Samsung has announced the DV300F, a Wi-Fi enabled camera with a twin LCD ‘DualView’ function. You can share photos and video clips directly to Facebook, Picasa, YouTube, making use of the WiFi connection. Photographs can also be wirelessly transferred to a property Computer and to cloud storage services such as Microsoft SkyDrive. The $ 199, 16-megapixel camera, is capable of 5x optical zoom really should be available this March.

It’s the very first DualView model to offer Wi-Fi. The camera’s built-in Wi-Fi connectivity enables users to e mail their pictures or upload them to social media internet sites including Facebook, Picasa, Flickr and YouTube. In addition, pictures saved onto the camera’s microSD memory card, can be saved to a residence Computer without wires, by employing the Auto Computer Backup function.

Earlier WiFi cameras (with out DualView) contain Samsung’s CL80 even though EyeFi X-two chips ($ 49 for 4 GB), enable numerous SD-card cameras to use WiFi as nicely. Their Direct Mode uploads pictures and videos directly from your camera to an iPhone, iPad or Android device in a snap.

Of course Smartphones like the iPhone 4S equipped with Photo & Video apps or Android phones like the Sony Xperia equipped with Android Photo apps are becoming strong competition for point and shoots, featuring super rapidly 1.4 GHz processors, 3D and 2D sweep panorama apps, 8 MP sensors, and large screens.

dailywireless.org

The Funny Camera Android App by PhotoMobileApps is an android app that allows you to put pictures into sill pre – constructed frames. The idea behind the app is like those gag photos of the muscle man whose face is missing and then you insert your face in the cut out where his face used to be. The app is very simple to use and integrates with the photos on your phone, your facebook account, and your flickr account.

When you open the app you will be able to select from your photos, photos online, or take a new photo. Once you have selected the desired option you will be able to choose from several frames to put the photos into. After selecting the desired photo it will automatically be put into the face cut out of the frame you selected. Adjust the zoom to get the picture just right.

Overall, this is a simple and fun app for making silly photos. At the time of this review the Funny Camera Android App is free. Thumbs Up.

Download Funny Camera Android App

We haven’t seen much of the upcoming BlackBerry Torch 2 in the last few weeks, but the guys at TechnoBuffalo tossed up a few images in case you’re in withdrawal. Nothing really new here from these shots, but we do get to see more of my least favorite battery door to date (I think it looks Bedazzled!). Also we can tell from the icons that this guy is running OS 7 as expected. A quick recap of the BlackBerry Torch 2 specs:

BlackBerry Torch 2 Key Specs:

• Processor: 1.2 GHz processor
• Radio: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE ; Tri-band HSPA 14.4Mbps
• Display: 3.2" VGA – 480 x 640 capacitive touchscreen display
• Memory: 8GB storage + 768MB RAM + up to 32GB MicroSD
• Connectivity: WiFi + Bluetooth + NFC
• Camera: 5 MP
• Battery: 1300MAh battery
• Dimension: 14.6mm thick
• Sensors: magnetometer

If all goes according to plan, the Torch 2 should be launching sometime after the Bold 9900/9930 (which we still have no official launch date for). It may be the next in line or mixed in with one of the other rumored 2011 devices we should see before the end of the year. One more image after the break.

Source: TechnoBuffalo

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CrackBerry.com‘s feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry Torch 2 poses for the camera yet again

CrackBerry.com blogs

OnOne’s DSLR Camera Remote HD works in conjunction with your WiFi-enabled computer and compatible Nikon or Canon DSLR camera to let you instantly adjust your camera’s settings, fire the shutter, review images, get a live viewfinder preview, and record video from the cozy confines of your iPad.

View full post on Macworld

The United States might be the land of the free, but we’ve yet to earn freedom for many of the smartphones and Android phones in Asia and Europe that we would otherwise Desire (see what I did there?). It only takes a few specs to quickly put the Toshiba Regza near the top of that list:

The Regza only runs Android 2.1 but with a 12MP camera, NFC chip, and waterproof conditioning it immediately seems like a pretty sweet phone. In my limited time toying with the Regza I was pleasantly surprised. I’m still dying for the day that we get an Android phone with optical zoom, but the pictures on the Regza – at least in the viewfinder – looked quite gorgeous. I tried to share/E-mail them to myself but they have yet to come through… if they do, we’ll be sure to post them here.

A quick look at some of the specs:

• Android 2.1
• 12MP camera (plus a front facing camera)
• Waterproof
• 4-inch screen
• 854 x 480 pixel resolution
• 14.7mm thick
• 149 grams
• Near Field Communications equipped

Now Toshiba needs to bring their Android Phones to the American market (please). I’ve owned two Toshiba laptops and have loved them both. Actually, this very post is being written lovingly from a Toshiba laptop.

If the Toshiba Regza was available in your area, would it make your short list of Android Phones to consider buying?

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Personal preference is a crazy thing. When evaluating what you consider to be the perfect phone, different people take different factors into consideration. After doing my LG Optimus 2X review I read a comment I found bizarre: one person really liked the device but the lack of a dedicated camera key really disappointed them.

My thought was, “Ummm… really?”

In my mind, dedicated camera key’s don’t serve much of a purpose any more. You can easily put the camera app on your homescreen and the on-screen picture button works just fine. If you’re trying to take a self-pic I can understand the interest, because it’s impossible to find the software button when the screen is pointed away from you. But the Optimus 2X and a lot of other phones now have front facing cameras where self-pics are equally easy with the on-screen button.

By the way, I’ve also found the action of pressing the dedicated camera key/button causes more wobble, jiggle, and therefore unintended blurriness than software keys. Perhaps I’ve just got shaky hands but I definitely prefer the software camera key.

But that’s why they call it personal preference, right? Even my own personal preferences change over time, too. I used to be a hardware keyboard fanatic and now I don’t see much of a point in using anything besides the touchscreen unless there is some ulterior motive like gaming with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play or SSHing into your server to perform administrative duties.

How about you? Do you prefer a dedicated hardware camera key or are you thinking “who needs another button?” and just want something showing on your software? Make sure you let us know WHY you voted the way you did!

View full post on Android Phone Fans

We’ve all heard about Honeycomb (Android 3.0), and how it will be limited to tablets only. Now, with the rumors flying about that Android 2.4 will actually be “Honeycomb for Phones”, it’s probably only a matter of time until genius minds – like those at xda-developers – come up with a full port of Android 3.0 for phones. Until that glorious day comes, however, we’ve got a mockup of a concept phone, dubbed the Motorola “Bee”.

This cool concept would run Android 3.0 Honeycomb, specially ported for the phone. It would also have:

• 3G+ support
• 8MP camera w/ full HD capture capability
• 5MP front-facing camera
• 4.3″ Super AMOLED multitouch display
• 1280×720 screen resolution
• 32 / 64 GB internal storage options

Be sure to hit the break to check out the full gallery of concept mockups, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Read More…

Motorola “Bee” Concept Phone Runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Sports 4.3″ Super AMOLED and 5MP Front-Facing Camera

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Sony Ericsson recently blogged about the new camera UI improvements for the upcoming Android-powered Xperia Arc smartphone. The Xperia Arc already has a beast of a camera, coming in at 8.1 megapixels to be exact. Here’s some of what’s been improved, though:

• Improvements in light sensitivity
• Quicker access to settings
• More control over flash

All the changes being made to the Xperia Arc’s camera UI will make the camera even better to use in low light situations, which will prove to be impressive for a mobile phone.

Sony’s Rikard Skogberg provides a quick look at the reworked and much improved user interface of the Xperia Arc’s camera after the break!

Read More…

Sony Ericsson shows off Xperia Arc camera UI improvements

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Olympus got off to a hot start at CES by announcing the fixed-lens Olympus XZ-1, a high-end pocket camera that offers full manual controls and impressive hardware, and the Olympus PEN E-PL2, an interchangeable-lens compact camera that’s designed for casual shooters who want to learn photography on the fly.

View full post on Macworld

So you want to do some video calling over your smartphone but don’t have one of the new models that sport a front facing camera huh?  No problem, there’s a stand for that.  Vainworks has whipped together a clever little desktop phone stand that uses mirrors to point your phone’s rear-facing camera forward.  It will work in portrait as well as landscape too!  Well, sort of…  hit the jump to read more and see a video of it in action. Read More…

Vainworks stand turns your rear-facing camera to a front-facing camera

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Been dying for a front-facing camera on your Samsung Vibrant? Well, thanks to the genius minds over at xda, you can now have one. Of course, this won’t be an easy task, as you’ll need the right ROM, kernel, and – you guessed it – a front-facing camera to install. You’ll also have to have the stomach to take your Vibrant apart and do some serious geek work.

If you’re ready to don your geek hat and get into the nitty-gritty, then be sure to hit up the source link below. If you are brave enough to try this hack for yourself, be sure to let us know how it goes in the comments!

Install a front-facing camera on your Samsung Vibrant

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

The week-long window to enter the GeekDad giveaway of a Nikon Coolpix P7000 camera ended yesterday, and this morning a winner was chosen!

The winner is … Mike Gurganus of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina! There were over 4300 valid entries (i.e., excluding duplicates), which I’m pretty sure wins the nonexistent prize for the most participants ever in a GeekDad giveaway. Congratulations, Mike!

(Since writing the kickoff post for the giveaway, I’ve had the chance to try out one of the cameras myself. It’s dead simple to use to just take everyday shots, but it has a lot of powerful capabilities to really get the photos you want if you know what you’re doing or just want to experiment. I’ve included the initial text I wrote about the camera after the jump.)

The Nikon Coolpix P7000 is a point-and-shoot camera that’s about as close to a DSLR as a point-and-shoot can get. It has a 10.1-megapixel sensor, a 7.1x wide-angle optical zoom Nikkor ED glass lens, and adjustable ISO up to 6400 at full resolution. It’s also capable of recording 720p HD video at 30 fps, and even has a microphone input jack. It takes SD, SDHC or SDXC cards and comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The camera retails for $499.95, and the cheapest price I could find online was about $430.

But wait, there’s more! Nikon also has a very nice photo-storage and sharing website called “my Picturetown” that I urge you to try out. The website makes it easy to upload photos, edit them somewhat online, and then share them with whomever you want. It even has a feature that lets you create “movies” out of a set of photos. Use the code FREE3MTHS to get three free months of their Gold Membership, which gives you more storage space and more options to pick from when using the various features. For the holidays, Nikon is putting together a movie using photos submitted by “my Picturetown” users, so consider submitting a picture or two.

View full post on GeekDad

Reports of an Android tablet being released by Asus in 2011 are finally sounding realistic.

Asus has announced that they will be releasing three tablets in 2011, as the tablet phenomena has exploded recently with the releases of the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

While more details have yet to emerge (and probably won’t until after CES 2011), we do have some juicy pictures of these tablets for you after the break.

Read More…

Asus Eee Pad caught on camera

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Time is running out! There’s only one day left to enter to win a Nikon Coolpix P7000 camera in our GeekDad giveaway. If you haven’t already, why not enter now? We’ve already gotten a huge response to the giveaway, but hey, every entrant has the same chance of winning as any other.

Please use the form below to enter the giveaway before 8:30 EST tomorrow: December 29, 2010. One winner will be chosen randomly from among all entrants. Duplicate submissions will be discarded, so please only enter once. If you can’t see the form below or it doesn’t work for you for any reason, please fill out the form here instead.

View full post on GeekDad

Didn’t find the new camera you were hoping for under the tree yesterday? There are still three days left to enter to win a Nikon Coolpix P7000 camera in our GeekDad giveaway. If you haven’t already, why not enter now?

Please use the form below to enter the giveaway before 8:30 EST on December 29, 2010. One winner will be chosen randomly from among all entrants. Duplicate submissions will be discarded, so please only enter once. If you can’t see the form below or it doesn’t work for you for any reason, please fill out the form here instead.

View full post on GeekDad

Over at the SprintUsers forum, looks like member r0fl got their hands on the HTC Evo Shift 4G. We’ve seen all kinds of things on the Shift, and now we’ve got a good picture on it. While some blogs are reposting that there doesn’t seem to be a front facing camera, we’re seeing something here. If you look just below (to the left) of the ear speaker, you’ll see something that could be either a camera, or possible a proximity or light sensor. However, like the Evo, the sensor may be hidden, leaving this to only be the front facing camera.

This looks like the Sprint version of the G2 / Merge / Desire Z, so hopefully we’ll find out more as the days go on. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

HTC Evo Shift 4G leaks in pictures, does it have front facing camera?

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Occipital launched 360 Panorama for the iPhone (app store: $2.99) last month. It’s a realtime panorama creation tool for iPhone 4 or 3GS.

There is no need to stitch together a series of still photographs. You simply pan your phone in any direction and watch it build a panorama in realtime. Then email to friends. It requires iOS 4.0 or later and is temporarily on sale for $0.99.

Here are other popular photo apps for the iPhone and Android phones.

A recent article in The New York Times says smartphones – with their 5 or 10 megapixel built-in cameras – are posing a significant threat to the point-and-shoot camera category.

How long before cameras include their own Kinect LiDar and generate a point cloud for 3D world views.

Kinect Hacks shows you how. The creator of Kinect controlled Christmas lights has uploaded a video showing him playing Kinect-controlled instruments with Garageband.

View full post on dailywireless.org

Despite some fun and useful features, the high-zoom PowerShot SD4500 IS camera has disappointing image quality, poor battery life, and a lack of manual controls.

View full post on Macworld

If you’re wondering what to buy the shutterbug in your life for the holidays, look no further than these great cases. Whether you’re shopping for a casual point-and-shooter, or a serious mountain climbing DLSR user, we have a case for them.

View full post on Macworld

These digital camera and camcorder Black Friday deals will make finding that perfect “something” a lot easier to find when shopping for the shutterbug on your gift list.

View full post on Macworld

For the uninitiated, HDR photography is all the rage, supplanting tilt-shift photography as the trendiest way to manipulate your photos and earn your Flickr feed a little extra attention. Previously the domain of only high-end digital SLR cameras and pricey photo manipulation software, it has now come to the Apple iPhone, in the form of a handful of competing apps. Pro HDR is among the most popular of these and easily among the top iPhone photo apps, too.

So, what is HDR photography anyway? HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range.” The “range” refers to the luminance of the photograph, specifically the difference between the lightest and the darkest parts of the picture. A typical photograph is at the mercy of the lighting conditions of the time and place at which it was taken. A skilled photographer might be able to reduce glare or squeeze a little more detail out of the shadows, but the result will rarely compare to the range of luminance recognized by the human eye. HDR photographs, on the other hand, more closely recreate the experience of being there.

The way HDR photography accomplishes this is a bit of cheat: HDR photographs are actually the combination of three exposures. Each exposure will capture a different level of detail, and then the exposures will be combined with an algorithm designed to retain the greatest degree of detail in each photograph. It is a complicated process, so any reader who wonders whether an iPhone app will be capable of pulling it off is justifiably skeptical. Pro HDR, however, will make short work of that skepticism. (…)
Read the rest of With Pro HDR Camera App, iPhone Photos Rival the Real Deal

AppCraver.com, 2010. | With Pro HDR Camera App, iPhone Photos Rival the Real Deal | Best iPhone Apps | Best Free Apps

View full post on AppCraver

As parents, we have an unspoken obligation to record our children’s lives. Sporting events, school musicals and holidays are never complete without a digital camera or camcorder. Although the optics and abilities of smartphone cameras continue to improve, they still come up short compared to a dedicated device. And while “close enough” might be good enough for a lot of things, I know I’ll feel guilty one day when my kids look at pictures of themselves in crummy cell phone resolution.

With this self-burdened guilt in mind, I had a chance to play with a Kodak Playsport video camera recently. The Playsport enters a new competitive area of the market, competing with the Flip Camera and various handheld cameras (like Canon’s PowerShot and Sony’s Cyber-shot) that shoot video as well as still images. Like the Flip, the Playsport is a very affordable camera, retails at just $149 (currently $114 at Amazon) and is available in a variety of colors.

But what sets the Playsport apart is that, unlike the others, it is capable of shooting at 1080p. And what’s really unique is that the camera is waterproof up to 10 feet underwater. The camera is made to withstand a kid’s lifestyle – it is wrapped in impact rubber and claims it can survive falls without damage. It also has electronic image stabilization. The big, two-inch screen has plenty of contrast and an anti-glare shield so you can watch videos more easily outdoors. The Lithium-Ion battery is replaceable and 128 MB internal memory can be expanded up to 32 GB with SD/SDHC cards. There are lots of other features, but let’s look at how it handled in real life.

At 2.3 x 4.4. x 0.8 inches, the Playsport is about the size of an iPhone.

When I first pulled the camera out at a party, a lot of people confused it for a phone because its size is very similar to an iPhone. In low light conditions it did an OK job, comparable to other video cameras in similar conditions. Where the camera really excelled was in normal lighting conditions. The pictures it delivered were impressive, delivering pictures as good as a much more expensive video camera that I own.

The Playsport is advertised as being waterproof to 10 feet underwater, so I just had to put that to the test. My neighbor has a large saltwater aquarium, so we rigged the camera to a stick and submerged it. (There’s a quick procedure to follow before putting the camera underwater — and the camera’s smart enough to revert to normal mode after shutting the camera down.) The results were fantastic, as can be seen in the video below.

Still image taken with the Kodak Playsport.

One of the chief complaints among Playsport owners is that battery life is short, with some people saying a battery only lasted them 15 – 30 minutes. I didn’t have that problem, but a lot of people mention it. Also, the Playsport records in H.264 .MOV, which may not be every person’s first choice.

The only disappointment were the still photos I took. While the camera delivers  up to 5MP 16:9 photos, I didn’t feel like they looked as good as the video. But overall, the Playsport is a really great video camera at a very good price. If you are considering a video camera for the holidays – or beyond – put the Playsport on your short list.

Disclosure: Kodak lent GeekDad a camera for review purposes.

View full post on GeekDad

The best photos are the ones you take when no one’s expecting it, but it’s hard to be sly while holding a honking DSLR in front of your mug. That’s why we adore Panasonic’s stealthy little 10.1-megapixel sharpshooter. It has the guts of a pro rig tucked inside a compact body. Whether you’re shooting at sunset from a seaside cliff or at 3 am in your favorite watering hole, the 3.8X Leica zoom lens (24 to 90 mm), with its wide-open f/2.0 aperture, can produce razor-sharp photos sans mood-killing flash. And it’s fast, too, powering on in less than a second and locking in autofocus in just 0.3 second. It also makes a great hi-def videocam, recording 720p clips with the press of a dedicated and distinct red button, so you won’t be fumbling through menus when it’s time to record. The same processor that keeps your photos as crisp as a new dollar bill pulls double duty to keep the grain out of movies, even when shooting by candlelight. As soon as the session is over, you can show off your latest masterpieces on the gorgeous 460,000-pixel, 3-inch LCD. You won’t just surprise your friends, you’ll impress them.

See Also:

• Trickle-Down Features Color Panasonic's Gateway Shooter
• GPS Cameras Give Your Shots a Sense of Place
• Wearable Camera Not Quite Ready For Its Close-Up
• Fuji Introduces Compact 3-D Camera for Consumers
• Do Mirrorless Cameras Spell the Death of DSLRs?

View full post on Product Reviews | Wired.com

What we may be looking at is a new Droid Pro, possibly with a full QWERTY keyboard again, and NO Camera! Yes, if you happen to work for George Lucas, Area 51, Apple or the FBI, this phone will appeal to your duties, and save you from having the urge to leak out information that you know shouldn’t be leaked only to have you kidnapped, tortured and interrogated about it later by some private faction owned by the mafia.

The ironic thing is, we wouldn’t have this information if the person who got leaked it was using a camera-less Droid Pro to begin with! Shows the validity i guess. Seriously, Motorola is taking business competition to a new level by making an Android device that will compete directly with the BlackBerry business market of Corporate America. It’s about time!

New Droid Pro Without a Camera?

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates