AH - New ELECTRONIC and GADGETS

New Gadget Takes Smell Based Photos A student from China has created a gadget that allows you to photograph the smell. For those who always wanted to smell the appetizing-looking pictures, a student from China came up with a special device that prints the smell of food pictures . A camera that can photograph beautiful dishes, and a smell recognizer are built in a food-printer. The image is printed with aromatic ink. Zhu Jingxuan, a student at the Department of Industrial Design at Donghua University, invented the amazing device . The young man drew a sketch and made a model of his invention during the workshop by Sony. His idea was recognized as one of the best and Jingxuan, along with the other winners, went to Sony China Creative Center in Shanghai to make a real food-printer in a team with ten Sony designers.

The Kindle Amazon Always Wanted to Build Amazon introduced a new E-Ink Kindle, The Paperwhite, on September 6, alongside the launch of the Kindle Fire HD Family of high end slates. Priced at $119, the 5th generation Kindle headlines a higher resolution display with 62% more pixels and 25% higher-contrast, as also a built-in front light for night reading. Announcing the Paperwhite, Amazon.com Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said, "Paperwhite is the Kindle we've always wanted to build - the technology didn't exist to build a display with this level of contrast, resolution, brightness and battery life, so our engineers invented it." The 6-inch, 212 PPI display is readable in bright sunlight and has a buttonless bezel. Slimmer and sleeker than the Kindle, Paperwhite measures 169 mm x 117 mm x 9.1 mm and weighs 213 g. It features 2 GB internal (approximately 1.25 GB available for user content) and stores upto 1,100 books. Battery life can stretch to 8 weeks, based on a hal...

Pentax K-5 II & K-5 IIS DSLR Cameras Pentax K-5 II & K-5 IIS DSLRs announced on September 10, 2012, represent a determined bid by Pentax to expand its user base with technological breakthroughs and innovations, instead of just retaining its following based on excellence of quality. Pentax has a small but loyal following built over decades on the reliability and good performance of its SLR and DSLR cameras. Following its acquisition by Ricoh in July 2011, Pentax has shown an inclination to be counted amongst DSLR camera leaders Canon and Nikon, or at least move ahead of the pack represented by Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung. The company's newly introduced flagship DSLR Pentax K-5 II builds on the excellent reputation of is recently withdrawn K-5 flagship product. By sticking with the K-5 nomenclature, Pentax is acknowledging that their new product is an incremental upgrade with the confidence that the nature of the incremental upgrade is substantive enough to warr...

Kindle Fire HD Family Amazon made a bold foray into the high end tablet market on Thursday, September 6, 2012 with the launch of its Kindle Fire HD Family of three tablets. The Kindle Fire HD Family comprises: 7-Inch Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD LTE 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD All three run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and feature Wi-Fi, Front-facing HD cameras, and Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio. Amazon claims that the Wi-Fi technology featured on the tablets - dual antenna, dual-band, and MIMO - gives 40% faster downloads and streaming compared to the next fastest tablet (Apple iPad). The tablets come with Amazon-exclusive applications such as X-Ray for Movies, X-Ray for Textbooks, Immersion Reading, Whispersync for Voice, Whispersync for Games, and Kindle FreeTime. X-Ray for Movies enables users to easily find information on actors and movies through IMDB. Kindle Free Time lets you set time limits for when your kids are u...

Sony NEX-6 Mirrorless ILC Carving New Market Space Sony's NEX-6 mirrorless ILC announced on Wednesday, September 12, represents a new range that targets photography enthusiasts. Sony uses the NX nomenclature for its mirrorless ILCs and so far the NX-3 range has targeted beginners, NX-5 is mid-range, and NX-7 targets power users. On August 30, Sony announced the NEX-5R that featured a newly-developed 16.1 MP, APS H (23.4 X 15.6mm) Backlit CMOS sensor with 200-12800 ISO range. The headlining features of the NEX-5R were Fast Hybrid AF technology, wireless sharing and camera apps. Fast Hybrid AF technology, first introduced n the NEX-5R, utilizes 99 phase-detection AF points arrayed on the image sensor to detect a subject's distance and quickly lock focus on it, and then uses contrast-detection AF to confirm extremely fine, precise details. The Sony NEX-6 retains the 16.1 MP, APS H (23.4 X 15.6mm) Backlit CMOS of the NEX-5R, as well as its headlining fe...

Canon EOS 6D Full-frame DSLR Brings Joy to Photography Enthusiasts Canon EOS 6D announced on Monday, September 17, 2012, is a full-frame DSLR whose most endearing feature is its affordability. So far full-frame cameras have been priced at points that only make sense to professional photographers. The EOS 6D features a newly developed 20.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5+ Image Processor and, for the first time in a Canon DSLR, built-in wireless and GPS. The camera also includes an 11-point AF array and 63-zone dual-layer iFCL metering sensor together with 1080p Full HD video capabilities. The combination of the full-frame sensor and Digic processor allows it to shoot upto to 4.5 frames per second (fps) in burst mode. It's impressive normal ISO range of 100-25600, can be expanded to 50-102400. The EOS 6D camera's Auto Focus (AF) system includes a newly-developed 11-point AF sensor featuring a high-precision center cross-type point with an e...

Panasonic DMC-GH3 Mirrorless DSLR Optimized for Multimedia Photographers Panasonic DMC-GH3 Mirrorless DSLR announced on September 17, 2012, targets multimedia photographers. The DMC-GH3 succeeds the GH2, launched in September 2010, as Panasonic's new flagship mirrorless DSLR. The camera features a newly developed 16.05 MP Live MOS sensor which in combination with its Venus processing engine delivers improved dynamic range and ISO 200 -12,800 expandable to 125 - 25,600. An improved LPF (Low Pass Filter) is claimed to minimize generation of moire while drawing maximum resolution of the image out of the sensor. The DMC-GH3 is ruggedized and weather resistant, with magnesium alloy full diecast body and advanced splash / dustproof construction. Video Recording The DMC-GH3 captures full HD 60p/50p video with 30p/25p option in MOV (h.264), MP4 and AVCHD formats and supports video bit rates of 50Mbps in IPB and 72Mbps in All-I compression modes. You get full-...

Sony NEX-5R Mirrorless ILC with Hybrid AF The Sony NEX-5R, announced on August 29, 2012, is the successor to the NEX-5N and Sony's first ILC camera to feature "Fast Hybrid AF," integrated Wi-Fi for sharing, saving and viewing photos; and down-loadable camera apps. The NEX-5R features a newly-developed 16.1 MP, APS H (23.4 X 15.6mm) Backlit CMOS sensor with 200-12800 ISO range. Its BIONZ processor lets you shoot stills at 3fps in focus priority mode, and 10 fps in speed priority mode. Sony uses the NX nomenclature for its mirrorless ILC cameras; the NX-5 represents mid-range, the NX-3 targets beginners, and the NX-7, power users. Focusing The "Fast Hybrid AF" autofocus technology on the NX-5R utilizes 99 phase-detection AF points arrayed on the image sensor to detect a subject's distance and quickly lock focus on it, and then utilizes contrast-detection AF to confirm extremely fine, precise details. In Speed Priority Continuous s...

Samsung Galaxy Camera with Android 4.1 Samsung on Wednesday, August 29 announced the world's first camera - smartphone hybrid. Powered by a quad-core processor, it features 21X, 23-481mm (35 mm equivalent) zoom, 16M, 1/2.3" CMOS sensor and voice and video communication. The device lacks cellular voice capability, supporting communication through VoiP apps, such as Skype over 3G/4G or WiFi. Measuring 128.7 x 70.8 x 19.1 mm and weighing 305g, the device features a 4.8" HD Super Clear Touch Display. The Galaxy Camera will be available in two versions - a 3G + Wi-Fi model and a 4G + Wi-Fi variant On device storage is 8GB, with support for micro SDSC, micro SDHC and micro SDXC extension. Camera Features ISO range extends from 100 to 3200. The camera can capture full HD 1920x1080 30fps video and 720x480 120fps slow motion video. Samsung Galaxy Camera. Photo Credit: Samsung 'Smart Pro' technology facilitates advanced photographic setups using...

Nikon 1 J2 Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILC) The Nikon 1 J2, announced on August 9, 2012, is an evolutionary upgrade to Nikon's first mirrorless camera, Nikon 1 J1, announced in September 2011. The J2 is identical in size and weight to the J1, uses the same 10.1 megapixel CX format (13.2 x 8.8 mm, 2.7 crop) CMOS sensor and features the same hybrid (CDAF + PDAF) autofocus system, and the 1 mount as its predecessor. Improved features include a 3-in, 921K dot LCD (3-in, 460K dot LCD on the J1), a new scene selection mode has been added to the four original shooting modes (P/S/A/M), allowing for scene selection from a total of eight options. The J2 comes with the same 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens as the J1. The J2 biggest improvement perhaps is its more competitive price - $549.95. The J1 with kit lens initially shipped in the US at $649.95. Interestingly, Nikon doesn't plan to discontinue the J1. Nikon has also announced another 1 mount lens: Nikkor 11-...

Canon EOS M Mirroless ILC Canon announced its first mirrorless interchangeable lens (ILC) camera, EOS M, on July 23, 2012. It features a 18 MP APS-C (22.3x14.9mm) sensor with a Hybrid AF using contrast and phase detection. The EOS M supports burst rate of 4.3 fps, 1920x1080/30p video capture with tracking AF, and an impressive ISO range of 100-12,800, extendable to ISO 25,600. It comes with a 3-inch, 1040k dot touch display LCD monitor that makes it easy to navigate menus. It also supports gestures such as "pinch-to-zoom" and "swipe" to scroll between pictures. The camera employs three AF methods for video and photos: Face Detection, Tracking AF, Multip-Point AF with 31 autofocus points as well as single-point AF. You can engage subject recognition and tracking during video and still capture through a finger touch on the LCD panel letting the camera track accurately and focus on intended subjects with ease. The camera has a smaller ...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Camera The Lumix DMC-G5 features a new 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor, improved processing engine that facilitates 6 fps still and 1,920 x 1,080 60p video capture with tracking AF, 1,440K dot Electronic View Finder (EVF) with 100% field and ISO range of 160-12,800. New Features Summary 16.05 MP sensor Image processing engine with new algorithm for faster response time Electronic shutter for silent operation and faster capture HDR (High Dynamic Range) capture Eye sensor with 1,440,000-dot equivalent Electronic View Finder that automatically triggers focusing Function Lever for direct adjustment zoom, exposure or aperture New Touch pad functions Level gauge Improved GUI 14 Creative filters Improved Processing Engine According to Panasonic, the new image processing Venus engine of the camera improves image quality, processing speed and noise reduction. The processing engine's noise reduction (3DNR) can detect s...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 Super-Zoom Compact The Lumix FZ200 announced on July 18, 2012 supersedes the DMC-FZ150. It features a 25-600 mm (35 mm camera equivalent), 24x zoom with a bright F2.8 aperture through the entire zoom range, giving fast shutter speeds at long ranges. It has a 12.1 MP MOS sensor combined with the high performance image processing LSI Venus Engine that give it a burst capability of 12 fps in full resolution. It records 1,920 x 1,080 60p (NTSC) / 50p (PAL) full-HD video in AVCHD progressive / MP4 with continuous AF. Its 24x optical zoom and manual control remain available during video recording. The DMC-FZ200 comes with a newly designed 0.2-inch EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) with 1,312K resolution and 100% field of view. The camera has a quick start capability of approximately 0.95 sec and ISO sensitivity range of 100-3,200. Its POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) suppresses hand-shake when pressing the shutter button or when shooting a...

Pentax K-5 Now Priced Lower Than Pentax K-30 The price of Pentax K-5 has steadily dropped since Pentax announced its new K-30 DSLR last month, priced at $850 body only. Earlier priced above $1,000 body only, the K-5 is now selling for $849 at Ryther Camera and for $909 at Amazon. The K-30, Pentax's new mid range DSLR, matches many of the critical features of the K-5, Pentax's flagship DSLR, such as the 16.28 MP CMOS sensor with SP coating and 100 – 12800 primary ISO range, but lacks a top view LCD. The K-30 forges ahead of the K-5 with focus lock video capture and a more weather resitent body. You can view a detailed comparison of the two cameras at Pentax Forums . The Pentax K-30 doesn't start to ship till June and it's likely that Pentax will soon replace the K-5 with a new flagship product. How soon, is the big question.

Sony SLT A37 Camera and 18-55mm Lens The A37 is Sony's entry level translucent mirror camera, the successor to the A-35 announced in June 2011. The A37 features a 16.1MP sensor, ISO 16000 sensitivity, 1080/60i/24p Full AVCHD video, up to 7 fps, electronic viewfinder and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens. The camera's translucent mirror (pellicle mirror) facilitates fast shooting with non-stop phase detection autofocus and continuous live image preview during still and video shooting. The camera can shoot stills at 7 fps in Tele-Zoom High Speed Shooting Mode, where the central portion of the sensor's image is magnified by approximately 1.4x. Sony SLT A37. Photo Credit: Sony A 3-cross 15-point AF system with tracking autofocus keeps faces and fast-moving subjects in sharp focus, facilitating spontaneous family portraits and sports photography. The 16.1 MP APS-C CMOS sensor is teamed with an improved image processors that extends sensitivity to an ISO 100-...

Sony's NEX-F3 Mirrorless Camera Sony's NEX-F3 Mirrorless Camera supersedes the NEX-C3 announced in June 2001. The camera targets DSLR beginners (NEX-5N is Sony's mid-range mirrorless, and NEX-7, the flagship) and features a 16.1 MP, APS-C CMOS sensor with an improved image processor. It records Full HD video (60i/24p). (The NEX-C3 featured 720p HD video.). The NEX-F3 features a 180° tiltable LCD screen, a first for Sony's E-mount camera line. ISO range is ISO200 to 16000 and ISO200 to 3200 in Auto mode. Other improvements over the NEX-C3 include a pop-up flash, a high-quality, premium-feel grip for more comfortable handling and an accessory port which can be used to connect an electronic viewfinder or a stereo microphone. The camera is compatible with the FDA-EV1S viewfinder accessory (sold separately), which offers a high-contrast, high-resolution OLED viewfinder display and a wide viewing angle. Sony's NEX-F3 Mirrorless Camera The ...

Samsung on Thursday, April 19, 2012 announced an upgrade to its entire NX range with three new compact system cameras (CSC) : the NX1000, NX210 and NX20 All three NX models feature a 20.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. They can shoot stills at 8 fps and support 1080p Full HD recording. Additionally they support the NX series' i-Function system and pack usability features such as Smart Auto 2.0 shooting modes and the Smart Link Hot Key to share photos using Wi-Fi. NX210 and NX1000 The NX210 is an upgrade to the NX200 announced on September 1 at IFA 2011 in Berlin. Samsung's 100 series NX cameras (NX100, NX200, NX210) target photo enthusiasts who are looking for compact sized cameras that are easy to use but support interchangeable lenses. Samsung NX210. Photo Credit: Samsung The 100 series cameras are styled to look like compact cameras and are smaller in size than the 10 series NX cameras. They have no built in flash or elect...

Nikon on April 19, 2012 announced its new entry level Digital SLR - Nikon D3200 – the successor to the D3100 announced in August 2010. The Nikon D3200 features a new DX-format CMOS image sensor with an effective pixel count of 24.2 million pixels, against the 14.2-million pixels image sensor on the D3100. The new sensor improves ISO sensitivities to ISO 100 - 6400, from IS0 100-3200 on the D3100. With the new sensor comes a new processing engine, Expeed 3. (The D3100 featured the Expeed 2 processing engine.) Nikon D3200. Photo Credit: Nikon The Guide mode on the D3100, which won the iF Communication Design Award 2011 from International Forum Design GmbH of Hanover Germany for making the camera very easy to use, has been further improved in the D3200. The D3200 features more assist images and text explanations of scenes to make it even more easier for the entry level user than the D3100. The D3200 features a 3-in., approx. 921k-dot TFT LCD monitor with wide viewing an...

Panasonic announced the`DMC-GF5 camera, its latest offering from the Lumix G Micro Systems range, on Thursday, April 5, less than a year after the launch of DMC-GF3 in April 2011. An evolutionary upgrade, the new offering from Panasonic's Lumix G Micro Systems range features a newly developed 12.1 MP CMOS sensor, redesigned Venus Engine, multi-process noise reduction system and 0.09 sec CD (contrast detection) AF (autofocus) system. (The GF3 featured a 12.1 MP sensor with 0.18 sec CD AF). The GF5 can shoot at 4fps compared to the 3.2 fps on the GF3, and features a 3.0-inch 920K dot LCD that improves on the GF3's 460K dot LCD. A touch-control system allows users to set focus on a subject just by touching the screen and users can even release the shutter to snap a photo directly from the touch screen. Once a user locks onto a subject by a touch, the camera will track the subject with the AF tracking function, even if the subject moves. Pinpoint AF allows for ...

The new Lytro camera is a gadget that will save us many a problem with taking pictures – oh, and will save us many pictures that would have been lost otherwise because of the irritating blurred image. Besides, you can do a spot of creating on the picture you made. Sounds fantastic? Well, the brainy boys managed it for us. The Lytro camera is based on the recent “light field” technology which has all the reason to be regarded as the most revolutionary one in photography . It is expected that Lytro may be the first in the new generation of cameras which allow you to take your picture first and then play around with it. The camera captures the scene you chose, remembering the colors and the whole complex vector system of lighting. It means that you can shift the focus of every taken pic! The clever camera stores the photos as animation, not as stills, so you touch the photo where you want it focused, and touch it in another place looking for the best effect. As soon as you’r...