Hasta La Gadget!

After the new PS3s had their moment in the spotlight at Sony’s pre-TGS press event, the company also announced color variants for the PS Vita. We weren’t able to fondle the pair just yet, the key difference is quite obvious: “cosmic red” and “sapphire blue” exteriors. Both of the new models share the same glossy coating as the original model, so they’re sure to attract your fingerprints. These two round out the paint schemes at four when you include the “crystal white” version that’s already been unveiled. While we snag a spot in line for a hands-on at the Sony booth, take a peek at the gallery that follows for a quick look at the duo.

Filed under: Gaming

Sony’s PlayStation Vita gets a blue and red-hued makeover, we take a closer look (eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 02:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Polaroid may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of adventure-friendly video cams — Contour and GoPro own that space, with Sony now making a heavy push of its own — but the insta-film maker turned camera manufacturer now has a rugged lineup of its own. First off the assembly line is the XS7, a $69 cam that packs a waterproof housing (rated to 10 meters), 720p video capture and a 2-inch touchscreen. This model is as entry level as they come, and Polaroid reps said to expect to see it in stores like Toys ‘R’ Us. If you’re slightly more serious about image quality, you might opt for the XS20, which packs a “professional” CMOS sensor, 720p shooting, a waterproof housing (20 meters) and a battery that’s rated for up to 3 hours of use. It also includes a fixed lens with a 120-degree viewing angle that’s surrounded by eight LCDs, for shooting in the dark. Finally, The XS100 is what you might consider to be Polaroid’s flagship, with support for 1080p video, an adjustable frame rate, a 170-degree lens, an orientation sensor for auto rotation and a $200 price tag. All three cameras use microSD cards, but the XS100 also includes 32MB of internal storage, letting you store a small collection of 5-megapixel stills.

The sports-shooting trio may not blow you away spec-wise, and we also weren’t floored by the design, but they weren’t created to lead the market from a performance perspective — Polaroid is playing up the cost angle here, and we don’t blame them. Based on our quick test of the XS7, image quality was passable, but you’re not going to want to use it for close-up shots as we did here. Even with the underwater housing removed, frames were either under or overexposed, generally unsharp and audio wasn’t terribly clear. It’s worth noting that we played with a pre-production sample, that’ll run you just shy of $70 when it does hit stores. That said, if quality is key and you don’t mind dropping a few hundred bucks, you’ll probably be happier with a more established model. Because we’re at a photo show and Polaroid was generous enough to let us take the XS7 for a spin, we figured there’s no better way to demonstrate this camera’s capabilities by using it to film our hands-on — you’ll find that video tour just past the break.

Continue reading Polaroid XS7, XS20 and XS100 Sports Cameras run $69 and up, we snap away at Photokina (sample video)

Filed under: Cameras

Polaroid XS7, XS20 and XS100 Sports Cameras run $69 and up, we snap away at Photokina (sample video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guitarists and Bassists have many tools at their disposal for practicing fresh news licks without disturbing others around them. One of our favorites is Vox’s AmPlug — a guitar amp-modeling dongle that plugs into your instrument’s 1/4-inch jack, allowing you to connect headphones and an MP3 player to practice privately. Building on the idea, Vox worked with Audio-Technica to simply embed the AmPlug in a new line of headphones, dubbing them Amphones. The company quietly put the cans up on its site recently, and it’s now officially ready to shout out loud about them.

Guitarists can choose from AC-30 (British crunch), Lead (hi-gain) and Twin (clean) variants, and bassists can snag the Bass version, which is based on Vox’s AC100. Just like the AmPlug, each Amphone features volume dials — sadly, these don’t go to 11 — for setting gain, volume and tone, along with a fourth for a built-in effect (compression for the Bass and reverb with the AC30, for example). A duo of triple AAs power the cans and, as you’d expect, the ‘phones have a 3.5mm jack for hooking in external sources as well as a 1/4 adapter to plug into your axe. These Vox-styled units will be available in the US sometime in October for $100 a pop (double the cost of an AmPlug). Hungering for more already? We were able to give a pre-production version of the AC30 model a brief run, and you’ll find our initial impressions after the break.

Continue reading Vox jams guitar amps into Audio-Technica headphones, dubs them Amphones (ears-on)

Filed under: Misc, Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

Vox jams guitar amps into Audio-Technica headphones, dubs them Amphones (ears-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Lunar has landed — at Photokina, at least. Hasselblad was showing off a slew of different designs for the forthcoming camera — and while we were told that its still in prototype mode (both from company reps and signage on the device itself), the camera seemed to be in mostly working order. The first thing you’ll notice, once you get past the space-age design, is the fact that the camera really does feel like a rebranded Sony NEX device slipped into a new shell, and as such, it takes those Sony e-mount lenses. And on the back, you’ll find that similar collapsible display.

That said, it really does feel quite nice in the hand — the device we played with had a leathery grip — there are a number of carbon fiber and wood options available, as well. All of this is punctuated by a metal top with large metallic knobs, and inside you’ll find an APS-C 24.3 megapixel sensor. The Lunar will start at €5,000 when it launches in Q1 of next year. And in case that’s not rich enough for your blood, you can tack a “significant” amount onto that by getting the models decked out in pricier materials.

Filed under: Cameras

Hasselblad Lunar mirrorless camera hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yep, one more Leica camera to tell you about from this year’s Photokina show floor. It’s the V-Lux 4 — a big new superzoom addition to the company’s line. Though its got a similar name to the V-Lux 40, the camera’s body is a good deal larger — closer in size and shape to a small DSLR, but still reasonably lightweight. As with the smaller model, the V-Lux 4 features an all black design, with a bright red Leica logo on the front — in this case, just next to the curving textured handle. Also on top is a pop-out flash that you trigger with a devoted button.

The V-Lux 4 is capable of continuous f2.8 zoom, accessible via two buttons — one on top and the other next to the lens. Also on the rear, you get two viewfinders — optical on top and a swiveling electronic three-inch display. The camera is available now in Europe for a pricey €699.

Continue reading Leica V-Lux 4 superzoom hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cameras

Leica V-Lux 4 superzoom hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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