Harish Raju Musings

In what’s probably the most interesting camcorder announcement of 2009, Sony proffers the Handycam HDR-XR500 and HDR-XR520, a pair of hard-disk-based AVCHD camcorders which integrate the dual firsts of built-in GPS and a new Exmor-R back-illuminated CMOS sensor.

Though the sensor isn’t new, this is the first time we’re seeing it in products. The technology, which flips the layers so that the photosites are above the electronics where they can get more light, may prove an effective way to improve low-light performance, the continuing weak aspect of consumer camcorders. Sony claims an 8dB increase in sensitivity, for a 50 per cent reduction in noise.

Annoyingly, Sony continues to overstate the resolution of its sensors. This one’s 6 megapixels, though you’ll see the company claiming 12 megapixels — its interpolated resolution — all over its marketing materials.

Sony Handycam HDR-XR500: GPS camcorder - Crave at CNET UK

Nice Digital Photography Glossary over at DPR:

Glossary: Learn: Digital Photography Review

This device is very similar to the SideKick, Kaziko went on to say “Its a sidekick on massive steroids … If it had a box on the left side it would feel exactly like a Sidekick”. This is good news for a lot of the current Sidekick users who are looking for a long awaited upgrade to a device that sees very little change. This device has great call quality and a relatively loud speaker in comparison to other HTC devices. The G1 comes pre-loaded with a smooth running, easy to use instant messaging client that supports Google Talk, AIM, ICQ and MSN out of the box.With all phones there is a bit of a downside to them, and in Kaiziko’s words “[the] phone does not run as smoothly as you would think”. Some of the applications “stutter” as they start up and from time to time the device must be restarted in order to run smoothly. Thankfully these drawbacks can ultimately be fixed with firmware and software upgrades. The battery charger makes the bottom of the device very hot and is in an awkward location for text messaging while it is charging.

First T-Mobile G1 user review | Android Community

Tags: android, google

Blu-ray Disc Statistics

Tags: Blu-Ray, Sony Blu-Ray

Four and a half years have passed since the first affordable digital SLR from Canon; the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel). In that time we have witnessed two further iterations (the EOS 350D and EOS 400D) leading up to today’s fourth generation EOS 450D, with twice the megapixel count of the original (twelve versus six) in a smaller body with a far wider range of functionality and features and a $200 lower list price.

Since those heady days in 2004 when the EOS 300D was the only kid on the block we’ve seen Nikon, Pentax and Olympus all attempt to hit the same sweet spot of size, features and price at the ‘lower end’ of the DSLR market, with varying degrees of success. Without a doubt the EOS 450D will have to do more today to prove itself in an increasingly crowded market.

Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

The Kindle features a 6″ diagonal, 4-level grayscale electrophoretic display (E Ink material) with a resolution of 600×800 pixels (167 ppi), although the largest graphic image that can be displayed without being resized in a publication is 450×550 pixels.

In technical terms, 4-level grayscale is 2-bit graphics: black, white, light gray, and dark gray. The Kindle is capable of dithering images to improve appearance when displayed; dithering is an option, turned on by default. Images of high contrast and limited colors appear best on the Kindle.

It measures 5.3 inches × 7.5 inches × 0.7 inches (134.5 mm × 190 mm × 19 mm) and weighs 10.3 ounces (295 grams). The Kindle has 256 MB of internal storage, of which 180 MB is available on a new device. An SD memory card expansion slot is present, officially supporting cards up to 4 GB in size.

It has 64 MB of RAM. The battery lasts roughly two days with wireless on, and one week with wireless off.

The battery charges in about two hours. A USB 2.0 port (mini-B connector) is available for connecting to a computer (where it acts as a USB flash drive). The Kindle features a headphone jack and one-year warranty.

The device runs on a modified version of Linux based on the 2.6.10 kernel.

Amazon Kindle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tags: AmazonKindle, Kindle, Amazon

The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming.

It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.Japan’s third biggest automaker expects to lease out a “few dozen” units this year and about 200 units within three years.

In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

Honda rolls out a new zero-emission car - Autos- msnbc.com

Tags: HondaClarity, Zero Emission, FCX Clarity

“This silver 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350 got me a free cup of designer coffee. No, it didn’t wheel itself up to the local caffeine counter and order a tall vanilla nonfat latte, but it did inspire the Lexus RX 330 owner ahead of me in the drive-through lane to pay for my latte. She even gave my ride a Fonzie-like thumbs-up.

It’s no wonder that people stop to give the redesigned 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350 an appreciative second look. In an attempt to turn the sales stampede away from the RX 330, BMW X5 and Volkswagen Touareg, Mercedes has caffeinated the new ML with a dose of modern performance, refinement and style.”

Mercedes Benze ML350 Road test

Tags: MercedesBenz ML350

How It WorksA hydrogen fuel cell produces electricity for the vehicle. The fuel cell combines hydrogen, which is stored in a fuel tank onboard the vehicle, with oxygen from the air to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn drives the front wheels. Water vapor and heat are the only byproducts.A fuel cell is made up of a thin electrolyte film wedged between two electrode layers in between two separators. Several hundred layers of these cells are connected in a series.1. Hydrogen fuel is fed into the anode of the fuel cell. Helped by a catalyst, hydrogen atoms are split into electrons and protons.2. Electrons are channeled through a circuit to produce electricity.3. Protons pass through the polymer electrolyte membrane.4. Oxygen (from the air) enters the cathode and combines with the electrons and protons to form water.5. Water vapor and heat are released as byproducts of this reaction.Advances in fuel cell vehicle design accelerated rapidly once we began to develop our Honda fuel cell stack, turning conventional thinking literally on its ear. Read more about the Honda fuel-cell evolution.

Honda FCX Clarity - V-Flow - Official Web Site

Tags: hondafcx, honda fuel cell car, FCX, fuel cell car

Leading the line is the full HD 1080p 55-inch KDL-55XBR8 and 46-inch KDL-46XBR8 models (all measured diagonally). The models incorporate Sony’s TRILUMINOS three-color LED backlight technology with local dimming coupled with 10-bit processing and 10-bit panel to deliver exceptionally deep black level and accurate colors.Sony’s TRILUMINOS LED backlight technology dramatically expands the TV’s color range by aligning individual clusters of red, green and blue LEDs, significantly elevating color purity compared to traditional single white LED backlights.Additionally, the sets offer the new Advanced Contrast Enhancer PRO (ACE PRO) technology. ACE PRO, which features Sony’s own algorithm for local dimming, improves contrast and dynamic range by controlling the LED backlight level by area so that detail is maintained in the dark areas, while other areas are driven near peak brightness. The technology reduces unnecessary light emission resulting in true, deep blacks and reduced power consumption compared to conventional LED backlit models.

TVs: Sony Ups CES Ante With Bigger, Better Bravia XBR6, XBR7, XBR8 LCDs

Tags: SonyXBR8, LCD TV, XBR8, Sony Bravia, Bravia