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimise ghosts and flare to further enhance its optical performance. The optimally designed lens hood enables use even under strong sunlight.

LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH specifications

Focal length	7-14mm
35mm equivalent focal length	14-28mm
Diagonal Angle of view	114° (W) - 75° (T)
Maximum aperture	F4.0
Minimum aperture	F22
Lens Construction	• 16 elements/12 groups • 4 ED glass elements • 2 aspherical elements
Number of diaphragm blades	7, Circular aperture diaphragm
Minimum focus	0.25m / 0.8ft
Maximum magnification	Approx. 0.08x / 0.15x
Image stabilization	No
Supplied accessories	• Front and rear caps • Lens Hood • Lens Case
Weight	300 g (10.58 oz)
Dimensions	70mm diameter x 83mm (2.76 x 3.27 in)
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds

Geneva 2009: Nissan Qazana Crossover Concept

2009-03-15T02:20:00.000+07:00

Geneva 2009: Nissan Qazana Crossover Concept

The Qashqai was too dull for you? So what about this cute little Qazana Crossover Concept then? Nothing much we can say beside that we kind of love this cute little roundish concept, granted this is may be not the most sexiest ever made 4WD car but I don’t know this Qazana has something unique and pretty… anyway…here you are the official press release and Nissan pictures below… you will decide whether or not this new concept worth your attention.

The Nissan Qazana makes its first ever appearance at the Geneva Motor Show today. Inspired by a simple desire to have fun behind the wheel, Qazana shows that mind-numbing motoring could be a thing of the past.

Officially it's a showcar, a study into how a small car of the future could look. But with the announcement that a small crossover – a baby brother to Qashqai – will be built at the company's Sunderland factory in the UK, Qazana's significance should not be underestimated.

"The Qazana concept is an intelligent, all-wheel drive crossover which is masculine, agile, lean, and designed for the tough city streets. Our team at Nissan Design Europe in London realised this image with the motif of a modern day beach buggy and four-seat motor-bike," explains Atsushi Maeda, Studio Chief Designer, Nissan Design Europe.

According to Matt Weaver, project lead designer at NDE, Qazana was designed to be sophisticated but fun. "It's a hugely optimistic car, which is no bad thing in these difficult times. Had it been created in the 1960s, it would have counted camper vans, bikes and buggies as its rivals. Infused with that same spirit, there's nothing quite like it available today."

Challenges tradition
In the same way that Nissan re-wrote the rule-book when it introduced Qashqai two years ago, so Qazana is ready to do it again. By approaching the small car market from a totally different direction, Qazana invigorates, stimulates and rejuvenates the traditional town runabout.

Compact dimensions
Compact overall dimensions (4060mm in length, 1570mm tall, 1780 wide and a wheelbase of 2530mm) mean Qazana would be ideally suited to the urban environment. Yet its advanced specification and energetic styling suggest an ability that goes far beyond the city walls.

By mixing SUV and sports car styling cues, NDE's design team has created a highly individual Crossover quite unlike anything else on the road. The tall stance, truncated rear styling and short front and rear overhangs underscore its feeling of robustness and strength, but the low roof line, assertive side window graphic and broad shoulders hint at a sporting ability absent in traditional all-wheel drives.

At the same time, rounded elements – notably the wheel arches and bonnet – evoke a friendly ambiance and provide a link with existing Nissan Crossovers. Indeed, Qazana has the signature Crossover design detail in the rising window line at the rear, also found on Murano and Qashqai.

Says Weaver: "Qazana follows in Qashqai's wheel tracks by challenging convention. Externally Qazana adds a number of existing Nissan design cues – including a variation on the 'boomerang' rear light theme from 370Z – to a highly distinctive shape that's unlike anything else in the company's current design portfolio."

Crossover styling
The profile is dominated by the prominent wheel arches and by the body's high waistline, which combine to give an impression of strength and which contrast vividly with the slim side windows. Echoing a style first seen on Mixim, Nissan's high performance electric coupé concept shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Show, the glasshouse resembles a crash helmet visor.

Although it appears at first glance to be a two-door coupé, Qazana has a further pair of rear-hinged half doors to ease access to the rear compartment. All the doors are electrically operated and for safety reasons the rear pair can only be activated once the fronts have been opened. With no conventional B-pillar, access to the interior couldn't be easier.

One notable feature of the roof-line is the virtually straight cant rail above the doors which adds further to the strength of the profile. The roof itself has a pair of thin glass inserts running the full length of the roof which allow slithers of natural light into the cabin.

This contrast between sporty performance and all-terrain potential is underlined by the venturi-style skid plate at the rear of the vehicle, Qazana's extended ground clearance and the soft rubber spats which edge the wheel arches and help to disguise the vehicle's long suspension travel. The graphite coloured spats contrast vividly with the bold exterior colour, a unique shade called White Titanium, and the strikingly styled
20 inch black chrome alloy wheels.

Distinctive frontal aspect
The car's face is dominated by four headlamps. Two lower circular lamps set within the bumper contrast with a pair of daylight running strips mounted high on the wings on either side of the bonnet: the look is of a rally car preparing for a night stage.

While the full width grille, dominated by Nissan's centrally mounted badge, is an interpretation of current Nissan styling, its construction is not. A one-piece acrylic moulding, no cooling air can pass through the grille. Instead, the lower portion of the bumper, finished in a contrasting graphite colour, is dominated by a number of large holes for air to reach the radiator. See-through acrylic mouldings are also used for the door mirrors.

The interior has been designed as an extension of the exterior thanks to a clever interplay between hard and soft materials. Rather than being completely enveloped in leather for example, elements of the lightweight carbon fibre seat structure are on permanent view, appearing to have 'broken through' the covering. The centre portion of the backrests features a mesh material, allowing fresh air to circulate around the occupants.

Like the seats, the metal sections of the centre console seem to have forced their way through the leather covering while the internal door-frame is part exposed so that the door pull appears to be hewn from solid metal.

Motorcycle inspired interior
Adding further to the mechanical feel of the interior, the shape of the centre console and armrest has been inspired by the fuel tank and seat of a sports motocycle. Paul Ray, senior interior designer at NDE, is a keen rider. "I enjoy the sensation of being at one with my bike and wanted to capture that feeling in Qazana," he says.

"The way the structure appears through the fabric of the interior also reflects motorcycle design and construction."

Accentuating the practical side of the car, Qazana has 'floating' seats centrally mounted over a one-piece rubberised floor covering, creating an openness in the cockpit. Grooves cut in the flooring are replicated on the seats themselves.

The dashboard is dominated by a centrally mounted screen. As well as doubling as a navigation display, it will deliver vital information relating to Nissan's next generation fully electronic ALL MODE four-wheel drive with torque vectoring system and other advanced technical processes found on board, including integrated communications systems. Using an intuitive touch-screen interface, the driver will be able to adjust the air-conditioning and other key vehicle settings.

Alfonso Albaisa, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe, says: "When it comes to design, Nissan has developed a reputation for constantly delivering something different. The global success of Qashqai has proven that the car buying public is fed up with the conventional... but we are not prepared to sit on our laurels. Qazana might seem a radical solution but important elements of the concept do point to a future Nissan production vehicle.

Source
Nihoncar

Geneva 2009: Infiniti Essence, Geneva's Masterpiece!

2009-03-14T02:26:00.001+07:00

Geneva 2009: Infiniti Essence, Geneva's Masterpiece!

The essence of the Infiniti brand distilled into one car and then taken to the extremes to satisfy the world’s most demanding car enthusiasts … this is the Infiniti Essence.

Presented as a concept at the 79th International Motor Show of Geneva, Essence is a celebration of Infiniti and its 20 years history as a creator of perfomances cars. But equally it is an inspiring exploration into the brand’s future.

The dramatic design, technology and performance statement is a 600PS, petrol/electric hybrid coupe with rear-wheel drive. What Essence is not is merely an indulgent birthday present from Infiniti to itself.

This concept embodies Infiniti’s core values as an inspiration for the future as much a celebration of the past. Essence showcases many of the technologies, including hybrid, and design cues that will distinguish Infiniti production cars of the coming years. And by steering Infiniti’s guiding principle of “Inspired Performance” into the super-performance, super-luxury coupe market for the first time, it reaffirms Infiniti’s place among the world’s most exclusive and vibrant car brands.

ESSENCE: AN OVERVIEW
• A front-engined, two-seat, 600PS luxury coupe concept, 4.7m long
• First motor show preview of Infiniti’s petrol/electric hybrid drivetrain
• Capable of vast speeds where conditions allow, zero emissions where they don’t
• Rear-wheel drive for maximum driver involvement
• Fresh design language to influence future production models
• Previews new safety technology including Back-up Collision Prevention
• Minimalist and intensely driver-focused interior
• “New luxury” meets traditional Japanese craftsmanship
• Bespoke Louis Vuitton fitted luggage to maximise trans-continental capability

ESSENCE: THE CONCEPT
“An Essence owner is characterized by his or her fearless self confidence; he or she is an intellectual hero rather than just a successful money maker.”
Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning

Essence began life not in the design studio but in Infiniti’s product planning department. Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning, and his team might not, at the start of the project, have known how Essence would look, but they did know what it had to be, why it had to exist – and who it would appeal to.

“Essence is a brand icon,” Francois Bancon said. “It is driven more by a conceptual approach than by any design execution. It is not just an object. It isn’t a teaser for a new model. It is solely dedicated to Infiniti brand promotion, to demonstrate and advocate the Infiniti unique values.”

The concept called for a very clear understanding of who the super-luxury coupe’s potential customers would be. Painstakingly, Bancon and his team of advanced product planners built up a picture of a typical Essence owner. It was a profile that showed an uncompromising, risk-taking 42-year-old passionate about the best things in life, but equally passionate about not flaunting them. “These consumers don‘t need to demonstrate to others,” said Bancon. “They are already at the next step of achievement that leads to rewarding themselves first.”

Francois Bancon went on: “We wanted a new way of mixing various ingredients to get a car that was reserved but with a big presence, something trendy but also indicating the next trend. We wanted a car that aspired to become a cult. It had to be exclusive, smart and mysterious. For the driver, it had to sum up the six-word essence of Essence:

Everything I want, nothing I don’t

ESSENCE IN DETAIL

1. DESIGN: DYNAMIC ADEYAKA
“The design embeds a sense of mystery, a sense of being in the know. Essence is not about showing signs of wealth and success.”
Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President of Design

With breathtaking good looks and perfect proportions, Essence exerts a powerful pull on all those who love cars. It looks like a driver’s car, one that would be right at home spearing down the world’s grandest motoring routes.

But Essence is no aggressive sports car. Infiniti’s “Dynamic Adeyaka” attitude ensures Essence is single-minded, but also inviting, sophisticated and born of inspiration from both the human and natural worlds. To further boost its emotional appeal, it features details that bring a very modern take to some very old Japanese traditions.

The designers’ aim was to merge all existing Infiniti design cues with fresh design language in a shape that the 20-year-old marque has never before attempted. The result is highly sculptural yet also very delicate. Essence speaks of power but not intimidation.

The bonnet is, as you would expect of an Infiniti, long, and the rear deck short. Together with a flowing “wave” profile between muscular front and rear wheelarches, Essence at first appears to be in the classic sports car mould. But there is nothing retro about Essence.

The side window graphics bring a particularly innovative and distinctive edge to the styling. The window appears to be resting on a ledge, its razor sharp line in contrast to the concave sweep of the upper body just below it. Imagine juxtaposing flowing water with the stark outline of a canyon landscape.

The rear section also features complex surfacing with concave “scoops” that flow down the rear pillars from one of Essence’s most distinctive design cues: a C-shaped kink to the side windows’ trailing edge. Outlined by a wide flourish of stainless steel, it adds instant movement to the car even when it is standing still.

One of the most distinctive details is the trim around the side air vents. The simple yet delicate shape, finely finished in aluminium, is based on the “kanzashi”, a hairpin used by women when wearing the kimono. Other lines and details are inspired by the wide brush strokes of Japanese calligraphy. Essence represents a successful merging of iconic cultural cues with automotive aesthetics.

Essence’s front is characterised by Infiniti’s signature double-arch grille, set at an angle that suggests the car is about to leap forward. There is an illuminated Infiniti badge at its heart. Rounded corners effectively hide the front overhang and make this 4.7m-long car appear anything but big in the flesh.

The grille is framed by subtle strips of stainless steel but there’s little other trim and no other grilles or intakes, not even foglights. At the front as over the rest of the car, Essence eschews superfluous body embellishments that could interrupt the graceful strength of the whole. The door handles are slithers of push buttons flush with the body while even rear-view mirrors must make way for minuscule cameras teased out of the A-pillars.

More familiar Infiniti cues include the lights. At the front the signature L-shaped modules taper back on to the bulging guards, picked out at their top edge by a row of LEDs. Slender fillets of red light curve around the car at the back, overlapping with the boot opening and framing the vestigial spoiler. Edged by more stainless steel, the spoiler appears to have been pushed out from within the car.

The windscreen flows back into a full glass roof that then tapers down towards the boot opening – making just one more memorable view of a car that doesn’t have a wrong angle to it.

On design, Essence is simple and amazingly complex, classical and totally dynamic all at the same time. Most of all as the epitome of “dynamic adeyaka” it boasts massive presence. Once seen, never forgotten.

2. INTERIOR: DRIVER-FOCUSED
“Detailed artistic expression and the rich warmth of the human hand go far beyond mechanical precision.”
Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President of Design

For a driver’s car, the perfect driver’s cabin. Essence’s interior is minimalist, ergonomic and totally focused on the job in hand: to give the person behind the wheel a feeling of absolute control. And yet all this driver focus goes hand in hand with a passenger area dominated by comfort, calm and elegance to offer the kind of hospitality that is so important to the Japanese people, and also to Essence.

The asymmetrical cabin is divided into two areas separated by a large curving console between the seats that sweeps around to merge with the centre of the dashboard. The result is two very distinct cocoons. The driver’s side is themed black, the passenger’s “cocoon” an earthy red.

A flat-bottomed steering wheel and chronometer-style dials announce to the driver this is a serious performance machine. There are no gimmicks or sci-fi solutions here, just single-minded dedication to driving. Witness the technical nature of the displays, the short, alloy-topped gear selector and, just in front of it another finger-flick away, the bright red engine start button.

The car wraps itself around the driver who can quickly relax with the Infiniti trademarks of supportive seat and perfect driving position. There are more Infiniti cues such as the big gearchange paddle shifters behind the wheel and the analogue clock in the centre of the dash.

Infiniti designers believe the best functionality works behind the scenes, appearing only when needed. They call this “hidden tech”, and it’s the key to the functional minimalism that dominates the control layout. By not baffling drivers with buttons or overburdening them with information, Essence offers a sense of well-being to everyone, allowing them to focus entirely on enjoying the energizing driving experience.

With the materials used – leather, Alcantara, hand-painted wood inspired by traditional Japanese lacquerware – the cabin exudes a rich and inviting warmth. Attention to detail is such that even the leather seams on the seat backs differ from left side to right side. Why? So they can accurately reflect the way Japanese men and women tie their kimonos.

Essence’s interior promotes a sense of well-being which is key to the Infiniti driving experience.

3. DRIVETRAIN: POWER WITH RESPONSIBILITY
“Infiniti’s performance feel has been captured as natural dynamism, like energy rising from within.”
Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning

Essence’s drivetrain is designed to meet the highest expectations of owners by delivering the one thing everyone expects of an Infiniti – sheer driving pleasure. In Essence that pleasure is taken to new heights, at the same time as previewing an innovative green hybrid engine.

Essence is unusual even in the rarefied atmosphere of the world’s fastest road cars by being able to call on a mighty 600PS (592bhp). The power guarantees high performance responses on any road, in any situation. Essence is not, however, an intimidating sports racer. Like the design, the performance is designed to be sophisticated and unobtrusive – performance with a human touch.

The hybrid system is a logical extension of Infiniti parent group’s groundbreaking green commitments. It offers power with efficiency, and high performance with zero-emissions running, by combining a petrol engine with an electric motor. These can work independently or together as a “parallel” hybrid system.

In congested urban areas, the electric motor alone is all that is needed for Essence to glide silently between stoplights, with no tailpipe emissions.

When the traffic clears, Essence responds with a highway performance that few cars could match. In “power assist” mode the full 600PS is unleashed with both petrol and electric power working together.

A key difference over some other hybrid systems is that both the V6 and the electric motor feed their power only to the rear wheels. Performance is more linear, response is crisper – and driving pleasure further enhanced – as a result.

Infiniti’s familiar 3.7-litre V6 gasoline engine is fitted with twin turbochargers, boosting power to 440PS (434bhp). A new direct-injection fuel system ensures the engine works more efficiently than ever in Essence.

Essence previews a new type of electric motor, called 3D Motor, that was designed to meet tough requirements on size and power output. The result is a particularly slim, disk-shaped motor that has twice the torque of a conventional unit. Its design was achieved by 3D magnetic field analysis to optimize the layout of the electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets.

In Essence, the motor is positioned between the engine and transmission and provides 160PS (158bhp), drawing power from a compact lithium-ion battery pack in the boot area. Because the 3D Motor operates in both propulsion and power regeneration modes, the battery pack is kept charged up.

Optimized energy useage across the widest possible range of driving conditions is guaranteed by two separate clutches which “switch in” the motors as required. It is a system that needs no torque converter, further enhancing responsiveness and driving pleasure.

4. SAFETY: A COLLISION-FREE FUTURE
On a global level, Infiniti is committed to building safer vehicles equipped with advanced safety technologies.

Essence previews some of the next-generation safety features that will ensure Infiniti cars remain among the safest on the road. Chief among them is a “Safety Shield” that goes a long way towards the Infiniti engineers’ dream of a collision-free car.

The Safety Shield adds two new technologies to the Distance Control Assist (DCA) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) systems that are available in today’s production Infinitis. Side Collision Prevention (SCP) and Back-up Collision Prevention (BCP) extend the anti-collision shield all the way around the car.

With SCP, when the driver decides to change lanes, side-mounted sensors activate a warning if an approaching vehicle is detected in the driver’s intended lane. A yaw mechanism is then activated through brake control of individual wheels to help prevent a potential collision. Back-up Collision Prevention works in a similar way, sensing a vehicle behind, giving the driver a warning but then, if the warning is not heeded, activating the brakes automatically.

The warning system and pre-emptive safety features are designed to help support the driver in an intuitive manner with minimal intervention.

5. PRACTICALITY: A VERY BESPOKE SOLUTION
The team behind Essence harked back to an early motoring era to find the right solution for carrying luggage. The result is as classy as luggage ever gets, surprisingly practical and dreamily romantic. It also re-establishes the historic ties between a carmaker and one of the best-known names in luxury goods – Louis Vuitton.

Vuitton first worked with a coachbuilder – the famous Kellner company ¬ – in 1908, equipping one of their early luxury limousines with a set of bespoke luggage. Other coachbuilders quickly beat a path to Vuitton’s door in Paris. Made-to-measure Vuitton trunks were an integral feature of some of the greatest cars of the first part of the 20th century.

The collaboration between Infiniti and Vuitton revives the idea of a set of the highest quality luggage made to fit exactly a car’s boot area. In Essence there are three rigid pieces: a matched pair of slender briefcases atop a large trunk. All are made in the new Damier Graphite canvas and feature sleekly integrated handles and an overall design in harmony with the car itself.

There is hi-tech, too. A button on the key fob electrically opens the boot lid, allowing the boot floor to slide silently rearwards. This is one boot an owner will never have to struggle to access.

In a nod at tradition, the cases even bear the initials of their owner – SN, standing for Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President of Design.

6. INFINITI: 20 YEARS OF PERFORMANCE CARS
The Essence has been 20 years in the making. For that is how long the essence of the marque – its very being, a distillation of everything that Infiniti stands for – has taken to reach its current state of perfection.

The idea behind Infiniti was first discussed in 1985 but it wasn’t until November 1989 that the first Infiniti model was sold in North America. Today it is the fastest growing luxury brand in the US.

But it is also far more than just a US brand. Today Infiniti has more than 230 dealers in 15 countries with worldwide sales of 150,000 annually.

Infiniti’s success is down to many things, not least the “Dynamic Adeyaka” attitude behind every Infiniti model. When Adeyaka meets The Total Ownership Experience the result is the three pillars of Infiniti: driving pleasure, hospitality and peace of mind.

Source
Nihoncar

Panasonic’s DMC-FS25

2009-03-14T00:56:00.000+07:00

Panasonic’s DMC-FS25 – the Perfect Camera for all your Leisurely Needs

27th January 2009: Part of the highly commended Lumix range of digital still cameras, the 12.1 megapixel DMC-FS25 is stylish, sophisticated and packed with features – whilst remaining committed to ease of use even for beginners. Boasting a 29mm wide angle Leica DC lens*1 with 5x optical zoom, Intelligent Auto and a vertical grip for extra comfort– the FS25 is stylish, easy to use and feature packed.

Intelligent Auto Mode Just Keeps Getting Better
Panasonic incorporated Intelligent Auto mode in pursuit of the ultimate ease of operation and the reduction of misshots. This mode is also further advanced with the inclusion of AF tracking and Intelligent Exposure feature for the DMC-FS25. Furthermore, digital red-eye correction is also integrated in the Face Detection.

In iA mode the camera does all the work, activating AF tracking, Intelligent Exposure, Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector, Mega O.I.S. (optical image stabilizer), and Intelligent ISO Control. This leaves the user free to simply compose the shot and press the shutter button, with the assurance that the image will be clear, beautiful and properly exposed.

With the new AF Tracking function, the user can "lock" the focus onto a moving subject. The camera then automatically tracks the subject as it moves, keeping it in focus without the user having to hold the shutter button halfway down. This makes it easier to capture the perfect moment clearly and in sharp focus when shooting images of a child, pet, sports or any scene with moving subjects and spur-of-the-moment action.

Intelligent Exposure suppresses blocked shadows and blown highlights to capture images that look natural and true-to-life. It now features an automatic backlight compensation function that activates whenever the camera detects that the light source is behind the subject.

Face detection accuracy has been increased in the FS25 to now provide continuous adjustment of the focus and exposure even if the face is turned sideways to the camera. Combined with AF

Tracking, Face Detection helps users capture special moments, including the fleeting expressions on the faces of active children. Plus, with the FS25, the red-eye effect can be digitally corrected automatically when it occurs due to the use the flash.

Intelligent Scene Selector automatically selects whichever of 5 scene modes - Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, and Night Scenery - best suits the shooting situation. The Quick AF system allows the camera to keep focus on the subject while the camera is in recording mode even before pressing a shutter button.

In addition to the advanced functions mentioned above, the iA mode inherits fundamental functions users need in a good digital still camera. These include MEGA O.I.S., which prevents blurring from hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which prevents motion blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves as the shot is taken. The MEGA O.I.S. system conventionally has mode 1 and 2, and now it has AUTO mode to select the suitable one between the modes according to the zoom ratio being used.

The user can activate all of these useful functions by simply pressing an independent iA button on the top of the camera, which is newly equipped for direct activation. All these features make the FS25 the ultimate, super-versatile automatic camera for capturing clear, beautiful, mistake-free photos with ease.

The bigger picture with the Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR wide angle lens
The 12.1-megapixel DMC- FS25 packages a 29mm wide-angle*1 Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 5x optical zoom into a slim, compact body. Comprising 7 elements in 6 groups, including 3 aspherical lenses with 4 aspherical surfaces, this advanced lens unit realizes the outstandingly slim and compact body yet passing Leica's stringent standards to deliver an exceptional optical performance.

The zoom ratio can be extended up to 9.8x (294mm*1) in 3 megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. By using the central part of the CCD, this powerful zooming function allows you to easily capture and magnify distant subjects.

High Performance Venus Engine IV
The image-processing LSI, Venus Engine IV, features advanced signal processing technology for rendering high quality images.

Featured in the DMC- FS25, the multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine IV supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as 0.006 seconds and the camera's quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities.

The Venus Engine IV also supports a High Sensitivity mode that lets the DMC-FS25 record at a setting of up to ISO 6400, sensitive enough to capture subjects in near-total darkness without using a flash.*2

Look at me!
The DMC-FS25 incorporates an easy-to-see, large, 3.0-inch 230,000-dot high-resolution LCD for comfortable viewing while both monitoring shots and playing back the results. The Intelligent LCD function detects the light condition and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by max. 40% when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, and adjusts the frame rate when shooting in low-lit situations in addition to using the pixel mixed readout method to secure clarity in such situations.

Detecting the lighting condition precisely and automatically controlling the brightness with a total of 11 fine steps, this function gives the display the most appropriate clarity in any situation without using extra energy. The High Angle mode makes the LCD screen extremely easy to view when the camera is held high, such as when shooting over a crowd.

The Sound of Music
To increase your enjoyment when playing back your images, the FS25 provides slideshows complete with music. Just select the pictures you want to show and choose the mood that best matches your selection from natural, slow, urban or swing, and you'll get an emotion-filled slideshow with a variety of slide change effects and matching music without any annoying adjustments to the newly added speaker.

Additionally, all Lumix cameras can take 1920x1080 pixel high-definition quality photos that are ideal for full-screen viewing on a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV. Panasonic has long focused on making photography more enjoyable, such as by letting people view their images easily on a Panasonic Viera TV with Viera Image Viewer (internal SD card slot).

Not forgetting motion pictures*3, the FS25 can record WVGA*4 (848 x 480) motion pictures at 30 frames per second in addition to standard VGA 640 x 480). The WVGA6 motion picture also fits a wide-screen (16:9) TV perfectly to offer impressive viewing.

The Fun of Photography
Technically specified, yet remaining easy to use – the new FS25 features a variety of features to expand the fun and convenience for users. For example, the user can select from among several icons for the camera to use for indicating when the subject is in focus. In addition to the conventional dot, a flower, car and several other new shapes are available. The FS25 also adds a new “Photo Frame” mode. It lets the user put attractive borders around the photo. When printed, the photos look like postcards in picture frames, making them ideal as presents. With the My Scene setting, the user can assign up to two specific scene modes, which you use most often, and switch instantly to those modes when desired.

The minimum shooting distance has been shortened to 3cm in the FS25 – great for macro shots. Using the digital Zoom Macro function, the user can pull subjects even closer than ever before.with the wide-angle setting, and capture dramatic close ups.

Introducing the included software
The latest version of exciting software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 comes bundled with the DMC-FS25. The PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 package allows the user to edit or organize a collection of photos with more ease and fun. It features Face Recognition function that recognizes the faces in the picture stored in your PC to sort the photos by faces.

Conventionally, you had to pick up one by one out of hundreds of photos when you only want the picture of a specific person. But with the PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0, the software automatically does it once the face is registered regardless of the camera type you used – perfect for digging out all photos of Aunt Joanna for her birthday surprise for example! On the sophisticated interface, you can also enjoy emotional slideshow with a variety of effects. Motion pictures (MOV or MPEG2) can also be upload directly to YouTube*5

The slim and sleek DMC-FS25 will be available from April in a choice of silver or black.

*1 35mm film equivalent: 29-145mm
*2 Max. 5 images in standard mode / 3 images in fine mode
*3 Motion pictures can be recorded continuously for up to 15 minutes in some countries. Continuous recording exceeding 2GB is not possible when recording motion JPEG. Remaining time for continuous recording is displayed on the screen,
*4 When you set the picture quality to HD, WVGA or VGA, we recommend using a high-speed card with”10MB”/s” or greater displayed on the package. SD speed class is the speed standard regarding continuous writing.
*5 YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc. *All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.

W500, Inkel's Latest GPS

2009-03-13T00:40:00.001+07:00

W500, Inkel's Latest GPS

Here's Inkel’s (Korea) latest GPS, the W500. Available with either 2GB or 4GB of memory it features some nice functions like an Eco-Drive monitor, Dual Map, 3D map, and DMB TV tuner with PIP. Another nifty little feature is its real time traffic information and gas price info monitor that provides prices on 12,000 gas stations thoughout Korea.

Source
Akihabaranews

LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S.

2009-03-12T00:38:00.000+07:00

A New Micro FourThirds Digital Interchangeable Lens
LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S.
With Silent Design for HD Movie Recording

March 3, 2009: Panasonic today unveiled a standard interchangeable zoom lens called the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. as a new member of the LUMIX G Micro System. The new LUMIX G lens incorporates an inner focus direct-drive linear motor for focusing, which enables smooth, silent operation of its fast and accurate contrast AF system, for use in both photo and movie recording. Adopting the Micro Four Thirds System standard, the new lens offers a wide and long zoom range of 14-140mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-280mm) to suit a large variety of shooting situations, from scenery to portraits or telephoto shots, in a surprisingly compact and lightweight body.

The new lens system uses four aspherical lenses and two ED lenses to achieve dramatic downsizing despite its powerful 10x optical zoom, while minimizing distortion and chromatic aberration. Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) suppresses the blurring that is commonly caused by hand-shake, making it easy to shoot clear shots even at telephoto range or in dimly lit places without using a tripod.

The new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. lens also features a highly reliable metal mount, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimise ghosts and flare to further enhance its optical performance.

LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S lens specifications

Focal length	14-140mm
35mm equivalent focal length	28-280mm
Diagonal Angle of view	75° (W) - 8.8° (T)
Maximum aperture	F4.0(W) - F5.8(T)
Minimum aperture	F22
Lens Construction	• 17 elements/13 groups • 2 ED glass elements • 4 aspherical elements
Number of diaphragm blades	7, Circular aperture diaphragm
Minimum focus	0.50m / 1.64ft
Maximum magnification	Approx. 0.2x / 0.4x
Image stabilization	Yes
Filter thread	• 62mm
Supplied accessories*	• Front and rear caps • Lens Hood • Lens Case
Weight	460 g (16.23 oz)
Dimensions	70mm diameter x 84mm (2.76 x 3.31 in)
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds

Panasonic DMC-GH1

2009-03-10T17:25:00.000+07:00

The CREATIVE HD HYBRID from the LUMIX G Micro System
The DMC-GH1 -- With D-SLR Photo Quality and Full-HD Movies

March 3, 2009: Panasonic today introduced the LUMIX DMC-GH1 as a new member of the LUMIX G Micro System of interchangeable lens cameras. Fully compliant with the Micro Four Thirds System standard, the LUMIX G Micro System combines a downsized body with advanced functions that achieve both easy operation and high quality.

The new DMC-GH1 is called a CREATIVE HD HYBRID because it records not only high-quality photos but also high definition 1080/24p or smooth 720/60p HD (High Definition) movies in AVCHD* format. Continuous AF can be used while recording movies, to further boost operating ease.

Taking advantage of its system camera design, the DMC-GH1 features the potential for unlimited photo expression by allowing the use of different lenses for specific shooting situations and subjects. High-quality sound recording with Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator and a host of other creative options, including manual settings, giving the DMC-GH1 even greater versatility.

Supporting the DMC-GH1's powerful full-HD movie recording function is a newly developed 12.1-megapixel high-speed Live MOS sensor and the Venus Engine HD image processor, which features two CPUs for outstanding processing capability. The new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S., which is a versatile 10x zoom interchangeable lens, was designed for movie recording by including a silent and continuous auto focusing function and seamless aperture adjustment.

The DMC-GH1 also features D-SLR photo quality. Its newly developed Live MOS sensor renders images with minimal noise even when using high ISO sensitivity. The multi-aspect ratio function of the sensor allows photos to be taken using a 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 aspect ratio, all with the same angle of view.

In addition to its high levels of performance for both photos and movies, the DMC-GH1 incorporates the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode,** a hallmark of LUMIX cameras that now includes Face Recognition,*** a function that "remembers" faces once the faces are registered.

When a familiar face appears in the frame, the camera will prioritize the focus and exposure to capture it beautifully. This clever function makes it easy to get sharp and clear photos of special subjects in a group of people. iA mode is also available in movie recording. It automatically selects the most suitable scene mode and helps to correct hand-shake, focus and brightness problems -- making it a one-stop solution for capturing beautiful photos and movies.*

Operating ease is an important element of the LUMIX G Micro System identity, and it is highly evident in the DMC-GH1. For example, the clever design of the DMC-GH1 helps to prevent missed shooting opportunities for both photo and movie recording. To start recording a movie during shooting photos, the user simply presses a special, one-touch movie recording button. Most of the settings used for photo shooting carry over to movie recording without requiring any additional setting.

A choice of body colours also makes the DMC-GH1 highly attractive. Users can select authentic black or active red (which was very popular in the DMC-G1).

Panasonic hopes to bring the fun of both photos and movies to as many people as possible with the LUMIX DMC-GH1, an unprecedented system camera that satisfies even the needs of professionals and advanced amateurs while offering easy operation for entry-level users.

Technological advantages for 1080/24p full-HD movie recording in the AVCHD format
The LUMIX DMC-GH1 is an advanced photographic tool for recording not only great photos but also beautiful full-HD movies. In addition to Motion JPEG images, the DMC-GH1 can record high-resolution full-HD 1920 x 1080 movies at 24 fps (frames per second) or smooth HD 1280 x 720 movies at 60 fps in AVCHD (MPEG-4/H.264)* format.

The AVCHD format can record almost twice the footage in HD quality than the conventional Motion JPEG, using the same SD card. A special, separate button on the back lets the user instantly start recording movies while shooting photos without any having to make any extra settings. There are always two options to record spur-of-the-moment scenes -- high-quality photos or movies. The user can simply choose the one that saves precious memories most beautifully.

The LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. kit lens boasts a focal length of 28-280mm (35mm camera equivalent) and supports the continuous AF function of the contrast AF system for both photos and movies. Panasonic considers this function to be indispensable for movie recording from a practical point of view. This lens is also designed for movie recording use by minimizing the mechanical sound generated by the continuous AF/AE action.

The newly developed 12.1-megapixel 4/3-type Live MOS sensor is capable of high-speed 4-channel readout to support full-HD movie recording. This sensor is also advantageous for photo recording with a high signal to noise ratio thanks to a new circuit structure that is totally unaffected by the noise generated in each of the circuits. It results in clear pictures even when taken at high ISO sensitivity. The sensor also allows images to be taken at three aspect ratios – 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 – with same angle of view.

The LUMIX DMC-GH1 also features the Venus Engine HD image processor. The two CPUs in this imaging engine dramatically speed up processing while achieving exceptional noise reduction performance. The Venus Engine HD's excellent energy efficiency supports long-time AVCHD movie recording, and allows the output of both images and sounds via HDMI.

In addition to recording HD movies– a host of options enhance creativity
The LUMIX DMC-GH1 concept goes much further than simply recording HD movies. Apart from the movie recording capability of conventional digital cameras, the DMC-GH1 also features a Creative Movie mode, which lets the user set the shutter speed and aperture manually to make even more impressive movies.

Changing the shutter speed brings special effects to movies, which is especially suitable for shooting fast-moving subject. The ability to control the aperture is convenient when there are several subjects at different distances and it is desired to have each of them stand out. Creative Movie mode gives the user a wider range of expressive possibilities to explore.

The movies also come with the high-quality stereo sound of Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator, the global standard for superior audio recording. For more creative sound recording, an optional stereo microphone (DMW-MS1) is available. A Wind Cut function blocks out most of the noise from background wind even on breezy days.

iA (Intelligent Auto) mode operates for both photos and movies
While featuring a host of creative options to enhance both photo and movie recording, the LUMIX DMC-GH1 also includes the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode that Panasonic developed to give LUMIX cameras the ultimate in operating ease and to reduce shooting mistakes. In iA mode the camera does all the work, leaving the user free to compose shots and capture the moment. All the user has to do is aim and shoot even in situations that normally require complicated settings.

For photo shooting, the DMC-GH1 further advances this mode with the inclusion of Face Recognition, an advanced Face Detection function that recognises faces that the user has registered prior to shooting. Once a face is registered, this function will recognize it whenever it appears in the frame. The camera will then display the name that was specified for the person and prioritize the focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and in sharp focus.

In addition to the advanced functions mentioned above, the iA mode inherits the fundamental functions that users need in a good digital still camera. These include MEGA O.I.S., which helps prevent blurring from hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which reduces motion blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves as the shot is taken. AF Tracking is also available, which lets the DMC-GH1 lock onto any subject and keep it in focus even if it moves - making it easy to get beautiful, clear shots when a great photo opportunity suddenly arises.

Intelligent Exposure optimizes the exposure for each part of an image, preventing blocked shadows and blown highlights and helping ensure that gradation and details are reproduced beautifully. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically detects the five most common shooting situations -- Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery and Close-up and switches to the appropriate Scene mode.

The LUMIX DMC-GH1 now makes the popular iA mode available for movie recording. The Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) helps prevent blurring from hand-shake when using the high-powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts the focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion to record it beautifully.

Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change, to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Close-up, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.

The LUMIX G Micro System identity
With the LUMIX DMC-GH1, Panasonic has developed an entirely new concept in digital cameras that comply with the Micro Four Thirds System standard by taking even greater advantage of the compactness and light weight that are made possible by eliminating the mirror box. By increasing the number of electrical contacts between the camera body and the lens, the camera's expandability is also dramatically increased to maximize future potential.

The LUMIX G Micro System’s 1,440,000-dot equivalent Live View Finder retains the outstanding viewability of an optical viewfinder and can also display information about camera settings that the user can see without taking his or her eye from the subject. A clever built-in eye sensor automatically switches on the viewfinder when the user looks into it, then switches it off and turns on the free-angle 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD (which boasts a wide viewing angle) when the user looks away from the viewfinder.

The 60-frames-per-second Live View is made possible by the Live MOS sensor, which takes signals directly from the image sensor and sends them continuously to the LCD, in real time. Both the Live View Finder and LCD provide a 100% field of view. This allows the user, when composing a shot, to check the framing accurately from corner to corner.

The contrast AF system adopted by the LUMIX DMC-GH1 is not only accurate and easy to use, but also very fast. Users can choose from a wide range of AF modes, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, 1-area AF with a selectable focus area, Face Detection, and AF Tracking.

To deal with dust and other foreign matter entering the body when changing lenses, a Supersonic Wave Filter is built in as part of a Dust Reduction System designed to prevent matter from adhering to the image sensor.

Other options to enhance the fun of photography
The wide range of options available for the LUMIX DMC-GH1 let users customise and personalise their camera. An option for photo shooting lets the DMC-GH1 reproduce a square image with a 1:1 aspect ratio in addition to the 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 multi-aspect ratios.

My Colour mode, which was popular in the DMC-G1, is a special option that gives free reign to the user's creativity. In My Colour mode, the colour, brightness and saturation parameters can be freely adjusted while checking the Full-time Live View image to see how the adjustments affect the picture.

This makes it easier and more fun to create interesting, expressive images. The user can adjust the settings that best suit the shooting conditions and his or her expressive intent, for greater photographic control.

The DMC-GH1 also offers a Playback mode that allows the user to play 'only still images,' 'only motion images,' or 'both'. When choosing to play 'only motion images,' it is even possible to play AVCHD and Motion JPEG videos separately.

Photos and movies can also be played back together with an attractive seamless effect and background music in the LUMIX DMC-GH1's new Slideshow mode that takes advantage of its large, high-resolution LCD. Using an optional mini HDMI cable, slideshows can be shared in stunning HD video and audio quality on an HDTV with family and friends.

HD photos and HD movies with VIERA Link networking
Both still images and AVCHD-format motion images recorded on SD Memory Cards are easy to view on a Panasonic VIERA TV with dynamic full-HD resolution. The user simply inserts the card into the VIERA Image Viewer (SDHC/SD card slot) on a VIERA TV or DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player to play the content.

Alternatively, an optional mini HDMI cable can be used to output still and motion images recorded with the LUMIX DMC-GH1 directly to the TV for easy VIERA Link operation. This makes it possible to take maximum advantage of the camera's playback functions, including slideshows in which both still and motion images are played sequentially, or calendar displays and so on. Operation using only TV’s remote controller is super-easy.

Rich options for expandability
In addition to LUMIX G lenses, the LUMIX DMC-GH1 and LUMIX G Micro System can use any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds standard via an optional mount adapter.* This gives the user access to the entire range of Four Thirds lenses. And a stream of new Micro Four Thirds lenses will be announced in the future, providing a large, diverse line of high-performance lenses for the user's photographic toolbox. With the LUMIX G Micro System and the growing assortment of lenses becoming available, the expressive possibilities are unlimited.

The LUMIX DMC-GH1 system camera offers a wide variety of options to choose from to match every shooting situation and shooting style.

External Flash: DMW-FL220(GN22) / DMW-FL360(GN36) / DMW- FL500(GN50)
PL Filter: DMW-LPL62
ND Filter: DMW-LND62 NEW
MC Protector: DMW-LMCH62
Mount Adapter: DMW-MA1
Stereo Microphone: DMW-MS1 NEW
Battery Pack: DMW-BLB13
Soft Case: DMW-CG2 NEW
Soft Bag: DMW-BAG1
Shoulder Strap (Stylish) DMW-SSTG1-A/C/R/K* *NEW
Shoulder Strap (Woven) DMW-SSTG2-W
Shoulder Strap (Leather) DMW-SSTG3-T
Remote Shutter: DMW-RSL1

*Full-HD (1920 × 1080) movies are output by the image sensor at 24p (NTSC)/25p (PAL), and recorded at 60i (NTSC)/50i (PAL). HD (1280 × 720) movies are output and recorded by the image sensor at 60p (NTSC)/50p (PAL).
** Some functions in iA mode will not be available depending on the lens that is mounted.
***Turn the Face Recognition item ON from the shooting menu and register the person with a full-face portrait in advance. Recognition performance varies greatly depending on shooting conditions, i.e., according to factors such as angles, facial expression and lighting, so operation under all conditions cannot be guaranteed. Because the camera searches for faces that are similar to registered faces, there are cases where the faces are not correctly recognized when the registered image and the shooting image vary greatly. When facial characteristics are similar, particularly between parents and their children, or between brothers and sisters, the camera may not distinguish the faces.

Panasonic DMC GH1 specifications

Sensor	• 4/3 type MOS ('Live MOS sensor') • 14.0 million total pixels • 12.1 million effective pixels • RGB (Primary) color filter array
Image sizes (Still)*	• 4000 x 3000 (4:3) • 2816 x 2112 (4:3) • 2048 x 1536 (4:3) • 4128 x 2752 (3:2) • 2928 x 1952 (3:2) • 2064 x 1376 (3:2) • 4352 x 2448 (16:9) • 3072 x 1728 (16:9) • 1920 x 1080 (16:9) • 2992 x 2992 (1:1) • 2112 x 2112 (1:1) • 1504 x 1504 (1:1)
Image sizes (Motion)*	• AVCHD : 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720 • Motion JPEG: 1280 x 720, 30fps 848 x 480, 30fps 640 x 480, 30fps 320 x 240, 30fps
Aspect ratios	• 4:3 • 3:2 • 1:1* • 16:9
File formats (Still)	• RAW • RAW + JPEG Standard • RAW + JPEG Fine • JPEG (EXIF 2.2) - Standard • JPEG (EXIF 2.2) - Fine
File formats (Movie)*	• AVCHD • QuickTime Motion JPEG
Lenses	• Micro Four Thirds mount lenses
Focus modes	• Auto Focus • Manual focus • Face Detection • AF Tracking • 23-Area-Focusing/1 Area Focusing
AF assist lamp	Yes, dedicated lamp
Image stabilization	In-lens Optical Image Stabilization only
Digital zoom	• Up to 4x
Exposure modes	• Program AE • Aperture priority AE • Shutter priority AE • Manual • Auto
Scene modes	• Portrait • Soft Skin • Outdoor Portrait • Indoor Portrait • Creative Portrait • Scenery • Nature • Architecture • Creative Scenery • Sports • Outdoor Sports • Indoor Sports • Creative Sports • Flower • Food • Objects • Creative Close-Up • Night Portrait • Night Scenery • Illuminations • Creative Night Scenery • Sunset • Party • Baby 1,2 • Pet
Movie Scene Modes*	• Portrait • Scenery • Sports • Low Light • Close-up (Flower/Food/Objects/Macro) • SCN (Sunset/Party/Portrait)
Sensitivity	• Auto • Intelligent ISO • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200
Metering range	0 to 18 EV
Metering modes	• Intelligent Multiple* • Center-Weighted • Spot
AE Lock	• AEL/AFL button • With shutter release half-press
AE Bracketing	• 3,5,7 frames* • 1/3 or 2/3 , +/-2.0 EV steps*
Exposure compensation	• -3.0 to +3.0 EV • 1/3 EV steps
Shutter speed	• 60 -1/4000 sec • Bulb (up to 8 mins) • Flash X-sync 1/160 sec
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Shade • Halogen • Flash • Custom 1 • Custom 2 • Kelvin temp (2500 - 10000 K, 100K steps)
WB fine tuning	Yes (blue/amber bias, magenta/green bias)
WB Bracketing	• 3 shots •+/-1 to +/-3 in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Continuous buffer	• 7 RAW images • Unlimited JPEG images with a fast card
Self-timer	• 2 sec • 10 sec • 10 sec, 3 images
Flash	• Manual pop-up • TTL auto / manual • Guide no. 10.5 (ISO 100, m) • Sync modes: Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction, Slow syncro with red-eye reduction, Slow syncro • Flash power: Up to +/- 2EV in 1/3 EV steps
Flash X-sync speed	1/160 sec
External flash	• Hot shoe
Viewfinder	• Electronic Viewfinder • Color LCD Viewfinder • Field of view 100% • Magnification 1.4x (equivalent to 0.7x on a 35mm camera / 50mm lens) • Dioptre adjustment -4 to +4 dioptre • 1,440,000 dots
DOF preview	Yes
Orientation sensor	Yes
LCD monitor	• 3.0" TFT LCD monitor • Multi-angle swing and tilt (180°swing, 180° swivel) • Low temperature Polycrystalline TFT LCD • 460,000 dots • Approx 100% frame coverage
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 (High Speed) • Video Out (NTSC / PAL) • Wired remote control DMW-RSL1 (optional) • HDMI
Print compliance	• PictBridge • DPOF
Storage	SD / SDHC
Power	• 1250 mAh 7.2v Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery • Supplied charger / AC adapter
Dimensions	124 mm x 90mm x 45 mm *
Weight (camera body)	Approx. 385g / 13.58 oz *

* Features that are different compared to the DMC-G1 specifications

Additional images

Lumix GH1… HD Ready!

2009-03-09T00:07:00.000+07:00

Lumix GH1… HD Ready!

Granted we weren't that impressed with the G1, not a bad camera at all but we expected a bit more… Finally it appears Panasonic heard us (and hundreds of thousand of others I believe)… Now here's the GH1.

Based on the same Micro Four Third Technology installed on the G1, the GH1 also retains the same 12.1Mpix sensor but can now record video in 1080/24p and 720/60p in the beloved Sony and Panasonic Codec the AVCHD…

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH1, a Creative HD Hybrid, Offers Professional-Level Still Photos and HD Video Performance Yet is Easy Enough for Entry-Level DSLR Consumers

Las Vegas, NV (March 3, 2009) – Panasonic today introduced the DMC-GH1, the newest member of the company’s revolutionary LUMIX G Micro System – a new digital interchangeable lens camera system that delivers professional-level features and performance in a compact and easy-to-use camera body.

Compatible with the Micro Four Thirds System standard, the new LUMIX GH1 features advanced video photography functions, such as the ability to record High Definition (HD) AVCHD 1080p/24p video.* In addition, the new LUMIX GH1 comes with a newly developed long-zoom interchangeable lens – the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. This lens was specifically designed to support HD movie recording and features a silent motor and continuous auto focusing (AF) capability; two features which distinguish the LUMIX GH1 from DSLRs that offer HD video recording capabilities.

“Photographers of all levels – professionals, amateurs and beginners – will be stunned by the range of creative possibilities that the LUMIX GH1 creates in the world of high-quality photography and HD video. Users will be equally amazed by the camera’s easy-to-use design and small size,” said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronic Company. “Beyond its creative potential, the LUMIX GH1, a sister product to the award-winning LUMIX G1, is also innovative and differentiates itself from the pack by recording High Definition video with continuous AF, an indispensable feature for practical video recording.”

In late 2008, Panasonic redefined the traditional DSLR category with its launch of the Panasonic LUMIX G1 – a digital, interchangeable lens camera system that takes the radical step of eliminating the large, internal mirror structure that is currently contained in all traditional DSLR cameras .This innovation allows for dramatically smaller camera body and lens sizes and permits many new, advanced consumer features such as LUMIX G1 “Live View Finder”. With its 2008 launch, the LUMIX G1 achieved several honors, including:
- World’s first entry into the Micro Four Thirds Standard system camera segment
- World’s first interchangeable lens camera to offer colored body options to consumers
- Winner, 2008 Camera of the Year (Popular Photography & Imaging magazine)

The new LUMIX GH1 provides cutting-edge video recording features, including the ability to record high-resolution full HD (1920 x 1080) video at 24 fps or smooth HD video (1280 x 720) movie at 60 fps using an AVCHD format (MPEG-4/H.264). The AVCHD format provides the important benefit of doubling the HD quality recording time compared with Motion JPEG. The LUMIX GH1 hosts a dedicated video record button on the back of the camera which lets users instantly start recording videos, even while shooting still photos – removing the fear of potentially missing a must-see video moment. The LUMIX GH1 also records video in high-quality stereo sound via Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, the global standard of audio recording. An optional stereo microphone (DMW-MS1) is also available to achieve a more intensive sound recording experience. Finally, a convenient Wind Cut function is provided to help to block out distracting video background noise.

Like the LUMIX G1, the LUMIX GH1 features the Live View Finder system which enables something that simply is not possible with conventional DSLR cameras – the ability to preview the effects of camera settings (e.g., exposure, aperture, shutter speed before taking the photo. This helps take the guesswork out of the camera setting process and helps users ensure that every photo they capture comes out exactly as they envisioned.

The brilliant 1,440,000-dot equivalent Live View Finder system can also display information settings that a user can see without removing their eyes from the subject. Furthermore, a built-in eye sensor automatically switches on the viewfinder when the user looks into it, then switches it off and turns on the swivel 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD when the user looks away from the viewfinder. The 60-frames-per-second Live View is made possible by the Live MOS sensor, which takes real-time signals directly from the image sensor and sends them continuously to the LCD. Both the Live View Finder and LCD provide a 100% field of view – allowing the user to accurately frame and compose a shot from most any position.

The LUMIX GH1 kit lens – the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. –provides a broad focal length range of 28-280mm (35mm camera equivalent) and supports continuous AF using the contrast AF system for both photo and movie capture. The low-noise lens design also seamlessly supports video recording by minimizing the mechanical sound generated by AF/AE actions.

At the core of the LUMIX GH1 lies a newly developed 12.1-megapixel high speed Live MOS sensor and Venus Engine HD, which features twin CPUs for outstanding processing capabilities. The Live MOS sensor is capable of high-speed readout over four channels to be compatible with full-HD movie recording. This sensor is also advantageous for photo recording with a high signal-to-noise ratio thanks to the new circuit structure that is unaffected by the noise generated in each of the circuits. This results in crisp photos – even those taken at high ISO levels. The multi-aspect type sensor allows users to take photos in 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 aspect ratios with the same angle of view. The Venus Engine HD is also energy efficient, supporting long periods of AVCHD video recording on a single battery charge.

In addition to the digital camera’s HD video recording capability, the DMC-GH1 features the LUMIX Creative Movie mode which lets the user manually set the shutter speed and aperture, making their videos more creative and representative of their own personal video style preference. Changing the shutter speed gives the videos a special look, particularly suitable for shooting fast-moving subjects. Controlling the aperture is convenient when there are several subjects at varying distances, so the user can focus on the foreground and blur the background – or vice versa.

While the LUMIX DMC-GH1 has cutting-edge still image and video capture features, the LUMIX GH1 is also incredibly easy-to-use, thanks to Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode** – a user-friendly setting made popular in the LUMIX line of digital point-and-shoot camera products. Panasonic’s iA mode is a suite of technologies which engage automatically (no settings needed). The latest addition to the iA suite of features is Face Recognition, a feature that directs the camera to prioritize focus and exposure on a specific face that that the user had previously registered in the camera.*** This invaluable function makes it especially easy to take sharp and beautifully exposed images of things the user values most in their photos – the user’s friends and family.

Panasonic’s iA mode offers other innovative features which help deliver consistently outstanding photos: O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) to help reduce blurring from hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control to help limit motion blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves as the shot is taken; AF Tracking that lets the camera lock onto any subject and keep it in focus even if it moves; Intelligent Exposure which optimizes the exposure for each part of an image, preventing blocked shadows and blown highlights, and helps ensure that gradation and details are reproduced beautifully; and Intelligent Scene Selector which automatically detects the five most common shooting situations - Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery and Close-up - and switches to the appropriate Scene mode.

Best of all, the benefits of Panasonic’s iA mode extend to motion image recording on the DMC-GH1. For example, the LUMIX GH1 motion iA includes O.I.S. and Face Detection, which automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Close-up, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the environment.

The Contrast AF system adopted by the LUMIX GH1 is accurate, easy-to-use and fast. Users can choose from a wide range of AF modes, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, 1-area AF with a selectable focus area, Face Detection, and AF Tracking. To help keep the images free of spots from dust and particles, the Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system helps prevent foreign contaminants from adhering to the image sensor.

After users capture their images using the LUMIX GH1, it’s easy for them to enjoy their photos or HD videos immediately on a large-screen Panasonic VIERA® high-definition television. All that is required is to remove the SD Memory Card from the LUMIX GH1 and insert it into the VIERA Image Viewer (SDHC/SD Memory Card slot) located in the VIERA HDTV or in the Panasonic Blu-ray disc player. Alternatively, an optional mini HDMI™ cable is available to output the images from the LUMIX GH1 directly to the Panasonic HDTV via VIERA Link™. Then, using the VIERA HDTV’s remote control, users can take advantage of the LUMIX GH1’s advanced playback and slideshow features.

In addition to the new LUMIX G lenses, the DMC-GH1 and LUMIX G Micro System is compatible with any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds standard.**** This gives users access to the entire range of Four Thirds lenses. Additional Micro Four Thirds lenses will be announced in the future, giving users a large, diverse line of high-performance lenses to add to their photographic toolboxes. With the LUMIX G Micro System and the growing assortment of lenses becoming available, the creative possibilities are endless.

The LUMIX DMC-GH1 is a system camera with a wide variety of options to choose from to match a wide range of shooting situations and styles. Accessories compatible with the LUMIX G Micro System include: External Flash: DMW-FL220(GN22) / DMW-FL360(GN36) / DMW-FL500(GN50); PL Filter: DMW-LPL62; ND Filter: DMW-LND62 (New); MC Protector: DMW-LMCH62; Mount Adapter: DMW-MA1; Stereo Microphone: DMW-MS1 (New); Battery Pack: DMW-BLB13; DC Cable: DMW-DCC3; Soft Cases: DMW-CG1, DMW-CG2 (New); Soft Bag: DMW-BAG1; Shoulder Strap (Stylish) DMW-SSTG1-A/C/R/K(New); Shoulder Strap (Woven) DMW-SSTG2-W; Shoulder Strap (Leather) DMW-SSTG3-T; Remote Shutter: DMW-RSL1.

Source
Akihabaranews

Canon WP-V1 Waterproof Case

2009-03-08T00:20:00.000+07:00

WP-V1, a Waterproof Case for Canon's Ivis HF20

Own an Ivis HF20 compact video camera? Planning on spending your summer in Hawaii or Okinawa? Here's the HF20's best friend, the official Canon waterpoof case WP-V1…

Now you'll have NO excuse not to get wet!

Source
Akihabaranews

Sony DSC HX1

2009-03-07T20:17:00.000+07:00

SONY PRESENTS FIRST CYBER-SHOT CAMERA
WITH SWEEP PANORAMA TECHNOLOGY

LAS VEGAS, March 2, 2009 – Sony is spotlighting its first digital still camera to feature sweep panorama technology here at the Photo Marketing Association confab. The new HX1 Cyber-shot model can take 224-degree panorama shots in one easy press-and-sweep motion.

It is also the company’s first Cyber-shot camera to use the exclusive 1/2.4-inch Exmor™ CMOS sensor technology. This technology allows it to achieve burst speeds of 10 frames per second at full 9.1 megapixel resolution in continuous burst mode.

Setting it apart from most digital still cameras, which use an electronic shutter to achieve high speed, the HX1 unit has a mechanical shutter that helps reduce distortion when shooting a moving subject.

Compared to images shot with traditional sensors, the HX1 model takes clearer images with about 50 percent less noise when in handheld twilight or anti-blur modes. It is also the first Cyber-shot camera include a Sony G lens and 1080p HD movie clip recording capabilities.

“Traditional CMOS sensor technology provides higher shutter speeds, but we are using what we call an Image3 system that combines the best image, sensor and processor,” said Karim Noblecilla, senior product marketing manager in Sony Electronics’ Digital Imaging Division. “By combining this sensor with a high-quality Sony G lens and powerful BIONZ™ processor, we are able to create solutions beyond fast speed that helps consumers get better pictures.”

Incorporating on-chip A/D conversion, which minimizes image degradation that can occur during analogue processing, Noblecilla said the Exmor CMOS sensor delivers outstanding images, reduces noise and can continuously shoot at a high speeds.

Clear Images in Low Light or for Moving Subjects
Compared to cameras with traditional sensors, the HX1 model has two scene modes that significantly reduce noise. Using the high-speed shutter Exmor CMOS sensor technology, the new model takes six shots within a fraction of a second. Combined with the power of the BIONZ imaging processor, it immediately superimposes them into one picture. The camera calculates the position of objects in each frame and composes the sharpest picture possible, resulting in clearer, sharper images.

The two modes that use this functionality include hand-held twilight and anti-motion blur. For difficult shots in low light, the hand-held twilight mode results in clearer and sharper pictures without the need of a tripod. Anti-motion blur uses High ISO to reduce blur especially in dimly lit environments.

To reduce blur, the camera detects if a person or object is moving, or if the camera is shaking, which is likely when taking a telephoto shot. When it superimposes the images, the camera captures the moving subject or object from one of the six shots. It takes, combines and composes the rest of the image using the six shots. This reduces blur on the main subject and results in a sharp, clear background.

Sweep Panorama Technology
Capturing wide landscapes, church spires or skyscrapers is as easy as “press and sweep.” Sweep panorama mode lets you reach beyond the traditional wide-angle lens and capture breathtaking shots. With wide and ultra-wide settings and horizontal or vertical directions, sweep panorama mode can take up to 224-degree horizontal or 154-degree vertical shots.

Using the fast-speed Exmor CMOS sensor, the camera continuously shoots full-resolution images at a high speed. Using the BIONZ imaging processor, it automatically stitches the pictures together to create one stunning panoramic photo. The maximum resolution is 7152 x 1080 (ultra wide horizontal).

“This panorama mode is so seamless that it removes the guess work,” Noblecilla said. “The camera indicates where you are in the degree range, so you know how wide you can shoot and stitches the photos automatically. It calculates and aligns pictures for you without using additional software.”

1080p HD Movie Recording
The HX1 camera captures movie clips in 1080p HD resolution, and a built-in stereo microphone records crisp, clear audio. The camera’s wide 20x optical zoom is also available while shooting.
When set to HD movie, it records at 30 frames per second (1440 x 1080). The camera uses the high-quality, high-compression MPEG4 AVC/H.264 format. Other recording options include standard-definition video and VGA.

The camera also has HDMI™ connectivity via supplied HDMI accessory (cable not included) so images can be shared in high definition on an HD television set. MPEG4 AVC video recording allows you to view footage on a PC and upload it to the Web.

Sony G Lens
The Sony G lens is optimized to complement the advanced image sensors and image processing technology in Sony’s cameras. The HX1 camera features a 28-560 millimeter f/2.8-5.2 wide-angle lens with 20x telephoto range. With the combination of this G lens and sweep panorama mode, the camera can cover almost any telephoto and wide angle need.

Containing a six-blade aperture, the G lens produces beautifully defocused backgrounds with a soft, natural feel. A-spherical lens elements and elements made from extra-low dispersion glass combine to minimize chromatic aberration common to high-magnification lenses.

Intelligent Auto
Like many of Sony’s new cameras this year, the HX1 model has the convenient and powerful intelligent auto mode, which combines Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN), Optical SteadyShot™ and face detection technologies. It recognizes scenes and lighting conditions within one-thirtieth of a second, and then changes settings. This produces clearer images with more natural skin tones, reduced red-eye, fewer closed-eye shots and less overall blur without compromising image quality.

The iSCN feature detects up to eight scenes and automatically changes settings that will apply to the scene or lighting conditions. With the iSCN Advance feature, the camera takes a second shot when low or backlight is detected, letting users choose the best picture.

With face detection technology, the camera will adjust the flash, focus, exposure and white balance producing more natural skin tones and reducing red-eye. Face motion detection identifies a moving subject and adjusts the ISO to minimize blur. In conjunction with iSCN, the camera takes two pictures simultaneously and saves the one in which the eyes are the least closed.

A new selected-face memory function registers one face (selected by the user) as the main face and adjusts focus, exposure, flash and white balance accordingly. The camera remembers the face every time that face shows in the frame.

Additionally, the camera comes with Smile Shutter technology that helps capture a smile the moment it happens and dynamic range optimizer (DRO) technology that adjusts for contrast.

Pricing and Availability
The Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 camera will be available in April for about $500 and pre-sales will start in March. The camera and a range of accessories will be available online at sonystyle.com.

Sony DSC-HX1 specifications

Sensor	• 1/2.4" Exmor CMOS Sensor • 9.1 million effective pixel • 10.3 million effective pixel
Image sizes	• 3456 x 2592 • 3456 x 2304 • 3456 x 1944 • 3648 x 2056 • 2048 x 1536 • 1920 x 1080 • 640 X 480
Image sizes (Panorama)	• 7152 x 1080 • 4912 x 1080 • 4912 x 1920 • 3424 x 1920
Movie clips	• 1280 x 720 (30fps) • 640x480 (30fps)
File formats	• Still Image : JPEG (EXIF 2.2), DPOF v1.1, DCF v2.0, MPF baseline • Movie Clip : mp4, MPEG4
Lens	• Sony G lens • 28-560mm equiv. • 20x Optical zoom • f = 5.0-100.0mm • F2.8(W)-5.2(T)
Conversion lenses	Yes, Tele:VCL-HD1757 (Optional)
Digital zoom	Approx. 40x
Image Stabalisation	Optical SteadyShot
Focus	Auto focus, Semi-Manual, Manual
AF area modes	Intelligent
Focus Mode	• Multi • Centre • Flexible Spot
Focus distance	• Normal :W:Approx.1cm(0.03') to Infinity, T:Approx.150cm(4.92') to Infinity • Macro: W: Approx.1cm(0.03') to Infinity, T:Approx.150cm(4.92') to Infinity
ISO sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 80 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200
Metering modes	• Multi • Centre • Spot
Shuttter speed	• Auto(2 sec- 1/4,000) • Program Auto(1 sec- 1/4,000) • Manual(30" - 1/4,000)
Aperture	• Auto (F2.8./F8.0(W), • Program auto (F2.8/F8.0(W) • Manual( F2.8/F8.0(W)
Shooting modes	• Mode dial: Intelligent Auto, P Auto, easy, SCN, movie, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual • Scene: High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight portrait, Landscape, Snow, Beach, Fire works, Sports, gourmet, ASports, handheld Twilight, Anti-Motion Blur, Sweep Panorama
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Fluorescent • Fluorescent 2 • Fluorescent 3 • Incandescent • Flash • Custom
Self timer	• Off • 10sec • 2sec
Continous Shooting	Approx. 10.0 fps(10 shots)
Flash	• Modes :Auto, Flash On, Slow Syncro, Flash Off • Red Eye Reduction : Auto, On, Off • Range : ISO Auto: Approx.0.3-Approx.9.2m(W) Approx.1.5-Approx.5.1m (T)
LCD monitor	• 3.0 inch TFT LCD • approx. 230,400 pixels
Digital input/output	• USB 2.0 High Speed • Multi-use terminal Type2d
Video output	• HD(1080i) • Composite • NTSC/ PAL
Storage	• Internal memory (Approx. 11 MB) • Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/ Pro HG Duo
Power	InfoLITHIUM H type 6.8V
Weight (no batt)	Approx. 453g (16oz.)
Dimensions	115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4 5/8" x 3 3/8" x 3 5/8")

Additional images

Sigma DP2, A huge step forward.

2009-03-06T18:53:00.001+07:00

Sigma DP2, A huge step forward.

Back in 2008 we tested the Sigma DP1, and were amazed by its pictures, but unfortunately the DP1 was not made for the average user but rather the Photo savvy amateur who take time to shoot each pictures.

Today, at the PMA, Sigma announced the DP2, and claimed that this new version is 20% snappier than the DP1, which is actually a huge step forward for this already amazing point and shoot. The ISO range has also been widely improved and the DP2 has now an ISO range up to 3200… Anyway we are looking forward to get this baby in hands to give you our live impression on this improved DP2.

Source
Akihabaranews

2 new G-Shock from Casio

2009-03-05T18:47:00.001+07:00

2 New G-Shock from Casio Japan.

Here you are 2 New G-Shock watches from Casio Japan where both model features Casio WAVE Ceptor, Atomic time keeping and Tough Solar for everlasting battery life. The models are the GW-5000 and GW-6900.

Source
Akihabaranews

Retro Side: Nitendo GameBoy

2009-03-04T18:43:00.002+07:00

The Nintendo Game boy !

Source
Akihabaranews
Rez sent us a nice couple of picture for the Retro Section with his personal Game Boy collection with for example a DMG-01 from 1989, as well as several Famitsu 500 special edition, an Atomic Boy one which was only sold in Osamu Tezuka’s Museum and so… Impressive collection!

Kodak EASYSHARE Z915

2009-03-03T20:13:00.002+07:00

New Digital Camera from Kodak delivers high-zoom, high-resolution performance in a compact design

Kodak’s innovative Smart Capture feature delivers beautiful pictures automatically

London, UK, March 3, 2009 — Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) today introduced a new addition to its versatile line of digital cameras: the KODAK EASYSHARE Z915, featuring a powerful image stabilised 10X optical zoom lens and Kodak’s innovative Smart Capture feature that consistently delivers high quality images.

The new camera debuted at Kodak’s booth at the 2009 PMA International Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas (booth F200, South Hall).

The KODAK EASYSHARE Z915 Digital Camera enables avid picture takers to easily capture crisp long-distance shots with a 10X image-stabilised optical zoom lens. The Z915 also offers fast click-to-capture performance and Kodak’s innovative Smart Capture feature, which automatically detects the scene being shot and adjusts camera settings to capture the best image possible. Smart Capture also automatically applies KODAK PERFECT TOUCH processing to enhance highlight and shadow areas.

Lightweight and compact, the Z915 is available in a variety of colours: red, blue, black and gray.

“The new Z915 is a versatile camera that’s ideal for families on the go, making it ideal for consumers who want more zoom but don’t want a bulky camera,” said Matthew Yarrow, Country Business Manager, for the Consumer Digital Imaging Group (CDG) and the Film & Photofinishing Systems Group (FPG), UK and Ireland, Eastman Kodak Company. “With its combination of Smart Capture and high zoom with optical image stabilisation, the Z915 stands out in a fast-growing product category, and delivers great performance to consumers who are looking for new ways to advance their digital photography experience.”

The new KODAK EASYSHARE Z915 Digital Camera offers:

10X image stabilised optical zoom lens;
Kodak’s innovative Smart Capture feature, which analyses scenes and adjusts camera settings to automatically deliver beautiful pictures;
HD picture capture;
10 MP for prints up to 30”x40”
Versatile AA battery solution in a compact and stylish body
Bright and detail-rich 2.5-inch indoor/outdoor colour display
Compatible with KODAK SDHC/SD Memory Cards
Colour options include red, blue, black and gray
Available at £179.99 from May, 2009.

Accessories
A range of accessories will be available for the new KODAK EASYSHARE Z915 Digital Camera, including KODAK Ni-MH AA Rechargeable Digital Camera Batteries and battery charger kits; KODAK SD and SDHC High Performance Memory Cards; KODAK Camera Bags and cases, and much more.

Additional images

Asian Babes Fight of the Week!

2009-03-02T01:25:00.000+07:00

Asian Babes Fight of the Week!

Hi everyone, here's another fight between two gorgeous ladies, but first let’s check last week winner. With 1321 participants, the winner is the cute little babe on the right with 77% of the votes, Seto Saki.

Today we have two new contenders for you… Misa Campo on the left (Filipina German Babe) and Mikie Hara on the right (Japanese). If you need to see more, please check our gallery below.

Which one of these beautiful babes won your heart this week end?

Source
Akihabaranews

Sunday Stories: Toyota HC-CV

2009-03-01T01:05:00.005+07:00

Toyota HC-CV : Toyota HC-CV (Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle

Hybrid vehicles are Toyota’s playground and today they proved this again with a nice concept based on the Carmy Hybrid, the HC-CV or Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle, straight from Australia.

The HC-CV is mainly a modded Camry with a pretty sport kit including a new front bumper, side skirts, and futuristic wheels… And you know what? We damn like it! If only the HC-CV could be sold as it is it would spice things up a little in the dull hybrid world.

Toyota Australia has celebrated winning the right to manufacture a hybrid car in Australia by producing a stylish concept car.

Developed locally by Toyota Style Australia, the HC-CV (Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle) had its world premiere ahead of the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show.

The unveiling of the concept car marks the start of a 12-month countdown to the launch of Australia's first locally produced hybrid car, based on the best-selling Camry sedan.

Toyota Australia president and chief executive officer Max Yasuda said the concept car was the most important vehicle on the company's motor show stand.

"The startling paintwork, dramatic lines and sporty appearance of this concept car convey the excitement and passion in our company to produce Australia's first hybrid car," Mr Yasuda said.

"The hybrid Camry - which will share some key design features with the HC-CV - will play a key role in bringing the future to the Australian automotive manufacturing sector.

"It is a future that uses less fuel while delivering better performance."

The hybrid Camry uses a four-cylinder petrol engine linked to a powerful electric motor.

It produces more power than a conventional petrol-engine vehicle while delivering better fuel economy.

Mr Yasuda said many industry commentators were urging carmakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars.

"Toyota is already the only local manufacturer producing a four-cylinder car in this country. We have been building Camry in this country - in Melbourne - for nearly 22 years.

"It's been Australia's best-selling medium car for 15 years - and it's our leading automotive export.

"Toyota also produces the most fuel-efficient Australian-made large six-cylinder sedan, the Aurion, in Melbourne.

"Our locally manufactured hybrid Camry will be launched early next year."

Contemporary hybrid design

Toyota Style Australia corporate manager Paul Beranger said Toyota has evolved the styling of its hybrid vehicles since the late 1990s.

"HC-CV is our expression of the contemporary hybrid sedan," he said.

The front of the car is characterised by expressive, sharp lines and taught surfaces. It echoes the latest Toyota Hybrid styling cues, with vertical fog lamps, larger lower opening and a streamlined upper grille.

"The crisp corners indicate aerodynamic efficiency, while the overall styling feel is efficient, yet dynamic," Mr Beranger said.

"The lower grille texture is a random pattern, inspired by forms found in nature, moving away from traditional constructed patterns," he said.

The "aero" theme continues along the side skirts, which flow into the rear diffuser, giving a sporty, yet lightweight and functional appearance. The rear spoiler enhances the visual appeal.

The headlights are symbolic of Toyota's hybrid image with a blue hue. They fuse technical elements with natural forms. Some lenses have a waterfall impression, while others are functional, lightweight and technical in appearance. The rear LED lamps, also with a blue hue, provide an unmistakable hybrid look.

Toyota logos on the car are also highlighted by a translucent blue hue. The satin chrome front grille, mirrors and rear boot-lid garnish add to the clean, crisp image.

The wheels are a combination of shear, overlayed surfaces and graphics.

The body colour is unique - a satin white pearl with subtle blue highlights to provide a serene, calm feeling. The paint allows intricate detailing and features to show through.

The interior uses contrasting coloured trim. Highlights of metallic blue have been applied asymmetrically to the seats in a wave-like graphic reminiscent of the Hybrid Synergy Drive logo.

The seat embossing echoes the exterior grille mesh with a tree bark-like pattern. White stitching adds a subtle, yet premium touch. Satin chrome accents tie in with the exterior and add to the tranquil environment.

Source
Nihoncar

Sunday Stories: Nissan GT-R by Shadow Sports Design

2009-03-01T00:56:00.001+07:00

Nissan GT-R by Shadow Sports Design

Shadow-SD released a full enhancement kit to improve our almighty Godzilla's performance. It includes a rear air diffuser and carbon fiber rear spoiler fitted and elevated for improved downforce.

Titanium exhaust pipe mufflers, racing seats fitted with harness, and a set of 20” forged magnesium wheels that save precious kg to for increased performance.

Source
Nihoncar

Yamaha X-V465 AV Amp

2009-02-28T01:42:00.000+07:00

X-V465, Yamaha’s latest AV Amp with HD Audio support

Here you are the AX-V465, a new AV Amp from Yamaha which support both 1080p Input and Output, HD Audio as well as being HDMI Link enabling you to control your Amp directly from your Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sharp, Mitsubishi or Sony remote control.
This is Amp is a 5.1ch and will be sold at the end of march for a price around 50000 Yen (400€)

Source

2009-02-26T22:44:00.000+07:00

Matrix PRO the latest 2 ways slide phone from Pantech

Pantech in Korea announced this morning a new WiMo 6.1 Standard Edition phone, the Matrix Pro. Made to be sold in the USA trough AT&T network, the Matrix PRO, a 3G HSDPA phone feature the basic GPS with AT&T Navigator solution, a 2Mpix Camera, Video Share, Bluetooth and a 2 way slide phone with your regular Keypad and a full QWERTY Keyboard…

Aside the WiMo 6.1 Standard, I would love to see a Pro version running on this little Matrix PRO, this Matrix PRO could be a nice little device to won if you are living in the US or A !

Source
Pantech

Asus Eee Top 1602

2009-02-25T22:37:00.000+07:00

Asus Eee Top 1602 With Touch Screen Now Japan Friendly

Asus Japan announced the future launch of their Eee Top 1602, an Eee PC desktop powered by an ATOM N270 (1.60GHz), 1 GB of RAM, Intel 945GSE Express and 160GB of HDD. It has a nice little 15.6” touchscreen LCD with a 1366x768 resolution, as well as a 1.3Mpix Camera and Wifi B/G/N.

The Eee Top 1602 is set to be around €545.
Source
Akihabaranews

Asian Babes fight of the Week !

2009-02-24T22:26:00.000+07:00

Asian Babes fight of the Week !

Hi everyone, here you are another fight between two gorgeous ladies, but first let’s check who own last week? And with 1236 participants, the winner was the cute little babe on the Left with 79% of votes, Anna Tsuchiya, which is in fact Russian Japanese. The other contestant was Leah Dizon (Chinese-Filipino French)

No today we have 2 new contenders for you… With Ai Cherie on the left (Chinese French born in L.A) and Seto Saki on the right (Japanese). If you need more, please feel free to check our gallery below.

So which one of these 2 beautiful babes won your heart this week end?

Source
Akihabaranews

Panasonic W8 Premium

2009-02-23T22:46:00.003+07:00

Panasonic W8 Premium edition powered by Intel X-25M SSD.

Panasonic notebooks, better known as Toughbook overseas, are among the most reliable and crap free notebooks available on the market, and today, Panasonic announced an update of its W8 Premium Edition line-up including a 80GB Intel X-25M SSD with a 250MB/sec in reading speed and 70MB/sec in writing speed.

On Top of that you will be able to choose between 3 different lid covers for your notebook between Black, Silver and Pink Splash.

Source
Akihabaranews