Cooleo's list of cool gadgets

[cooleo]

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With a dramatic downsizing from the predecessor, the DMC-GF2 features an outstanding compactness and ease of operation while pursuing high image quality.
The DMC-GF2 is dramatically reduced approx. 19% in size and approx. 7% in weight compared with the predecessor DMC-GF1 to make the body world’s smallest and lightest*. It is made possible by various innovative approaches including the downsizing of mount unit and a reduced number of internal parts by integrating electrical circuits. The DMC-GF2 is equipped with a built-in flash which adopts new pop-up mechanism to prevent vignetting effect due to short distance between the flash unit to the interchangeable lens. Even step-up users will not be bewildered by the absence of the flash which has been taken for granted with compact cameras. The use of flash expands the photographic opportunity in shooting people at nighttime or indoors.
The operation is extremely easy to understand for any level of users with the touch control and the new GUI (Graphic User Interface) designed for the DMC-GF2. Together with the simple button components including the dedicated buttons for movie recording and iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode which lights in use, you can operate the camera intuitively with ease.

* For an interchangeable lens system camera with a built-in flash as of November 4, 2010.

[IMG]http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gf2/img/small_light/smallest_image02.jpg

By using the Micro Four Thirds System standard and developing a camera body that eliminates the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit, the DMC-GF2 was able to achieve a dramatic reduction in both size and weight, compared with conventional digital SLR cameras. In addition, compared with the DMC-GF1, it reduced approx. 19% in size and approx. 7% in weight.

To elevate its operability even higher, the DMC-GF2 adopts touch-control shooting. The auto focus is immediately set to the subject by just touching it on the large, 460,000-dot LCD. You can also operate the auto focus and shutter release at the same time with just a touch, for a completely new way to shoot.

In iA Mode and the My Color Mode, the range of defocus can be adjusted by just moving the slider with your finger. This makes it easy to achieve the soft focus effect that is one of the features of an interchangeable lens system camera.

The main appeal of an interchangeable lens system camera is the ability to achieve a wider range of expression by changing the lens. In addition to this, the LUMIX G lenses and LEICA DG lens based on the Micro Four Thirds System standard are compact and lightweight. They combine with the DMC-GF2 to create a highly compact interchangeable lens camera system, and they further extend your expressive capabilities with shots that range from ultra-wide angle to telephoto and fisheye. The optional DMW-MA1, DMW-MA2M and DMW-MA3R mount adaptors expand the number of applicable lenses even more.

There are always two options to record spur-of-the-moment scenes – high-quality photos or movies. You can simply choose the one that saves precious memories most beautifully with the DMC-GF2. The AVCHD format features almost twice the recording time in HD quality than the conventional Motion JPEG. A special, dedicated button on the top lets you instantly start recording movies while shooting photos without any having to make any extra settings. Now the DMC-GF2 can record high-resolution full HD 1,920 x 1,080 movies despite its slim, stylish body.
In addition, the DMC-GF2 features advanced Intelligent Resolution technology. Rather than uniformly enhanced sharpness, advanced Intelligent Resolution precisely optimizes signal processing to give the entire image outstandingly natural clarity and fine detail. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in movies as well as in photos.

In spite of its compact size, the DMC-GF2 comes equipped with a built-in flash, a light intensity that is equivalent to GN6. The DMC-GF2 adopts new pop-up mechanism to prevent vignetting effect due to short distance between the flash unit to the interchangeable lens. Even step-up users will not be bewildered by the absence of the flash which has been taken for granted with compact cameras. The use of flash expands the photographic opportunity in shooting people at nighttime or indoors.

 

[cooleo]

RIM introduces PlayBook -- the BlackBerry tablet

Today at Research In Motion's annual BlackBerry Developer Conference, CEO Mike Lazaridis announced the company's new tablet -- the PlayBook. The tablet will utilize an OS created by the recently acquired QNX (just as we'd heard previous to the announcement) called the BlackBerry Tablet OS which will offer full OpenGL and POSIX support alongside web standards such as HTML5 (which is all tied into RIM's new WebWorks SDK). Lazaridis was joined on stage by the company's founder, Dan Dodge, who said that "QNX is going to enable things that you have never seen before," and added that the PlayBook would be "an incredible gaming platform for publishers and the players." RIM also touted the PlayBook's ability to handle Flash content via Flash 10.1, as well as Adobe AIR apps. The new slate -- which Lazaridis described as "the first professional tablet" -- will sport a 7-inch, 1024 x 600, capacitive multitouch display, a Cortex A9-based, dual-core 1GHz CPU (the company calls it the "fastest tablet ever"), 1GB of RAM, and a 3 megapixel front-facing camera along with a 5 megapixel rear lens (and yes, there will be video conferencing). There was no mention of onboard storage capacity during the keynote, though the devices we just spied in our eyes-on post are labeled 16GB and 32GB on their back panels. The PlayBook will be capable of 1080p HD video, and comes equipped with an HDMI port as well as a microUSB jack, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1. The device clocks in at a svelte 5.1- by 7.6-inches, is only 0.4-inches thick, and weighs just 400g (or about 0.9 pounds).

In terms of interface, the OS looks like a mashup of webOS and the BlackBerry OS, even allowing for multitasking via what amounts to a "card" view. Interestingly, RIM and QNX boasted of the PlayBook's multimedia and gaming functions, but Mike Lazaridis also described the tablet as "an amplified view of what's already on your BlackBerry." That's due largely in part to a function of the tablet which allows you to siphon data off of your BlackBerry handset via Bluetooth tethering and display it on your PlayBook (a la the ill-fated Palm Foleo). While the PlayBook doesn't seem to rely on phone content alone, the press release from the company says that users can "use their tablet and smartphone interchangeably without worrying about syncing or duplicating data." RIM didn't hand out any solid launch dates beyond "early 2011," and of course, there was no mention of retail price. We've got a slew of content after the break, including the PlayBook spec rundown, the company's press release, and a full video of the device (and UI) in action -- so take a look!

 

[singveld]

hello kitty chainsaw

 

[singveld]

Lego mini fig clock

 

[Ramseth]

Re: hello kitty chainsaw

This is the coolest gadget of the month, as popularised in Downtown East.

 

[singveld]

usb hubs