Panasonic intros Lumix DMC-S3, DMC-S1, DMC-FH25 and DMC-FH27 compact cameras

More Lumix goodness? You betcha. Hot on the heels of Panasonic’s CES unveiling of the FP5, FP7, FH5 and FH2 ultraslim compact camera comes this: even more Lumix compacts. Per usual, we’ll tell you exactly what you need to know below, and those hungry for more can peek the full releases after the break.

  • Up first we have two new folks joining the S series: the DMC-S3 and DMC-S1. Both of these are designed for up-and-comers looking for ease of use, with the S3 having a 14.1 megapixel sensor and the S1 dipping to a 12.1 megapixel sensor. Both of ’em tout a 720p movie mode, refreshed designs and a 4x optical zoom lens. Panny admits that they’re both “entry-level,” though you’ll still find optical image stabilization, face detection, an intelligent scene selector and the Venus Engine VI image processor. There’s a 2.7-inch LCD on the rear of each unit, and while the S3 will ship in blue, red, black and violet, the S1 will arrive in black, gold, blue, pink and silver. Mum’s the word on a price and release date, sadly.
  • The DMC-FH27 and DMC-FH25 point-and-shoots are both aimed at the fashionistas in the crowd, with the pair touting a 16.1 megapixel sensor, 8x optical zoom lens and a 720p movie mode. There’s also an advanced Intelligent Auto mode for those who detest fiddling with settings, and the Venus Engine VI image processor promises to speed up just about everything dealing with operation. Face detection, optical image stabilization and an intelligent scene selector are all present, though the FH27’s 3-inch rear LCD one-ups the 2.7-inch panel that’s on the FH25. Per usual, Panny’s keeping its trap shut when it comes to a price and release date.

Continue reading Panasonic intros Lumix DMC-S3, DMC-S1, DMC-FH25 and DMC-FH27 compact cameras

Panasonic intros Lumix DMC-S3, DMC-S1, DMC-FH25 and DMC-FH27 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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Panasonic debuts Lumix FP5, FP7, FH5 and FH2 ultraslim compact cameras

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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Cisco announces Videoscape IPTV platform and products

As expected, Cisco held a quick CES presser today to launch its connected TV initiative, which it’s calling Videoscape. It’s pretty ambitious stuff — Cisco’s goal isn’t to kick out a single consumer-focused set-top box, but rather to build out an entire video network architecture in conjunction with service providers that allows customers to view any authorized content on any device on any network. That means that in addition to the actual Videoscape set-top box for your TV, there will also be apps for everything from Android and iOS to game consoles and Macs and PCs — in the end, Cisco thinks your standard premium cable subscription will serve content everywhere, negating the need for supplemental services like Hulu and Netflix. There’s also a Videoscape Media Gateway that can serve up local content across all your devices — the company demoed sharing a quick Flip video with family members just by plugging the camera into the Gateway.

Obviously rebuilding entire cable systems around pervasive content delivery won’t be easy — Cisco says “video is the new voice” when it comes to disruptive industry shifts — and the only partner announced today is Telstra. To really gain momentum the company will have to sell its vision to huge companies like Comcast and Time Warner, who are already working on their own projects. We’ll see what happens — it makes sense for a networking provider like Cisco to take this sort of end-to-end approach, but there’s a lot of action in this space right now, and we don’t think anyone has the luxury of time.

Cisco announces Videoscape IPTV platform and products originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s CES 2011 camera lineup: DualView ST700, PL170 and PL120 / WB210 and PL210

Samsung, taking it easy at CES? Not a chance. Hot on the heels of a smorgasbord of new HD gear comes a five-pack of new cameras. Three of ’em are situated in the company’s growing DualView line, which places a display on the front that makes self-portraits entirely easier to snap. The ST700 point-and-shoot includes a 16.1 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, dual image stabilization, a 3-inch touchscreen on the rear, a 1.8-inch screen on the front, 720p movie mode, an ISO range that tops out at 3200 and a $279.99 retail price. The PL170 ($199.99) is also equipped with a 16.1 megapixel sensor and a 5x optical zoom, but the screen on the front is stepped down to 1.5-inches and the feature set is scaled back. The PL120 is the lowest-end of the new DualViews, with a downsized 2.7-inch rear LCD and a $149.99 price point.

In related news, the WB210 (shown above) and PL210 are also debuting today, with the former touting a 12x zoom lens, a 22.4mm thick body and a 14 megapixel sensor. The PL210 goes with a 10x optical zoom, 27mm wide-angle lens, a 3-inch rear LCD and a 14 megapixel sensor. These are slated to go on sale next month for $279.99 and $199.99 in order of mention, and the full releases are waiting for your eyes just after the break.

Continue reading Samsung’s CES 2011 camera lineup: DualView ST700, PL170 and PL120 / WB210 and PL210

Samsung’s CES 2011 camera lineup: DualView ST700, PL170 and PL120 / WB210 and PL210 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft shows off next generation of Surface, has per-pixel touch detection

Microsoft’s Surface still isn’t for consumers, but it’s getting a whole lot wilder. We just saw the next generation of Surface, which has infrared “pixel sense” detection in each pixel, meaning instead of multiple single points of touch, the screen can image your entire hand in all its detail. This should allow for some pretty wild UI improvements, but Microsoft’s primary demo was the tried-and-true rippling water effect. The technology was developed in conjunction with Samsung, and measures four inches thick — it’s obviously not going into your next tablet. Under the hood is an AMD CPU / GPU combo. The wildest part, however, is pictured above: placing a piece of paper with writing on it on top of the screen / sensor lets you “scan” the contents of that piece of paper. Microsoft showed us a demo of a bank application that lets you swipe a mailer up against the screen and have it be detected and read by the screen. As for a release, there’s no word on when this is coming out, but Microsoft says it will be cheaper than the current generation of Surface when it does. We asked about the potential for this sort of technology in smaller form factors, and were told it only scales down to around 24-inches, and we really get the feeling that Microsoft doesn’t have any plans to bring Surface to Joe Consumer any time soon.

Microsoft shows off next generation of Surface, has per-pixel touch detection originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notion Ink Adam hands-on preview (video)

You see that up there? Oh yes, that’s the long-awaited Notion Ink Adam, and it’s in our hands! Indeed, we got some very intimate time with the 10-inch PixelQi Android tablet this morning, and we have to say despite the doubts we’ve had, we’re incredibly impressed with what this India-based start-up has achieved. With that, we suggest you hit the break for our in-depth impressions of what will soon be one of the most unique Android tablets on the market.

Continue reading Notion Ink Adam hands-on preview (video)

Notion Ink Adam hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google shows off Android 3.0, the ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (video)

Well, look who just oozed into being, Google‘s latest flavor of Android, the tablet-friendly 3.0, Honeycomb. We heard talk that 3.0 would be exclusively for tablets, as in not for phones, and that looks to be played out with the text “Entirely for Tablet” seen early in the video. Perhaps the best thing to say is that this looks more or less nothing like Android. Sure, the browser is the same, and the Gmail app will be familiar to iPad users, but trust us when we say there’s a lot of lovely UI in the video above to admire…and a lot of glowly blue lights, too. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who saw Tron:Legacy on opening night.

Update: The video is back! It’s embedded below.

Continue reading Google shows off Android 3.0, the ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (video)

Google shows off Android 3.0, the ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first ever Engadget Podcast / Engadget Show CES livestream extravaganza is happening now!

Do you like the Engadget Podcast? Do you like the Engadget Show? Do you like gadgets? Do you like people? Do you like talking? Do you like laughing? Do you like to learn? Do you like to live? Do you live to love? After the break, now, for the first ever Engadget Podcast / Engadget Show combo — the very first CES 2011 live podcast. Yes, there’s video.

Update: It’s over, but we’ll have the recorded version up shortly — and don’t worry, we’re doing this live every day of CES, so tune in again all week!

The first ever Engadget Podcast / Engadget Show CES livestream extravaganza is happening now! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio Tablet hands-on preview

We just had our first in-depth experience with the Vizio Tablet, the company’s opening overture into the world of Android slates, and we’ve got to say — we like what we see. The device — which was just announced Monday afternoon along with the company’s new smartphone, the Vizio Phone — is still rather unfinished (the model we looked at was a hand-built device), but based on this early look, the company is moving down the right roads. We had a good chance to play around with the tablet, and we’ve got all the details, specs, and an in-depth video after the break!

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Vizio Tablet hands-on preview originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio Phone hands-on preview

Along with Vizio’s new tablet, we had a chance to look at the HDTV maker’s new Android device, unsurprisingly dubbed the Vizio Phone. The phone is still in the early stages (both the hardware and software aren’t production ready at all), but there’s a lot of promise on both the industrial design and user interface sides. We had a chance to go hands-on with the phone and take a pretty deep look at the UI, so follow along after the break for lots more info and a complete video walkthrough of the Vizio Phone!


Continue reading Vizio Phone hands-on preview

Vizio Phone hands-on preview originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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