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Japan Inc Magazine Presents:<br>
G A D G E T W A T C H</p>
<p>READ GADGETWATCH ONLINE AT:<br>
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The Hottest Gadgets and Gizmos from Japan<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
Issue No. 310 Friday August 22, 2008<br>
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<p>This week's Gadget Watch focuses on cameras and related bits,<br>
with a few miscellaneous goodies thrown in too. </p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Nikon COOLPIX S60 goes touch</p>
<p>Name: Nikon COOLPIX S60<br>
Category: digital still camera<br>
Price: About JPY40,000<br>
Release date in Japan: September, 2008</p>
<p>It's all about touch these days, from the iPhone and its<br>
imitators to new desktop computers boasting touch-panel screens.<br>
And now you'll be swiping and poking at the back of your kondeji<br>
(compact digital camera), if Nikon has its way.</p>
<p>The COOLPIX S60 is a 145-g flat rectangle of a camera with a<br>
3.5-inch 'real wide angle' LCD touch screen on its back that<br>
takes over for nearly all controls. (On/off and shutter release<br>
retain physical buttons.) As you'd expect, icons appearing on<br>
the panel let you access set-up options, photo and movie<br>
playback, shooting options like zoom and flash, and so on. </p>
<p>What's more interesting is touch-based interaction not with the<br>
camera but with the scene. Just touch your subject on the<br>
screen, and the camera will set its exposure and focus on that<br>
subject. It's an operation that many users will find far easier<br>
than the traditional way of handling off-center subjects with<br>
automatic cameras (center on sobject, half-press and hold<br>
shutter release, re-frame shot, press shutter release). Another<br>
feature: once the built-in face-recognition has a face targeted,<br>
a press on the panel's 'Portrait One-touch Zoom' icon will zoom<br>
in to an optimal full-face portrait size. </p>
<p>iPhone-like photo playback tricks include photo orientation that<br>
rotates with camera orientation, 'swiping' to view successive<br>
photos, and touch-based closeups (though from a demo video this<br>
appears to use one-finger taps, not two-finger 'pinching').<br>
There's a new shtick too: you can use the included stylus to<br>
draw or write on your photos in multiple colors. </p>
<p>Other specs: 10 megapixels, 5x optical zoom, ISO up to 3200,<br>
smile-detection timer, HDMI connector for playback to HiVision<br>
TV. </p>
<p>More info: <a href="http://www.nikon-coolpix.com/j/s60.html" title="http://www.nikon-coolpix.com/j/s60.html">http://www.nikon-coolpix.com/j/s60.html</a> (Japanese)</p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Recycling programs take in old gadgets, give birth to new</p>
<p>Big electronics retailer Bic Camera claims to be the first<br>
retailer to join an initiative by the Communications and<br>
Information Network Association of Japan (CIAJ) and the<br>
Telecommunications Carrier Association (TCA) to collect and<br>
recycle discarded mobile phones. Take your old phone to a Bic<br>
shop near you, where it'll get put down for good by a drill (to<br>
ensure destruction of data) and sent out for recycling of<br>
precious metals and other salvageables. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.biccamera.co.jp/shopguide/campaign/cp_recycl/index" title="http://www.biccamera.co.jp/shopguide/campaign/cp_recycl/index">http://www.biccamera.co.jp/shopguide/campaign/cp_recycl/index</a>.<br>
html (Japanese)</p>
<p>What's salvageable besides gold and platinum and the like? A<br>
working screen, for starters. Enter Plaza Create's<br>
use-and-recycle 'ECO digi MODE' digital camera, available at<br>
some Palette Plaza and 55 Station photo processing shops in<br>
Japan. It's a 3-megapixel camera with flash and 2.4-inch LCD<br>
panel, that takes up to 50 non-editable shots. (Snap a bad one,<br>
and you've got 10 seconds to erase it; otherwise, it stays and<br>
counts against your 50.) The cost is JPY1980, which includes<br>
burning your photos to CD-ROM after you turn in the camera to a<br>
shop. (Printing to paper is available for usual cost.) </p>
<p>What's eco about it all? In the same way that old film-based<br>
returnable cameras could have their film replaced for re-use,<br>
the ECO digi MODE simply needs its memory erased to be ready for<br>
another go. (Side thought: Erasing memory is fortunately easy,<br>
but the recyclers will have to be careful to prevent putting<br>
even one unerased camera into the next user's hands.) What're<br>
more, the LCD panel itself is a recycled part, taken from<br>
disassembled mobile phones. Plaza Create says it wants future<br>
models to incorporate more recycled parts, including the camera<br>
sub-assembly and flash unit, presumably also from mobile phones<br>
or discarded pocket cameras.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.plazacreate.co.jp/ecodigi/" title="http://www.plazacreate.co.jp/ecodigi/">http://www.plazacreate.co.jp/ecodigi/</a> (Japanese)</p>
<p>New this month in the Eco digi MODE lineup is a waterproof<br>
model, safe up to 3-meter depths; ask for it at a Palette Plaza<br>
or 55 Station near you. And speaking of underwater cameras:</p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Hanwha scuba mask puts underwater cam on your forehead</p>
<p>Name: Hanwha UDCM301<br>
Category: scuba gear / underwater camera<br>
Price: JPY12,800<br>
Release date in Japan: August 8, 2008</p>
<p>Why do divers get this cool head-mounted camera, while we land<br>
people have to hold our cams the regular way? Hmm, I suppose<br>
it's because divers are already wearing head gear, and we<br>
normally aren't. Plus, our hands are usually available for<br>
things like photography, while they need their hands free for<br>
stuff like swimming and fending off sharks and making that funny<br>
I'm-out-of-air sign. </p>
<p>So we'll let the divers have this one. What exactly is it? A<br>
spiffy-looking, silicone and tempered-glass scuba mask with a<br>
3-megapixel camera built into the brow, waterproof at depths up<br>
to 5 meters. In addition to 2048x1536 JPEG snaps (minimum<br>
shooting distance: 50cm), the camera will record 640x480<br>
MotionJPEG video at 15fps. Those image specs won't impress<br>
National Geographic, but sound fine for casual scuba shooting. </p>
<p>Nice extras include regular or rechargeable AAA batteries as the<br>
power supply, so you don't need to worry about charging<br>
proprietary batteries, and a mini USB 1.1 port, so you don't<br>
need to remember to take a memory card reader on that beach<br>
vacation. There's a built-in 16MB memory, plus a slot for<br>
MicroSD cards up to 2GB, which should hold well over an hour of<br>
video (though topped-off rechargeable batteries will last<br>
through only about 30 minutes of video). </p>
<p>How do you use the camera? At the top of the mask is a control<br>
for mode switching and a shutter release, so you will need to<br>
keep a hand free to shoot. Crosshairs printed on the lenses act<br>
as viewfinders for aiming your forehead. Behind the camera is a<br>
small LCD panel showing battery status, shot counter, and<br>
shooting mode, plus LED lights indicating current shooting<br>
activity; it's all visible with a glance upward. </p>
<p>The UDCM301 is a limited model available only online, says<br>
seller Hanwha Japan, so move fast if you want to try what looks<br>
to be a really convenient gadget for underwater photography. </p>
<p>More info: <a href="http://www.hanwha-japan.com/products/udcm301/" title="http://www.hanwha-japan.com/products/udcm301/">http://www.hanwha-japan.com/products/udcm301/</a><br>
(Japanese)<br>
Purchase: <a href="https://item.rakuten.co.jp/hanwha/10000048/" title="https://item.rakuten.co.jp/hanwha/10000048/">https://item.rakuten.co.jp/hanwha/10000048/</a></p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>Short items</p>
<p>Spotted elsewhere in the news:</p>
<p>1) Optics maker TAMRON says it's developed an interchangeable<br>
lens for digital SLR cameras that sets the record for zoom: 15x,<br>
ranging from 18mm to 270mm. That's ultra-wide-angle to powerful<br>
telephoto capability, in one lens. The 'AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3<br>
DiII VC LD Aspherical [IF] MACRO (Model B003)' (possibly a<br>
record-holder for product name length) is 101mm long, weighs<br>
550g, and incorporates auto-focus and 'VC (Vibration<br>
Compensation)' image stabilization. Alas, TAMRON hasn't<br>
announced a release date or price yet.<br>
<a href="http://www.tamron.co.jp/news/release_2008/0730.html" title="http://www.tamron.co.jp/news/release_2008/0730.html">http://www.tamron.co.jp/news/release_2008/0730.html</a> (Japanese)</p>
<p>2) Tokyo-based PLANEX Communications offers a new model of<br>
USB-to-Gigabit Ethernet adapter, the GU-1000Air. Plug it into a<br>
USB 2.0 port to add an Ethernet port to those little<br>
sub-notebooks (like the MacBook Air, PLANEX suggests) that lack<br>
one. JPY4880.<br>
<a href="http://www.planex.co.jp/company/release/pdf/20080812_gu-1000air" title="http://www.planex.co.jp/company/release/pdf/20080812_gu-1000air">http://www.planex.co.jp/company/release/pdf/20080812_gu-1000air</a>.<br>
pdf (Japanese)</p>
<p>3) Hate to leave your gadgets at home when you're behind the<br>
wheel? SIGMA A.P.O. System Sales's 'MultiCharger CUMA01' 12V<br>
device charger is a box that turns your car's cigarette lighter<br>
socket into *two* lighter sockets plus two USB power ports.<br>
Perfect for keeping a handful of iPods, mobile game machines,<br>
phones, and other little gadgets powered on the open road.<br>
JPY1880.<br>
<a href="http://www.sigma-apo.co.jp/front/products/detail/CUMA01" title="http://www.sigma-apo.co.jp/front/products/detail/CUMA01">http://www.sigma-apo.co.jp/front/products/detail/CUMA01</a><br>
(Japanese)</p>
<p>4) Don't let your car full of gadgets get stolen, like over<br>
30,000 vehicles in Japan last year. Here's a gadget that may<br>
help: Kato Denki is offering a new Stealth Tracking System that<br>
places a PHS-based tracking device in your car. Utilizing the<br>
Willcom PHS network, the tiny 31-g box lets you (or the cops)<br>
track your car's location by PC or mobile phone should the need<br>
arise, for a rental cost of JPY735/month. It'll report details<br>
right down to the car's current address and the route it<br>
traveled, even in garages and basements that give GPS pause,<br>
says Kato Denki. For an extra JPY105/month, the service will<br>
send an automatic alert when the car is detected outside of a<br>
prescribed geographic region.<br>
<a href="http://www.kato-denki.com/products/stealth/index.html" title="http://www.kato-denki.com/products/stealth/index.html">http://www.kato-denki.com/products/stealth/index.html</a> (Japanese)</p>
<p>----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
STAFF<br>
Written by: Timm Tuttle<br>
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<p>--------NEW GADGET BLOG: TEKRONOMICON.COM------------------</p>
<p>In collaboration with Gadget Watch, Gadget blog Tekronomicon<br>
offers a detailed look at select gadgets - shiny and strange,<br>
from gizmo ground zero in Tokyo.<br>
See the gadgets introduced in Gadget Watch,<br>
with photos and more at: <a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com/" title="www.tekronomicon.com">www.tekronomicon.com</a></p></div>