COMMONSENSESECUITY

Common Sense Security

This site is designed to give an overview of what we can do to keep our computers safer and more secure while we are on the Internet. I have known the owner (Mark Rider) for a long time and confirm that his site is secure AND gives out some very useful advice. I can  recommend it highly.

Tony

A Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to one an` all.
May the year ahead bring all that you desire and more.
If that includes a substantial lottery win my address is available on
request.

Best Wishes
Tony

Fuji FinePix A700

 

 

Designed for all the family, Fuji's FinePix A700 is easy to use and therefore everyone can enjoy digital photography! It is simple and user-friendly, with all the control buttons being on the right hand side so you can use it with just one hand.
Integrating a 7.3 megapixel Super CCD HR and an Optical Zoom of 3x, the A700 gives you very good image quality, with your photos being detailed, rich in colour and perfectly centred, enabling them to be enlarged.
In addition the Fine Pix A700 has a large LCD screen, which is more than 6cm in diagonal, giving you a very comfortable aim, as well as pertinent control of your photo taking.
Comfortable, easy to hold and with 8 different modes for each scene, you won’t get lost when taking your photos. The A700 adapts itself to the situation, therefore giving you the best results in every circumstance.
Ideal for everyone, the FinePix A700 enables you to enjoy taking digital photos, saving your most precious memories, without bothering you with technical details.

Canon PowerShot A640

Canon PowerShot A640

Topping the Competition in All Respects

Canon's popular A Series cameras have always stood out from the competition, but PowerShot A640 takes that concept to a whole new level. Experience breathtaking 10.0 megapixel resolution-a first for an A-Series camera - and the power of a 4x optical zoom lens. You'll have more fun shooting, and make your finished images even more rewarding, with the camera's exciting array of easy-to-use, high-performance features including 21 shooting modes and ISO800/High ISO Auto settings for much greater ability to shoot in low light.

UK Price ---www.amazon.co.uk      £219.00 & Delivered free in the UK. Usually dispatched within 24 hours.

Fujifilm Z5fd

 

Fujifilm Z5fd

 

Fujifilm has launched the next model in their Z series, the Z5fd, for the first time with Face Detection technology.
This is Fujifilm’s proprietary technology that locks on to faces and follows them to keep them in focus until they move out of frame or the user snaps a picture. In playback mode, pressing the Face Detection button will autozoom on to each face in turn so that you can check the focus and detail. The company promises that it can cope even in dark or back-lit scenes, and when the faces are off-centre.
The Z5fd comes in three colours: Raspberry Red, Mocha Brown, and Silver. Features are fairly standard for a compact, with a 3x optical zoom, 6.3MP, a 2.5-inch LCD, and ISO up to 1600. Fujifilm has also incorporated Intelligent Flash and a new blog mode into the Z5fd. The intelligent flash ensures a balanced exposure so that foreground subjects aren’t overexposed by a too-powerful strobe.
Natural Light and Flash mode force the camera to take two photos in quick succession, one with and one without flash, and then display both side by side for comparison. Blog mode optimises images for posting online, presumably by compressing them to make them easier to upload.
Other features include movie recording at 30fps with sound, and 14 scene modes. The Z5fd is expected to be available in January, with pricing announced closer to the date.

Casio Exilim Card EX-S770

 Casio Exilim Card EX-S770 digital camera

Price online about £185/90

Technical Details

• Ultra slim all metal body in Graphite Blue
• 7.2 effective megapixels for A3 photo prints
• 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom (12x total zoom)
• Extra bright 2.8inch widescreen LCD for clear viewing and framing
• 35 BESTHOT scenarios for quick camera setup
• Anti Shake DSP for reduced image blur
• Widescreen and normal movie mode with audio (with AV out)
• Data Transport function to store, review and present webpages and documents
• SUPER LIFE battery (approx. 200 images on a single charge CIPA standards)
• PictBridge and Direct Print compatible

› See more technical details

 

What you need to know

We like:

Slim and stylish; wide LCD; quick performance

We don't like:

Small, flat buttons; mediocre photo quality

CNET.co.uk judgement:

An attractive, pocketable camera, the Casio Exilim EX-S770 nevertheless has its share of quirks

Read full review...

MSI Megaview 588 digital media player

Listening to music on the move is rather passé now; if you want to be at the cutting edge, video is the latest thing.

The MSI Megaview 588, however, caters for both without being overly bulky or expensive.

The 3.5in screen can display video at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, which is good for a screen of this size. It handled fast-moving video without any blurring and images were reasonably bright.

The 20Gb hard disk (enough for about 5,000 songs and 50 hours of video) is a reasonable size for the price, although a 30Gb iPod video costs just £15 more.

The Megaview 588 supports a variety of file formats including MPEG4, DivX, all popular digital image formats, such as JPEG and TIF, and Windows Media Video 9.
The Megaview can also record audio or video using the supplied composite cables, although recording resolution is limited to 312 x 324 pixels.

Unlike the more expensive Archos PMA400 media player, the Megaview 588 cannot record shop-bought DVDs from a DVD player. It will record unprotected discs, such as those you've created yourself, though.

The video recording cable also doubles up to connect the Megaview 588 to a television for watching videos and photo slideshows on a bigger screen.

There's a remote control to navigate media files from afar and a tripod stand. But, as the infrared sensor is positioned on the bottom of the player, it's is not possible to use both at the same time.

The Megaview 588 supports MP3, WMA and WAV music formats, which is more than the iPod. Sound quality was good but it won't playback any bought-music from the iTunes or Napster online music stores.

This model includes an FM radio that can store eight stations. FM broadcasts can also be recorded, as can voice recordings using the internal microphone.

Files are transferred from a computer using the USB socket, which will also connect to digital cameras and other storage devices using a supplied adapter. In this way, files can be copied directly to the Megaview 588.

There's also a slot on the top of the player for SD and MMC memory cards, from which files can be copied to the Megaview 588.

MSI has thoughtfully included the software driver for computers running Windows 98. It won't synchronise with Windows Media Player 10, though.

Battery life runs to around five hours for video playback and recording and seven hours when listening to music. The battery is removable so it's possible to carry a spare.

Comparisons will be made with the better-looking, more desirable video iPod, which offers and extra 10Gb for about the same price but if you want to record media on the move and listen to radio out of the box, the MSI Megaview 588 has the edge.

KODAK Easyshare V610 Camera

Kodak is celebrating five years of its Easyshare digital camera, software and docking technology with the launch of what it claims is the smallest 10x optical zoom digital camera.

The slimline six-megapixel Easyshare V610 is another dual lens digital camera - introduced by Kodak in January.

It has a 2.8in LCD screen and uses Kodak Retina Dual Lens technology, combining two Schneider-Kreuznach C-Variogon all-glass lenses that do not protrude.

The camera is also one of the first to come with Bluetooth wireless technology for easy sharing of photos with people up to 30ft away.

It will come with version 6 of the Easyshare software, which can be downloaded free from next month by existing Easyshare camera users here.

Due out in June, the V610 will cost £350.

Hauppage launches low-cost TV dongle

Hauppauge has introduced a low-cost TV tuner USB 'stick' for laptop and PC users. The £49.99 WinTV Nova-t Stick comes with a high-performance portable aerial and high-gain silicon tuner technology for improved Freeview reception.The supplied software scans for up to 40 Freeview TV digital channels, which can then be watched in full-screen or resizable windows or recorded for later viewing. Digital radio is also supported.

It is high-definition TV (HDTV)-compliant so users will be able to view the current trials the BBC is running on Freeview to see what all the fuss is about.You could have the Stick plugged into your desktop PC at home, then simply unplug it and take it with you and your laptop.

ZEN Vision:M 30GB Media Player

Zen Vision's 30GB multimedia center is bound to impress anyone who wants to carry all their digital entertainment files - tens of thousands of photos, up to 120 hours of videos, and 15,000 songs - everywhere. Zen Vision is not only lightweight and slim, beneath its classy magnesium casing are features that will fulfill all your digital entertainment needs.


Product Description Creative Zen Vision - portable media centre
Device Type Portable media centre
Dimensions (WxDxH) 12.4 cm x 2 cm x 7.4 cm
Weight 239 g
Key Features Digital audio player, voice recorder, digital photo viewer, memory card reader, digital video player, FM tuner
Hard Drive 30 GB
Flash Memory Cards Supported CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II
TV Standards Supported NTSC, PAL
Display Type 3.7" LCD
Supported Still Images Formats JPEG
Supported Audio Formats WMA, MP3, WMA DRM
Video Playback Formats MPEG-4 SP, XviD, DivX 5.0, DivX 4.0, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, Motion JPEG, WMV
PC Interfaces Hi-Speed USB
Battery Internal rechargeable - Lithium Ion
Included Accessories Stereo headphones, AV cable, USB cable, AC adapter, carrying pouch

Despite a few shortcomings, Creative's Zen VisionM is a great Apple iPod alternative. the video-ready music device, which possesses the finest color screen I've ever seen on a portable player.
The VisionM sounded great, too, though audio codec support is a bit weak--with support for MP3, WMA, and WAV, . In addition, it carries an FM tuner/recorder and a voice recorder.
The VisionM does more than play music. It supplies a raft of options for photo and video viewing on the unit's beautiful 320-by-240-pixel screen. The device supports enough video codecs to keep video enthusiasts happy, and an included dongle lets you link the player to a TV.
You will have no trouble navigating files on the VisionM, thanks to the player's touchpad interface. With the touchpad at the default sensitivity setting, a few quick flicks of the thumb allowed you to move through lengthy lists of artists and albums, though landing on a specific selection was sometimes challenging.
Unfortunately, the VisionM has a few drawbacks when compared to the 30GB video-ready iPod. For starters, it's about 1.5 times as thick, and you need a dongle to charge the player and sync files to it. Also, its MediaSource application needs work, especially when matched against Apple's slick iTunes. If you can look beyond these flaws, however, you'll find a capable portable media player with useful features and a stellar screen

Matchmaker Pairs Computer and Stereo

The New York Times
Printer Friendly Format Sponsored By

February 9, 2006
David Pogue
Matchmaker Pairs Computer and Stereo

THOSE crazy kids today! Their home music systems often wind up split in two. In this corner: the computer, stuffed with music files copied from CD's or downloaded from the Internet. In that corner: the stereo system or home theater.

The challenge is playing the computer's music through the nice speakers, even though they're in different parts of the house.

The electronics industry offers all kinds of solutions to this problem. Some (Sonos, Olive) are very expensive. Others (iPod, AirPort Express) require you to get up from the couch to see or change what's playing.

There is, fortunately, another way. You can outfit your sound system with a tiny, good-looking wireless receiver that provides a window onto your computer's music collection elsewhere in the house.

That's the idea behind the new Squeezebox 3 from Slim Devices ($300, or $250 for a nonwireless version). It's an upgraded, much cooler-looking version of the Squeezebox 2, which has cultivated a rabid cult of followers since its release last year — a cult that may grow when the company beams a new "killer app" feature to its customers next week.

The Squeezebox 3 is, true to the company's name, a slim device. At 7.6 by 3.7 by 3.1 inches, it has a face about the size of a flip-flop sandal. The Squeezebox 3 is also gorgeous, a welcome attribute for something that's going to be in public view. The top half is dark, smoky translucent plastic, with crisp, bright white pixels shining through. (The sides and back come in black or white.) Most of the time, this screen displays only text — what's playing at the moment, for example, or a real-time news-headline ticker — but a few simple visual displays are available, too, like dancing level meters.

Hooking it up involves plugging in only two cables: one for power, and one that goes to the receiver, speakers or headphones. Four kinds of audio-output connectors are provided, including RCA (red and white) and digital outputs (optical and coax).

WHEN you turn the thing on, it tries to join your wireless network. If you have a straightforward network, this is just a matter of clicking O.K. about five times on the remote control. If the network requires a password, special firewall ports or other fiddling, the setup could demand more time, or even a call to the American-staffed help line.

The next step takes place at your computer. You're supposed to download and install a piece of software (available for Mac, Windows, Unix or Linux) that sits there, behind the scenes, and transmits the music to the Squeezebox over the network. It may sound technical, but it's not; in fact, after that first joyous day of setup, it's invisible and effortless.

All the Squeezebox asks is that you keep your music files in one folder on your hard drive. Inner subfolders and folder shortcuts (aliases) are all right — and best of all, free jukebox programs like iTunes and Windows Media Player qualify, too. All of your music, including playlists and even smart playlists, shows up on the Squeezebox, ready for playing.

Now you run back downstairs to your living room and give it a try. What you'll discover is that all of your music shows up on the Squeezebox's beautiful display. You walk through it by band, album, song title or playlist; the remote feels cheap and plasticky, and it's a little odd that its Play button is so tiny, but at least it's thoughtfully laid out. (You can also control playback from the computer, using a cleanly designed control screen that shows up in, of all things, your Web browser.)

The music sounds fantastic. In fact, even audiophiles with golden eardrums lavish praise on this humble little box (after making certain modifications, including replacing the included power adapter — go figure). The machine can play most of the digital music world's favorite file formats, like MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, WAV, Apple Lossless and Ogg Vorbis.

It cannot, however, play back copy-protected songs bought from online music stores like Napster or the iTunes Music Store. The company excuses this limitation by pointing out that Apple's copy-protection system is a secret, but that doesn't explain why you can't play back Microsoft's protected WMA songs.

There are other wireless sound bridges on the market. But a few delicious perks make the Squeezebox an extremely versatile and likable gadget.

First, it can tune into thousands of Internet radio stations. Dozens of them come already listed on the machine (although the ones provided by Live365.com subject you to a 30-second ad before they begin to play), and you can type in the address of any other station. These radio stations are so easy to use and free of commercials, it's almost like getting satellite radio free.

Second, the Squeezebox doubles as an alarm clock; because it's so small and attractive, it actually makes a dandy bedside-table machine.

While you're at it, you may as well explore the ambient-sound channels: 26 soothing nature tracks (babbling brooks, steady rain, surf and seagulls) that help lull you to sleep despite the sounds of traffic outside.

Third, the wireless Squeezebox offers an Ethernet jack that lets another component of your system — Xbox, PlayStation or TiVo, for example — join the network just by the addition of one cable.

Finally, beginning next week, the Squeezebox will do something no other hi-fi component can do: it will hook into Pandora.

Pandora.com is a sophisticated music-recommendation site. You name a band, singer or song that you like. Immediately, you hear a new "radio station" that plays only musicologically similar songs. If you type "Billy Joel," Pandora plays songs with "mild rhythmic syncopation, mixed minor and major tonality, a dynamic male vocalist and vocal harmonies."

It works the same way on the Squeezebox. You use the remote to type in what you like (using cellphone-like multiple-tap text entry). As your instant custom radio station plays, you use the remote to provide feedback. If you give a song a thumbs down, the Squeezebox screen says, "Sorry, we won't play this song," and a new song begins to play immediately. Thumbs up, and it says, "Cool, we'll try to play similar songs." Over time, Pandora fine-tunes your stations, allying them even more closely with your tastes.

Slim Devices predicts that Pandora will become a wildly popular feature, and that's probably true (although after a 90-day trial, it costs $36 a year). It offers all the new-music serendipity of Internet radio, with the personal touch of your own CD collection.

The downside to using your computer as the source of all music, of course, is that when it's turned off, the music stops. But the Squeezebox even has a workaround for that: a special channel called Squeezebox Networks, filled with Internet radio stations (including Pandora) that are available even when your computer isn't available. Nice touch.

And here's another one: you can buy several Squeezeboxes and park them around the house. Impressively, they can all play different music from the same computer simultaneously — or you can synchronize them so they all play the same thing.

Now ordinarily, an electronics company is just a vendor. But in the case of Slim Devices, you get a real taste of the creators' personalities. The company bends over backward to make itself an open, transparent, right-minded outfit. The server software is open source, meaning free and open to the public to modify; as a result, you can download Squeezebox plug-ins that give it even more abilities. (For example, a plug-in called SoftSqueeze lets you listen to your home music collection from any computer anywhere, by way of the Web.) A lively discussion area helps build a sense of community.

Bug fixes and software upgrades (like the new Pandora feature) are automatically beamed into your machine at regular intervals. On the company's Web site, the machine's components are described lovingly and completely, as a chef might describe fresh ingredients. (The power adapter, for example, is "small, efficient, and does not get hot.")

Over all, you have to love this sweet, satisfying machine. Its creators have sweated so many details, you want to hand them a towel. Now that CD players, tape decks and turntables are rapidly disappearing, the Squeezebox brings us one step closer to the era of the stereo-free stereo.

E-mail: Pogue@nytimes.com

Saitek A250 Wireless 2.1 Speakers

This stylish wireless speaker system allows you to access your entire PC music library and listen to Internet radio from anywhere in and around your home.

Stream music from your PC wirelessly all around your home, enjoy quality digital 2.1 stereo with active bass with this easily portable and durable speaker system.

Reliable high-fidelity wireless technology streams your music to Saitek's Neodymium speakers which provide exceptional clarity and bass performance.

Transfer music easily from room to room, whether you're studying upstairs, cooking in the kitchen, working in the garage or entertaining friends. Stream music wirelessly from your PC...to anywhere around your home.

Subscriber price: £79.99
Reader price: £79.99

Gadgets for ALL

Face it: You live for new adult toys and the latest in high tech goodies. Some of them are necessary, others should never have left the vaporware stage.However on here I will try and give you the latest in all those "Must Have" products that are in the shops now or within the next few weeks. I will also be listing some of the more interesting product pages that I find on the net.

Guess what just turned 34?

Googler insights into product and technology news and our culture.
Guess what just turned 34?

10/21/2005 03:19:00 PM
Posted by Paul Buchheit, Gmail Engineer

It's difficult to pin down the exact origin of email, but in October 1971, an engineer named Ray Tomlinson chose the '@' symbol for email addresses and wrote software to send the first network email.

At the time, it must not have seemed very important – nobody bothered to save that first message or even record the exact date. I've always thought that it would be fun to witness a little bit of history like that – to be there when something important happened. That's part of what drove me to join a little no-name startup named Google, and it's why I was excited when I was given a chance to create a new email product, now called Gmail.
Read on and when you get to the end you will find an invite to join the Gmail fun and Games (Well Fun Anyway)
Tony

LaCie Silverscreen

Price: £164
Overall rating: **** (4 out of 5)
Manufacturer: LaCie
Technical specifications
silverscreen 40 GB USB... £162.00
Lacie's Silverscreen is a portable hard disk with a difference. As well as being an ultra-quiet external USB drive, it can play media files directly to a television. The 40GB version holds about 40 DivX movies, 10,000 songs or 40,000 pictures.

The drive comes pre-formatted with the Fat32 file system and getting your data
onto it is as easy as dragging files into pre-defined folders. You can then entertain family and friends by hooking up the drive to a TV and selecting the file you want to play from an on-screen menu using the supplied remote control.

The Silverscreen is one of the first devices we've seen with an HDMI connector, which can output composite, S-video and component video together with audio. It can also output HDTV signals at up to 1080i. Only composite and S-video leads are supplied, but you do get a Scart adapter. There's also a digital audio output.

While the remote is sluggish, playback quality is good and the drive can handle a range of Mpeg1, 2 and 4-based files, include video-on-demand files from DivX.com. Audio support includes mp3, wav, wma and aac. However, a major let-down is that the Silverscreen can't play Quicktime or wmv files and doesn't support Apple's version of aac used in Itunes. There's also a lack of any accompanying software; except for a freeware backup utility for Macs, all you get is a pdf of the manual. A utility for ripping DVDs or converting video between formats would have been an obvious choice.

The Silverscreen is incredibly easy to use but is let down by a few niggling omissions. However, once these are sorted out, this will certainly be a five-star product.

Ulead DVD Movie Factory 4

Price: £24.99
Overall rating: **** (4 out of 5)
Manufacturer: Ulead
Ulead DVD Movie Factory... £19.99
Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4 £28.99
Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4... £42.99
Ken McMahon, Personal Computer World 27 Jul 2005

Most budget video-editing programs now provide some DVD authoring tools, so dedicated authoring applications need to offer something extra. Ulead's DVD Movie Factory 4 offers ease of use and the ability to get video from a variety of sources - files from your hard drive, camcorder footage and digital TV recordings - onto your discs with the minimum of fuss.

Movie Factory uses a tabbed, wizard-style interface, which guides you through the DVD production process. First, a launch screen presents the various project options, which include Create Video DVD, Create Slideshow DVD, Copy disc, Straight to Disc and Edit DVD. Similar options are provided for CD-based projects.

As well as producing standalone slideshows, the package lets you incorporate them within a DVD-video project. Movie Factory's tools for assembling shows - sorting images, adding transitions and arranging backing music - were always good. This version adds new pan and zoom effects so that even still images can be given a more dynamic feel.

Straight to Disc is perfect for instant archival of a DV tape. All you need to do is connect your camcorder with a Firewire cable, insert a blank or editable DVD in the drive and hit the button. It's just a shame that this new version's support for 16:9 widescreen format video doesn't extend to this feature. If you have a camcorder capable of shooting in 16:9 format, you'll have to capture and author manually.

Convenient as Straight to Disc is, most people will opt for the more hands-on approach. The first step here is to import your source clips by capturing from a DV camcorder or analogue TV tuner or by locating files on your hard drive.

Captured footage can be encoded on the fly - this saves you having to do it later, prior to DVD burning - and the mpeg2 encoding options have been expanded, with new quality presets, 16:9 formats and Dolby Digital Stereo audio encoding.

It's not up to the standards of a dedicated video editor, but Movie Factory has all the basic tools for editing and organising clips into a format for DVD viewing.

The Multi-trim window makes light work of cutting unwanted footage, allowing you to scan through a clip using VCR-style controls and a jog slider, marking sections of the clip you want to keep and discarding the rest.

The add/edit chapter feature is used to add chapter points to longer clips and create sub-menus for them. You can add chapters manually - a preview window, VCR-style controls and a jog wheel let you skip through a clip adding chapters as you go. You can either create chapter points at fixed time intervals or where Movie Factory automatically detects scene changes.

The Enhance video feature lets you add transitions between clips, superimpose title overlays and record and mix voiceover narration and background music tracks. These features make the program a good choice for those who don't own a video-editing application but still want some creative editing control.

Having organised and edited your content, Movie Factory's menu editor puts it into a default template, with thumbnails to link clips to chapter menus and navigation buttons to move between menu pages. A selection of templates is organised into categories such as corporate, vacation, festivities and romantic. If these aren't to your liking, they are easily customised.

Changing the background image or video, customising the thumbnail buttons and adding menu background music takes seconds. You can now drag and resize elements in the menu preview and templates customised in this way can be saved and re-applied to subsequent projects with a click.

Prior to burning, a built-in software player fulfils a preview and testing role. As playing motion menus (thumbnail buttons and backgrounds that use video loops) can put a strain on all but the fastest systems, this option can be disabled.

Burning options are more than adequate; you can record straight to disc in standard DVD-video format, Ulead's fast re-editable format, or DVD+VR. Alternatively, you can burn the files to a folder on your hard disk or create a disc image from which multiple copies can be produced. There's also support for dual-layer DVD recording.

At £24.99, DVD Movie Factory 4 is the best value for money DVD authoring application out there. But for existing users it's not a compelling upgrade; many changes are cosmetic and unless your camcorder can shoot 16:9 or you've just invested in a dual-layer burner, you could probably live without the new features.

Digital Cube I-Station

Price: £329.99
Overall rating: **** (4 out of 5)
Manufacturer: Datamind
Will Stapley, Personal Computer World 29 Jul 2005


The 20GB I-Station from Digital Cube supports playback of DivX, Xvid and mpeg video files, along with a wide range of audio formats, and boasts a built-in FM tuner and mp3 recorder.

Although the compact case is a little plasticky, the interface is clean and easy to navigate thanks to the 3.5in touch-screen display and stylus.

In tests the I-Station coped extremely well with the various flavours of video thrown at it, but if you want to play wmv or asf files you'll need to use the included transcoding software.

While it doesn't have the advanced PVR features of the Archos AV400 (also available from Datamind) and can't record video, the I-Station impressed us a great deal with its playback compatibility.
Verdict

Pros:
Good compatibility; easy to use

Cons:
No video record feature

PHILIPPAS Page

Hi PEEPS These are just some of the links that I have been looking at.


Canon IXUS 430 Review

Product Information
Unmistakably IXUS, the fashionable Digital IXUS 430 is a celebration of designer chic and miniaturisation, with an exquisitely finished all-metal body protecting a multitude of ingenious features.

Features

* 4.0 Megapixel sensor
* Designer style, ultra compact all-metal body
* 3x optical zoom, approx. 11x combined
* DIGIC and iSAPS
* 9-point AiAF
* 3 minute movies with sound
* PictBridge/Canon Direct Print compatible
* Print/Share button
* Access to CANON iMAGE GATEWAY (Not available in all regions)
* Includes 32mb Compact flash card

A stylish, high performer.

All IXUS Just the way it feels in your hand tells you this is an IXUS. The beautifully styled Digital IXUS 430 blends uncompromising build quality with an array of integrated technologies, advanced electronics and precision optics. A 4.0 Megapixel sensor allows up to A3 photo print enlargements.

The IXUS eye A 3x optical zoom culminates 60 years of Canon optical heritage to deliver crisp, corner-to-corner clarity. A 3x optical zoom (11x combined) offers a wide angle of coverage, while the 9-point AiAF ensures accurate focusing, even with off-centre subjects.

Outstanding performance High performance demands plenty of processing power – which is why the Digital IXUS 430 incorporates Canon's dedicated DIGIC processor. DIGIC delivers superb image quality at high speed with less drain on the battery for extended performance.

Photographer's assistant iSAPS is a hidden photographer's assistant, instantly analysing the scene and making adjustments even before the shutter release is pressed. iSAPS optimises exposure, white balance and auto-focus settings in every shooting situation for consistently brilliant results.

Advanced features An Intelligent Orientation Sensor automatically rotates images before playback. Movie mode allows up to 3-minute movie clips with sound recording, playback and 'in-camera' editing. Auto mode is perfect for 'point and shoot' situations, while Manual mode puts you in creative control.

Easy printing The camera prints directly to all PictBridge or Canon Direct Print compatible printers. Create beautiful, instant photo prints by connecting camera to printer and pushing the Print/Share button, which also speeds up online sharing to any Windows PC. When used with a Canon Compact Photo Printer, you can print ID photos, or a series of movie clip frames.

Online sharing With Canon's ZoomBrowser EX (for Windows) and ImageBrowser (for Macintosh) you can arrange albums, crop photographs and adjust image contrast and brightness. Your new IXUS also comes with membership to CANON iMAGE GATEWAY, your personal online gallery with 100MB free space for sharing albums with family and friends. CANON iMAGE GATEWAY also allows you to personalise the camera with start-up image and sound-effect downloads.

Shoot under water For diving, surfing and skiing, an optional waterproof case gives your camera full protection to a depth of 40 metres.

Best Price --£169.98 inc VAT at EBuyer

---

Canon IXUS 30 3.3mp Digital Camera -
Canon has today announced what it is calling a brother-sister pairing, in the shape of the PowerShot SD200 and PowerShot SD300. They are the first cameras to incorporate two UA (Ultra-high Refractive Index Glass Moulded (GMo) Aspherical lens) elements which has alllowed Canon to produced its smallest cameras to feature a 3x zoom. Both are SD compatible with the only main difference being the resolution; four million pixels (SD300) and 3.2 million pixels (SD200), priced 399 and 299 respectively.

* Resolution 3.3 Megapixel
* Optical Zoom 3x
* Camera Type Ultra-Compact
* Interchangeable Lens Without Interchangeable Lens
* Optical Zoom 3x
* 35mm Zoom Lens 35 - 105 mm
* Digital Zoom 3.2x
* Focus Type Autofocus
* Focus Range 11.81 in. to Infinity (w)
* Macro Focus Range 1.18 - 19.69 in. (w) / 11.81 - 19.69 in. (t)
* Focal Length 5.8 - 17.4 mm
* Video Speed 30 fps
* Max Movie Length Without Limit (Depends on the camera free memory size)
* Aperture Range f2.8/f4.9 (w/t)
* Shutter Speed 15 - 1/1500 sec
* Frames Per Second 2.8 Frames
* Memory Type SD Card
* File Size for Highest Resolution 1.6 MB (80 images on 128MB card)
* File Size for Lowest Resolution .08 MB (about 1,600 images on 128MB card)
* Flash Type Built-In
* Viewfinder Optical
* LCD Panel With LCD Panel
* LCD Panel Size 2 in.
* LCD Screen Resolution 118,000 pixels
* LCD Protected Position Without LCD Protected Position
* Interface USB
* Battery Life 140 Images
* Mp3 Built In Without MP3
* Built-in Microphone With Built-in Microphone
* Built-in Speaker With Built-in Speaker
* Tripod Mount With Tripod Mount
* Width 3.4 in.
* Depth 0.83 in.
* Height 2.1 in.
* Weight 0.25 lb.
BEST PRICE -£139.98 inc VAT at Ebuyer

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CASIO Exilim EX-S100

Type Type Compact camera
Pixels CCD CCD 1/3.2" - 3,2 megapixels
Resolution (in pixels) 2048 x 1536
Optical

Optical Viewfinder None

LCD display 2" (5,0cm)
Macro Distance 17cm - 50 cm
Normal Distance 40 cm àto infinity
Optical Zoom 2,8x
Digital Zoom 4 x
ISO range ISO 50 / 100 / 200 / 400, manual
Aperture and Shutter Speed Shutter: Normal 1/8 - 1/2000 Sec
nightmode: 4 - 1/2000 Sec.
Fireworks: 2 Sec. (fixe)
Aperture: F4.0 - 6.6
Flash (built-in) Auto, on, off, red eye reduction
Distance: Approx. 0.4 - 2.5 m
Storage Image formats JPEG (Exif, Ver. 2.2) DPOF & DCF Compatible
Memory Card Type SD Card and MMC
Included Memory Card -
Internal Memory Internal flash memory 9,3 Mb
Video Video mode Yes, with sound
Video Sequence 320 x 240 pixels
TV Out -
Webcam -
Computer InterFace Port USB on dockingstation with AC adapter connection
Wireless function -
Compatibility PC
Included software Manufacturer's information not available
Extras Power sources Rechargeable li-ion battery
Other features Zoom display (4x); 9 picture display; calendar; Photostand function
Date and time recorded with image data; auto calendar up to year 2049
RGB histogram display; grid display; album function; favourites folder
Size 88 x 57 x 16,7 mm
Weight (in grams) 113
Included accessories USB cradle terminal, AC adaptor for cradle, USB cable, strap, rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
Manual provided in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch
Manual available for download from official website
BEST PRICE -£129 Inc. VAT from PIXMANIA

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Pentax Optio 50 3x Optical 4x Digital Zoom 1.8" TFT Digital CameraDescription
The PENTAX Optio50 is a compact, lightweight digital camera that makes digital photography easy for virtually anyone. Incorporating a handy "Simple" mode, it allows the user to quickly choose an icon that matches the subject at hand and have the camera select all the optimal settings automatically for the best possible results. And to ensure easy use continues no matter where you go, the Optio50 has also been designed to be powered by AA batteries, which are widely available internationally. But to be worthy of the PENTAX name, of course, ease of use is simply not enough. Indeed, the Optio50 offers the power and clarity of a 3X optical zoom lens and the sheer detail and high-level resolution of 5.0 effective megapixels, making it as sharp at shooting as it is easy to use.

Compact Cameras Get Faster, Smarter, Thinner

Though these pocketable digital cameras may be small, they are certainly not slim on features. But which model is most suitable for shutterbugs?
Small cameras sometimes sacrifice features such as full manual controls and comfortable, one-handed operation to attain their tiny size. But Casio's Exilim EX-Z750, Nikon's Coolpix S1, and Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T7 all achieve a fairly good balance between features and size. Despite their diminutive dimensions all three shipping cameras provide a 2.5-inch LCD; 3X optical zoom; and attachable port extenders for USB 2.0, video-out, and power. Still, though I found aspects of each camera to like, in the end none of the models blew me away.

Hands-On Testing

In my informal tests each camera started up in roughly 1 second, and each took a snapshot almost instantly after I pressed the shutter. Each needed a second or less, depending on image size, to store the photo before becoming ready to capture another shot. The 5.1-megapixel Sony T7 was a smidgen faster than the others at most tasks.

Click to view full-size image. In our PC World Test Center shots, the 5.1-megapixel Nikon S1 captured the most accurate colors. The Casio EX-Z750 produced the sharpest photos overall, thanks in part to its 7.2-megapixel resolution. The Sony DSC-T7 lagged a bit behind on most tests; in our flash photo, for example, its reproduction was overexposed. Like many other point-and-shoot units we've tested, all three struggled with focusing in low-light conditions.

In battery tests the Casio captured 446 photos on one charge, for a total shooting time of 4 hours, 5 minutes. The Nikon came in next at 205 shots (1 hour, 30 minutes), and the Sony trailed with 150 pics (1 hour, 23 minutes).

Nikon's Clever Coolpix S1

The 4.5-ounce Coolpix S1 is Nikon's first ultraslim camera, measuring about 0.75 inch thick. Nikon did a good job of outfitting it with photography tricks that help you take better pictures.

While Casio and Sony each include red-eye reduction in their camera's flash, Nikon promises that its model will automatically detect and remove red-eye errors before processing an image. Indeed, the flash portraits I took with the S1 came out red-eye-free.

Other nice features: The camera autodetects blurriness immediately after you take a shot and pops up a message asking if you want to keep the image. It also lets you lighten dark photos by applying a technique called D-Lighting. This feature worked pretty well on one of my dimly lit shots, brightening the scene overall but also introducing minor artifacts.

Though the S1's $380 initial investment seems reasonable, you'll have to spring for an SD Card, as the camera ships sans media and includes a paltry 12MB of internal storage.

Casio's Easy Exilim EX-Z750

Besides having the highest resolution of the three, the EX-Z750 surpasses the Nikon and the Sony in ease of use, thanks to an intuitive menu system plus well-placed buttons and controls. The camera is comfortable to handle, and (unlike the other two models) it includes an optical viewfinder for framing shots, in addition to the LCD.

Casio also offers a few useful photo-enhancement functions on the EX-Z750. For example, it has an on-camera editing feature that adjusts the brightness or white balance of saved photos. In addition, it has a ton of scene modes--30, to be exact--including one for office-focused photography such as shooting whiteboards.

The $450 EX-Z750 has only 8.3MB of on-board memory, and it ships without a starter SD Card or MultiMediaCard. Tip: If you're looking for a comparable 7-megapixel camera, check out the similarly configured Canon PowerShot SD500.

Sony's Stunning Cyber-shot DSC-T7

The 4.7-ounce Cyber-shot DSC-T7 is a head-turner. At just 0.625 inch thick, it's one of the slimmest cameras I've seen. It sports a sturdy metal body and nice details, such as well-made levers and a substantial cover for the battery housing (most cameras have flimsy rubber covers that fall off or break easily).

But the $500 DSC-T7 does have its share of design flaws. Its slimness, combined with the positioning of several buttons on the left, made the camera somewhat awkward to hold and use at times. And because the navigation buttons are on the left and the shutter is on the right, I was unable to operate the camera with one hand, which was frustrating. I could never get a comfortable grip on the camera, and I ended up smudging the LCD with my fingerprints on more than one occasion.

The good news: The DSC-T7 comes with both a 32MB Memory Stick Duo and a compact battery charger. (The Casio and Nikon models recharge their batteries inside the camera when you seat them in the included cradles.)

After shooting with these cameras, I'm hard-pressed to give any of them a glowing recommendation--all three had niggling issues. I would seriously consider buying the Casio EX-Z750 or the Nikon Coolpix S1. However, if I had my way I would combine the vibrant image quality of the Nikon, the intuitive menus and sharp photos of the Casio, and the sturdy housing and svelte design of the Sony to make the perfect tiny camera.

The Roller Cycle,

The Roller Cycle, personal power accelerator, puts you on the cutting edge of inline skating and skateboarding with a 1.5 horsepower engine propelling you safely up to 25 MPH. The Roller Cycle will take you easily over any terrain. Make no mistake this is a workout.

Roller Cycle's unique full-body cardiovascular workout will invigorate you. The force generated by RollerCycle travels from your rear through your torso to your feet. This action not only works out your arms as you hold the Roller Cycle, but the force traveling through your body works out your abdominal and leg muscle groups. As you travel up to 25 MPH, you skate along with the RollerCycle adding exercise to help your respiratory system.

This just can't be a good idea.

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