Hasta La Gadget!

You know what they say, right? You can never have too many fitness trackers. After coming out with two health monitors back in September, Fitbit is back with a third product, the Flex — a waterproof wristband seemingly designed to compete with the Jawbone Up. (In PR speak: “Fitbit understands that one tracker does not fit all.”) Like other Fitbit devices, it counts calories, steps taken and distance covered (but not flights climbed). It then automatically sends that data to a personalized website over Bluetooth. You can record your food intake, too, but you’ll have to do it manually using either the website or one of the company’s mobile apps.

The Flex tracks your sleep quality as well, but the approach here differs from other Fitbit products: whereas the Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip have a key you can press to enter sleep mode, the Flex has no buttons at all, so your only recourse for logging sleep is to use the app or website. We have to say, that sounds like a bit like a case of form over function: the Up can detect when you’re sleeping, as can the pricey new Basis band. The good news is that the battery life seems decent: Fitbit says the Flex can last between five and seven days on a charge, and that’s despite having a Bluetooth 4.0 radio inside. For comparison’s sake, the Jawbone up is rated for up to 10 days but then again, you have to plug it in every time you want to sync, and the cap covering the charging piece is easy to lose. So, that’s something to keep in mind. In any case, if you prefer the wristband form factor and want something less expensive than the Up, the Flex costs $100 and is up for pre-order today, with shipments expected to begin sometime in the Spring.

Filed under: Wearables

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Were you betting Canon would announce a few WiFi-enabled cameras at CES this year? Ding ding ding — you’re a winner! Fork over 200 bucks and claim your prize. The company’s latest ELPH may be tiny, but it still packs all of the banner features you’d expect in 2013. On the wireless front, you’ll have the ability to create an ad-hoc network for booting stills and videos directly to connected computers, tablets or smartphones. There’s also compatibility with Canon’s CameraWindow app (for Android and iOS), along with the ability to add comments to images that you choose to upload to Twitter or send via email. You can also upload shots to Facebook, with control over where the images show up on the site.

As far as hardware is concerned, there’s a 16-megapixel sensor, a DIGIC 4 processor and an 8x optically stabilized zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle position and a maximum aperture range of f/3.2-6.9. You also get a 3-inch, 461k-dot LCD with the same Eco mode offered with other models in the company’s 2013 lineup, which serves to power down the display after eight seconds of inactivity, providing an up to 30-percent boost in battery life — simply press any button on the camera to wake it back up instantly. There’s Intelligent IS, HD video capture and the same Smart Auto mode (and scene modes) offered with previous models. Canon’s planning to release the ELPH 130IS with a $200 sticker price — you can expect it to hit stores beginning next month.

Continue reading Canon PowerShot ELPH 130IS brings WiFi to the company’s high-end point-and-shoot line

Filed under: Cameras, Canon

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SanDisk is coming to CES with the aim of democratizing solid-state drives, and its new Ultra Plus (X110 for PC builders) just might do the trick. The 2.5-inch drive (not yet pictured here) musters 530MB/s peak read speeds and 445MB/s writes, like many higher-end SSDs, but promises to ditch some of the premium we commonly associate with that breakneck pace. The 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities on offer will cost just $75, $110 and $220 — low enough that we could see them easily slotting in as a fast boot drive or a full-fledged replacement in a laptop. Anyone looking for a quick storage pick-me-up should already find the Ultra Plus waiting at Amazon, Microcenter and Newegg.

Continue reading SanDisk releases Ultra Plus and X110 SSDs with speed on a budget

Filed under: Storage

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Source: SanDisk

Xpal’s SpareOne disaster-ready cellphone was one of the most intriguing devices we saw at last year’s CES. Using a huge capacitor, the stripped-down GSM handset promised a 15-year battery life from the charge of a single AA Energizer battery. While the call quality was basic, it could certainly be the sort of unit that you could stow in a first aid kit or car trunk for emergencies. Now the company has returned with the SpareOnePlus, which adds location-based data, readable with a smartphone app, which is good for keeping track of your loved ones on the go. Xpal has also tried to address one of our biggest gripes with the original by adding audio feedback, reading out the number that you’re dialing and telling you who’s calling — although we’re still wondering why they couldn’t stretch to a screen. Bundled in the package is also a waterproof bag that promises to keep your essentials dry for 30 minutes under one meter of water. The only sting in this tail is that this extra technology (and bag) comes at a price — which has increased from $50 to $99 and is expected to be available “early 2013.”

Continue reading SpareOnePlus adds location tracking, audio alerts, keeps the 15-year life on a single AA battery eyes-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Every member of a company’s CES lineup can’t be a blockbuster — that’s certainly the case with this duo of mid-range Canon PowerShots. The A2600 and A1400 are fine point-and-shoots, sure, but they’re destined for the bags of beginner shooters, with modest feature sets and price points to match. The A2600, which replaces last year’s A2400, is the pricer of the two models, ringing in at $150 with a 16-megapixel CCD sensor, a 5x 28mm zoom lens with a maximum aperture range of f/2.8-6.9, along with a 3-inch, 230k-dot LCD. It can shoot 720p HD video and includes a Smart Auto mode for basic users, along with a new Eco mode, which dims the display after two seconds, powers it off completely after eight seconds, and jumps back to life with a single button press — all in the name of an up to 30-percent boost in battery life.

The $100 A1400 looks nearly identical to 2012’s A1300, but adds in the imaging and power features outlined above. Spec-wise, the biggest difference between the A1400 and A2600 is the substitution of twin AA batteries for the latter camera’s rechargeable cell. While manufacturers often boast about the flexibility of an AA-powered camera, considering that you can purchase these batteries anywhere on the globe, such a solution ultimately cuts back on Canon’s expenses while potentially becoming quite pricey and inconvenient for the camera’s owner. So, don’t forget to factor in those double-As when it comes time to pull the trigger. Both PowerShot models are expected to hit stores next month, with the A2600 retailing for $150 and the A1400 running you about 100 bucks.

Continue reading Canon PowerShot A2600 and A1400 offer modest feature bumps, little incentive to upgrade

Filed under: Cameras, Canon

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