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Pentax Q

Another fantastic news for small camera lovers. Pentax Q is very small. Pentax is the latest big-name company to throw its hat into the mirrorless ring with the Pentax Q, a 12-megapixel camera that's smaller and lighter than anything we've seen thus far in the interchangeable-lens category.

Pentax produces a small-sensor digital camera with interchangeable lenses, a first for the digital camera industry. It's early to tell, but we think the Pentax Q could give both the enthusiast digital cameras like the G12 and the compact system cameras a run for their money, provided it's not too small for the average user.

 This new camera uses a new Q-mount lens system and will ship as a kit with a 47mm/F1.9 prime lens. Along with the Q, Pentax also announced four separately-sold Q-mount lenses.

Although this is the first compact interchangeable-lens digital camera in Pentax's lineup, the company has a storied history in the realm of miniaturized swappable-lens cameras.

The Pentax Q's physical dimensions are significantly smaller than the two most-compact interchangeable-lens cameras we've seen before the Q was announced today. At just 1.2 inches deep, 3.9 inches wide, and 2.3 inches tall, the Pentax Q is tinier in every dimension than the Sony Alpha NEX-C3 (1.31 by 4.38 by 2.38 inches) and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 (1.28 by 4.24 by 2.64 inches). It's much lighter, too, clocking in at 7.1 ounces with a battery and storage card inserted, compared with the Alpha NEX-C3's 10-ounce weight and the Lumix GF3's 9.31-ounce weight with the same insertions.

More-creative options include an automated exposure-bracketing HDR (high dynamic range) mode and in-camera modes that apply color filters, fish-eye and toy-camera effects, and color-isolation features to shots as you're taking them, as well as post-shot effects that include a tilt-shift lens simulator and a watercolor effect. Full manual controls, aperture- and shutter-priority modes, and an array of automated scene modes are also in the mix.

 In its Continuous Hi-speed burst shooting mode, the Pentax Q can capture images at a swift five frames per second, although burst depth is limited to just five JPEG frames. By switching to the Continuous Lo drive mode, the burst speed falls to 1.5 frames per second, but the buffer depth can be extended to a much more useful 100 JPEG frames.

In terms of features, the Q is pretty typical for any modern camera. There are Smart Effects, the usual assortment of shooting effects plus the more unusual Cross Process option; you can combine them. It also offers a time-lapse shooting mode, which I'm surprised more cameras don't offer, and customizable presets. There are a couple of unique aspects to the design, including a clever flash that pops way up to decrease the occurrence of red eye. A dial on the front of the camera can be used to change settings contextually; I'll reserve judgment on that, because it seems an odd choice.

According to the press release, "the Q carves out an entirely new camera category that extends beyond traditional digital compact, APS-C or 4/3 digital cameras." This is a bit disingenuous; the Q isn't so much smaller than models like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 or Sony NEX series that it's in a category all by itself. All of them are jacket-pocket-friendly equipped with a pancake prime lens, but none of them are with a standard zoom.

The Q's body is roughly the size of the Canon PowerShot S95, but as with all ILCs, the lens can't retract into the body and so, unless you have TARDIS pockets, there will always be an issue. It is lighter, though, and like Panasonic and Olympus, the lenses are much lighter than Sony's E-mount offerings.

The choice is yours.

Olympus PEN Series: E-PL3

The Olympus Pen Lite E-PL3 is quite a bit smaller than its predecessor, as well as the E-P3 introduced at the same time. The new camera also finally embraces the Pen name more boldly, with the suggested shorthand being Pen Lite.


Though the E-PL3 has the same 12-megapixel resolution, Olympus says they've improved high ISO performance. 


We'll have to wait for a shipping version to confirm, but one thing that's improved over any past Pen design is the autofocus speed, which rivals and even bests some digital SLR designs.


 Called FAST AF, appropriately enough, the new AF system really makes up for the slower autofocus of previous Pen cameras. Also new is the AF-assist lamp, helping the camera focus in low light, and the tilting LCD screen.


With a sleek, straightforward exterior, the Pen Lite has been compared to the company's own Olympus XZ-1 in size, and save for the thickness from the tilting LCD screen and of course the lens, it isn't far off (see comparison photos below). The more slender lens design looks more at home on the E-PL3 than it did on the E-P2, and its new knurled ring and silver color look quite nice on the silver-bodied Pen Lite.


Updating its Micro Four Thirds Pen series today, Olympus announces three new ILCs. The E-P3, E-PL3 and Pen Mini boast dramatically faster auto focus and the creative flexibility that we've come to expect from the Pen.


The Olympus E-P3 replaces the E-P2 as the flagship Pen. It offers the same premium build quality as its predecessor and adds a 3.0-inch touch screen. The E-PL3 shares many features with the E-P3 including a 12.3 megapixel Live MOS sensor though it lacks touch functionality and the durable build of its counterpart. It replaces the E-PL2 as a step-down alternative.


The Olympus Pen Mini E-PM1 represents a new product altogether, smaller than the E-P3 and E-PL3 with an appearance and interface designed to appeal to the beginner and casual shooter. Also debuting are two new Zuiko prime lenses for Micro Four Thirds - a 12mm f/2 and a 45mm f/1.8.


Aside from a speed enhancement, the new sensor and processor combo offers new Real Color Technology. 


It's a tweaked formula for color reproduction that Olympus claims is more faithful to real world color, reduces a loss of detail in highly saturated color blocks and handles typically troublesome colors better. The processor is also responsible for a faster start-up time and uses pixel binning to produce a more crisp image on the camera's display.


This camera has many features and you can use it to create beautiful pictures.


Although the E-PL3 provides image stabilization during movie capture, this is achieved in software, and the sensor shift stabilization system is disabled throughout. Unusually, the E-PL3 allows not only Program exposure for movies, but also allows Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, and Manual exposure, as well as use of its Art Filter functions. Shutter speeds in Shutter-priority or Manual modes are 1/30 second or less, and some Art Filter functions may adversely effect frame rate of recorded video.

HP all in one PC

Would you like to open a small business at home? 

You need a new PC that can help you to make money. You can choose HP Omni 200 Quad series because this PC integrates everything in the display, which fits neatly on your desk, in the kids' room, or in the kitchen. And this sleek model is power packed: you get Intel Core i5 quad-core processors1, discrete graphics, and wireless networking.

Elegant and compact
With its piano-black and chrome finish, this PC looks good in any room. Features include:
An integrated design with single power cord
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer
A 21.5" diagonal Full HD§ widescreen with 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution
A non-glare display with LED backlighting, tilt, and swivel
Internal antennas for 802.11 Wi-Fi2
An integrated 6-in-1 digital media card reader
A built-in webcam4 and mic
Integrated premium stereo speakers
A free 60-day Norton Internet Security subscription, optimized for your PC and ranked #1 in protection5


Keeping you connected
Wirelessly access, edit, and save content on your laptop while using your All-in-One HP desktop PC via HP LinkUp. You can:

Easily connect with no cables or docking stations—once you install the free client software on your laptop, it links with your desktop2
Keep all files and apps organized and up to date on your laptop while accessing them from your desktop


Mindful of the environment
We're committed to global citizenship and environmental responsibility by delivering energy-efficient products and reducing resource use and waste. This series:
Is ENERGY STAR® qualified and EPEAT Silver registered6
Has an LED back-lit panel, which typically consumes less power than a standard panel and eliminates the use of mercury.


You will love this product. You can use it for busines and entertainment.

iPad 2

Do you want a new tablet? 

The iPad 2 is both all about -- and not about -- the hardware. From an industrial design standpoint, the iPad 2 just seriously raised the bar on sleek, sexy computer hardware. If you're an owner of the original model, you know it was no slouch in the design department, but its latest iteration takes it to a whole other place. 


The first thing you'll probably notice about the iPad 2 is that it's thin -- unbelievably thin. At its thickest point, the tablet is just 0.34-inches (compared with the first iPad's half an inch of girth). The device is slightly shorter than the previous model (at 9.5-inches tall), but also slightly less wide (just 7.3-inches versus the iPad's 7.47-inches). 

It looks and feels amazingly sleek when you hold it. As Steve Jobs pointed out at the launch event, the device is thinner than the astoundingly thin iPhone 4 -- quite a feat considering what's packed inside the slate. Of course, it's still not exactly light, weighing in at 1.33 pounds (or 1.34 / 1.35 for the 3G models), just a hair under the original's one and a half pounds.


The iPad 2 has arrived, and with it, the tablet computer that has redefined the genre is getting a very interesting update. Thinner design, dual-cameras, updated OS, new accessories… with the same pricing structure. For some, it is the update they’ve been waiting for: the iPad platform won’t change for the next year (is it really so?). For others, the thinner design and the video chat capabilities make it a must-have device. Some first-gen iPad might even want to upgrade, eBay showed signs of iPad flooding last week. The question is: is iPad 2 as good as it seems? Is it really for you? And if you already own one, should you upgrade?

With the iPad's second go-around, Apple sticks to its successful formula. The iPad 2 is thinner, faster, and includes two cameras. Otherwise, the iPad stays the same: size, price, capacity, and features all carry over.


As with the previous version, the front of the device is all screen, save for a bezel (which appears slightly less broad than the one on the first model), and a home button at the bottom of the display. The iPad 2 does add a camera opposite from that button at the top of the device, but the small dot is barely noticeable. Around back there's the familiar, smooth aluminum of the previous version (it does feel slightly smoother here), a small, dotted speaker grid on the lower left, a camera on the upper left, and depending on what model you get, the 3G antenna along the top back.


 The volume buttons and mute / rotate switch sit on the back left side of the device, while on the right you'll find the Micro SIM slot (on 3G versions). A standard 30-pin dock connector is along the bottom, while the top reveals a power / sleep button on the upper right side, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left. All pretty standard business for an iPad, but smartly put together on this tiny frame.

And while the iPad 2 isn’t actually all that much lighter than the iPad 1 (about 700g versus 600g — depending on if you get the 3G or WiFi version, obviously), the change in thickness almost tricks you into thinking it is significantly lighter.


Overall, the device has a much more fluid design. Apple notes that the body now consists of two parts instead of the three that made up the iPad 1. This makes it feel even more solid, and even more like a natural object instead of a machine.


The tapered edges of the iPad 2 feel better in your hands. And those edges also make the buttons on the side and top more pronounced (and a bit easier to use). Of course, the tapered bottom also makes the dock connector a bit harder to use, but that’s a minor nit.