Hitachi Unveils New HD Blu-ray Camcorder January 23, 2008
READ MORE Blu-ray , Digital cameras , Entertainment , Gizmodo UK , HD , Movies
Hitachi has taken the wraps off its second generation Blu-ray camcorder, the DZ-BD9H, and will be hoping that it gets a better reception than the first one, the DZ-BD7H.
The new model certainly looks nice and it’s classed as a Full HD camcorder, with a 60GB hard disk drive capable of recording 9 hours of 1920 x 1080 pixels MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video. If that’s not enough, you can also record to 8cm Blu-ray discs which can cope with an hour of Full HD material. Ten hours of Full HD should be enough for even the most avid ‘magic moments’ camcorder owner.
It sports a 2.7in display, a better 5.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor than the original had, and Adaptive DNR for reduced image noise and better colours.
It will ship in Japan first next month for around £850. A version without the Blu-ray disc slot, the DZ-HD90, will cost around £650.-Martin Lynch
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Bizarre Mini-Phone/Modem From Toshiba January 23, 2008
READ MORE Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Laptops , Mobile Devices , Mobile phones , Music , Peripherals , Smartphones , Storage
You’re either going to love or hate this latest offering from Toshiba.
The new Toshiba G450 is a unique 4-in-1 device that starts life as a USB modem for laptops but can also be used as a USB storage stick, MP3 player and, get this, a mobile phone. Really.
As a USB modem, the G450 offers laptop users the ability to dial into a HSDPA, EDGE or GPRS mobile networks for Web access but, can also be used for making and taking calls and sending and receiving texts. You can even surf the Web from your laptop and make calls simultaneously. The design is interesting, sporting dual-keypads, it’s small at 36 x 98 x 16mm and weighs just 57g.
According to Takashi Okamoto, Deputy Managing Director, Toshiba Information Systems (UK): “With increasingly mobile lives and flexible working practices, there’s a real and growing need for new solutions to connect people and enable them to work more effectively when they are away from the office. The G450 is an exciting product because it opens up new avenues for mobile access, keeping users in touch by email and the web via their notebook PC wherever they’re located as well as providing them with an easy-to-use voice device.”
The G450 will be available in white, black and red. Due to land here in March for around £150.-Martin Lynch
Nokia N95 8GB Gets First DLNA Certification January 23, 2008
READ MORE Entertainment , Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Mobile Devices , Mobile phones , Smartphones , Wireless
Wireless technology is great when it works well but as we all know it can very often lead to sudden outbursts of profanity and hair-pulling when wireless gadgets refuse to recognise each other.
Nokia is crowing today about its N95 8GB mobile phone, the first to receive an official pat on the back from Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). The cert is only handed out to gadgets that offer “convenient and intuitive connectivity” with other gadgets. The DLNA has already certified more than 1,800 products in the PC and consumer electronic categories, but this is the first time a mobile phone has gotten the nod..
"We are thrilled to receive this tribute from the DLNA. The Nokia N95 8GB is truly a masterpiece of a multimedia computer, and a prime example of the direction mobility is taking - it’s personal, powerful and fits seamlessly into your life inside and outside the home" said Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president, Markets, Nokia.
According to Nokia, the N95 will let you seamlessly hook up wirelessly for photo sharing, stream music to a DLNA-certified hi-fi system or videos and photos to your TV.-Martin Lynch
White PS3 Leaving Japan January 23, 2008
READ MORE Consoles , Gadgets , Games , Gizmodo UK , PS3
Does the colour of your console really matter? Should it match your curtains or the couch in the corner or should it just be good old black and to hell with fashion?
Gamers in the US are about to get a choice, as Sony prepares to introduce the white PS3 that the Japanese have had since last year. That means that it could hit the UK in the coming months too. Of course, that’s not a guarantee.
It’s been confirmed for the US through filings made to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Ceramic White 40GB PS3 also comes with a white DualShock 3 controller. It was submitted to the FCC last October but Sony asked for some hush-hush privacy about the ‘sensitive information’.
In related news, PS3 sales are ramping up. According to some Sony figures, 1.2 million PS3s sold in Europe over a 5-week Christmas period. And that's despite its new bundle that offers gamers less for more. -Martin Lynch
Currys Switches Off Analogue Tellys January 23, 2008
READ MORE Entertainment , Gizmodo UK , HDTV , TV
Analogue TVs are dead. That’s the message coming out of DSG International, the parent company of Currys, Dixons and PC World, which has just announced that it’s killing them off.
The company has announced that no more orders are being placed for analogue TVs and the company will be the first electrical retailer to commit fully to digital TVs. Even DVD recorders with analogue tuners are for the axe. This is the latest step in the retailers drive to go all-digital. Currys ejected music cassettes last May. DSG said that more than 90% of the TVs it sells are digital.
Peter Keenan, managing director of Currys, said: "We believe that it is appropriate to ensure that our customers are able to select from a future-proof range of televisions. Integrated digital televisions are relatively simple to operate, offer superior technology and are an important window on the digital future. They are now available for less than £150 from our stores."
Ford Ennals, Chief Executive, Digital UK, the independent body coordinating the digital television switchover, said: "DSG international are to be congratulated for taking a lead in this area and I hope others will quickly follow suit. Currys in Whitehaven went all-digital last year and proved a vital source of advice and switchover ready equipment for the local community. As switchover rolls out around the country, electrical retailers of all sizes have a vital role to play in ensuring their products and their customers are ready for this very significant change."
DSG staff will be offering 'optiona'l digital set-top boxes with the rest of the analogue TVs they sell.
To be fair though, almost a third of all TVs sold in the UK are still analogue and while it’s important to get up to speed with the digital switchover, I see a lot of older people being confused the next time they go looking for a new telly.-Martin Lynch
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