Sony DCR-DVD201 Handycam

Sony DCR-DVD101 Handycam, the Sony DCR-DVD201 Handycam's new design is smaller and lighter than last year's model, the DCR-DVD100. For just $100 more than the DVD101, however, the DVD201 is a much better camcorder, producing quite good video and taking much better stills. It's our Editors' Choice for DVD camcorders.

The DVD201 has the same 3.2- to 32-mm Carl Zeiss 10X optical zoom lens as the DVD101, though its 1/5-inch (690,000 effective pixels) CCD is slightly larger. The controls and design are the same.

The quality was on par with most of the DV camcorders we've looked at, though it fell short of the Canon Optura 400, the best DV camcorder in this roundup. Dynamic range and exposure remain similar to that of the DVD101, and it was still hard to determine detail in shadows, but the overall image appeared sharper and in better focus than the DVD101's output. On the other hand, this sharper video made artifacts more visible on the DVD201. Our low-light test video on auto settings revealed a dark but less noisy picture. The DVD201 has the same infrared capabilities as the DVD101.

In our high-action scene, autofocus performed quite well, maybe even a bit better than that of the Canon Optura 400. Some motion artifacts showed up in the form of jagged edges, due to the MPEG compression, but they weren't much of a disturbance. Video of our Gretag-Macbeth color chart revealed realistic colors that were more saturated and vibrant than those shot by the DVD101, though the grayscale remained a tad warm. Detail was crisp and sharp with no anomalies when we viewed our recorded video segments through a set-top DVD player on a TV.

This unit's still-image capture quality is a vast improvement on the DVD101's. The DVD201's pixel-transition ratio averaged 6 percent—generally considered unacceptable in a still camera, but fine for e-mailing and printing in small formats for posting on the fridge. Our resolution results, however, averaged a quite decent 525 lines. The daylight still-life capture was a bit soft overall, with some jagged edges. The exposure and colors were fine, but we detected some graininess in the shadows. The camcorder has no built-in flash, though you can use the hot shoe to attach an external flash.

This DVD camcorder can't quite match the video quality of the Optura 400, but there's no denying the appeal of shooting straight to DVD. If that simple-to-use format is the way you want to go, this camcorder is the one we recommend.

Sony HDR-HC3 HDV 1080i Handycam

Sony's HDR-HC3 sets the bar very high, letting consumers film home movies in stunning HD quality.

Pros
Incredible video quality. Excellent sound. Performs well in extreme lighting scenarios.

Cons
No included software. Instructions should feature more about the benefits and details of high-definition video. Menus are still not very clear. Cheaper than its predecessor, but still pricey.

Spec Data

Weight: 1.2 lb
LCD size: 2.7 inches
CCD Resolution: 2.1 megapixels
CCDType: Single CMOS Chip
Video Recording Format: DV Tape
Still Image Recording Format: Memory Stick Duo type / MB
Battery Life: 55 Min
Optical Zoom: 10 times (X)
Image Stabilization: Digital
Focal Length (Wide): 5.1 mm
Focal Length (Telephoto): 51 mm

Source : http://www.pcmag.com/

BluOnyx Digital Campfire For Phones, PMPs

One of the many problems with using a cellphone as your sole media device is the lack of storage space. A one or two gigabyte SD card just doesn't hold enough music or movies to be used as a full-time mobile entertainment center. Enter the BluOnyx Mobile Content Server. With USB, SD, and upcoming Wi-Fi, BluOnyx allows you to stream data to your cellphones for on-the-fly playback, just like the data was on the device. The Digital Campfire holds anywhere from 1GB to 40GB of data, which can be streamed to any nearby device as long as it's been authenticated. The price will range from $99 to $250, and it seems like an interesting solution for carrying around with you on your commute. Quite useless for us, however, seeing as our commute consists of getting from our bed to our desk, with a slight detour to drop off some goods at the bathroom.

Product Site

Apple iPhone

It seems like Kevin Rose isn't the only person with "insider" knowledge of the iPhone. Morgan Stanley analyst, Rebecca Runkle, has come forth with further details on the infamous phone. (How she got the info is anyone's guess). Unlike Rose, Runkle says the phone will cost $599 for the 4GB model and a whopping $649 for the 8GB version. She also claims it'll be wider than an iPod Nano, but narrower than the 5G iPod. It'll have a nice 3.5-inch display and will come in multi-colored aluminum shells like the Nano. As always, I'd take the news with a grain of salt. I especially hope she's wrong about the pricing

LG Choclate Bar MP3 Player

LG has some of the hottest phones on the market currently with the Chocolate line and they are looking to cash in on those not willing to replace a phone, but want a cool MP3 player to go with an existing phone. To try and grab these buyers LG has introduced the LG UP3Flat Chocolate MP3 player. About the size of an iPod Shuffle, the LG device is feature packed and has full featured controls and voice recording. Battery life is ten hours and capacities include 512 MB, 1GB and 2GB sizes. The silver buttons you see in the image are the actual navigation buttons and the red are LED's that illuminate when the buttons are pushed. The player connects to your PC via USB, but the cool part is that the UDB cable retracts into the player so it is always with you.

Minox Armband Keeps You from Baking in the Sun

Worried about frying in the sun? The Minox Armband helps you monitor your sun exposure so you know when it’s the right time to seek shade.

We all know spending too much time in the sun is a bad thing, so the last thing we want is a gadget to nag us about it. Yet that's pretty much what the Suntimer does. When it senses you've gotten your fair share of UV rays, it sounds an alarm to tell you to head indoors. Maybe if it had some extra features we'd consider strapping one on, but we'll stick with the sunblock for now. And besides, we prefer our skin like we prefer our chicken. Extra cripsy

Source : Minox Suntimer

iPod

iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer and launched in 2001. Devices in the iPod range are primarily music players, designed around a central scroll wheel — although the iPod shuffle has buttons only. The full-sized model stores media on an internal hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. The random-play capability of the iPod shuffle is reflected in its name. Like many digital audio players, iPods can also serve as external data storage devices. Apple focussed its development on the iPod's unique user interface and its ease of use, rather than on technical capability.

As of October 2005, the lineup consists of the video-capable fifth generation iPod; the smaller iPod nano; and the display-less iPod shuffle. These models were updated in September 2006.
The bundled software used for transferring music is called iTunes. As a jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of music on the user's computer and can play, burn, and rip music from a CD. It can also sync photos and videos.

The iPod is currently the world's best-selling range of digital audio players and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions have, however, led to criticism and legal battles.