March Event Hints at iPad 3 Launch

iPad 3

It appears that the only thing left for the iPad 3 is for the device to be officially announced by Apple. Reports in connection to the upcoming tablet offering of Apple have given indications of the possible features of the device.

Among the more notable feature that has attracted the attention of a number of observers is the possible Retina Display on the iPad 3. This will give the device a similar resolution as the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S, which has impressed a number of industry watchers.

The waiting game may be ending soon as reports have pointed to a possible launch of the iPad 3 during an Apple event scheduled near the start of next month. Sources have recently given indications that the Apple event will see the introduction of the latest version of the iPad of Apple.

Earlier reports have also hinted at the possibility that an iPad mini may be released by the company aside from the iPad 3. This second iPad will reportedly feature a seven-inch display, which will allow it to compete against the surprisingly popular Amazon Kindle Fire.

The success of the iPad has made the tablet among the must-have devices in recent years and rivals have started to step up on its development of their own versions of the device. And reports on the iPad 3 simply show that Apple is not resting on its laurels.

But one niche that Apple needs to work on is the seven-inch tablet market, which has been the niche that is currently being dominated by the rivals of the company. With the demand for this tablet size, some industry watchers have given indications that this may be a market that Apple may possibly go into in the future once the iPad 3 is released.

Whether or not Apple will include this market as one of its target in the future remains to be seen. For now, focus is on the anticipated launch of the iPad 3 this coming March.

Two New Deluxe P&S From Olympus, the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS and Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS

Following the release of the OM-D E-M5 of Olympus, some of the deluxe point-and-shoot cameras of the company were also updated including the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS and the Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS.

The compact design of the earlier version of the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS will be retained along with the 25mm-600mm lens. However some enhancements were made on the sensor, image processor and the LCD of the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS.

Olympus SZ-30MR iHS

The upcoming Olympus SZ-30MR iHS will feature an enhanced 16MP CMOS sensor and three-inch LCD touchscreen. The sensor of the updated camera will offer an enhanced image detail along with reduced noise during lowlight situations.

The dual TruePic V microprocessors of the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS will also allow users to record HD videos and high-res images at the same time.

The Olympus SZ-30MR iHS will also carry a new designation, the iHS, which refers to the dual image microprocessor and the backlit CMOS sensor of the device. Lowlight performance will reportedly be enhanced with these two new features on the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS while response time will be enhanced along with the subject and scene recognition. Zoom magnification is also increased without affecting the quality of the images.

The Olympus SZ-30MR iHS will have a price tag of around $400 and will be available by April.

Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS

The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS will also receive a similar iHS feature that is found on the Olympus SZ-30MR iHS. The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS will continue to be tough just like the previous model of the camera. Due to this the Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS will have a metal body along with a system that absorbs shocks from drops of over six feet.

The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHs can also withstand weights of up to around 220 pounds.

The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS will also be able to withstand temperatures of around 14 degrees Fahrenheit and depths of up to 33 feet. The image processor of the Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS has been updated along with a 12MP sensor. The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS will also feature a three-inch ultra-high resolution LCD.

The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS is going to be a tough camera with high-end features that were enhanced further although its price will be lower compared to the previous model of the camera at around $300. The Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS is expected to be available by March.

With the upcoming Olympus SZ-30MR iHS and the Olympus Tough TG-810 iHS, Olympus lovers will have something to look forward to in the next few weeks.

Olympus Unveils Its Latest Camera Offering, the Olympus OM-D E-M5

Olympus OM-D E-M5

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is the latest product that Olympus unveiled recently that is inspired by the OM lineup of SLR cameras.

This recently introduced camera brings some features that will likely appeal to both enthusiasts and professionals although were not previously available in the Micro Four Thirds system. These features that are included on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 include the high-res electronic viewfinder, advanced image stabilization and weather sealing.

The three-inch display of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is an OLED touch screen that offers a rapid refresh rate while its viewing angle is wider compared to an LCD. The device also features a 16MP CMOS sensor that offers a maximum ISO setting of 25600 that is useful for lowlight photography.

The electronic viewfinder is integrated into the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and has a resolution of 1.44MP, 1.15x magnification and an 18mm eye point.

The body of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is made of magnesium alloy, which is similar to the Olympus E-5

The autofocus system of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is the same as the one found on the Olympus PEN E-P3 although the sensor readout was increased to around 240fps. Continuous autofocus will offer 4.2 fps while non-changing focus offers a shooting capability of 9 fps.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 also offers QuickTime video recording while the processor dealt with some issues experienced by the Olympus Pen cameras.

Aside from the Olympus OM-D E-M5, reports have also revealed that a weather-sealed lens will be offered by Olympus, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm EZ lens. Although the lens can be purchased individually, it can also be acquired as the kit lens for the Olympus digital camera.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is anticipated to be available for sale by April and will come in silver or blue. The price tag for the body is at around $1,000 while the camera together with the M.Zuiko Digital ED lens will be available at around$1,300.

Some Features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Revealed

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 

The Lumix DMC-ZS20 of Panasonic is considered by some industry watchers as an impressive piece of engineering. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 features a Leica lens that has a 24mm ultra-wide angle and a tele-zoom of 480mm.

Although some users may not find this remarkable with the existence of a number of tele- and ultra –zoom digital camera in the market. However when these features are placed on a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 body that has a thickness of around 1.1 inches, which is slimmer compared to an earlier version of the camera.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 also features the Power OIS optical image stabilization of Panasonic. This feature has won a number of positive remarks among some observers.

The other features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 is similar to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 although the lens barrel of the former has a small bulge on it. The user interface was also updated by Panasonic and some observers have indicated that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 features physical controls aside from a touchscreen. However a number of features cannot be controlled using the touchscreen,

Some observers were also impressed with the performance of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 in terms of shooting. Reports have indicated that the device also features burst-shooting features.

The high speed sensors and the processing using a number of shooting modes .of the device have benefitted Panasonic. Users can also take advantage of the easy panorama feature of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 which allows the recording of images that are processed to create a panoramic image.

However the quality of the image has been among the issues that were typical of the way JPEGs are processed by Panasonic although some enhancements were noted on the images produced by the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20.  Despite this the digital camera is considered to be a good choice for some observers.

Pre-orders Start for Samsung Series 7 Gaming Laptop

Samsung Series 7

Among the first laptops that will utilize the Ivy Bridge microprocessor of Intel is the Samsung Series 7 gaming laptop. Latest reports have given indications that the device is already being offered for pre-orders

The Samsung Series 7 laptop is a 17.3-inch device that was designed primary for gaming as it comes with a number of high-end specifications that will be much appreciated by gaming enthusiasts. The laptop features the Core i7-3610QM microprocessor from Intel, 16GB RAM and the discrete GeForce GTX 675M graphics card from Nvidia.

The Samsung Series 7 laptop also comes with a mind-boggling 2TB hard disk drive storage or a pair of 1TB hard drives along with a Blu-ray disc player.

The device can be considered as a rival to the Alienware gaming laptops of Dell. The Samsung Series 7 gaming laptop has reportedly been offered in a number of other countries but the model that will be offered in the US market will reportedly feature some enhancements to the device that was sold in the international market.

The Samsung Series 7 gaming laptop will be slim and mobile for a device that was designed mainly for gaming. The device is around two inches thick and has a weight of just over eight pounds. According to Samsung, the system of the device will allow it to start form its hybrid sleep mode in around two seconds.

However with the features that the Samsung Series 7 gaming laptop the device will have a price tag of around $1,899 for gaming enthusiasts who may wasn’t to pre-order the device. The delivery schedule of the Samsung Series 7 gaming laptop has yet to be finalized and it is available in a limited number of online retailers.

Reports have also revealed that the official product page of Samsung has reportedly listed the Samsung Series 7 gaming laptop at a price that is cheaper by $100.

Latest Touch Mouse Entry, the Logitech M600

Logitech M600

Logitech recently announced its touch mouse offering as it joins Microsoft and Apple in the market. The Logitech M600 was introduced by the company recently and it will be available within the month.

The recommended retail price of the Logitech M600 will reportedly be $70, which is similar to the price tag of the Touch Mouse of Microsoft and the Magic Mouse of Apple.

However despite the similar pricing, the Logitech M600 will reportedly focus on offering full surface touch sensitivity that is comparable to a smartphone, according to Logitech. This is the first touch mouse offering of Logitech although the entire concept is not at all new.

A physical button is still available on the Logitech M600 which users can click on, which is similar to the devices offered by Microsoft and Apple. The Logitech device will also offer multi-gesture navigation that includes swiping for navigating the web like the device offering of its competitors.

The Logitech M600 appears to be a simple and uncomplicated addition to the mouse lineup of Logitech if the touch input and design are not taken into consideration.

A laser sensor is used on the mouse, which is considered as a part of the Unified peripheral family of Logitech. Due to this the Logitech M600 can be linked to five different devices that have the Unified brand through a USB micro-receiver into a computer.

Setting up the Logitech M600 is simple, once the batteries are in place and the USB wireless adapter is plugged in, the drivers will immediately load and then viola, it’s ready. The SetPoint utility of Logitech can also fine-tune control the features and the settings of the Logitech M600.

The Logitech M600 touch mouse will reportedly have a limited warranty of three-years on the hardware. The device can be pre-ordered already through the website of Logitech and deliveries will start within the month.

Nikon Announces 36MP DSLR, the Nikon D800

Nikon D800

Following the announcement of the full-frame flagship DSLR of Nikon, the D4, the company has revealed another full-frame camera, the D800.

The upcoming camera may have some similarities as the D4, but it also has some significant differences including the smaller design and the absence of Ethernet connectivity. The D800 also features a 36MP CMOS image sensor that is more than a twice the resolution of the D4, which only has a 16MP resolution.

A number of the features on the D4 are also found on the D800 including the HDMI video output that is uncompressed and the RGB Matrix 3 meter that has 91,000 pixels. The camera is also capable of recoding QuickTime videos and the image sensor has the capability of supporting ISO 100 up to ISO6400 although it can even reach to around ISO 25600 that can be used during an rather lowlight situation.

The D4 and the D800 both utilize a 51-point autofocus system which can be used on lenses that have an aperture of f/8 and during low lighting situations. However the D800 comes with a pair of memory cards slots. The first is for the Compact Flash Card while the second support SXC.

The F-mount DX and FX lenses of Nikon are compatible with the D800. The crop mode is used by the camera each time DX lenses are used giving users 15.4MP images but would allow it to capture five frames per second compared to the FX mode which offers four frames per second.

Another variant of the D800 will also be offered by Nikon, the D800E, which removes low-pass filters and enhances of the capability of the camera in recording fine details in the images. However there is a possibility that moiré patterns may be formed particularly if it is used in photographing some types of fabrics. The sharp capture capabilities will also appeal to landscape photographers.

The Nikon D800 is expected to be released by March a price tag of $3,000 while the D800E will e released by April with a price tag of $3,300.