Olympus Announces Tough TG-1 iHS

"Olympus has announced the Tough TG-1 iHS, a high-end rugged, waterproof compact camera. The main selling point of the camera is its 25-100mm equivalant F2.0-4.9 zoom lens. The TG-1 is tougher than previous Tough models, being waterproof to 12m (40ft) and shockproof from a height of 2m (6.6ft) and will have optional waterproof fisheye and telephoto converter lenses available."

What is iHS supposed to mean? Anyway, this is a new Tough camera with increased specifications from the previous models. In particular, the 4x 25mm-100mm equivalent f/2.0-4.9 zoom lens is faster than many other cameras in its class, especially at that wide end with the f/2.0 aperture. The camera has a 12 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor which is stabilised, a 3" VGA OLED screen (but in Pentile layout), 1080p video mode coupled with a 10 FPS still shooting mode at full resolution or 60 FPS at 3 megapixel, and built-in GPS. As with a rugged camera, it features waterproofing and shockproofing. The camera also promises to feature AF technology from the PEN cameras, so hopefully it will be quick (I do suspect the technology is more on the software side). Oh and what modern Olympus camera is without the Art or Magic Filters? Available in June for US$400.

What Can HTPC Users Expect From Intel's Ivy Bridge

"The ability to cram in more and more transistors in a die has made it possible to have both the CPU and GPU in the same silicon."

AnandTech has posted their review of Intel's Ivy Bridge from the perspective of a HTPC user. They looked at refresh rates, decoding and rendering benchmarks, network streaming capabilities, power consumption, etc. Their review is pretty comprehensive and should be a must read for anyone wondering if they should update or keep what they have.

Pentax K-01 Reviewed by Digital Camera Resource Page

"Aside from its unique looks, the K-01 is also a full-featured interchangeable lens camera. It has a 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, K-mount lens support with built-in image stabilization, lots of manual controls, a boatload of scene modes and special effects, an HDR function, and 1080p video recording."

When the Pentax K-01 was announced, I mentioned (right in the headline no less) that Pentax cannot seem to do mirrorless cameras right. Well, in addition to all the issues that come with sticking to the K-mount instead of developing a new mount for a large sensor mirrorless camera (fat body due to large flange distance for the mirror box, slow AF with some lenses not designed for contrast detection autofocus), Pentax seems to have some terrible quality control issues here. Jeff Keller has a long history of reviewing digital cameras, but I don't think I have seen him point out so many issues in one review before! Nevertheless, if you are still interested, you can read the review, where the output from the camera is actually quite good, but given all the other issues, I think there are better mirrorless cameras out there.

Amtrak Using iPhones to Scan Tickets

"Here's a modern twist on a time-honored tradition for train travelers. Since last fall, Amtrak has been training conductors to use an iOS device to scan passenger tickets on some selected routes, including Boston to Portland, Maine, and San Jose to Sacramento, California."

You can either print out your ticket before hand, or just show the ticket barcode on your iPhone screen so they can scan it. Going paperless, I love it.

iPad as Another Took in System Administrators Toolbox

"John Welch over at Ars Technica wrote a wonderful post about using an iPad as a system administrator's tool, noting that Apple's tablet is "an addition, not a replacement" to the many tools that IT pros currently use to complete their daily tasks."


You can read the Ars Technica article here, but why not right? I mean it makes sense to me, since it has great battery life and easy to use, why shouldn't it be another tool in the toolbox? But whatever your opinion, it's still an interesting article about how one person uses it.

This Custom iPad Case is Amazing

"Holy crap. Check out this amazing custom iPad cover Redditor 44 Oz. had made for him by Australian-based leatherworking firm High On Glue, made with premium leather, suede lining, a kangaroo leather spine and embossed with the original Apple logo designed by Ron Wayne back in 1976, featuring Sir Isaac Newton resting under an Apple tree."

I'm with the author, as I don't normally like folio cases either but this one is certainly amazing. Makes me wish I had continued on with my leatherwork practice from 4H. If you want to order one, you can go check it out on this page and get your email in, it might be awhile though.

iPhone at Work

"Apple is pushing the benefits of using an iPhone in business with the launch of a new webpage on its site."

"iPhone at Work" has a pretty extensive list of apps to help you in whatever business needs you may have, some of them of course the standard Apple ones. But there are also some other apps that you might find useful. Worth a look, it's well done as is everything Apple does, in my opinion of course.

Verizon WP8 Devices To Come Before Holiday Season Per CFO

"Shammo also told Reuters that Verizon plans to make its new Windows Phone 8 handsets available later this year, in time for the holiday season, which should see the devices on sale shortly after Microsoft publicly launches the new mobile OS in the fourth quarter."

During Verizon's quarterly earnings report, CFO Fran Shammo voiced strong support for the Windows Phone 8 platform and believes it to be the third ecosystem along with iOS and Android. Also stated was that devices will be available from Verizon before the holiday season. Unfortunately this means there will be no WP7.5 device to supplement the HTC Trophy on Verizon's shelves.

A Speaker Dock for Your iPad From Scoshe

"Speaker docks are a tricky proposition. Build them big enough to boom, and they're hard to fit on your desk or kitchen counter. Build them small, and they usually lack the bass that helps us feel our favorite jams. Scoshe's BassDOCK manages to pack a punch, securely perching your iPad above a compact speaker that fits almost anywhere."

Simple design that works with all versions of iPad, and at $149.99 USD it won't break the bank. And, from the sounds of this review, it does the intended job very well.

Win an iPad From Gogo, Along With a Year's Worth of Service

"Here's one last opportunity for you to grab a new iPad for yourself, and Gogo's pulling out all the stops to ensure you're happy with your new treasure both on the ground and in the air."

Find out all the details right here.

Win a Souped Up Macbook Pro

"This is just totally sick. The guys over at Germany's Hardwrk have taken 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a 1TB Samsung 830 SATA III SSD bundled up in an SSD-RAID-0, slapped it into a 13-inch MacBook Pr running an Intel Core i7-2640M 2.8GHz chip."

This is sick, and in a good way. Leave a comment here to enter yourself in the contest to win this bad boy.

Ars Technica: Challenges Getting Windows Phones Updated

"If these rumors are true, buying a Lumia 900-or any other Windows Phone handset-is a risky proposition. If you buy subsidized, on-contract handsets, you'll typically be eligible for a new subsidized upgrade every two years. A reasonable expectation, then, would be two years of software support in the form of bugfixes and updates. But if current handsets can't run Windows Phone 8, they'll essentially be cut off from future support in about six months. Developers might still target the older handsets to some extent, but many more will be targeting Windows Phone 8's extended capabilities and richer APIs."

If you are contemplating buying a Windows Phone it will be of interest to you to understand the update strategy from both Microsoft and the carriers proving the phones. As is outlined in this article, it is clearly an uneven playing field and playing strategy from the participants. Ars Technica goes so far as to warn you that buying a Windows Phone like the Nokia Lumia 900 could lead you down a path where you cannot get your phone software updated, depending on which partners are involved. Note that the Android world also has some of these types of issues. It is an in-depth article, but well worth the read, and only takes one click to get there.

Bluetooth SIG Confirms The Nokia Lumia 719

"The Bluetooth SIG has just approved the Lumia 719, saying it's destined for Asia, North America and South America."

The Bluetooth SIG has just confirmed the existence of the Nokia Lumia 719. The 719 is purportedly soon to see the light of day in Asia, North America and South America. From the product details, it appears the 719 is very similar to the 710 in terms of feature set.

Going by Nokia's past naming conventions, this is probably a CDMA variant of the Lumia 710. Hopefully it is destined for either Sprint or Verizon in North America.

PC Gaming Will Never Die! Introducing the Alienware X51

"The X51 is basically the size of an Xbox 360, but the insides are pure PC: Alienware employs a Mini-ITX motherboard, desktop-level Sandy Bridge Intel processors, and a full-sized double-slot graphics card (rotated ninety degrees and connected via a riser card to the PCIe 2.1 x16 slot)."



The gaming industry has seen a lot of changes over the past few years. While gaming consoles have traditionally dominated the market, the rise of casual games on the iPhone and Android have gained a lot of attention lately. PC gaming, though, is like that that kid you see at the school dance, standing in a corner, all alone, trying to look inconspicuous. He may have a lot to offer, and really is a great person, but no one wants to even talk to him because he does not quite fit in with the rest of the crowd. Despite all the love that other gaming platforms get, there is still a great market for PC gaming and the success of Steam suggests that it is not going to die anytime soon. The Alienware X51 looks like a good stab at helping to create more interest in the platform.

The biggest problem I see with the PC platform is its complexity. Performance varies widely, depending on what hardware you have, and with most games being 3D, a lot of computers that use integrated graphics find the experience less than stellar. Distribution services like Steam go a long way to simplifying the distribution chain, but until games can offer a much more stable platform like that which you see with a console, or a mobile device, I am certain that many people will remain put off by the whole thing.

Nokia Lumia 710 Reviewed

"The Nokia Lumia 710 is the second offering into the Windows Phone arena from Nokia, following the release of the Nokia Lumia 800 late last year."

Techradar.com have done an extensive review of the Lumia 710, which looks to be Nokia's offering to the young and trendy set, as well as to the more budget conscious. What's the verdict: it's a decent handset which would be a winner if the price were a tad lower. For the details, head on through the link for the full review.

The Logitech M600 is a Touchy Mouse

"With the Logitech Touch Mouse M600, things are set to improve, making mousing feel like second nature. You are able to scroll, swipe and surf regardless of where your fingertips rest on the mouse, and it does not matter whether you are a southpaw or not."


There are Touch people, Touchpad people and there are Mice people. Okay, there are probably some TrackBall people around, and TrackPoint/AccuPoint people too. Having grown up in front of desktops, I find mice the most efficient way of navigating my computing. For tablets and phones, sure, touch is great, but it is the mouse I crave when I want to deal with lots of information. But with Logitech's latest creation, why not get the best of both worlds? Touch mice have been around for a few years in several incarnations. I remember one of Logitech's earliest attempts 8 years ago with the v500, though that did not support multi-touch. The only problem is that I do not know if I will feel comfortable looking like I'm fondling my mouse while I whisk through all that data.

Olympus Announces OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Thirds Camera

The big news of the past 24 hours is Olympus's E-M5 camera, which is part of the OM-D line. For the uninitiated, Olympus used to make small and very well-made film SLRs back in the day, under the OM moniker. I myself started photography using dad's OM-1 almost two decades ago. Ah, the memories!
Well, while Olympus is trying to stir feelings of nostalgia, I can say that the OM-1 and this E-M5 are quite different beasts once you get past the superficial. The E-M5 is a digital camera through and through, with the controls pretty much geared towards an electronically-controlled lens mount, unlike say, the Fuji X100. Still, it does look good, and the accessory battery grip is really retro; I have not seen something like that since the old motor winders back in the days of manual focus SLRs.

The camera itself is made from the best Micro Four Thirds has to offer. Highlights include a sensor that is the 16 megapixel Live MOS affair that goes from ISO 200 to 25,600 (presumably from Panasonic; about time Olympus ditched that old 12 megapixel sensor), a contrast-detect system that Olympus promises to be world's fastest (challenging cameras like the mighty Nikon D3S and Canon EOS 1DIV), an improved sensor-shift stabilisation system that promises to keep track and correct movement in five different axis, 1080i video at up to 60 FPS, continuous shooting at 9 FPS with single AF, 4.2 with continuous AF, 3" tilting VGA (presumably using a Pentile arrangement) OLED screen, a great SVGA EVF and a weather-proofed body that offers complete weather-proof capabilities when used with the right lenses. Despite that faux pentaprism hump (it is its successor, the EVF hump), there is no built-in flash, just like the old OM cameras.
Other niceties include things like a Live Bulb mode, so you can keep track of the exposure when it is progress. Ever shot in bulb and have no idea how long to open the shutter for, especially in conditions where the light level is rapidly changing? This is the crutch. There is also a tone curve overlay for finer control over how the camera handles shadows and highlights, though I suspect that is more for JPEG shooters.

All that nice stuff does not come cheap. The camera will ship in April for US$1000 for just the body, $1100 with a 14-42mm kit lens, and $1300 with the new 12-50 powerzoom lens (which is weather-proof). Along with the camera, Olympus also announced a 75mm f/1.8 lens, a 60mm f/2.8 macro, and a new flash with an LED for video work, the FL-600R. The FL-600R will ship in April for US$300, while pricing information for the lenses are not available.

More details and photos at the link, along with a preview! Be sure to see the grip, it just so old school!

Kodak to Cease Making Digital Cameras

"Kodak has announced that it is ceasing production of digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames."



Kodak has been a real mess for the past 20 years, with management trying to keep a hold on a lucrative but dwindling core business. As Kodak exits a market it never really could compete in against the Japanese, I wonder what the post-bankruptcy future it has? Paper? More film? Licensing the name is only going to go so far without some innovations from the parent company. In the end, I think this pretty much confirms Kodak as a has-been.

The Hidden iPad Keyboard Keys

"If you're an iPad "power user," you're probably familiar with its useful split keyboard for typing with your thumbs.But did you know that Apple snuck in six hidden virtual keys to ensure that you never stretch your thumbs too far?"


I will have to give this a go the next time I have my iPad out, it might help my typing speed!