Digital Picture/Photo Frame market, meet Sony. Sony - meet the Digital Picture Frame market! Yup - Sony is now in market with the introduction of their new S-Frame product line which consists of the DPF-V900, DPF-V700, and DPF-D70.  These digital photo frames all have WVGA resolution (800 x 480) and come with 15:9 aspect ratios. These thin black frames come with an advanced image processor that scales and displays images up to 48 megapixels.  According to Ted Okada, Senior Vice President of Digital Imaging for Sony Electronics, the new S-Frame products get style and feature inspirations from “Cyber-shot cameras and BRAVIA LCD televisions.”

Common features for the three frames include:

• 10 slide show variations
• Clock view
• Calendar view
• Two index modes which allow you to preview several photos at once
• Programmable auto power on/off
• Manage remotely using an included controller
• Supports Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD, MMC, CF, Microdrive, and xD
• USB connection
• Supports JPEG and RAW (SRF, SR2, ARW)

The DPF-V700 features:

• 512MB of internal storage
• Auto-resizing option
• Bluetooth enabled
• Connect to Sony BRAVIA and other HDTV sets via HDMI cable sold separately
• Supports TIFF and BMP
• Features Sony’s Bionz processor with face detection technology for faster processing speeds and in-frame correction like focus enhancement, red eye corrections, and exposure adjustment
• MSRP of $190

The DPF-V900 features:

• 512MB of internal storage
• Auto-resizing option
• Bluetooth enabled
• Connect to Sony BRAVIA and other HDTV sets via HDMI cable sold separately
• Supports TIFF and BMP
• Features Sony’s Bionz processor with face detection technology for faster processing speeds and in-frame correction like focus enhancement, red eye corrections, and exposure adjustment
• MSRP of $250

The DPF-V70 features:

• 256MB of internal storage
• Auto-resizing option
• MSRP of $140

All three models will be coming out in March and will be available at SonyStyle.com

Technorati Tags: Sony, DPF-V900, PPF-V700, DPF-D70

I think this is just sheer genius in design. It’s called the “Jelly Click” but us normal folk like to think of this mouse as a “Blow-up Mouse”. The concept is pretty darn simple. When you need a mouse for your notebook or whatever PC, simply blow up the plastic body and presto! you’ve got yourself a mouse. Inside the soft plastic structure is a small flexible board housing all the circuitry you’ll need. Ah yes - the Jelly Click even floats in water.. how nice of them. The blow-up mouse, errr.. “Jelly Click” is designed by Designers Bongkun Shin, Heungkyo Seo, Jiwoong Hwang & Wooteik Lim.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Jelly Click, Blow-up Mouse

Those of you waiting for the new Apple TV software update will need to wait just a little bit longer. Apple announced yesterday that the update wasn’t quite finished as of yet. The free update will be available to existing Apple TV customers in another “week or two.”

The new Apple TV software update will allow users of Apple TV to directly purchase or rent content from iTunes on their Apple TV instead of using a PC or Mac. Users will be able to rent movies from a catalog of over 1000 titles by the end of February including 100 titles in HD format. DVD quality titles will be available for rent at $2.99 a library title and $3.99 for each new release title. HD versions will go for $3.99 for library titles and $4.99 for newly released titles. Content purchased and downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user’s computer.

In the meantime, Apple did announce that the newly introduced MacBook Air has begun to ship to customers.

[Check it out via News.com]

Technorati Tags: Apple TV delay, MacBook Air,

The folks at Digital Trends have published a review of the HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion here on their website. While technically a personal navigation device, the 310 can also be used to play back multimedia contact and store your Outlook contacts. Yet the real beauty to the 310 was the use of 3D maps while providing you the best route to a destination. Unfortunately Digital Trends gave the iPAQ 310 a 5 out of 10 citing the following:

We had a lot of problems testing the 310 Travel Companion; more problems than we’ve had with any other device in recent memory.

It’s definitely a different review than some of the other more positive reviews found on the net. Definitely take a look around to read the other reviews, but more importantly, try and play with the unit ahead of time to see if you like it yourself.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: HP, iPAQ 310 Travel Companion, Digital Trends, Review

Yes it’s time for YABUP - that’s “Yet Another Brando USB Product” in case you’re not familiar with the acronym (thank you, thank you.. I’m proud of that one!). In any event - the product in question is the Brando USB Aroma Radio + Speaker. You have to love Brando product names - they describe EXACTLY what the product does. It’s indeed an Aroma oil burner, AM/FM radio, as well as portable speaker system. You can easily connect an external audio device such as an iPod, or CD player to the Brando device and pipe music through the internal speakers - all while smelling the scented oil coming from the device. It even makes a cool psychedelic bed time light circulating seven different colors.

The feature summary is as follows:

• Built-in speaker
• AM/FM radio
• 7 color changing LED light
• Powered by USB port or batteries
• USB cord
• Measures 88 x 88 x 116 mm and weighs 124 grams.

You can buy the Brando USB Aroma Radio + Speaker for $30 bucks.

[Check it out via Pocket-Lint]

Technorati Tags: Brando, USB Aroma Radio Speaker, USB

Panasonic added a new model to their LUMIX FX-Series lineup of digital cameras today called the DMC-FX35. The model features a 10.1 megapixel resolution, Panasonic’s first ever 25mm ultra-wide lens, 4x optical zoom, Panasonic’s Advanced Intelligent Auto mode, a LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens, and a fourth generation Venus Engine image processor.

According to Panasonic, the new 25 mm lens on the DMC-FX35 allows consumers to capture images with “unprecedented width and depth”.

Other features of the new DMC-FX35 include:

• New unevenly thick concave meniscus EA (Extra high refractive index Aspherical) lens
• Lens consists of seven elements in six groups
• Advanced Intelligent Auto mode - Intelligent Exposure, Digital Red eye correction, MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent ISO, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection, Quick AF
• Fourth generation Venus Engine
• Shutter release time lag as short as 0.005 second
• Burst Shooting Mode - shoots 2.5 shots per second at full resolution
• High Speed Burst Shooting Mode - fires 6 shots per second
• 2.5 inch LCD screen
• View slideshows on the screen
• Intelligent LCD functionality - auto adjust brightness level of LCD
• Record 720p video
• SD memory card slot

The DMC-FX35 will be available in March in three colors - silver, black, and blue. The MSRP is $349.95.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Panasonic, LUMIX, DMC-FX35

Panasonic this week  launched a new compact line of digital cameras called the FS-Series. Anchoring the FS-Series is the new DMC-FS3 which comes with an 8.1 megapixel resolution, a f2.8 Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens, 3x optical zoom, and Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto Mode. The FS series also has the new DMC-FS20 and the DMC-FS5 digital cameras.

Features of the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FS3 include the following:

• Venus Engine IV - new image processing LSI
• New intelligent LCD which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level
• 2.5 inch LCD screen
• Panasonic Intelligent Auto Mode which is made up of five technologies - MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent ISO, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection, and Quick AF
• Title Edit function
• 50MB of internal memory
• Records WVGA (848 x 480) motion images at 30 fps in 16:9 aspect ratio

The DMC-FS3 will be available in blue, pink, green, silver, and black and will be coming out in February for $199.95.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Panasonic, LUMIX, DMC-FS3

I’m taking some editorial liberty here so please excuse me if this has utterly nothing to do with gadgets or consumer electronics!

Ready??

The Twins and the Mets have agreed in a trade to bring Johan Santana to the Mets in exchange for four prospects (which happens to pretty much dilute and deplete the Mets already thin farm system). The deal is currently pending on the Mets and Santana reaching an agreement on a six or seven year contract extension and also if Santana passes a physical. The Mets and Santana have a 48 to 72 hour window to make this happen.

The Mets have agreed to give up Carlos Gomez, and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey for Santana. Gomez is probably the one with the most promise.. and I certainly hope we never face the kid in the NL.

The Mets needed pitching (as made evident last year), and this certainly solidifies their starting rotation. Now.. they could use a bit more relief help but this could really tip the odds in favor of the Mets now for the NL East.

Thanks to Vivek for this tip.

Now back to our regular scheduled programming..

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Mets, Twins, Johan Satana, Carlos Gomez, Trade

PC Magazine has published a review of the Motorola RAZR2 V8 here on their website and they actually gave the phone an “Editor’s Choice” award. That’s bound to be some good news for Motorola which is suffering from poor mobile handset sales and falling in the charts. Here’s what you need to know about the RAZR2 V8 series (which is available at T-Mobile):

• Measures 2.1 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches and weighs 3.8oz
• 2.0 megapixel digital camera
• Integrated music player
• Stereo Bluetooth support
• Caller ID picture support
• IM support for AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, and ICQ
• Backlit screen and keyboard
• Battery strength indicator
• Video playback
• Voice Activated Dialing support

Here’s what PC Magazine had to say about the phone:

The Motorola RAZR2 V8 is the apotheosis of the voice phone. It’s as good as it gets for making calls on a GSM network, but the unit falls short as a pocket computer.

You can buy the RAZR2 V8 for $199 after an instant rebate and a mail-in rebate at T-Mobile (we assume a 2 year subscription is needed too)

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Motorola RAZR2 V8, PC Magazine, Review

AVING is reporting that Sharp plans on launching a new 120Hz 1080p LCD lineup in Japan called the AQUOS E Series. The new sets will have resolutions of 1920 x 1080, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 176 degree viewing angles, and 450 cd/m2 brightness.

The E series will come in four display sizes - 37 inch, 42 inch, 46 inch, and 52 inch. No word on pricing but these displays should be coming out in March.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sharp, AQUOS E Series, HDTV, LCD