Touchscreen Nokia N97 is the next step ahead with full QWERTY - GSMArena.com news

Link
Whoa Nelly!!!
Talk about an iPhone killer!

Quick specs:

• 3.5" touch screen
• Symbian S60 (rel.5)
  
• HSDPA
• 32GB (!!!) internal memory [expandable with up to a 16GB microSD card]
  
• WiFi
• A2DP BT
• 5Mp autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics; VGA video @30fps
• GPS
• Digital compass
• Stereo FM with RDS
• TV out
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Flash Lite 3

Whew!

I like ;-)

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic starts shipping, piggy banks beware - GSMArena.com news

Link
USD900!!!???!!! Those online prices are ridiculous!
I do hope that goes down to the original estimated price of 279 euro (~USD360) once it hits the shops.

I'm not too keen on full touch screen phones, preferring an actual, physical full-QWERTY keyboard for typing (my current device -- the HTC TyTN II -- has both). But this may be the first mobile phone that gets me on the full touch screen bandwagon =p

The Olympus E-30

Olympus Imaging announced on the 5th of November 2008 their third image-stablised digital SLR, the E-30.

Oly has since had a hole in its FourThirds dSLR line up, with the E-4xx and E-5xx series covering the entry level, and the E-3 being the pro-grade model.

The new E-30 fills up that hole by providing E-3 specifications in a lighter/more compact form and a lower price point. E-3-like specs include the 11-point cross-type AF system, 5 frame-per-second continuous shooting, and a flip out LCD (bigger at 2.7"). The E-30, however, does not inherit the E-3's weather-proof seals.

Significant upgrades (versus the E-5xx series) include contrast-based autofocus, Art Filters, multiple aspect ratios (9 in all!) and the ability to capture multiple exposures and combine the images in-camera. The E-30 also boasts the highest effective resolution of any FourThirds camera to date, at 12.3 megapixels.

The E-30 is expected to ship in January 2009, at an estimated retail price of USD1299.99.

Capriccioso (Dream Dynamic Duo part 2)

Yep, that's me.
(warning: this is another gadgets post)

After doing some online reading on camera reviews, I've decided to revise my Dream Dynamic Duo (from just a couple of posts back).

My dream digicams are now the Olympus E-3 and the Panasonic Lumix LX3.

Here's why.

E-3 pros (versus the Canon 50D)

• the best glass (i.e., lenses) in the business
• in-body image stabilisation (IS)
• flip out LCD screen
• tough, "weather-proof" (dust- and splash-proof) design
• best dust reduction system to date
  

E-3 cons (versus the Canon 50D)

• smaller sensor (4/3 vs APS-C; FourThirds advocates would contest whether this is a con)
• poorer low-light/high ISO performance (related to sensor size)
• lower dynamic range (DR)
  
• slower burst rate (5 vs 6.3 fps)
• lower sensor resolution (10 vs 15 Mp); although this might be a pro
  
• lower LCD screen resolution (230k vs 920k)
• slightly heavier
• slightly more expensive
• in-box Canon software MUCH better (than anything else out there)

It doesn't hurt that I'm already familiar with Olympus since I own an E-510.

LX3 pros (versus the Canon G10)

• lens: F/2.0-2.8 that starts at 24mm
• better overall IQ (based on online reviews)
• smaller size
• gotta love that leather case!
  

LX3 cons (versus the Canon G10)

• lens: limited zoom range (24-60mm vs 28-140mm)
• no built-in optical viewfinder (have to purchase a separate unit that clips on to the flash hotshoe)
  

Capricious? Yes, definitely. But I personally prefer "effervescent."

Gadget blog?

Is it me or is this turning into a "Gadget Blog?" =p

Dream Dynamic Duo

If I were a rich man...

These are the 2 digital cameras I would get (photos not to scale)

Canon EOS 50D

Canon PowerShot G10

Quick Specs

	50D	G10
Camera Type	dSLR	medium compact
Sensor Resolution	15.1	14.7
Sensor Type	CMOS	CCD
Sensor Size	22.3 x 14.9 mm	1/1.7"
Recording Media	CF I & II, UDMA	SD/SDHC/MMC
Processor	Digic 4	Digic 4
Optical Zoom	lens dependent	5x
LCD Size	3.0"	3.0"
LCD Resolution	920k dots (VGA)	460k dots
ISO	100 to 6400	80 to 1600
Shutter Speed	1/8000 to 30 s	1/4000 to 15 s
Aperture	lens dependent	F/2.8 to f/4.5
RAW	Yes	Yes
Others	Live View (updated)	28mm wide angle
	35-zone TTL metering	OIS
	9-pt AF (cross-type)	Face Detection
	EOS lens cleaning system	widescreen movies

Detailed specs are available at the Canon USA website (50D, G10)

I currently own an Olympus E-510, but if I could afford it, I'd sell the E-510 and get the 50D. The G10 would be my backup camera for quick snaps and video.
The G10 is a bit of a gamble though, as it's only been recently released and there are currently no published reviews of it yet. If it turns out to be a dud, I'd then rather get the Panasonic LX3.

How smitten am I with the 50D? Well, I visited a local Canon shop and played around with the 40D on display (virtually physically identical to the 50D), and thought: "This camera was made to fit my hand!" ;-D
I used to think the Quick Control Dial on the rear was a gimmick, but after trying it out for myself, have realised it's pure genius! Coupled with the front command/main dial, plus the joystick on the rear, you'd wonder why every other manufacturer didn't do it this way. Sweet!

Cellphone commute

Public commuting has given me a chance to study human behavior. I've learned (or maybe just inferred) to profile people based on their mobile phones. Or more specifically, their cellphone wallpaper.

1. Photo of a baby/child - that person is a parent (married or not). Either that or they are just fond of that particular niece or nephew; or he/she is a pedophile.

2. Photo of the opposite sex - it's likely that he/she is attached to that person (assuming it's not Katrina Halili or Brad Pitt on the phone). If it's the spouse's photo, it's likely that they don't have kids yet.

3. Photo of self with "significant other" - attached, but not married.

4. Photo of self - either he/she is unattached (most probably), or if attached, is just plain old narcissistic. He/she can still be narcissistic if unattached though.

Strangely enough, this last case is the most common I've observed.

First Micro Four Thirds camera released

Oh my goodness!

Panasonic has just announced (12 September 2008) their first (and THE first) digital camera in the Micro Four Thirds format. It's quite a bit of info, so just click on the official Panasonic press release for the complete lowdown. Included with that artcle is the announcement of 2 new lenses for the same Micro 4/3 system.Love the swiveling LCD screen! (3 inches!)
I'm not so sure about the red and blue versions though...

For more previews, click on the following:
Camera Labs
DPReview
DPNow
CNET Asia

I'm eagerly awaiting Oly's version(s) though. Seems that would very nicely complement my E510 ;-)

[Update: The G1 does not have a video mode. That function is reserved for the "G HD" (name not final) which will be released at a later date]

Update: First on-line review posted at DCRP.

The dSLR plunge

I finally took the plunge and got myself a digital SLR: the Olympus E-510

I purchased the 2-lens kit in Singapore on my way home from Adelaide. Yes, I'm obviously (?) back, not bothering to chronicle my return as it's no where been as difficult as leaving and being away from my family for 6 weeks. So no drama on my coming home (sniff). I took a noon flight from Adelaide on 23 June, arriving in Singapore at around 6 PM. I only had about a couple of hours to shop as my flight to Manila the next day was at noon (and the shops don't open till about 10 or 11 AM). Talk about power shopping! I went around and canvassed most -- if not all -- the camera shops (and then some) in Sim Lim Square (all 6 floors) in that span of time!

On with the gadgetry...

Here are some quick specs:

• digital SLR based on the Four-Thirds system (Live MOS sensor)
• 10.9 megapixels (total effective)
• in-body Image Stabilisation (IS)
• dust reduction system (reportedly currently the most effective)
• Live View
• 2.5" Hypercrystal LCD (230k pixels)
• ~3fps continuous shooting

As mentioned, I got the 2-lens kit:

• Olympus Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 and
• Olympus Zuiko ED 40-150mm F4.0-5.6

Equivalent focal lengths in 35mm terms are 28-84mm and 80-300mm, respectively.

Granted, these two are kit lenses and you get what you pay for. But reviews show them to be a cut above the corresponding kit lenses bundled with other camera manufacturers' "entry-level" dSLRs. They are light! Perfect for travel and vacations!
But even though I'm quite happy with them, I can't help but lust after the Zuiko 14-54mm F2.8-3.5 lens as an upgrade to at least the shorter zoom. I don't have a budget for it yet though; maybe a year down the line. Heck, if I were filthy rich, I'd get this (over twice the price of the 14-54mm).

I'm loving the speed and image quality of this camera. Definitely a league (and then some) above the Panasonic FZ18 it replaces. (THE FZ18 IS FOR SALE by the way; let me know if you're interested)

I can now actually shoot at ISO 800 without worries of noise ruining my image! This is a great big boon, as I take a lot of photos of my kids indoors. My main gripe though is that AF is a little slow and may hunt some in low light (probably the lens?). I have the flash doing AF assist, and it's annoying the heck out of my wife when the bursts take forever to help lock focus. Some in an on-line forum suggest I turn off the AF-assist feature, but I'm finding the focus hunt takes even longer (or is it just my imagination? I'd have to try it more to see if this is true or not).

I was originally hoping to get the E-510's successor, the E-520. But at least one shop said it wasn't available until about 3 weeks down the line. The intro price for the E-520 single lens kit would've been more than what I paid for the E-510 2-lens kit. I thought about having Al get it for me when he comes back 1.5 months later. But alas, due to my low EQ I decided to get the E-510 right then and there. I figured I could afford to forego the reportedly improved image quality of the E-520 over the E-510 and start taking pictures sooner.

When I got the E-510, I also got a spare battery, a polarising filter, and a lens cleaning kit. I was also fortunate enough to find in one store, the tripod I've been eyeing, the Manfrotto Modo 785B:

It's a hybrid tripod for both still and video cameras; just what I needed for the E-510 and my other new toy (keep watching this page!).

HTC TyTN II (aka Kaiser 120, aka P4550)

After obsessing over the Samsung i600 for the longest time (here and here), I decided to give it up for a Windows Mobile 6 Pro device [touch screen], the HTC TyTN II

Quick Specs

• Windows Mobile 6 Pro OS
• Quadband GSM, Triband UMTS (including HSDPA)
• 400MHz Qualcomm processor
• 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM
• Slide out QWERTY keyboard
• 2.8" QVGA screen (tilting)
• microSD/microSDHC support (hot swappable)
• 3.15Mp main camera; secondary VGA camera
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• Wifi

How's that for connectivity??!!! ;-D

Our team leader was so impressed with the convenience of the Direct Push e-mail function of his HTC Advantage, that he decided to purchase PDA-phones for at least two of us project managers (PMs). I suggested we get them for all 4 PMs and the PM assistant. And so the canvassing began.

Only a few shops at MegaMall had the Kaiser, and we went with the shop were our TL got his Advantage. The retail package didn't include a microSD card, so we had to haggle for them and got a 1GB microSD card free for each unit we purchased (5). We got the units on 29 January 2008.

I must say, after having used WM Smartphone edition (version 5.0), the WM Pro touch screen UI is so much better. The 2.8" touch screen is huge compared to the Samsung i600's 2.3" landscape, non-touch screen.
The sliding mechanism to reveal the full QWERTY keyboard is pretty cool, too. I do miss quick, single-handed texting though, which I was only starting to get used to on the full QWERTY i600. I was able to download several alternative input methods for single digit texting (TouchPal, PocketCM, PhonePad, etc), but without some sort of feedback (haptic), none of them will replace a hardware keyboard. I've got pretty good at 2-thumb typing using the slide out keyboard, but I still miss the convenience of one-thumb SMS typing.

I've since downloaded other several programs to tweak the Kaiser's functionality, majority of which are derived from the UI of the HTC Touch/Touch Dual, including the TouchFlo Cube. Most of the programs enhance the phone's usefulness for single-handed/thumb use. Props to the geniuses at xda-forums for the software ;D

Other cons of the Kaiser versus the i600 are it's size (almost twice as thick) and weight (also almost twice). Otherwise, I'm quite happy with it's functionality and geek-coolness factor ;-)

Good thing we couldn't wait for our original choice, the HTC Touch Cruise, which doesn't have a hardware keyboard (and would only be available at the end of February).

(I handed over the i600 to a junior PM. I was contemplating on proposing to purchase the unit with a Nokia N70 [since almost no one wanted the i600 due to its complexity], but my TL said it was unlikely the office would allow such a swap).

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18

My two colleagues went to Bangkok for a business trip at the end of November 2007, and I decided to have them get me a new digicam:

(I wrote about this a while back)

Quick Specs

• Max. Resolution: 8Mp
• 18x optical zoom: 28mm to 504mm focal length (35mm equiv.)
• Mega OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation)
• full manual controls
• 2.5" LCD screen (207,000 dots) with High Angle mode
• 848 x 480 max resolution for video recording (max 30fps)
• Intelligen Auto Mode
• Face Detection

'got the FZ18 on the 3rd of December and have taken about 1500 shots as of mid February (haven't sideloaded the other photos in the memory card yet). The camera came with a few freebies, including: 1GB SD card, tripod, bag.
I paid about P7k less than what it would've cost if I bought it locally ;-)

All in all, I'm very pleased with it ;D (and the plot thickens...)

I've since bought a Tamrac bag (the Velocity 6x), an extra battery and a 4GB SDHC card.

Gadgets galore!

My oh my. It's been a while again, and to make up for it, I'll be posting a series of entries that have to do with the gadgets I've acquired recently. Since it's taken me so long to do the entries, some of the gadgets I've already given up for something (arguably) better.

On with the parade!

Our First Car

With Zach's arrival, we had to get a new car. The old Lancer Opa was lending us (we misunderstood and thought he'd given it to us already) was getting too costly to maintain. We may actually have spent more for it than it's actual current value =p

We found a 1992 Toyota Corolla being sold by a customer of the mechanic of a friend/former church-mate (d'you get that?), about a week after Zach's birthday (19 September 2007).

I'll update later with photos...

Samsung Ultra Messaging SGH-i600

As I predicted in a previous entry some time ago, this was going to be my next mobile phone.

After seriously contemplating buying it myself (even desperately trying to sell Ruth to fund it), I found my big break. A few of us at work were scheduled for mobile phone upgrades, and the project managers (including myself) were given the option to upgrade our lines as well.

Lo and behold, I discover the i600 free on Plan 1800 (I was on Plan 1200), so I grabbed the chance and went with that. I not only finally got the phone of my dreams, but I didn't have to pay for it! (OK, it's company property, but since I get to use it exclusively for at least 2 years, it's practically mine).

Got the phone on the 27th of September 2007 and am lovin' it!
Trés cool!

=D

The new iMac

Saw this just today...

Looks mighty fine.

I want one! ;p

My favorite ultra-zooms

I've just lately been lusting after ultra-zoom digicams and two wide-angle(!) ultra-zooms have just been recently released.

They are the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 and Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd.

FZ18

S8000fd

They have similar specs, namely:

• 8Mp effective resolution (3264 x 2448)
• 18x optical zoom with good wide angle (FZ18: 28-504mm, S8000fd: 27-486mm)
• Image Stabilisation
• 2.5" LCD; EVF
• face detection technology
• high sensitivity mode up to ISO 6400 (though one would be led to ask WHY??? WHAT FOR?)
• SRP US$399

Pending availability and reviews, I like the FZ18 better due to its:

• high quality Leica lens
• lens-based image stabilisation (versus sensor-based on the Fuji)
• joystick controller
• 16:9 aspect ratio option
• RAW capture
• snappy performance (based on previous models with Venus III Engine)
• Intelligent Auto Mode
• sleeker looks
• lighter weight

Although the S8000fd has a lot going for it, too:

• wider wide angle (27mm vs 28mm on the FZ18)
• larger sensor (1/2.35" vs 1/2.5" on the FZ18)
• uses AA batteries (a big plus)
• bigger internal memory (58MB vs 27MB on the FZ18)
• slightly higher resolution LCD and EVF

The ultimate deciding factor for me would be image quality. Olympus was the first to release an IS'd 18x super-zoom (SP-550UZ), and while it looked excellent on paper, various reviews revealed its performance and image quality issues were just not up to snuff. This on-line review summed up the 550UZ's shortcomings well.
Hopefully, the FZ18 and S8000fd aren't as big of a letdown as the 550UZ was.

On a last note, it confounds me how, in this day and age, a high-tech ultra-zoom can still be using the USB 2.0 Full Speed (read: slow) protocol. Come on, Panny and Fuji! Is it so difficult to step up to USB 2.0 High Speed???

My next mobile phone

The Samsung SGH-i600 Ultra Messaging Phone.

Specs overview:

• Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone OS
• HSDPA (3.5G!) / GSM Triband
• GPRS/EDGE
• WiFi 802.11 b/g(!)
• Bluetooth v2.0 (with A2DP!)
• 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM
• microSD slot (rumors of a 1-GB card in the package)
• 1.3Mp camera; secondary VGA video-call camera
• document viewer (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)

I like the full QWERTY keyboard for faster typing, and the excellent connectivity features. A touchscreen would've been nice (as with the Sony Ericsson P990i and Palm Treo 750, my 2nd and 3rd choices, respectively), but the single-handed operation - as touted by Samsung - is even better. I like how the scroll wheel is on the right side, facilitating one-(right)handed operation as with a regular mobile phone. It would seem the placement of the keys would also be quite comfy for texting for my above average-sized hands.

Quite a few online reviews and previews have cropped up, including one from Malaysia, from the UK and another from the Czech Republic. All quite favorable, if I may add.

I like Ming Han's review, in particular, since it's from an actual user/consumer, and not some magazine hack.

I was wary of the i600's camera quality, seeing as how I'm coming from a SE K750i (2Mp, autofocus! One of the best in the biz). But the sample photos from PDAgold (scroll down the page) are not bad at all, especially considering the lack of a LED light.

I went window-shopping again yesterday, checking out new phones at the mall, and lo and behold, I find one shop has the i600 listed for quite a good price (comparable to the SRPs mentioned in Ming Han's review). Pricing is what basically sold me (pun intended) on the i600 versus the P990i and the Treo750. The former is about P5k more expensive, and the latter about P15K more than the i600! And to think, the Treo750 doesn't even have WiFi (but it does have a touch screen). I obsessed over the P990i for a while, especially when I found one shop that had it listed at only a couple PK more than the i600. But, as expected, it was too good to be true, as the shop didn't have them in stock =p

Then I saw the i600 at that one shop, and they said it was in stock! They just didn't have a display unit I could try out (typical). I hope their SRP is accurate, which means it can still go down some more a few months down the line ;-)

Now I really need to sell my bike...

Samsung i600 flash website here.
(i600 photo courtesy of gsmarena.com)

General Electric (GE) digital cameras

General Electric just recently launched their own line of digital cameras, under the General Imaging trademark.

This is quite a bold move on the part of the electronics manufacturer, considering how crowded the digicam market is. But as they always say, the more the merrier, and the added competition results in one big winner: YOU, the consumer.

What's impressive with the GE digicam lineup is that all of them offer advanced features as standard on every price point. Whether you go for a simple, point-and-shoot or the prosumer model, it will have the following as basic features:

• face detection
• image stabilisation
• in-camera red-eye removal
• high ISO sensitivity; and
• panoramic stitching

Pretty neat huh?

Click on the link above for the complete digicam lineup. Click here for the official press summary.

My favorite in the lineup is the prosumer X1 model -- 8Mp, 12x optical zoom, 2.5" LCD screen, full PASM controls, and powered by 4 AA batteries (Yay! AA!).


If I were to choose from their point-and-shoots, I'd go for the E850 -- 8Mp, 5x (28mm to 140mm) optical zoom (Woohoo! Check out that wide angle!), 3" LCD screen (230kp). A major downside is the use of a proprietary Li-ion battery.


It'll be a while until consumers and camera reviewers get their hands on actual, production units. The best specs on paper don't mean a thing if the cameras' real-world performance leaves much to be desired.

(images courtesy of General Imaging)

Canon PowerShot A540

I finally got a digicam! Well, actually, got it in July last year (2006) and have been happily snapping away at whatever, whenever, whoever (mostly Matt; shown on left wearing Tatay's shoes). I'd been dreaming of owning a digital camera for the longest time! I've wanted one particulary to help document Matt's growing up. And the wonders of digital tech helps me to do just that, ad infinitum, without worrying about film costs. Limited budgets of raising a family prevented me from getting one sooner. My quick fix? Sell my mountain bike (whom I fondly call "Ruth"). Unfortunately, it's not as quick a fix as I thought (I'll write about this some other time...). Since my sis was going back to Singapore to graduate from her Master's degree in July, I decided to ask her to buy the camera for me. I hadn't sold the bike yet then, so I had to borrow the money from her, too. To date, my bike is still unsold, so I'm paying her on installment. Thank God for 13th month bonuses! =p

I researched the web on digicams for months before I settled on the Canon PowerShot A540. It had the best features that I was looking for, at a good price point. Advantages of this model are:
1. Full range of controls - full auto, program AE, aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual (!)
2. Accepts lens conversions (not that I could afford them; but it's good to have the option in case I hit the jackpot...hehe. In which case I'd be able to afford a more expensive camera with better features...)
3. Uses AA batteries
4. Good size - not too small, not too big (could be bigger for my big hands though)
5. Price! - my sis got it in Singapore for more than 20 Roxases less than prices in Manila shops, and with a bigger SD card to boot! (a 512MB Toshiba SD card). Although current prices match this now (bundled with a 256MB SD card).

At my nephew's birthday party in early Aug06, my sis dropped the camera while handing it over to me. A small plastic tab on the battery compartment cover promptly broke off. So off it went to Canon for repairs, and I wouldn't see my digicam again for another 2 months (terrible service!). And we had to pay 1.4k to replace the entire front part of the camera casing (my sis and I shared the repair cost). There goes "documenting" Matt (whose birthday was also in August).

A couple of months after I got the A540, Canon launched the A710 IS, prompting me to say the inevitable "why didn't I wait for that model?" Well, if I did it would've cost more (current price of the A710 is still the same as its Oct06 intro price of 23+K) and I would've missed out on a lot of photo ops otherwise. Not to mention the (cheaper price) Singapore connection would've been moot.

Anyhoo, here are a couple of pics from my field work in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. I was able to schedule it over the weekend so I brought along Cindy and Matt (and ate Jona). The first one is the watch tower outside Vigan City. It's nested on a hill and served as a Spaniard lookout point for possible invaders. From the top of the tower you can see the Philippine Sea to the West, which unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of. The 2nd is pretty self-explanatory...


I've since gotten some necessary accessories for my digicam:
1. rechargeable batteries and a charger - Sanyo 2500mAh AA NiMHs bundled with a charger with a refresh function
2. a nice padded case - I actually wanted something that could fit my battery charger together with the digicam, but couldn't find one with the right amount and size of pockets. I finally settled with the Case Logic
3. bigger memory card - Kingston 1GB Elite Pro (high speed) SD card, which I had to scour local retailers for. Boy, I didn't know it was that hard to look for quality stuff here!

That'll be all for this first installment of G-files. I didn't expect I'd be so long-winded. Hopefully I'll be more concise in the following episodes...