NewsNikon's New SLR is the First to Shoot Video
Posted 08/27/08 at 03:18:07 PM by Paul Lilly
Point-n-shoot digital cameras have had the ability to shoot video for quite some time, but the same feature has been noticeably absent among digital SLR (DSLR) cameras. Adding insult to injury, even low end DSLRs typically cost more than high end digital cameras, yet if owners of the latter want to take videos, it meant spending even more money on a camcorder.
Nikon looks to change that trend with the release of its latest digital single-lens reflex camera, the D90, which is the company is billing as the first SLR with video capability. Nikon made it possible to record video by using a faster frame rate and a different way of processing the images.
"The big plus is that you can now shoot video with a great lens," says Steve Heiner, Nikon's senior technical manager.
The D90 will be capable of recording both high definition and standard video clips, but the new functionality won't come cheap. Expect to pay around $1,300 for the D90 with lens when it becomes available in stores next month.
NewsNvidia to Finally Deliver Multi-Monitor SLI Support in September?
Posted 08/05/08 at 03:29:14 PM by Paul Lilly
It doesn't matter if you seek solace in Creationism or prescribe to the theory of evolution, everyone should be equally stoked about what Nvidia's calling "Big Bang II." No, the graphics chip maker isn't gearing up to end the debate on man's existence, but even better, the company will improve man's quality of life with a new driver package that looks poised to earn its codename by bringing gamers at least one big, long overdue improvement.
Bang Part I
The biggest news associated with Nvidia's ForceWare Release 180 (R180) is the introduction of SLI multi-monitor support. Ever since Nvidia introduced SLI, the inability to run a second monitor while gaming has been a major complaint, and even more so as LCD displays have fallen in price. That finally looks to no longer be the case with the new driver release, and gamers will be able to frag opponents while simultaneously keeping an eye on their email inbox, incoming IMs, and everything else that would previously be blacked out on a second monitor.
Find out what else is bangin' with the new driver after the jump.
NewsIntel Gains 10% Graphics Market Share While AMD and Nvidia Falter
Posted 08/01/08 at 10:34:26 AM by Paul Lilly
3D graphics technology has grown by leaps and bounds since 3DFX first laid its Voodoo on the computing world, and today's videocards boast everything from multiple GPUs in a single package to the promise of physics processing. And not just for gaming, fanatical Folders can crunch through more proteins by utilizing their GPU, or decode a high definition movie on their new big screen TV.
Leading the charge into this new era of 3D computing are Nvidia and ATI, two companies who have recently started going at each others' throats with aggressive price cuts and a deluge of new videocards while simultaneously chasing the performance crown. But for all their battles, both old and new, it's Intel, CPU maker extraordinaire, who continues to lead the market.
Find out how much catching up Nvidia and ATI have to do after the jump.
NewsSanyo to Upgrade its Xacti 720p Handheld Camcorder
Posted 07/31/08 at 01:32:28 PM by Paul Lilly
Capturing high definition video in the palm of your hand is about to get easier if Sanyo's DMX-HD800 can live up to its billing. The 8MP compact camera will come in gold, pink, and black and be capable of recording video in 720p (1280x720) using the AVC/H.264 video codec. Features include:
- Drag and drop capable
- HD videos and still pictures
- Snap photos while filming without pausing the video
- Face recognition (up to 12 faces)
- Digital image stabilizer
- In-camera video editing
Capturing quality videos from a handheld gadget always elicits skepticism, but Sanyo promises its three-dimensional digital noise reduction (3DDNR) filter will offer both clear videos and crisp photos. It was enough to impress AkihabaraNews, who claims the camera represents a "HUGE step forward in video quality" and described the change as "AMAZING" compared to Sanyo's previous model, the HD700.
NewsLeaked Slide Shows Dell's 1.1-Pound Pocket Projector
Posted 07/30/08 at 03:54:21 PM by Paul Lilly
While Meridian's 4096x2160 pixel projector will empty your pockets to the tune of $185,000, it appears Dell is coming out with a projector that will fit inside your pocket. And at just over a pound, it won't weigh you down either.
Details regarding Dell's aptly named pocket projector (surely to undergo a name change) became available after a leaked Powerpoint slide appeared on the web. The slide shows the miniature projector next to a coffee mug and looks almost small enough to fit inside.
According to the slide, the pocket projector uses an LED light source instead of a lamp or bulb, supports SVGA (800x600) and XGA (1024x768) resolutions, and earns a green tag by containing no mercury.
Not leaked, however, was any word on a possible release date or pricing information.
NewsUp Close With Meridian’s $185,000 4096x2160 Pixel Projector -- 10 Megapixel Cinema Blows Us Away
Posted 07/30/08 at 08:00:00 AM by Gordon Mah Ung
Think a 30-inch monitor at 2560x1600 resolution is amazing? Then you haven’t seen Merdian’s 810 Reference Video System that gives you a 4096 x 2160 projected image for the low price of $185,000. But we have.
We got to touch and see the 810 up close and personal last week in a private demonstration held at Dolby Laboratories headquarters. Why Dolby? The company has a famous 90-seat theater in its main building in San Francisco that’s actually nicer than most small screens at the multiplex. And how does this monster of a projector perform? Read on to find out!
Click through to read our impressions of the 810 Reference Video System
NewsVideo Downloads Arrive on PS3 Amid Reports of a Limited Launch
Posted 07/17/08 at 04:51:23 PM by Pulkit Chandna
Xbox Live is a major money-spinner for Microsoft's gaming division, one which both Sony and Nintendo envy. Sony is currently trying to replicate Live's success with its very own PSN service and the wide array of new additions to PSN might help Sony in its endeavor. One of the new additions happens to be the Playstation video downloading service, which is now live.
Users can rent or purchase SD or HD content from various leading TV and movie stables including Fox, MGM, Warner and Disney etc. TV videos begin at $1.99, while movie rentals and purchases begin at $2.99 and $9.99 respectively.
Several reports frequenting the internet seem to suggest that the service is not available in all regions/countries. But there is no word on this issue from Sony. Limited launch or not, Wedbush Morgan’s videogame analyst Michael Pachter believes that availability of videos on PSN can lure potential Apple TV owners towards the PS3.
NewsYouTube Has Landed on Tivo at Last
Posted 07/17/08 at 11:58:18 AM by Chris Moody
Tivo’s long awaited YouTube player goes live today, it was first announced back in March. This lets Tivo users stream YouTube videos right to their boxes. It is part of the Tivo 9.4 update that is going out to all Tivo’s this month, but you have to have Series 3 or better to get the feature. Series 2 owners are left out in the cold.
Right now you can't log into your YouTube account but there is a minor update coming in 2 months will incorporate that feature. Tivo says in a press release, “Soon, users will also be able to log into their YouTube accounts directly through the TV to access their videos, channels and playlists, making the experience even richer.”
Now, if Tivo would just make it so I could Stream my TV to my laptop over the internet, like on Slingbox, I’d be in heaven!
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