Tech Talk

The Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system, which eliminates the pentaprism and reflex mirror but retains the use of interchangeable lens, is steadily making inroads within the photography community. MFT cameras, like the Olympus PEN E-P1 and the Panasonic GF1, are selling like hotcakes in many countries.

However, another system that can possibly rival the MFT has arrived.

Ricoh has decided that changing lenses still creates too many opportunities for dust and dirt to become friends with the image sensors. So, it has decided to come up with the GXR system that consists of a body and camera units. Each camera unit comprises the lens, the image sensor and the image processor. So, you attach the camera unit to the body via a slide-in mount system.

Ricoh claims that the GXR is the smallest and lightest digital camera with the ability to change lens (and image sensor).

Thus, you are not merely changing lenses but changing the image sensor as well. While this means dust or dirt specks on your photos will be a thing of the past, I wonder if such an arrangement makes any practical sense.

I love Ricoh’s digital compact cameras, like its GX200. But Ricoh’s pricing has always been on the high side. With an image sensor tied to a lens, I reckon each camera unit is going to cost substantially more. And if you drop a camera unit, you not only lose your lens, but your image sensor and image processor as well.

Conversely, since the GXR body itself already has features such as a built-in flash, hot shoe with accessory port to mount an optional electronic viewfinder and even Auto-Focus assist, there is no need to buy a new body to get an image sensor upgrade. New camera units will probably have new image sensors with a bigger megapixel count. Thus, there is no need to continuously upgrade the bodies.

Ultimately, only time (and the price) will tell if the GXR can beat the MFT.

Tags: GXR, Micro Four Thirds, Ricoh

In autumn, the who’s who in technology gathered in Berlin for IFA 2009 – the world’s largest annual consumer electronics show. TODAY was invited by LG to attend the launch of its latest line of products.

LG launched a particularly fetching new TV that was designed with a seamless front but I especially liked more practical devices like its network attached storage (NAS) devices that had a built-in Blu-ray drive which can play, archive and publish Blu-ray discs. You can also store your iTunes library on it and it’s compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems.

Then there were the digital photo frames, which were simple and well-designed and wouldn’t make me cringe if I had to put one on display in the living room. But these frames weren’t one-trick ponies. You could hook them up as a secondary display for your computer (particularly useful for harbouring widgets, a Twitter app or your IM list if your onscreen desktop’s already too cluttered).

Catch the video to get an eyeful of these gadgets:

Tags: digital photo frames, LCD, LG, NAS

I like devices that rely on touch-based interfaces because the gestures that we use to operate them seem so natural and effortless. And I’ve seen old folks and children (barely the age of 4) take to them easily as well.

However, until we develop input devices that let us operate computers simply by just thinking, tactile input seems here to stay. And why not?
When I visited the AMD Learning Centre at the Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School, Mr B N Krishnamurthy, a speech language therapist at the school, demonstrated the myriad devices that help the students learn with computers despite their physical disabilities. It was an eye-opener for me naturally and quite a heartening experience to see basic concepts of tactile-based inputs being applied to enable these kids to develop spatial, communication and social skills just by using specialised learning software with their computers.

Here’s Mr Krishnamurthy demo-ing the various devices:

Tags: accessibility, Disability

I’ve missed almost every National Day Parade since my teens – when I was summoned by my school to take part in one. When I landed tickets for this year’s preview, it was about time to rekindle those memories of being baked in the sun, waiting for orders to shake my booty and blow my trombone (simultaneously, mind you). So the Canon Legria HF S100 camcorder tagged along and I’ve compiled the resulting footage with simple cuts and no colour or exposure adjustments.

If you haven’t yet read our review on the Canon Legria HF S100, the YouTube movie I’ve embedded below gives a pretty good measure of the clarity and colours that demonstrate the capabilities of the Legria.

TIP: Click on the playback button first and then the HD icon at the bottom right of the YouTube window to load the movie in high-definition.

Tags: camcorder, Canon, HD, high definition, movies, Singapore, Video

The pointless megapixel war among digital camera manufacturers is over!

Yes, you know it’s over when last week, in an almost unprecedented move, Canon released its PowerShot G11 with a reduced megapixel count of 10 megapixels, compared to the 14.7 megapixels of its predecessor. The new image sensor of the G11 is supposed to be of higher sensitivity, improving noise performance by two stops over the G10.

Canon PowerShot G11

Canon is not alone in this paradigm shift. Several of its competitors are coming up with innovative features to entice smarter consumers, rather than using the age-old megapixel myth that’s not working anymore.

For example, Sony’s upcoming Cyber-shot TX1 and WX1 will use a new image CMOS 10.2-megapixel sensor, Exmor R, which is supposed to be twice as sensitive compared to conventional image sensors.

Sony Cyber-shot TX1

Fujifilm also surprised everyone when it announced the world’s first consumer 3D digital camera with its FinePix Real 3D W1, which utilises two lenses and two image sensors to give you 3D still and moving images.

Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1

Nikon kept the good news rolling with its S1000pj that comes with a built-in projector. So instead of everyone crowding behind a tiny LCD screen struggling to look at the pictures , everyone can now enjoy the images on any wall at any party!

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj

Samsung has also announced that it will soon release the 2View ST550 and ST500, both of which tout a front and rear LCD that allows you to shoot self-portraits with absolute ease.

Samsung 2View ST550

These are exciting times. I prefer a fight in features over a futile battle in megapixel count any day. The megapixel race has done nothing to improve the photography market other than taking up more hard disk space and making hard disk manufacturers happy.

With more innovative features being released into the market, camera makers have to keep up and come up with more creative traits of their own in order to compete. This can only be good for the consumers.

But now, consumers will have another battle on their hands trying to discern whether these latest features  - such as face, smile or scene recognition – are genuine enhancements or pure marketing gimmicks. Some of these features, like face detection, have even made it into the DSLR (digital single-reflex) camera realm. I definitely wouldn’t mind having “gimmicks” like 3D imaging or image projection in my DSLRs.

Marketing gimmicks or real features aside, the camera must ultimately be able to perform well in all aspects, like handling, hardiness, user interface and image quality. All the additional features will fall flat on their face if the camera is difficult to handle, if buttons are on the wrong place, or worse, if image quality is poor.

So, while I welcome the new age in innovation with new digital cameras, I sincerely hope it will not be a creative letdown.

It is an announcement that few envisaged or even contemplated.

But for Macintosh users with BlackBerry phones, the announcement that Research in Motion (RIM) will be releasing a BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac must be music to their ears!

Currently, if you are a Mac user who owns a BlackBerry phone, you can only sync your device with your computer using third-party software, like PocketMac or MarkSpace’s Missing Sync for BlackBerry.

Come September, with the BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac, you will be able to sync your iTunes playlist, calendars, contacts, as well as add and remove applications, and back up or update software in your BlackBerry phone with a Mac.

But why the sudden change of heart from the Canadian company?

I have a suspicion that RIM is trying to slow down the momentum of its rival offering, the Apple iPhone.

And why target the iPhone when there are so many other smartphones out there, you might ask? Well, just look at this report that highlights the fact that despite having only 3% of the world’s market share, Apple and RIM have an estimated combined 35% of the world’s operating revenue. Having a big market share doesn’t always translate to big profits.

Nevertheless, you might say that having BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac is not going to have a significant impact on consumers, since those who are using a Macintosh probably have an iPhone, and those who have a BlackBerry probably don’t have a Mac.

That can’t be the whole truth of course. There are still plenty of Mac users who don’t like the touchscreen iPhone but prefers the buttons, email security and battery life of a BlackBerry. More importantly, there are many Mac users who are probably still on a Motorola Razr or a Sony Ericsson CyberShot, and who are contemplating the leap to a smartphone. Having a BlackBerry syncing software for Mac means they don’t have to give up their beloved Apple machines or their precious BlackBerry.

But the biggest losers are not Apple (hey, BlackBerry users don’t have to switch to Windows anymore) or its iPhone; it’s the Windows Mobile and other OS-based smartphones that will suffer the most.

By September, Apple and RIM are probably the only companies that manufacture smartphones catering to both Windows and Mac users out of the box (let’s keep Palm Pre out of the picture for now). For the savvy smartphone user who straddles between two major OS platforms, the choice will be either an iPhone or a BlackBerry. Who needs other mobile platforms anymore?

This move from RIM might not seem significant but the ripples it causes will one day turn to waves across the smartphone market.

Tags: BlackBerry, iPhone, Macintosh, RIM, Smartphone

Movies like A.I., I, Robot and Blade Runner toy with the idea of robots that mimic sentient beings. That future might not be too far off if the Pleo is any indication of things to come.

Observe how our reviewer, Christopher Toh from TODAY’s Plus section, affectionately interacts with the Pleo in the following video. It’s so saccharine sweet, I’m sure the Pleo’s aced some form of Turing test for domesticated robots that can replace our furry friends at home:

Tags: Add new tag, Pleo, robot, toy

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Kua Cheng Hock from Adaptive Instruments while I was covering the launch of the iPhone 3GS here. He’s also from the Guide Dogs Association of the Blind and is the only blind person in Singapore who owns a guide dog as well – he’s working on getting funding so more visually-handicapped people can get one for themselves.

So why was he at the launch anyway? This might surprise you. According to Mr Kua, the iPhone is one of the few phones that’s made to be friendly for the blind right out of the box (you simply need to tweak a few settings to switch on its accessibility features). Apart from verbally relaying what’s onscreen to him so that he can operate it, the smartphone’s built-in GPS and digital compass can help him find his way. Currently, he has to carry multiple devices just to do the same thing. The all-in-one device is much cheaper too and can help him with his email and other work-related activities as well. I’ll let him do the talking:

Oh, by the way, this was shot on location with an iPhone 3GS too.

Tags: accessibility, Apple, Gadgets, iPhone, Smartphone

As we’ve mentioned in our iPhone 3GS review today, the smartphone captures decent images and movies with its 3.2-megapixel camera. It has a really intuitive way of letting you focus as well. You simply need to tap on the desired part of the image onscreen:

The square above indicates the area I’ve tapped onscreen. On the top right, you’ll see a slider to switch between video and camera mode.

The camera churns out great photos in daylight or well-lit areas despite its relatively low resolution:

Images in low-light conditions tend to suffer from some visible noise as you can see below – but it’s a general limitation of such cameras in phones:

Here’s a typical food shot in an environment with very low lighting (hey, it was closing time). The iPhone manages to pump up the exposure so that your subject is visible:

The 3GS captures VGA-quality video and also allows you to choose an area to focus on as well, just like in picture mode. This opens up creative ways in which you can capture footage. In our example below, we used its macro focus to limit the depth of field, so you can see details on the raindrops and the texture of the car door’s faux-leather trimming:

Note that the videos on this blog have been compressed because they’ve been uploaded to YouTube straight from the iPhone. As with the camera mode, the quality of the video does tend to suffer when you’re in low-light environments, with visual noise becoming rather visible:

If you’d like to see the full quality of the footage that we’ve captured, download it from here.

Tags: Apple, Gadgets, iPhone, Mobile, phone, Smartphone

Kudos to LG for packing that much hardware in such a small package. The GD910 seems like a basic phone that’s encased in a watch. It’s more for users who don’t need much frills or who really fancy a phone as a watch, so I hardly think I’ll be wearing one anytime soon, despite my love for all things that come with circuits and silicon (in processors).
This new-fangled gadget also brings with it some social implications. I can just imagine how it could adversely affect a modern-day Lothario. You can’t quite shake off the device if it vibrates in the middle of a date or when you’re hand-holding. Even if you switch the silent mode on, the watch will still flash – potentially ruining a romantic moment in the dark. And when you’re late for a date, you can’t quite lie that you lost track of the time because you’re darn well looking and speaking into a watch at the same time!
But hey, I gather most of us don’t fall into that category. It’s perfect for those who love keeping their appointments in sync, literally.