Hasta La Gadget!

Panasonic already rolled out the red carpet to issue a gaggle of new cameras, but now it’s time to tickle the fancy of those who prefer full motion video. The company is introducing a metric ton (we checked, trust us) of new camcorders here at CES in Las Vegas, so we’ll be giving you the highlights just below. For those that yearn for more, the press releases can be peeked in full after the break.

• Panny’s “full roster” of Full HD camcorders includes a half-dozen newcomers: the HDC-SD40, HDC-TM40, HDC-HS80, HDC-TM80, HDC-TM90 and HDC-SD9, all of which are stacked with a 1MOS sensor capable of capturing clips at 1920 x 1080. The SD90 and TM90 are even capable of shooting at 1080/60p, and if you toss on the optional CW-CLT1, you’ll instantly gain the ability to record in 3D. The whole lot is designed to handle low-light scenarios like a champ, and the each feature a 28m wide-angle lens. The aforementioned power duo also have a 40x intelligent zoom, and we’re told that these can withstand up to 135 minutes of continuous recording before the battery keels over. A select few also feature touch-screen operation, but absolutely none of them have a price or release date just yet.
• What’s better than 1MOS? 3MOS, naturally. The HDC-TM900, HDC-HS900 and HDC-SD800 are also making their debut here in the desert, with 1080/60p recording, support for capturing 3D (when using the CLT1 conversion lens) and a manual ring on the TM900 and HS900. Those two also tout a 20x zoom and a 3.5-inch touchpanel, and Panny claims that these guys are good enough to handle “professional-level video shooting.” The whole bunch can record to SDXC / SDHC / SD cards, while the TM900 adds 32GB of internal memory. You’ll also find an optical image stabilizer, a Crystal Engine Pro processor and an Eco-Mode function on all three, while the TM900 and HS900 get gifted with five internal microphones for 5.1 recording. Per usual, your guess is as good as ours when it comes to a price and release.
• Bringing up the rear are a handful of SD camcorders — the SDR-H100, the SDR-T70 and the SDR-S70 — all of which are on the lean side and boast a 78x zoomer. These three offer a 33mm wide-angle lens, optical image stabilization and an Active mode, the latter of which helps to reduce blur when zooming. The group stores clips on SDXC / SDHC / SD, but the H100 also has an 80GB hard drive and the T70 a 4GB slab of flash memory. All three will be available in March, but pricing won’t be determined until sometime next month.

Continue reading Panasonic’s CES 2011 camcorder launch: 3D, HD, 3MOS and 1MOS all present

Panasonic’s CES 2011 camcorder launch: 3D, HD, 3MOS and 1MOS all present originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It ain’t Photokina, and it ain’t PMA, but darn if the cameras aren’t rolling out left and right here at the 2011 edition of CES. This evening, it’s Panasonic’s turn, and we’ve got four new Lumix point-and-shoots to discuss in more detail below:

• For starters, we’ve got a pair of newcomers to the Lumix FH series, the FH5 and FH2. Both of these are sporting sleek, svelte exteriors, with the DMC-FH5 nabbing a 16 megapixel sensor and the DMC-FH2 stepping down to 14 megapixels. Both of ’em feature a newly-developed retractable 28mm wide-angle lens, a 4x optical zoom and a 720p movie mode. You’ll also find a newly-incorporated Venue Engine VI, which hastens startup and overall reaction times. Mega optical image stabilization, face detection and an intelligent scene selector are all included, as is the Lumix Image Uploader to get your shots up onto the web, STAT. Pricing on this duo is expected at a later date, though we are told that the FH5 will ship in silver, violet, black and gold, while the FH2 dons black, red, pink and blue outfits.
• Looking for something with a bit more pizazz? The ultrathin FP series is growing by two today as well, with the 16.1 megapixel DMC-FP7 and 14.1 megapixel DMC-FP5 offering up a sexy exterior, 4x optical zoom and a 720p movie mode. The FP7 goes with a mirror-like finish, while the FP5 sticks with matte. The FP7 (shown above) also has a nicer-than-average rear, with a 3.5-inch LCD; the FP5 steps it down ever-so-slightly to a 3.0-incher. Both models include Smart Touch Screens that enable shooters to tweak lots of settings within hitting a single physical button, and the FP7 goes one step further by offering one-touch re-touching. The duo also incorporates Panny’s Venus Engine VI, mega optical image stabilization, face detection, an intelligent scene selector and a dedicated iA button. Pricing remains a mystery for these as well, but you can decide between red, blue and black on the FP7 or black, pink, silver and blue on the FP5.

Continue reading Panasonic debuts Lumix FP5, FP7, FH5 and FH2 ultraslim compact cameras

Panasonic debuts Lumix FP5, FP7, FH5 and FH2 ultraslim compact cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS – Hyundai Blue Link, a telematics service announced today, matches and raises the competition with three telematics packages with an embedded cellular data modems, like GM OnStar. The cheapest level with crash notification and roadside assistance, is expected to be about $100 a year.. If so, that halves the cost of the competition. Higher levels include remote start and stolen vehicle location, and turn by turn navigation even on cars without embedded navigation.

To say that Samsung had an unforgettable day here at CES would be understating things dramatically. The company has introduced dozens upon dozens of new products, and now it’s dishing out a few more before letting everyone else grapple for a share of the limelight. On deck? A handful of new camcorders. The SMX-F50 ($199) / F53 ($249) / F54 ($299) is the latest in the outfit’s family of SD camcorders, offering a 65x intelligent zoom, 720x x 480 (60i) recording capabilities and your choice of black, silver, red and blue hues.

The HMX-H300 ($399) is being hailed as the “ultimate HD family camcorder,” offering a three-inch touchpanel, 30x optical zoom, a battery that lasts up to three hours, optical image stabilization and the ability to capture clips at 1920 x 1080 (60i) / 1280 x 720 (60p). Lastly, the HMX-P300 ($199) and HMX-P100($149) both record to microSD / microSDHC, with the primary difference being the sensor — the P300 gets an eight megapixel CMOS sensor and a 3x optical zoom, while the P100 goes with a five megapixel CMOS sensor and a 1x zoom. More details on the whole lot await you after the break.

Continue reading Samsung intros HMX-H300, SMX-F50, HMX-P300 and HMX-P100 camcorders

Samsung intros HMX-H300, SMX-F50, HMX-P300 and HMX-P100 camcorders originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair is sending out another raiding party into gaming audio waters today with the introduction of its very first set of speakers, the SP2500. Priced at $249 and boasting 232 watts of floor-shaking power, this jumbo 2.1 package is an unabashed play for PC gamers’ hearts. We’ve spent some quality time with the SP2500s hooked up to our own desktop and can tell you that the company’s boasts about these speakers’ full volume range being usable is no lie. They’re basically designed to be loud … really, really loud. Check out the gallery to see just how massive they are and hop, skip, jump, or leap past the break for our fuller impressions. Spoiler: we’ll be discussing loudness a lot.

Additionally, lest your wallet’s not padded enough or your aural needs not quite so extreme, today sees the debut of Corsair’s more modest SP2200 2.1 set for $99 alongside the introduction of an HS1A gaming headset, the latter being an almost carbon copy of the well received HS1 from last year, save for the replacement of the USB connector with a more conventional analog one.

Continue reading Corsair SP2500 review

Corsair SP2500 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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