LCD TV Buyer's Guide

We're nearing the end of Q1 2005 and it looks like the online merchants are offering deep discounts on LCD and Plasma TVs. If you're looking to buy an LCD TV, here's are some factors to consider:

• Price: Find an LCD TV that fits your budget, and provides enough screen size for the type of viewing you want. But also, be sure to consider other factors below, some of which may be more important to you situation specifically.
• Brightness: the higher the better. Look for 450Cd/m2 and higher
• Contrast: Higher contrast ratio is better. Try to get at least 400:1. Depending on what you can afford, if this is an important factor, a higher contrast ratio would be better.
• Viewing Angle: The wider the viewing angle, the further to the side you can view the TV. If you know you'll be watching the TV from directly in front, this is not so important, but look for a viewing angle of at least 140 degrees or so.
• Response Time: This is especially important when viewing fast-moving images so they don't blue. The lower the number the better. Look for response time under 20 ms

For more information about LCD TVs and factors to consider when purchasing an LCD TV, see: LCD TV Buyer's Guide.

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PlayStation Portable (PSP) Value Pack Review

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced the release of the PSP (PlayStation Portable) portable entertainment system.

It's the first integrated portable entertainment system, capable of incorporating games, music, movies, communication, and wireless networking.

In anticipation of the overwhelming consumer demand for PSP, there will be one million PSP Value Pack units available in retail outlets across the country for today's launch.

The PSP lets you view movies, digital photo display and supports digital music playback in both MP3 and ATRAC formats. As gaming is its main function, PSP features graphics capabilities comparable to the leading in-home console, PlayStation 2. You can play 3D games with full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio.

PSP also comes complete with built-in stereo speakers, exterior headphone connector and input/output connectors such as USB 2.0, and 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless LAN so you can connect to the Internet and play online via a wireless network. Up to 16 PSP systems in the vicinity can also be connected to each other directly. With the wireless networking, you can also download software and data to you PlayStation Portable, and save it onto a Memory Stick Duo.

Find PlayStation Portable purchase info.

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Manage Home Audio System Through Wirelss PDA

It's called "Blackbird" by Digital Techniques. The company recently announced its new Blackbird Digital Music Player exclusively for the home audio system. Blackbird can store up to 80,000 songs and even allow you to manage your music collection through the web, or wirelessly with you PDA.

The players has some cool and unique features--especially its ability to manage your music through a web browser:

• Control from any web browser in the home, including a wireless PDA.
• 20,000 - 80,000 song storage capacity with four Blackbird models.
• Audiophile and Soundblaster high-fidelity sound quality options.
• Organized music, unlimited playlists and preset Internet radio stations.
• Music collector's investment consolidated and safe with their audio components.

Blackbird lets you control your music from any web browser or through multiple comptuers -- anywhere that your home network extends, including desktop computers, wireless laptops, wireless PDA's, or any device with a web browser. For example, from the comfort of your couch, you can pull out your PDA, and play any song in your entire music collection on your home audio system.

Blackbird's four models can store up to 80,000 songs, and there's a choice of two sound qualtiy options: professional quality M-Audio Audiophile 2496 or Creative Technology SoundBlaster sound cards.

It's also easy to use. You just have to turn on Blackbird, open a web browser, and load your music. Blackbird automatically organizes music by song, artist, title and genre. The system supports MP3, MP3PRO, Ogg, Wav, and FLAC formats. Hundreds of preset Internet radio stations are included and others can easily be added. Playlists compile automatically while listening, available to edit and save.

You can find more info at Digital Techniques website.

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Enivronmental Photo Contest 2004-2005 Winners

Winners for the UNEP International Photographic Competition on the Environment 2004-2005 were announced today, with an awards ceremony to be held in Aichi, Japan on March 26, 2005.

The photo contest was organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and sponsored by Canon. The theme of this contest was "Focus on Your World". Entries were received from 169 countries and regions worldwide with a total of 32,299 entries submitted.

The three Gold Prize winners were Resmi Chandra Senan from India who won $20,000, Monica Alexandra Terrazas Galvan from Mexico who secured a prize of $5,000, and Chamaiporn Pongpanich from Thailand who won $2,000.

An exhibition of all award-winning works, including Honorable Mentions, will be displayed at the UN Pavilion of the Aichi Expo until September 2005. Current as well as the three previous competition's winning pictures will be incorporated into the design of the outer wall of the UN Pavilion. Following the Expo, this year's works will be displayed in New York, Paris and Beijing.

Want to find a digital camera? See: Digital Camera Reviews at ZipReviews.com.

For more information about the photo competition, see: UNEP International Photographic Competition.

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Nikon D2X Professional Digital SLR Camera

Geared toward professional photographers, the new Nikon D2X digital camera packs a ton of features into this hot new camera.

D2X Features

• DX Format with 12.4 effective megapixels
• The new CMOS image sensor features high image quality and high-speed 4-channel data output
• New image processing algorithms combine with optimized analog and digital white balance to produce smoother, more consistent gradations with exceptionally pure color reproduction
• Continuous shooting: 5 frames per second (fps) at 12.4 megapixels for up to 15 consecutive NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) images; 8 fps for 26 NEF images at 6.8 megapixels
• 3D-Color Matrix Metering II with ambient light sensor and 1,005-pixel RGB sensor further improves on Nikon’s acclaimed exposure metering system
• High-speed, high-precision 11-area AF system with 9 cross-type AF sensors deliver quick response and sharp focus, even under the most challenging shooting conditions
• Two new Adobe RGB color modes further expand professional color space options and also support for sYCC color space
• Excellent response with the same instant power-up and ultra-fast 37ms shutter release lag as the D2H
  
• Top shutter speed of 1/8,000 second and flash sync speeds up to 1/250 second
• Faster read/write speed for the memory card and a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface for faster image transfer
  
• Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor for easy access to settings and information, as well as clear, flicker-free image preview
  
• Creative in-camera effects, Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure
• Functions such as World Time, automatic rotation of vertical compositions expand possibilities
• GPS support records location information along with shooting data
• Lightweight, durable magnesium body
• Full support for Nikon's Creative Lighting System when used with the SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlights
• In addition to DX Nikkor lenses, the D2X supports more than 50 AF Nikkor lenses
• Support for the Wireless Transmitter WT-1/1A and the new IEEE802.11b/g compatible WT-2/2A enables image transfer direct from the D2X via wireless LAN
• Nikon’s PictureProject software is included, enabling easy control over image adjustment and management
• Support for Nikon Capture 4 (version 4.2), a software application with the tools to assist the professional photographer
• NEF (RAW) format for the utmost in versatile, effective image control and correction
• JPEG and NEF (RAW) Combination Filing System enables simultaneous recording of NEF and JPEG data for the same shot
  
  

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Nikon Coolpix S1 Compact Digital Camera

Nikon today introduced its smallest, thinnest digital camera, the new 5.1 MP Coolpix S1 digital camera. The camera features new Nikon technology, such as its new Face Priority AF (Auto Focus) feature, enhanced image quality and improved speed, within a smooth, compact design.

The new Coolpix S1 can find a face in a portrait shot when you use the Face Priority AF function in Portrait Scene Mode. This feature keeps the face in a portrait shot in focus. Another handy features is the red-eye autodetect, which is then fixed right in the camera.

In playback mode, you can use the D-Lighting feature to automatically compensate for insufficient flash or excessive back lighting, and the camera is also equiped with a Blur Warning function, which lets you know if the photo may be affected by hand shake or other motion.


The new Coolpix S1 has a larger 2.5" LCD screen for easier composing and viewing of pictures.

To add speed to your shots, the Coolpix S1 offers continuous shooting at 1.8 fps, and the cameras startup time is under two seconds.

The camera also offers four Scene Modes that feature Scene Assist, and even a new Underwater Scene Mode and Voice Recording Mode that brings the total choice of Scene Modes up to 17. Intended for use with the Waterproof Case WP-CP5, the Underwater Scene Mode keeps colors true when taking shots while snorkeling or scuba diving.

In addition to taking photographs, the camera can record VGA-size movies with sound at a rate of 15 frames per second, and then you can connect it to a TV for viewing.

The Coolpix S1 will be available in April 2005 at an MSRP of $379.95.

ZipReviews.com: Digital Camera Reviews

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Nikon D2Hs Digital SLR Action Sports Professional Camera

One of two new digital SLRs to be showcased at Tokyo's Photo Imaging Expo (PIE) 2005 show in Japan from March 17-20, the Nikon D2Hs Digital SLR is geared toward professional sports and action photographers.

Check out these features:

• 4.1 effective megapixel Nikon DX Format LBCAST imaging sensor
  
• Continuous shooting at 8 frames per second (fps) for up to 50 consecutive JPEG, or 40 uncompressed RAW (NEF: Nikon Electronic Format) full-resolution images
  
• All systems optimized for maximum speed and response; instant power-up and ultra-fast 37ms shutter release
  
• Advanced high-speed, high-precision 11-area AF system with 9 cross-type AF sensors delivers quick response and sharp focus under even the most challenging shooting conditions
  
• 3D-Color Matrix Metering II with ambient light sensor and 1,005-pixel RGB sensor further improves on Nikon’s superior exposure metering system
  
• Color Reproduction System offers three selectable color modes for different workflow environments and adds support for sYCC color space
  
• i-TTL flash control with full support for Nikon's Creative Lighting System when used with the SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlights
  
• Top shutter speed of 1/8,000 second and flash sync speed up to 1/250 second
  
• High-resolution 2.5-inch 232,000-pixel LCD monitor for clear image preview and easy access to settings and information, including the improved Histogram, new RGB Histogram, chronological Recent Settings list, and World Time function
  
• Fast memory card read/write speed, and USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) interface for fast data transfer
  
• Lightweight, durable magnesium body
  
• GPS support for recording location information along with shooting data
  
• Support for the Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A enables fast wireless transfer and full wireless remote camera control from a computer running Nikon Capture 4
  
• Broad compatibility with more than 50 AF Nikkor lenses and Nikon's digital-exclusive DX Nikkor lenses
  
• Nikon’s PictureProject software is included, enabling easy control over image transfer, adjustment and management
  
  

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Olympus Rebate on EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR Camera System

Until March 31, 2005 Olympus is offering a $100 rebate on its EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR system both with and without its consumer Zuiko Digital Specific lenses.

If you purchase one of the following items from an authorized Olympus SLR dealer you can receive a mail-in rebate coupon for $100 cash back from Olympus:

• The EVOLT E-300 body on its own


• The EVOLT E-300 Kit (that includes the 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Specific lens) or


• The EVOLT E-300 Two Lens Kit (includes both the 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 and 40-150mm f3.5/4.5 Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses)

The offer applies to all EVOLT bodies and EVOLT Kits purchased from February 7 until March 31, 2005 in the US and Canada (rebates must be postmarked by April 30, 2005).

The greatest savings by far is for the EVOLT E-300 Two Lens Kit, because if the camera and lenses were each purchased separately, they would cost about $1,428.90. With the $100 rebate until March 31, consumers can purchase the EVOLT Two Lens Kit for just $999.99. You get twp digital lenses for just $100 more than the price of the EVOLT body on its own.

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Kodak's Contributions to Mobile Imaging

Everyone's talking about the convergence of digital imaging and the "mobile lifestyle" -- especiallat at the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) convention that's going on in New Orleans.

Kodak is showcasing a range of products and services related to this convergence. The most recent example of mobile picture sharing is the new Wi-Fi digital camera -- the Kodak EasyShare One. The camera incorporates many of the sharing capabilities of a mobile phone in a digital still camera.

While consumers are utilizing MMS (Multi Media Messaging) capabilities, specifically taking and sending pictures, the reality is that a full sixty percent of consumers rarely or never upload pictures to a computer while seventy percent rarely or never share photos between phones (figures based on Mintel Survey).

Kodak has been pursuing this market, starting with Kodak Mobile Service. Kodak established partnerships with leading mobile phone manufacturers and operators such as Nokia, Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless, to promote these products and services in 1993. Subscribers to Kodak Mobile Service have anytime, anywhere access to their digital photos and phone-captured video, directly from their handsets or PCs. According to the company, not only does the service make it easier for people to view, share and print pictures instantly from their mobile phone and allow users to send any picture from their online Kodak account over a cellular network to their mobile device, consumers can also beam images captured with their mobile phone cameras to Kodak Picture Maker kiosks via infrared and BLUETOOTH® wireless transfer technologies, and then have prints made directly.

Earlier this year, Kodak introduced their Printer Dock Plus with WiFi. which allows you to print wirelessly at home from a variety of mobile phone cameras, PDAs, and other wireless-enabled devices.

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Kyocera to Quit Digital Camera Market

The Japanese electronic company, Kyocera, has announced that it will stop making digital cameras by this summer because that market is so saturated. The company will focus instead on the growing camera phone market where competition is less fierce.

The company's digital cameras sell under the Kyocera and Contax brand names.

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Motorola and 3 Announce Latest 3G Clamshell

Motorola, Inc. and 3, the UK's first video mobile network, have announced the latest 3G clamshell to join the 3 range, the V975. This video mobile makes the most of 3's multi-media services from video messaging and video-calling to watching the latest full-length music videos.

The new Motorola V975 clamshell offers video streaming, capture and download. It has a large, internal and external color display, an integrated MP3 player, a VGA digital camera with 4x zoom, and 2-way video calling.

The phone features 16MB of built-in memory and up to 256MB extendable memory via a Transflash card for games and song storage.

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GSM Tri-band Phone With MP3 Player, Camera and Video Recorder

Hop-on.com says it will launch its latest phone next week, a GSM tri-band handset with a MP3 player, camera and video recorder.

If you haven't heard of Hop-On, you may remember them as the first company to develop a disposable mobile phone. Hop-On develops and markets wireless phones and accessories as well as wireless surveillance systems, and targets its phones to both emerging market carriers and the entry-level phone market.

From what we've heard, their GSM Model 1893 is a tri-band handset with MP3 player, 300K VGA camera and Mpeg 4 video recorder. It also includes such features as WAP/GPRS, a 65K color display screen, GPS, 64 polyphonic ring tones, predictive text input, SMS messaging, vibration call alert and 128 Mb of flash memory.

The model 1893 MP3 phone has a sleek design, adn will wholesale for less than $175, so look for it from carriers in the coming months.

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Genoa's ColorPeak Wins Silver Award for Color Display Technology

Genoa Color Technologies' multi-primary color (MPC) system for television displays won a Silver Award from the industry newsletter "Private Line Report on Large Screen Display" for being one of the three most impressive technologies or products at the recent 2005 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. The other Silver Award winner was Sony; the Gold Award went to Samsung for its prototype 102-inch plasma TV.

In recognizing Genoa, Private Line Report stated, "the most important image differentiators for the consumer in a TV showroom are brightness and color. By adding extra primaries with their proprietary algorithms and Keshet chip, Genoa enables displays that are brighter and more colorful." It added that Genoa "showed convincingly at CES that their multi-primary approach provides important product differentiation for essentially all the market-leading large screen displays ... "

Private Line's recognition of Genoa was matched by an almost unanimous endorsement by show visitors who were asked to choose between side-by-side television displays -- one presented by standard RGB (red, green and blue) technology and the other by ColorPeak.

ColorPeak is a radical departure from the RGB television display technology that has been the industry standard for more than 50 years. It adds one to three primary colors to increase a television set's coverage of the visible color gamut by approximately 35 percent and increase its brightness by as much as 40 percent. The result is a picture that, with its truer, more vibrant color and brighter image, looks more like cinema than video.

Genoa uses advanced real-time algorithms and modifications to the color display elements to translate existing video data into multi-primary color.

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Video Game Tour to Visit U.S. College Campuses

A 25-stop Spring College Tour of U.S. colleges and universities begins on Saturday, March 5th in Pullman, WA at Washington State University and runs through Thursday, April 28th at the University of Arizona.

The tour is presented by Game Live Events, and give college students the opportunity to preview this Spring's latest videogame and PC game releases, as well as be able to play unreleased betas and gold builds of this year's new titles. New titles on display include major releases from EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 2 and MVP Baseball 2005, EA GAMES TimeSplitters Future Perfect, Oddworld Stranger's Wrath and Burnout 3: Takedown, EA SPORTS BIG NBA Street V.3 and FIFA Street. Ubisoft's new Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory will be presented on multiple HD screens. Midway will be previewing the nationally anticipated Unreal Championship(R) 2 and Area 51. LucasArts will showcase the highly anticipated "Star Wars" Republic Commando that lets you explore the elite world of the "Star Wars" military where your most important weapon is your squad. The U.S. Army's "America's Army: Special Forces" PC game will be featured on 6 fully networked high-speed computers for high action game play. In a special tour presentation, Majesco will be featuring their new title Psychonauts and Sammy Studios will premier Darkwatch. Vivendi Universal will be showcasing fully playable builds of their new spring titles: SWAT 4 and FlatOut.

More than 20 titles will be featured on a state-of-the-art, interactive 'GamePort' system from publishing partners Electronic Arts, U.S. Army, Midway LucasArts, Vivendi Universal, Majesco, Sammy Studios and Ubisoft. The GamePorts will feature over 40 LCD and Plasma televisions supplied by Norcent, the Official Electronics Partner of the tour.

2005 Spring Tour Media Partners include G4 -- video game television, the cable TV network dedicated to video games, which has signed on again as the Official Broadcast Media Partner. Game Informer Magazine is the Official Print Partner, IGN, the game & lifestyle site, is the Official Internet Partner and EB Games is the national Tour Retail Partner.

Admission is free and game play is unlimited. For complete details of the tour, including tour locations, event times, and the latest list of games included on the tour, visit www.gameliveevents.com.

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Kodak Easyshare-One Digital Camera

Winning two of the Consumer Electronics Show's highest awards in digital imaging, the Kodak Easyshare-One digital camera, took home both the "CNET Next Big Thing" and the "G4techTV Best of CES" Awards.

The CNET Next Big Thing Award recognizes the most promising new products announced at the CES, focusing on technologies and products not previously available to consumers. This year, editors from CNET chose the Easyshare-One camera as the best digital imaging and video product.

G4techTV Best of CES Awards seek out the hottest new consumer technology products on the CES show floor. Only those products that debut at the 2005 International CES or are available to consumers after December 1, 2004, can be crowned G4techTV Best of CES. Judges selected the Easyshare-One camera as the “Picture Perfect” winner based on its wow factor, usability and usefulness.

The camera has a 4 MP resolution and 256MB internal memory and can hold up to 1,500 pictures for instant display on its high-resolution, 3-inch touch screen display. It also features direct picture e-mailing and online album viewing via a wireless connection to the Easyshare Gallery, and the capability to take high quality still pictures and video. The WiFi card, however, is not included.

The Kodak Easyshare-One digital camera is designed as much for sharing pictures as for taking them. The Easyshare-One camera gives you control over how and when to share pictures, whether on the LCD screen, online, or as prints.

The Easyshare-One is scheduled to be in stores in June 2005 with a list price of $599.

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Creative Zen Micro MP3 Player Prices Drop

Creative, makers of the popular Zen Micro MP3 players recently lowered prices, making them among the best values in the market. Creative's new Zen Micro 4GB MP3 player is now priced at $179.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate, the Zen Micro 5GB MP3 player at $229.99, and the Zen Micro 6GB at $249.99.

The players are available in 10 different Zen Micro Colors. The Zen Micro was the winner of the "Best of DigitalLife 2004" and "Editor's Choice" awards from CNET, Computer Shopper, PC Magazine and LAPTOP magazine.

The Zen Micro 4GB MP3 player can hold up to 2,000 WMA songs; the Zen Micro 5GB MP3 player can carry up to 2,500 songs; and the Zen Micro 6GB stores up to 3,000 songs.

See MP3 Player Reviews and Recommendations for the a list of top MP3 Players.

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