Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 Review

If you've been waiting for SLR quality pics out of a camera you can slip into your pocket (and we're not talking cargo pants here), Panasonic's 14 megapixel Lumix DMC-FX150 is sadly not your product. However, if you've been looking for something that can take shots approaching the quality of something like a Canon G10 but do so in a more slender form factor, keep reading. PhotographyBLOG's review of this higher-end of the point 'n shoot range finds it to be quite good, capturing great images in bright light with very few chromatic aberrations. However, darker shots (bane of the pocket cam market) are still somewhat problematic, as the built-in optical IS fails to keep images sharp and noise appears at ISO 800 and above. Despite those annoyances the $399 camera (yours for about $100 less if you don't mind bargain hunting) scored overall high marks, becoming one of the best quality shooters you can buy and have a hope of fitting in your skinny jeans.

Lenovo trots out new trifecta of unexciting desktops

Forgive us, but we just can't get jazzed about a trio of Lenovo desktops that offer up nothing innovative whatsoever. Sure, the IdeaCentre K220 may pack a Core 2 Quad CPU, upwards of 4GB of DDR3 RAM and an optional Blu-ray drive, but that's nothing we couldn't slap together ourselves in a few minutes. The K230 ups the ante a bit with room for 8GB of memory and Windows Vista 64-bit, while the lower-end H200 (shown above) becomes Lenovo's first desktop with an Atom under the hood. All three machines will be available this month starting at $449, $499 and $399.99 (bundled with the ThinkVision L195 monitor), in order of mention.

[Via InformationWeek]

Nintendo sets US sales records in 2008

While 2008 saw investments wiped out, institutions falter, and record job losses, the house that Mario built chugged its way back into the record books. According to NPD Group statistics, Nintendo sold a record 10.17 million Wii consoles to US Americans in 2008. That trumps Nintendo's own record of 9.95 million consoles sold in the relatively healthy 2007 economic climate. Nintendo added to its money pile by hawking 9.95 million DS handhelds for the year compared to the 8.52 million sold in 2007. Those tallies represent 55% of all consoles and 72% of all handheld consoles sold in the US. Daaaamn.

P.S. Want to see what Nintendo's 2008 dominance looks like in the form of a pie chart? Check the amazing graphic after the break.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Nokia N79 Eco shrinks packaging, ditches phone charger

If syncing your phone with a workout routine isn't your cup of tea, Nokia has unveiled another N79 variant, the Eco. For the same cost as the standard version, you'll get smaller packaging, a petrol black casing with dark gray / steel gray / deep plum covers, and no charger whatsoever. The company is hoping you'll reuse your old charger instead of throwing it out. As for the outdated phone that came with that adapter, we're sure they'd love you to send that back for spare parts. The Eco is now available for pre-order from Nokia UK, with £4 of each purchase going towards the World Wildlife Fund.

[Via All About Symbian]

How to Create Your Own iGoogle Theme Page

It's kinda scary how excited I get about iGoogle Themes. OK, you got me, it's all of Google's themed services that really make me drool. Well if you haven't found that perfect theme to personalize your iGoogle page with as of yet, Google has just announced that you can create your own theme.

With Google's new tool for designing your own theme, you can add and tweak images, include all of your favorite colors and preview your theme before it goes live on your site. And if you really love it (and think others would too), you can choose to publish it for the public to use as well!

Sony refuses PlayStation brand for PSP Phone?

We've been following PSP Phone rumors since 2006, forever on a tech timeline. A plausible device given the natural evolution of mobile gaming and Sony's proven desire to cross-license its Bravia and Cyber-shot brands for use on other Sony Ericsson phones. Not so fast buster. Mobile Today (citing "several sources close to the matter") is reporting that Sony Ericsson has been refused the use of the PlayStation brand by Sony Corp. after pitching the business case in December. A spokesperson for Sony Ericsson wouldn't comment directly on the matter but did say, "In the past, we have been keen that our product proposition lives up to brand promise, and we feel at the moment the technical specs are not high enough to put such a prestigious brand on a phone." With Sony Ericsson posting a massive $346 million dollar loss today compared to the $95 million expected, well, maybe Sony's wisdom shouldn't be questioned. Then again, Sony's not doing much better.

[Thanks, Matthew A.]

Read -- Sony refuses to license PlayStation brand Read -- Sony Ericsson slips into the red

Girl CJ7 USB Powered Speaker

If you think you have seen the weirdest designer products, wait till you see this. Known as the Girl CJ7 USB Powered Speaker, it is probably the most hideous looking speaker ever designed. A ‘design disaster’, this device resembling an alien will definitely not appeal to anyone. If you keep looking at it for a long time it actually looks spooky! No idea about the sound quality of these speakers, but looking at the design and cheap price, you really shouldn’t expect much. Measuring just 3.54in x 2.36in x 4.72in, this speaker is available on Deal Extreme for $5.85.



Source

Sony, where’s the 1.6GHz VAIO P for America?

Sure, we Americans are enamored by flashy designs, but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate performance. For whatever reason, consumers in the UK, Japan and the Principality of Sealand (among other locales) can order up Sony's oh-so-cute VAIO P with a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, while we Americans can't get anything other than the stock 1.3GHz chip. So, what gives Sony? Supply chain problems? Too much haterade? None of the above?

[Thanks, James]

Space Invaders piggy bank

Savings is always a good thing, especially when its done Space Invaders style and that too with the help of the Japanese. Takara Tomy is responsible for this retro version of the classic tabletop Space Invaders game. It's the best type of piggy bank ever. One of its best feature is that it is very similar to the original in looks and has an LCD screen that acts as coin counter. It takes only about 100 yens ($1) to light up the screen and add an invader to the tally. You have to empty out the machine after 80 coins and start over. Can you think of a better way to save some loose change in these crunch times? I certainly can't!



Source

Game Addict Swallows Saw Blades to Commit Suicide

A 23-year-old Beijing game addict was rushed to a hospital after swallowing five pieces of saw blades in an attempt to commit suicide, the Beijing Legal Times reports.

The man "kept talking incoherently about how to win his favorite computer games, even after being sent to a Beijing hospital ICU" on Sunday.

According to the report the man has been addicted to computer games since early in junior high school, but his condition worsened recently.

I wonder if there is something about the culture or politics of China that seems to make people more pre-disposed to game addiction there, or at least makes the results more extreme.

It could be an issue of the media in China writing more about the issue because it's become very high profile recently, but even if that were the case, I still think it's worse there than in other parts of the world.

Computer Game Addict Swallows Saw Blades [China Daily]

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