AH - New ELECTRONIC and GADGETS

Nikon today announced its Nikon 1 series cameras - a new line of compact mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lens, and launched the first two models in series - J1 and V1. The highlights of the Nikon 1 series cameras are the newly developed CX format (13.2 x 8.8 mm, 2.7 crop) CMOS sensor. Expeed 3 image-processing engine. Nikon 1 mount lens system. The CX format is a new addition to Nikon's existing FX (36.0 x 23.9 mm) and DX (23.6 x 15.7 mm) imaging formats for digital-SLR cameras. The 10.1 MP, CX format CMOS sensor in the J1 and V1 is the world's first with built in phase-detection AF, making the J1 and V1 the first interchangeable lens cameras to offer focal plane phase detection AF . The sensor offers standard sensitivities of ISO 100 to 3200, with the ability to further increase sensitivity to an equivalent of ISO 6400 with a Hi 1 setting. They also support matrix metering, center-weighted metering and spot metering. The V1 actually uses an advance...

Intel demonstrated its next generation Haswell microprocessor at the Intel Developer Forum (IDFf) on Tuesday, September 14, 2011. Haswell CPU will start shipping on ultrabooks from 2013. To begin with ultrabooks will be powered by Ivy Bridge CPUs. Like Ivy Bridge, Haswell chips will use 22 nm architecture and Intels's recently announced power-saving tri-gate 3D transistor technology. In addition, Haswell CPUs will feature a totally redesigned cache, fused multiply add (FMA3) instruction support, and an on-chip vector coprocessor. Haswell will offer a 20x reduction in power consumption when idling as a result of power optimization, enabling devices to run the whole day on battery, and remain on standby for upto 10 days with a single battery charge.

Canon's PowerShot SX40 Super Zoom (35x) supersedes PowerShot SX30 Super Zoom (35x), with a new DIGIC 5 image processor, Full HD video capture, High-speed Burst HQ and Intelligent IS. Like its predecessor, the SX40 has an incredible 35x optical zoom range (24mm-840mm) with image stabilizer. The new image processor has improved noise reduction and advanced Multi-area White Balance optimizing color tones of both subject and background under multiple light sources. The SX40's supports for full HD video capture is an improvement over the 720p, 30fps video capture on the SX30. P-mode continuous still photography is also faster at 2.4 fps, as compared to 1.3 fps on the SX30. Effective pixel count in the SX40 CMOS sensor is down to 12.1 MP, from 14.1 MP on the SX30 CCD sensor. The SX40 features more shooting modes and has a wider ISO range at 100-3200, as compared to 80-1600 on the SX30. Weight and dimension of the SX40 are identical to those of SX30. The estimated sellin...

Canon's S100 high end compact camera is a successor to the S95 introduced in September 2010. The S100 features a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor and a 24-120mm, f/2.0-4.9 wide angle lens with 5x optical zoom. With, f/2.0 at 24 mm, it's a bright lens, so you can count on good low-light performance and the ability to shoot shallow depth-of-field portraits with dynamic, soft backgrounds. In comparison, the S95 featured a 10 MP CCD image sensor and a 28-105mm, f/2.0-4.9 lens. Other important new features include the DIGIC 5 image processor (DIGIC 4 on S95), HS SYSTEM, Full HD video capture (720p, 24fps on the S95), High-speed Burst HQ and Intelligent IS for clearer, smoother looking images. It has GPS to map the location of a photo and an improved ISO range of 80-3200 (80-1600 on the S95). A large 3.0-inch, 461K wide LCD screen (same as on the S95) makes viewing of those images and menu options easy. The camera comes with a full range of shooting and recording mod...

If you haven’t disposed yet of the habit – or the necessity – to use paper for drawing sketches or taking notes and want your drawings and/or jottings in the digital format as well, there’s the Inkling by Wacom that is the perfect gadget to meet these requirements. The solution is both simple and neat – Wacom offers you a $199 set with a pen and attached paper which transforms into the digital format whatever you put down with the pen in the real time mode. Having finished your session, you connect the Inkling to your PC and download your material for further processing. A professional artist is also sure to appreciate the small device that, when attached to the paper, activates the layer function that provides later-date editing abilities for software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. The wonderful toolset will hit the stores within the next two weeks.

Apple is expected to reinforce the iPad's status symbol appeal with a slimmer and sleeker iPad 3, going by the company's recent tie-ups for supply of batteries for tablet computers. Taiwan Economic News reported on Tuesday that the Cupertino based company has tied up with Simplo Technology Co. and Dynapack International Technology Corp. to supply battery packs for the iPad 3 that are thinner and lighter than those used in earlier iPads, and also feature a longer service life. The iPad 2 is already impressively thin (0.34-in) and light (601g), but is currently not the slimmest, or the lightest 10-in tablet. The new batteries are reportedly 20-30 percent more expensive than the earlier batteries; they will start shipping in Q4 of 2011. According to current speculation, Apple will launch iPad 3 in Spring 2012. It was recently revealed by LG Display CEO Young Soo Kwon that the iPad 3 will feature LG's Retina Display like the one on iPhone 4. Apple hasn't ...

What would you say a USB flash drive can resemble most? This week’s answer is – a vibrator. If you guessed right, you can treat yourself to the Duet stick that combines the functions of a USB drive and a vibrator, provided by women ’s-needs-mindful designers from San Francisco. You never thought how entertaining may be your favorite films and music or, for that matter, a bunch of necessary documents. Ti Chang and Michael Topolovac discovered a new use you can put your stick to – with five power and four vibrator options it sounds quite impressive! Crave’s spokesperson described the electronic and physical Duet as a toy made from metal and body-safe silicone with two motors and great abilities to customize the vibs by differentiating intensities on the tip and edges, both inside and outside. “Powerful and precise vibration exactly where you want it” is guaranteed. The Duet is available in a leather case and is said to be waterproof. If you’re going to use it as a flash drive...

There is no wonder why people say that in the times of any crisis the luxury sector is always the one “to survive”. The Dior brand is not at all bothered by the difficult economic situation in the euro area, and it has released a novelty – a smartphone which costs 85,000 euro.This is not the first phone produced by Dior. In 2008, there was the Dior Black Diamond model in the market. The name itself shows that diamonds were the basis of design. Diamonds adorned the moving part of the phone, as well as the dial.This year, the smartphone from Dior is called Reveries . This is an Haute Couture sensor model. It is adorned with white gold, pearls, and, of course, diamonds. The smartphone costs 85,000 euro, or 122,500 dollars. But if you do not have enough money for it, the version without diamonds is sold in Colette for a modest price of $4,700.

The Grand 350 Aston Martin is the latest offer for admirers of luxury cell phones from Canadian phone-designer Mobiado in collaboration with Aston Martin . The features of the new handset include 3.5 G HSPDA and WLAN internet surfing with network adjustment, email facilities with a dedicated key, video and music player and a 3.2 megapixel camera. The display is a 2.36” affair with 16 million colors. The phone has micro USB connectivity.The Grand 350 Aston Martin hits the market in three models – black, black satin, and silver, with the frame made from CNC machined aluminum, a ruby infrared screen, and stainless steel buttons. 271ct inlayed sapphire crystal was used for additional decorating.

Amazon could sell between 3 to 5 million Android tablets in the fourth quarter of this year with aggressive pricing that is "significantly" below the iPad, according to a Forrester analyst. iPad sales in the same period are expected to be around 3.3 million. Amazon tablets, expected to hit the market before the start of the holiday season, will cost "100s less" than the $499, entry level iPad-2, according to the New York Post, with one source pegging the price at $99. The Amazon device are expected to feature come integrated with Kindle eBook store, Amazon's Cloud Drive service and others. Apple, which has sold 28.7 million tablets worldwide remains the colossus in the market, but Amazon "can compete on price, content, and commerce," says analyst Sarah Rotman Epps. "Not only does Amazon have the potential to gain share quickly but its willingness to sell hardware at a loss, as it did with the Kindle, makes Amazon a nasty competi...

Amazon will start shipping its 7-in tablet in October, and 10-in tablet early next year, reports Taiwan's Digitimes.com quoting upstream component suppliers. Production of the 10-in tablet has been outsourced to Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), which also handles production of Amazon's Kindle e-book reader, production of which in 2011 is estimated to be 25-30 million units. Amazon's 7-inch tablets would be supplied by Quanta Computer and are expected to start shipping in October, the sources added. It has been widely reported that Amazon will introduce two tablet devices within 2011 - the entry level, dual core Coyote and the high end, quad core Kal-El-powered Hollywood. Presumably, the 7-in tablet is the dual core Coyote, and the 10-in tablet, the quad core Kal-El powered Hollywood. The New York Times earlier reported that the Amazon tablets are expected to cost "100s less" than the $499, entry level iPad-2. A Forrester analyst ...

Sony announced the launch of its first two tablet PCs - Tablet S and Tablet P - on August 31, 2011; both the Android powered devices feature innovative form factors. They are powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processors, feature front and rear facing cameras and support micro USB interface and SD card. Sony Tablet S The Wi-Fi only Tablet S features a 9.4-inch touchscreen display, weighs 1.33 lbs, and has a unique asymmetric design that keeps its weight close to the palm of your hand making the tablet feel even lighter than it actually is. The screen is sloped when placed on a flat surface, enhancing visibility and making typing more comfortable. Sony Tablet P The Sony Tablet P device is honed for mobility with Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity. It features an innovative folding design with two 5.5-inch displays and weighs in at 0.83 lbs. The Tablet P device allows its dual screens to be used for different functions simultaneously such as playing video on one screen while...

The Samsung NX200 mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera announced on September 1 at IFA 2011 in Berlin features a 20.3 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 100-12,800 ISO range, 7fps still image capture, 100ms autofocus and 1080p, 30fps full HD video. It's a dramatic upgrade to the NX100 introduced in September 2010 that featured a 14.6 MP sensor, 100-6,400 ISO range, 3fps still image capture and 720p, 30fps video. In addition, the NX200 supports more i-Function lens based controls. i-Function lenses were first introduced in the NX100. An i-Function lens allows a user to control the camera through the lens, letting you manually set the camera using a single focus ring. An i-Function button on the camera allows you to quickly scroll through manual settings - shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO - and then make changes using the focus ring. The lens communicates the setting to the camera body. Typically, you grip the camera body with your right hand and wrap the left hand ...

A bold innovation, the Samsung Galaxy Note announced on Thursday, September 1, at the IFA in Berlin, features a 5.3-inch, 1280x800 Super AMOLED display, the biggest ever on a smartphone. The 285 ppi display can be clearly viewed from angles of upto 180 degrees Other than its physical characteristics - 110 × 58.2 × 12.3 mm, 102.4g - Galaxy Note specs are typical of Android superphones. Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1.4 GHz dual-core SoC, 8 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera and 2,500 mAh battery. It supports network connectivity using HSPA and LTE. The Galaxy Note pushes the envelope with the functionality that it packages. It is not a typical smartphone honed for content consumption, it is also good at creating content. It can record full HD video – 1080p, 30fps. More interestingly, and not surprisingly considering its name, Galaxy Note comes with a stylus and advanced pen-input technology called the S Pen, but it supports full touch screen functionality. It features...

Apple's iPhone 5 display size will be less than 4 inches, contrary to reports suggesting a 4.2 display, upstream suppliers tell Taiwan's Digitimes. Also, iPhone 5 will features a metal chassis, unlike the iPhone 4 that has two glass faces held together by a 9.3 mm steel band. Sources tell Digitimes that the iPhone 5 display is likely to be sized between 3.5-in to 3.7-in with a design that allows the bezel to become thinner and make the screen look larger. In May it was reported that the iPhone 5 may feature a curved glass display. Other features expected include a 8 MP camera. Earlier this month, BGR reported, quoting a high level AT&T source, that the Apple device will launch in October.