USB Type A Universal Serial Bus, the gold standard. The whole idea behind it is that this one interface will connect everything (except the stuff it doesn't), killing off the old guard, like parallel and serial ports. It moves data, and in the case of USB 2.0—which is pretty much the standard now—it does it faster, and with some extra specs for power. Clarification: USB 2.0 adds in the Battery Charging specification 1.0, which allows for dedicated charging and other power goodness. This particular connector is the type A variety. It plugs everything from your iPod to your digital camera into a computer, or whatever else. If you haven't seen this before, what are you reading this on?

USB Type B The USB Type B plug is basically a USB connector for peripherals—you've probably seen it jacked into a printer or scanner.

Mini USB It's a type of USB connector for smaller devices like cameras and phones—it takes up less real estate than a port for a Type A connection, obviously.

Micro USB Even smaller than the above Mini USB. Since it's, like, even smaller, we're starting to see it adopted by LG, Motorola and others—hopefully this is the last time they all switch power adapters on us, till wireless power makes adapters unnecessary. Update: Better pic via Mobile Burn.

IEEE 1394 (aka FireWire) An alternative to USB, Apple popularized the IEEE 1394 interface as FireWire (Sony called it i.LINK). You're probably most familiar with it on a digital camcorder (or an old school iPod), since it's really speedy for data transfers. You're looking at the four- and six-pin versions of FireWire 400. The six-pin version delivers power, the four-pin version (originally favored by Sony) doesn't.

FireWire 800 A revised, faster version of FireWire introduced in 2003, it doesn't use the same connectors as the original, making it rare for non pros—and an unnecessary pain the ass.

RJ45 The kind of plug you're used to seeing on the end of a Category 5, Cat5 enhanced or Cat6 (commonly known as Ethernet) cable, which is plugged into your router or computer's networking port. Cat5e is an update to Cat5 that supports faster Gigabit Ethernet. Cat6 is the next-gen standard that will handle speeds twice as fast as Cat5e, and has stricter rules about noise and crosstalk. Interestingly, the most recently approved IEEE 1394 spec (aka FireWire S800T) uses RJ45 connectors as well.

eSATA External Serial ATA is a branch off of the Serial ATA interface that connects your hard drive to your computer if it was put together in the last couple of years. As you can guess from the name, the difference is it's an external port, but it delivers the same insane data transfer speeds as the hookup to your hard drive. Faster than USB or FireWire, it's basically for external hard drives for quicker data transfers. You'll be seeing it more as more laptops include a port for it, usually one that can also be used with USB. There's even talk of bus-powered eSATA coming in the next year or two.

HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface is another one of those "it'll connect everything except all the stuff it doesn't" deals, but for high-definition audio and video. It basically replaces DVI (see below) plus S-Video and all that other analog crap. Laptops, desktops and even high-end cameras and other gadgets are getting HDMI. Besides fat bandwidth, another benefit is control: The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) profile already lets machines send commands to other products over HDMI—that or something like it could be very useful in the PC space, too.

DVI The digital successor to VGA, Digital Visual Interface is a video connection you'll most likely see dealing with computers or computer monitors, at least until they're all replaced by HDMI. Older HDTVs have DVI ports too. It can have a few different pin arrangements, depending on whether it carries a digital (DVI-D) or analog (DVI-A) signal or both (DVI-I, for integrated). The analog deal on some types is to make them easy to adapt for use with a VGA monitor, but it's less and less noteworthy. There's also a dual-link version that carries more data for high-res displays. These are helpfully depicted at Wikipedia.

Mini and Micro DVI are dumb, shrunken, Apple-only versions of DVI. Why dumb? Because they're essentially proprietary formats. HDMI will make them obsolete before long.

DisplayPort is the newest video interface on the block, and its plane of existence is basically in the computer-to-monitor realm only. It's not even close to mainstream yet, but Dell is backing it, among others, so you might wanna know it. It can carry a whole lot of data, but it's got DRM built into the spec, so it's a double-edged sword. Update: Swapped pic out with a better one.

That's enough cable to strangle most of California, but by all means feel free to add in your own cable trivia down in the comments.

Something you still wanna know? Send any questions about cables, plugs, holes, bird or bees to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

While it looked like the Panasonic's better color reproduction, more accurate gamma, reduced power consumption and $1100 price advantage over last year's Kuros was going to give Pioneer a run for their money, the new Kuro has stepped up with improved noise reduction and matched color reproduction and power consumption to the Panasonic. Pile that onto what Kuro is most famous for—the blackest blacks on any TV anywhere.

Unfortunately, the King doesn't come cheap: At $5,000, it's $1,500 more than the Panasonic. For the full down and dirty, check out Gary's review. [HD Guru]

As I think we've firmly established, we call these iPhone clones because they are made superficially with the look and feel of the iPhone in mind. They are not direct competitors to the iPhone, as they don't run on a smart, open platform like iPhones—or Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones—do. The Dare, like the Instinct, is closed and proprietary, geared to customers who like much of what the carrier has to offer, and would just like a better way to make use of it. And after spending some time with the Dare, I can safely say that, much like the Instinct, it really does let you do that. Easier Access
For starters, Verizon has done away with its dependence on unchangeable, annoyingly deep menus. With the Dare, you can drag any app or function directly to the desktop for one-click access. You can add key people to the Favorites launcher, where you simply drag their face to the phone or message icons to call or launch a new SMS.Even those cryptic notification icons always seen at tops of phones are clickable on the Dare.E-mail and Web
Let me get this off my chest first: The Dare browser is WAY better than the Instinct's, both in rendering speed and page layout. You can navigate Gizmodo with very little trouble, especially if you're going read-only. My only complaint was that there was no way I could find to speed-scroll through so many blog posts without giving my thumb a callous.Verizon's E-mail app is basically the same as it's been for about six or eight months. I do not recommend it for business use, as it's not very full featured, but I was able to get the Dare to notify me whenever any mail from three different accounts came through, and the iPhone-like QWERTY keyboard with pop-up letters really helped when typing. The only trouble I had sending e-mail was due to a funky POP3 account with ambiguous recommended settings. (One negative: You can't edit POP settings once you've configured them, so I had to keep deleting and adding the same account over and over again.)

Premium Unlimited-Use Plans
The good news is, unlimited use of e-mail and web are included in Verizon's new premium price plans, along with unlimited text messaging, unlimited use of basic V Cast clips and ACTUALLY USEFUL stuff like the ESPN MVP sports and WeatherBug web apps. Though it seems at first glance that pricing is a tad higher that Sprint's, the difference is negligible:



$80/month - 450 primetime talk minutes
$100/month - 900 primetime talk minutes
$120/month - 1350 primetime talk minutes
$140/month - Unlimited talk minutes
And yes, there are family premium plans that give you these perks for multiple (compatible) phones. The phone itself is $200 after a mail-in rebate.

Lighter Features
In our introductory walkthrough video, we showed you some awesome traits. After a revisit during our review, here's how those features held up:

• Slow-mo video cam - It's a bit grainy, but with decent light, it could make some interesting videos at 120 frames per second. The 3.2 megapixel camera is decent, but nothing to write home about.

• Full photo editing - Speaking of camera, the editing feature is not as "full" as we first thought. There's no red-eye reduction or shadow/highlight or color adjustment. Most of the options are actually novelty, and even for being silly they are not very useable.

• Music player - Good: Plays MP3s and even iTunes Plus DRM-free AACs that you drag to the "My Music" folder of the MicroSD card (up to 8GB); Bad: Still has issues with tags, and appears to count image metadata as additional song files, so browsing by Artist or Album is fine, but browsing "All Songs" is messy. In addition to that the video player reads standard MP4 (but not H.264), and pauses songs when you switch to video playback, only to pick up where it left off once you're done.Hardware
Like the Sprint Instinct, there's a 3.5mm jack for universal headphone fit, but unlike the Instinct, the Dare has a motion sensor inside that tells whether you're holding the phone horizontally or vertically. Videos, photos and the music browser all automatically adjust, as do keyboards and web pages. It's a nice touch, though I'll be honest, you don't really miss it on the Instinct.

The Dare's touchscreen leaves something to be desired. It's not as snappy as the Instinct's, and even after calibrating the screen, I found myself resorting to fingernail tapping to gain some precision.

The body of the Dare is a tad chunkier, but shorter too, with a slightly stubbier screen.

Dare vs. Instinct
The Instinct is, inside and out, a more elegant device. I preferred Instinct's e-mail app, and its included news, sports and weather web apps were great. Verizon is promising some unlimited-use apps like ESPN MVP and WeatherBug to compete with that, and while they're pretty nice programs, they were not ready to be used on the Dare at the time of this review.

The thing I can't stand about the Dare is VZ Navigator. I have tried to appreciate this, and since unlimited use of it comes with the premium plan, it can be considered a feature of the phone. Still, it's the worst GPS UI I've ever played around with, and Verizon would do much better to kill off their own licensed app and go with Telenav, which Sprint and AT&T both use.

Still, after playing with both, I have to say that the Instinct's aesthetic assets don't fully make up for the Dare's key advantages, one of which happens to be Verizon's network. In the northeast at least, there's no substitute.

Conclusion
Like the web apps, there are a few more wait-and-sees: Visual voicemail isn't in effect yet, and may or may not come via over-the-air update. Rhapsody is just launching today, and for $15/month extra you will be able to sideload the Dare with Rhapsody-to-Go tracks, though a Windows PC is required for that.

I am very content to say that this is Verizon's best attempt at a customizable, user-friendly touchscreen phone, and that, if you are into buttonless touch interfaces, you could do a lot worse across all the carriers. I think the $200 iPhone trumps the $200 Dare if you don't care which carrier you're on, but for those of you who are sticking with Verizon, you might, um, venture to pick up a Dare. [LG Dare at Verizon Wireless]

The reception increase is partly to do with the new plastic back. There are 10 radio bands in here, counting 3 GSM bands, 4 3G bands, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. (And one more I don't know?) I don't know how scratch resistant I believe it will be, but Apple says it will be more durable. It looks EXACTLY like the leaked images from awhile ago that were chalked up as iPhone 1 cases.

Apple wouldn't say why 3G life was so good, but I picked up a hint that it was both software and newer 3G chips up to the task.

3G data on the maps and browser were only slightly slower than Wi-Fi.

The locator tech wasn't working for me, on Maps. It spun and spun, probably because I'd turned the Wi-Fi off.
I noticed that the iPhone asked me for permission to give both the maps program and the camera app permission to use my location. It reminded me a bit of a Vista security prompt. It's my phone, of course it can use my location. The camera app was actually using it to do geotagging!

(The camera itself was not noticeably improved.)

The black is very very nice. The white? It's ok, but very feminine, so maybe it's good for Jason or Jesús.

I felt the screen wasn't as smooth as the previous, but that could be the fact that there was zero grease on it, unlike my personal phone. The screen's glass and LCD are identical to the previous iPhone's.

There still isn't any cut and paste, and Bluetooth software hasn't been updated to do A2DP, but the very smooth (and impossible to derail from Apple Messaging) Greg Joswiak didn't say the hardware wasn't improved. I asked if audio streaming was coming, and he looked hesitant to answer. (I'll take that as a yes.) Before he could answer, I spoke for him. "We don't comment on future product announcements." They also denied me a chance to take a photo.

There was a dock, very thin and rounded, with the phone sticking out of the face (there was no border from the dock obscuring the view. I also saw a 2 prong USB power plug much smaller than the old adapter.

Lastly, the metal buttons were chromed, and I frankly liked the black ones better. But these feel more precise, and indeed, the lock button is slightly more recessed than on the first generation phone. The buttons were not made metal for durability reasons, either; this was a pure design decision.

I also played Super Monkey Ball during my 15 minutes with the iPhone. I didn't like how to control the game, I had to set the screen to viewing angles that would compromise my view of the screen. But I did catch on how to play within a few seconds.

Audio? It was definitely clearer than the single mono speaker in the first iPhone. (Even if this one is not stereo either.)

Nothing much has been left unimproved. If you're going to stick with ATT for awhile, $200 seems like a good deal for such improved hardware. What's cool is that since the App store and a lot of the functionality in software will be coming to the first gen iPhone, current users don't really have to feel the pressure to upgrade. Me? I'm certainly going to.

Despite what we and other media have hinted at, despite what Sprint itself is spending a lot of money trying to convey, the Samsung Instinct is not an iPhone killer. To be sure, Samsung and Sprint borrowed liberally from the iPhone playbook when it came to look and feel. But the comparison itself isn't fair: The iPhone is a software platform that is growing every day, soon to have a host of applications that put it squarely in the smartphone category along with BlackBerry, Palm and Windows Mobile. The Samsung Instinct will never be mistaken for a smartphone. Then what is it? It's the best carrier-centric feature phone I've ever seen, a delight to use for many—though not all—of its intended purposes.

Due to business decisions Apple and the US carriers have made, most Americans are still not faced with the choice to buy an iPhone or not. They have to pick the best "feature phone" that their carrier has to offer. That is, a phone that costs somewhere between $50 and $250, built first and foremost to make voice calls, then serve additional social purposes—messaging, photos, etc.—and, finally, offer data connectivity to the web but more importantly to e-mail.

In this array of duties, there are some where the Samsung Instinct falls flat on its kiester, but there are an unusual number of ways in which this phone makes life easier. I'll start with them, then get to the grimmer stuff:

Snappy Interface: Other touchscreen phones we've seen have annoying split-second lags. The Instinct, for the most part, does not. Some of its visuals were obviously borrowed from Apple, such as pop-up option screens, lists of settings, etc., but at the same time it has features that are original, albeit inspired by Cupertino: When a call comes in, you tap the center then slide up to accept or slide down to ignore. Hanging up is a slide from left to right. (The phone interface has other cool features, too, like "personal" call history for each of your contacts—so don't go cheatin'—and the ballyhooed visual voicemail, which unfortunately wasn't available to test at this time.) The UI only got stuck a couple of times, and never permanently. As with any other "natural" interface, it takes a few minutes to figure out the physics of the system, but once you do, it's intuitive.

Favorites: The Home button actually takes you to one of three panels, Favorites, Main and Fun. When you get the phone, the Favorites pane is blank, but you can add all kinds of stuff. As you can see up top, I've added Weather, E-mail, Alarm, Camera, Navigation and Settings, but it can get so specific, you can have a Favorites button for sending text messages to Brian Lam, cuing up your "I'm So Sad" emo song playlist, or launching Gizmodo.com. This sounds retardedly obvious, but I can't think of a carrier phone that lets you do it. Certainly not the Voyager, the Glyde, the Venus, the Rumor or any other Verizon or Sprint phone that comes to mind.

E-Mail: Feature phones most typically have bad e-mail programs, some of them hidden away where you can barely find them. The message? Do Not Use! But on the Instinct, the e-mail program is really easy to setup, with all the major webmail providers preconfigured for instant log-ins. You can put in more than one account, naturally, and easily jump from one to the next. The mail's vertically oriented view is great, with header frozen in place at the top of the screen and the message itself scrolling along with an iPhone-like flick of finger. And you are alerted to new e-mails with a blue star on the top of the phone's screen.

Web Apps: I'll get to the web browser down below (yes, in the "grim" section), but first I want to sing praises for the numerous web apps on the phone. Weather, News, Sports—your typical need-in-a-hurry information—have been organized in an attractive way that delivers maximum info with the least effort on your part. Sports in particular is amazing (and I'm not known for being a sports fan): You tap one of your pre-selected teams to see a schedule. Any game in progress will immediately show a score. Tap it and you get stats and a write-up from AP or another wire, plus other data breakdowns as necessary. Photo Viewer: Another feature with some iPhone-like traits, the photo viewer lets you finger through your images in either a grid of shots or a Cover Flow-like stream of them. Videos you shoot are in there, too. You can add photos from your computer by copying them to existing folders or, better still, creating your own folders. This means you can have a nice organized gallery of pics, separated out how you want. You don't just have to settle with looking at shots from the passable but by no means award-winning built-in 2-megapixel cam. (There's an auto upload feature too, but it has PhotoBucket and MySpace but not Flickr, Picasa or Facebook, so I'm going to ask Sprint the deal with that.)GPS Navigation: Usually, I'm down on cellphone turn-by-turn GPS navigation, but Telenav has finally gotten it right, ahead of everyone. AT&T and Sprint both use it, but this is the first time I've really been happy with it, even in areas of questionable phone coverage. It's still an iffy proposition if you're in the middle of nowhere, but it works better than any I've seen, and looks far better than Verizon's sorry also-ran, VZ Navigator. (Hint to Verizon: Ditch your white-label software provider and pay a few more bucks for Telenav.) My only complaint is that the live map itself isn't oriented horizontally, like portable GPS products are.Voice Command: This is something that the iPhone lacks, and that's a shame. I have been a fan of voice command for years, especially the stuff built by VoiceSignal (now part of Nuance, the Dragon NaturallySpeaking people). The better Samsung and Motorola phones use it, so it's no surprise to find it here, but the good news is, it works. Not only can you dial people quickly, but you can pull up a text message or picture mail ("Send picture to... Dad"). Though you still have to tap the screen a few times after you've got your message cued up, the voice command eliminates a lot of menu digging.

There are a few features that work well in most instances, but have weaknesses that shouldn't be overlooked:Touch Typing: The typing feature looks a lot like the iPhone's, only it doesn't have the pop-up letters, and doesn't let you shift letters on the fly or auto-correct. However, for some reason, when I've typed on it quickly, everything has looked good. It's like the iPhone in that sense: When you just plunge ahead, results are better. In most scenarios, you can choose whether to type horizontally with QWERTY config or vertically with letters in alphabetical order. In some cases you can even get a third option: graffiti. Yep, like the Palms of yore, the Instinct lets you scrawl in characters one at a time. I can't imagine why you would, and frankly this implementation isn't very good, but it's fun to know what's hidden beneath the surface here.

Music Player: By the look of the thing, it should be fine. It's got all the typical categories, and unlike some Sprint and Verizon phones, it was clearly designed to support your own files as well as purchases from the carrier music store (if anyone was dumb enough to buy music that way). It's a decent player, but it has a potentially fatal flaw: It can't read all MP3 tags, only most of them. That means your "All Songs" lineup will have tracks by artists you can't see under "Artists." The saddest part is that you can't fix it with any hocus pocus either on the phone or on your computer.

Video Player: At the top of the TV/Video menu, there's a "My Videos" option, where you can see stuff you've recorded or sideloaded. I dumped in four different kinds of videos, and while my .avi, .mov, and .mpg failed, the one that worked was a .mp4. It was a Postal Service video, and it looked really good. The file type gave me hope that my vast iPod/iPhone-friendly video library would also be supported, but though the files show up in the queue, they do not play. That means a buttload of time consuming file conversion for yet another device... yippee!

The semi-bungles above can be tolerated, either by working with them or just totally ignoring them. But the Instinct gets one big ole check-minus in particular:

Web Browser: I gotta say it: The Instinct's browser is an ABYSMAL failure of design. It's not that I'm surprised. Nobody has pulled off the mobile browser quite like Apple has. But for some reason, despite Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network, the browser is slow slow slow, too slow to do much of anything. Beyond that, the interface is streamlined almost to the point of unusability. I can't figure out a way to add a current page to favorites, and zooming in and out requires a tap of a button, that increases or decreases the page—again, very slowly—to an arbitrary size. As you can see in the gallery below, it's junk, and I don't see myself using it. There are some other issues that I had with the phone: I turned off the vibration feedback, since it seemed out of sync with the visuals and was frankly just annoying. As you probably guessed, you still can't make your own songs into ringtones, and you can't even turn Sprint's Music Store songs into ringtones either (full 3MB song download for $1.99 vs. 500KB partial song download for $2.50—you do the math). The ringtone-getting process was a bitch, partly because it's based on that slow-ass browser. I mentioned the camera wasn't award-winning, and I will stress that again, though in video mode, it seemed to do the trick in most well-lit cases.

The last thing I want to mention is that the phone has an all-you-can-eat service price of $99 per month that includes EVERYTHING. That is to say, everything but song downloads and some very peripheral video-on-demand options. Most streaming vid and music is included, all data for e-mail, all messaging including video mail, unlimited use of the GPS navigation, plus unlimited talk time. I believe that's a pretty good price when you consider all of the features. The key with a plan like that is to have a phone where those features can be used. That's what the Samsung Instinct is, to me—the best feature phone option for people who don't mind playing in Sprint's walled garden of services, but don't want to feel like a chump. I've been playing with it nonstop for days now, and it continues to impress me. And while I'm no iPhone fanboy, I'm not easily impressed. Now, if only Verizon would get something this nice...

The projector demo was cool, because it's the first product Pioneer branded Kuro but didn't build itself. It was pretty impressive, though to be honest, there was no immediate comparison. Still, see for yourself: [Pioneer 2008 Kuro Launch on Giz]

The black level performance was probably not as good as the 81 series that uses LEDs (which I love.) But combined with the highly accurate colors, streaming of weather and stock data across the screen, 120Hz video processing, and excellent standard def processing earned this TV an Editor's Choice. The neggies? That same high gloss panel finish we've come to detest in daylight. Read the full review at [CNet. Samsung 6 and 7 series LCDs on Giz]

The Instinct rocks EV-DO Rev A and GPS, in both cases besting what's in the fruit phone. And then content and app wise, Sprint's own wares are basically swapped in for Apple's: Sprint Music Store, Navigation, TV, Visual Voicemail and a full HTML web browser—everything except a la carte music included in the $100 monthly subscription fee. EVERYTHING. On top of that, its customizable homescreen is amazing (and actually customizable, unlike other similar phones). You can check out all of the iPhone-like attributes in our 20-screenshot gallery. We'll be getting our fingerprints on one shortly, but in the meantime, there are more pics and hard data after the jump, uhhhh, fool. [Samsung Instinct Full Review]

More body shots:

Samsung Instinct
The Ultimate in Touch Screen Speed and Simplicity

Samsung Instinct, exclusively from Sprint, offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch screen functionality with access to the fast speed of Sprint's EV-DO Rev A Mobile Broadband Network. Samsung Instinct provides easy access to Sprint exclusive multimedia content, business or personal email, GPS navigation, live and on-demand TV content, full song downloads, streaming radio and an impressive HTML Web experience. Samsung Instinct offers localized haptic feedback and a new level of customization by allowing the user to access their favorite applications with a single touch. This stylish handset provides an expansive touch screen display and three navigation keys that keep all of the device's features and applications within immediate access. Samsung Instinct offers Visual Voicemail, stereo Bluetooth with audible caller ID, expandable memory up to 8 GB and a 2.0MP camera with camcorder.

ENTERTAINMENT/PERSONALIZATION
Sprint TV with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming including Sprint Exclusive Entertainment (SEE), the industry's only made-for-mobile sports and entertainment video
programming network
Sprint Music StoreSM allowing users to wirelessly download full-length songs directly to their phone for just 99 cents each
More than a dozen streaming-radio applications, including Sprint Radio with more than 150 channels
Sprint Media Manager PC to phone transfer application
Background music mode allowing the user to play music while text messaging, playing games or surfing the Internet
Customizable Favorites menu

PRODUCTIVITY
Sprint Navigation with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings
Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, provides easy access to directory information, integrated GPS-enabled directions, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access
Voice to Action button providing many functions using voice activation including call, text, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news and search.
HTML Web browsing
Visual Voicemail allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a tap of the screen
2.0 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom and video camcorder
Advanced Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Technology with audio caller ID
Access to corporate and consumer (POP3) email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
Threaded text messaging provides a view of the full conversation
Mobile Sync to restore contact information if the device is lost, stolen or damaged
Phone as Modem connects the phone with a computer for Internet and email access

SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 2.17 x 4.57 x 0.49 inches; 4.4 ounces
Display: 3.1" TFT (240 x 432 pixels and 262K vibrant colors)
Standard Lithium (LiIon) battery: up to 5.75 hours continuous talk time*

Pretty sweet, even if the GSM range is only 800/1900MHz. (Most countries use the 900/1800Mhz bands, says Wikipedia.) The Windows Mobile 6.1 phone looks like the Blackjack, but has a different keyboard. It has a 1.3MP camera, RSS reader preloaded, can be used as a USB EVDO modem and has A2DP stereo Bluetooth streaming. UPDATE: Here's a full review by Laptop Mag. They wish it had Wi-Fi and GPS, but find it to be worthy of a 3.5/5 rating.

Samsung ACE BASICS: Form factor: Ultra-thin candy bar form factor with QWERTY keyboard and internal antenna; 5-way navigation button and thumb wheel for one-handed operation Dimensions: 4.65" x 2.32" x 0.46" Weight: 3.9 ounces Operating System: Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition Power: Qualcomm MSM6500 chipset Memory: 64 MB of RAM; 128 MB of ROM Digital Quad-band: CDMA (800/1900Mhz)/EVDO; GSM (900/1800Mhz)/GPRS Data: EV-DO (Rev. 0 and 1XRTT); GPRS outside North America Web Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer Mobile Battery Specifications: 1300 mAH (standard); 1800 mAH (optional) Talk time: Up to approximately 4.3 hours continuous digital talk time with standard battery Large, full-color screen: Vibrant 2.3" TFT display with 65K colors and 320 x 240 resolution FEATURES: International Voice and Data Capabilities: Travel around the world and stay connected with this versatile device. The Samsung ACE is a quad-band device that operates on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network in the U.S. and is capable of voice and data roaming in North America on CDMA networks and internationally on GSM/GPRS networks where Sprint has roaming agreements. A complete list of countries where service is available can be found at www.sprint.com/international. Unlocked SIM Card: A Sprint-provided SIM card is provided pre-installed in the device for customers who wish to utilize Sprint International Roaming Services (special activation required) while traveling abroad. Customers may also take advantage of the unlocked SIM which allows the device to accept an in-market international carrier's SIM for voice and data services. Windows Mobile 6: Delivers fewer clicks for email management and set-up, support for rich HTML email, a genuine Microsoft Office Mobile experience and increased security; all for meeting the needs of work and life on the go in a single device. Sprint Mobile Broadband with Power Vision: Experience EV-DO Rev. 0 data speeds averaging up to 400-700 kbps and peak speeds up to 2.0 Mbps when accessing Sprint Power Vision services and content. This device is backwards compatible to 1XRTT technology in areas where EV-DO is not yet available. Supported Power Vision applications include: Sprint TVSM: See and hear your favorite news, sports, weather and more with rich, clear visual quality and crisp sound that downloads at Broadband-like speeds. On-Demand: Retrieve customized, up-to-date web content such as sports, weather, news, money and movie information with the push of a button. Available only from Sprint. Downloadable Applications: Includes the Sprint Software Store provided by Handmark , an on-device software catalog enabling wireless downloads on-the-go. Customers can find, download and buy software, games, ring tones, graphics and other Windows Mobile applications simply and securely. Additional titles are available from the desktop PC at http://softwarestore.sprint.com Wireless Email: Send and receive email from multiple corporate and personal email accounts. Get wireless email access to popular commercial POP3 and IMAP accounts. Users can also set up wireless access to Microsoft Outlook email with a direct connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Microsoft ActiveSync: ActiveSync technology offers one of the best PC to mobile device sync experiences, making it easier to configure with faster data transfer and sync accuracy. File Viewer: File Viewer allows viewing of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents Text Messaging Enabled: Send and receive Text Messages across the room or across the country. Built-in Bluetooth Wireless Technology (v.2.0 with stereo support): When used with your Sprint PCS Phone and compatible Bluetooth-enabled accessories, Bluetooth allows fast, secure transmission without cables or wires, even though the two devices are not in line-of- sight. Compatible Bluetooth-enabled wireless accessories sold separately. Micro SD Expansion Slot: Add memory and selected peripherals, transfer music, photos, and video from your desktop, or load additional games and applications. Cards up to 2GB are supported. 1.3 Megapixel Camera/Camcorder: 2.0 MP camera with 5X digital zoom, auto focus and video capture with sound. Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 Mobile: With Windows Media Player 10 Mobile you can play music, videos, and more on your device, and it works seamlessly with Windows Media Player 10 on your Windows-based computer. Phone as Modem: Take advantage of Sprint Mobile Broadband on your laptop by using your smart device as a wireless modem (USB cable included). Requires appropriate service plan. Built-In speakerphone: Hands-free operation made easy with dedicated speakerphone button RSS Reader: An RSS ("Really Simple Syndication") reader is a software application that resides on your device and obtains syndicated Web content such as news headlines, and blogs from different locations and displays them to you in an easy-to-view stream.

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• The brushed steel finish wasn't shabby.
• Keyboard play was nice, even if clicks weren't as satisfying as those on a gummy Hiptop QWERTY.
• The demo only went as far as the 3D skin; anything beyond that plunged you into the depths of typical Windows Mobile-ness.
• The API for the 3D tile UI will be opened later on.
• Those icons are like the mini windows you'd see when switching windows in Vista or OS X's Expose. But on this tiny high res screen, they're impossible to read.
• The screen is not exactly brilliant, but I believe the Sony Ericsson booth could have all its phones brightness turned down to extend battery life on the busy show floor.
• It's cool, but because of the underlying OS, I wouldn't call it a killer of anything, let alone an iPhone.

The C702 will have similar features to the C902, but will offer a 3.2MP camera, 2.2-inch TFT (240 x 320) display with 260K colors, A2DP supported Bluetooth and either a black or cyan blue colored coating. Other than that, the two handsets are largely similar in their functionality. For the full specification list, see the entire press release below.

Sony Ericsson strengthens Cyber-shot phone range with two models that take photos further
10 February 2008

Sony Ericsson's new C702 Cyber-shot and C902 Cyber-shot deliver best-in class picture quality beyond just megapixels.

Barcelona, Spain - 10th February 2008 - Sony Ericsson today announced two high-performance additions to its popular Cyber-shotTM phone range with the launch of the C702 Cyber-shot and C902 Cyber-shot . The two phones, packed with the latest camera technology, make it effortless to take perfect pictures of those spontaneous moments - day or night, at a bar or the beach - and instantly share them with friends and family.

"The two new Cyber-shot phones that we have announced today share certain characteristics. Both phones place ease-of-use and best-in-class picture quality at the heart of their designs," said Sven Tott , Head of Imaging Marketing at Sony Ericsson. "Yet both appeal to different audiences. One is engineered to let you take more pictures in more places and the other is designed to look as stunning as the pictures it takes."

Sony Ericsson C702 Cyber-shotTM - Take pictures everywhere

* Splash and dust resistant* - perfect for your active lifestyle
* Single-handed camera use - for spur-of-the-moment photos
* Built-in GPS with location-based imaging - sort and view your photos according to where you took them

Never too extreme
You can use the C702 Cyber-shot in a range of different conditions, as its unique design means its both splash and dust resistant*. This means that whether you're off-road or just off to the mall, your C702 Cyber-shot phone can always be at your side wherever you go, whatever you do. After all, the best camera is the one you have with you.

Never miss a shot
The C702 Cyber-shot is engineered to let you take pictures in any position. The camera key and the active lens cover are specifically designed and placed so that you can stabilise the 3.2 megapixel camera and capture the moment with one hand - perfect for an active lifestyle. Combine this with steady-grip materials and a wrist-strap provided in-box, and the C702 Cyber-shot really is geared to go more places.

Never lost
The C702 Cyber-shot integrates GPS and a range of location-based imaging services that really add a new dimension to taking and managing your photos. When you take a picture, information about where you are in the world is automatically added to the image. So you can always share your best moments with your friends and family according to where the shots were taken. Or you can simply sort the picture through your photo gallery on the PC or on the web.

If you are lost on your travels, Google Maps for Mobile locates and guides you to where you want to go, enabling you to roam free with confidence. Use GPS to pinpoint your location and then get turn-by-turn voice guidance to your destination. Find your way home or to one of up to 20 million points of interest.

Sony Ericsson C902 Cyber-shot TM - The image and style statement

* Slim Cyber-shot phone with unique slide-out lens cover. Camera-ready in an instant
* Stand out design - instantly recognisable
* 5.0 megapixel camera with Face Detection and Auto Focus. Always capture the best shot possible
* Illuminated camera touch keys. Intuitive guidance around the camera settings

The slim line C902 Cyber-shot will have everyone wanting to have their picture taken. Ultra-compact, stylish and with a unique lens cover that slides open to reveal the 5.0 megapixel Auto Focus camera, the C902Cyber-shot sports a camera performance beyond its sleek and slim looks. The phone's lighting dramatically signals when you are in camera mode by switching from white to blue. The eight camera touch keys come to life and let you choose between camera modes, Photo Flash, Face Detection and Auto Focus, and more with just one touch without moving your finger from the shutter button.

Just shoot
With the C902 Cyber-shot you just need to slide open the active lens cover and shoot. The Face Detection and Auto Focus capability enables the camera to detect and focus on the face of your subject rather than the background, so that you can take sharp and high quality pictures of your friends.

Night shoot
With the C902 Cyber-shot you can be confident of getting the perfect shot. The phone incorporates the latest in lighting technology - Photo Flash - giving you better quality pictures even in low-light conditions. Also, a light solution has been added to the established BestPic feature - which lets you take nine photos in quick succession, choose the best and delete the rest. So now you can use BestPic wherever you are, perhaps even to capture the dance-floor action in a club!

Create your own multi-media slideshow
Use x-Pict story to add music and transitions to your gallery of photos and automatically create your own multi-media slideshow to share with your friends. Lights, music, action!

Store and share
The C902 Cyber-shot comes with a 160MB built-in memory - the equivalent of storage for up to 100 full resolution photos - plus the possibility to add even more memory with the Memory Stick Micro (M2) that can be bundled with the phone depending on the market.

Easy transfer wherever you are
You can transfer the images on your phone to your computer by using the CCR-70 M2 USB Adapter, also announced today. Save your photos to the phone's memory card, remove it and pop it into the CCR-70. You then slot the card reader into your laptop and all your photos can be dragged across! Delete from your Memory Stick and you're ready to go and fill it up again with more memories.

The C702 Cyber-shot is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Speed Black or Cyan Blue from Q2 2008.
The C702a Cyber-shot and C702c Cyber-shot are EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phones that will be available in selected markets within the same timeframe.

The C902 Cyber-shot is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Swift Black or Luscious Red from Q2 2008.
The C902c Cyber-shot is an EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets within the same timeframe.

The CCR-70 M2 USB Adapter will also be available in selected markets from Q2 2008.

Sony Ericsson C702 Cyber-shot and C902 Cyber-shot - At A Glance

C702 Cyber-shot

C902 Cyber-shot

Camera

Auto Focus
3.2 megapixel camera
2x digital zoom
Face Detection
Photo fix
Photo light
Picture blogging
Red eye reduction
Video recording

Auto Focus
Auto rotate
BestPic
5 megapixel camera
2.5x digital zoom
Face Detection
Photo fix
Photo flash
Picture blogging
Video recording
Video light
Video stabiliser
Image stabiliser

Music/Entertainment/Navigation

aGPS
Google maps for mobile
Wayfinder
Geo tagging
Album art
Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
Media player
Mega Bass
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow
TrackID
FM radio
Java
Media
Video streaming
Video viewing

Media player
Mega Bass
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow
TrackID
FM radio
Java
Media
Video streaming
Video viewing
3D games

Web/Internet

Access NetFront Web browser
RSS feeds

Access NetFront Web browser
RSS feeds

Communication & Messaging

Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Vibrating alert
Video calling
Email
Instant messaging
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)

Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Vibrating alert
Video calling
Email
Instant messaging
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)

Design

Dynamic themes
Navigation key
Picture wallpaper
Wallpaper animation

Navigation key
Picture wallpaper
Wallpaper animation

Connectivity

Bluetooth technology
Modem
Synchronisation
USB mass storage
USB support

Bluetooth technology
Modem
Synchronisation
USB mass storage
USB support
PictBridge

Organiser

Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Flight mode
Notes
Phone book
Stopwatch
Tasks
Timer

Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Flight mode
Notes
Phone book
Stopwatch
Tasks
Timer

Accessories

In-Box:

* Battery
* Charger
* USB cable
* Stereo Portable Handsfree
* Wrist strap
* Sony Ericsson PC Suite
* Media Manage
* User guide.

Optional:
USB Card Reader CCR-70
Transfer photos and more easily from your phone to a PC.
Bluetooth Headset
HBH-PV703
Go wireless with a powerful headset.
Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-65
Light design with ear-hook for a stable fit.
Camera Phone Kit IPK-100
Support and enhance the use of your phone with a tripod, belt clip and compact carrying case.

In-Box:

* Battery,
* Charger,
* USB cable,
* Stereo Portable Handsfree
* Wrist strap in leather
* Sony Ericsson PC Suite
* Media Manager
* User guide

Optional:
USB Card Reader CCR-70
Transfer photos and more easily from your phone to a PC.
Bluetooth Headset
HBH-PV712
A powerful wireless handsfree with extra Style-up cover
GPS-Enabler
HGE-100
Add GPS technology to your phone. Know where you are, where you're going and how to get there
Design Collection IDC-23
Black leather case with a separate credit card compartment, matching hand strap and detachable jewellery

Facts and Figures

Size: 106 x 48 x 15.5 mm
Weight: 105 grams

Colours:
Speed Black
Cyan Blue

Screen: 262,144 colour TFT
Resolution: 240x320 pixels
Size: 2.2 inches

Phone memory: Up to 160MB
Memory Stick Micro (M2 ) support

Talk time GSM: Up to 7 hrs
Standby time GSM: Up to 300 hrs

Talk time UMTS: Up to 5 hrs
Standby time UMTS:
Up to 300 hrs

Size: 108 x 49 x 10,5 mm
Weight: 107 grams

Colours:
Swift Black
Luscious Red

Screen: 262,144 colour TFT
Resolution: 240x320 pixels
Size: 2 inches

Phone memory: Up to 160MB
Memory Stick Micro (M2 ) support

Talk time GSM: Up to 9 hrs
Standby time GSM: Up to 400 hrs

Talk time UMTS: Up to 3.5 hrs
Standby time UMTS:
Up to 350 hrs

Availability and Versions

Networks:
UMTS/HSDPA 2100

GSM/GPRS/EDGE
850/900/1800/1900

Available in selected markets from Q2 2008.

Networks:
UMTS/HSDPA 2100

GSM/GPRS/EDGE
850/900/1800/1900

Available in selected markets from Q2 2008.

We like the absolute simplicity, with its 240 x 320 262,144 colors screen, clean lines and big keys with a very nice 30s typewriter retro touch. The phone comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording. Like the previous generation W880i, the Sony Ericsson W980i has HSDPA connectivity and videoconferencing.

On the music front, the Sony Ericsson W980i has MP3 and AAC compatibility, Bluetooth Stereo A2DP and TrackID to automagically identify untagged songs in any place. It also includes a built-in FM radio transmitter, as well as Shake Control, so you can change songs by doing a quick gesture with your phone.

Sony Ericsson puts music first in the W980 Walkman phone to deliver a clear audio experience

10 February 2008 The Sony Ericsson W980 brings an unrivalled music experience that gives you every excuse to lose yourself in acoustic bliss

Barcelona, Spain - 10th February 2008 - Sony Ericsson today revealed the W980, a Walkman phone that promises to get the most out of your music. Its unique audio enhancing technology, together with the Walkman on Top design, sees the W980 cement Sony Ericsson's position as a true market leader in the world of music on your mobile.

"The W980 Walkman phone really sets a new standard for music on your phone," said Ben Padley, Head of Music Marketing, at Sony Ericsson. "We wanted to design a leading music player that we could combine with a feature-packed phone, all the while pioneering an audio experience that always left you wanting more. The W980 will surpass all expectations."

W980 Walkman phone Created with music in mind

Clear audio experience
Superior sound quality lets you enjoy your music as it was meant to be heard
Walkman on Top
Intuitive music access and control,
Storage solutions
8GB internal memory lets you store up to 8,000 songs*

Be true to the original recording
The W980 Walkman phone is designed to allow you to listen to music as it should be heard. Clear stereo enables the music to sound like the original recording. Clear bass delivers distortion free sound even at higher volumes. These features combine with the premium headphones, the Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77, to deliver an incredible clear audio experience and music that sounds as true as possible to the original recording

Share your music with friends
The W980 Walkman phone has a built-in FM transmitter, which allows you to send whatever's playing on your phone to other devices with a built-in FM radio receiver. This gives you the ability to share your music with all those around you, whether through a friend's hi-fi or your car stereo.
Quality music is made for sharing with the W980. Unplug your headset, sit back and let the music flow through the integrated stereo speakers for all to enjoy. Select a track from the extensive music library - the W980 lets you store up to 8000 songs* - or tune in to your favourite radio station and listen out loud. No need to plug in an FM Receiver, since this is on-board with the W980.

Build your collection every day
With the recent evolution of PlayNow arena, Sony Ericsson's popular over-the-air (OTA) and web download service being launched this May, you will be able to access up to 5 million tracks to maximise your music collection. The W980's TrackID feature, which can identify any track that you just can't put a name to, will be fully integrated into PlayNow arena. This makes the W980 a genuine gateway to great music, as you can download the track instantly once it has been identified.

Customise your sound
You can tailor the W980's Walkman player to the music that you're listening to. This latest Walkman phone provides a choice of eight equaliser presets, each of which contains a distinct profile that is suitable to a range of music. So whether you're listening to jazz, pop or heavy metal, you've can always choose the best sound for the song.

Control your music at your fingertips
The Walkman on Top feature on the W980 gives you the full functionality of a Walkman player without even having to open your phone. The entire Walkman player that would normally be displayed on the inside of your clamshell is also replicated on the outside of the phone, so navigation through your music library is effortless.

Balance and beat
Every music enthusiast knows that a great audio experience requires great quality speakers or headphones. The W980 Walkman phone comes with the new Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77; a headset that lets you enjoy music in powerful stereo sound. The HPM-77 also allows users to take their calls handsfree, and its sleek design and in-ear wearing-style mean that it's both comfortable and reduces background noise to the bare minimum.

Whether listening via the headphones or the stereo speakers, the W980 Walkman phone is a must-have for those who want an unrivalled music experience, which they carry with them every minute of the day. It is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets from Q3 2008.

The Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77 will be available in selected markets from June 2008.

Features include:
• Google local search
• Garmin Online services - traffic, weather, fuel prices, hotel discounts, etc.
• nuvi-like navigation on the road or in pedestrian mode
• Email, text, IM functions
• Camera, video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC

Garmin is promising to deliver it in the 3rd quarter, and says that while the PND market isn't dying, the cellphone is clearly a ripe opportunity. Only one problem, as quipster and NPD analyst Ross Rubin pointed out: "Hello and Welcome to nuvifone!" Damn, now I'll never get that voice out of my head. Have a look at all those pictures and the official press release below.

Garmin n vifone Takes Personal Navigation and Communication to the Next Level

New York/January 30, 2008/PR Newswire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) and the world's leading GPS manufacturer, today announced its entrance into the mobile phone market with the n vifone, an all-in-one, sleek and slim, touchscreen device that combines a premium phone, mobile web-browser, and cutting-edge personal navigator. The n vifone is a work of art in features, design and functionality and is destined to transform how individuals connect, communicate and navigate their life.

"The n vifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device," said Cliff Pemble, Garmin's president and COO. "This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all."

The n vifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — "Call," "Search," and "View Map" which allow the user to effortlessly master the n vifone's functions.

The n vifone is the ultimate multi-tasker. Calls are easily initiated by tapping the "Call" button and selecting a name from the contact list or by using the on-screen keypad. When the user is trying to juggle talking on their phone while entering their vehicle to start a trip, the n vifone makes the transition simple. When the n vifone is docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling so that the user never misses a beat in the conversation and is able to begin routing to their destination with ease.

Customers familiar with Garmin's industry leading n vi product line will feel right at home using the n vifone's personal navigation features. It includes preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and allows drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment's name or search for a destination by category using the n vifone's built-in database with millions of points of interest. Turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions guide the user to their destination. If they miss a turn along the route, n vifone automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track, speaking the names of the streets along the way.

The n vifone is Garmin's first device to include Google local search capability, which harnesses the vast point of interest information available from the world wide web. N vifone users can search for locations like "coffee shops" and Google will sort the results based on the user's current location and relevance. Information provided by Google includes a web-based rating so that users can select the most appropriate destination and route directly to it. In addition, the n vifone includes a web browser incorporating premium features and touchscreen operation for an optimum mobile browsing experience. The n vifone also includes personal messaging functions, including email, text, and instant messaging.

For the ultimate in safety, the "Where am I?" feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. The n vifone also helps drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.

In addition to navigation, the n vifone includes access to Garmin Online , an online service offering constantly-updating information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts.

The n vifone also includes numerous mobile entertainment applications. The built-in camera allows individuals to take a picture that will automatically be tagged with the exact latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken. The user may then save the image so they can navigate back to the location, or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to the location. The n vifone also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google's Panoramio picture sharing site. The Panoramio photo search feature enhances the enjoyment and adventure of sightseeing in an otherwise unfamiliar location. Other multimedia functions of the n vifone include a built-in video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC.

Garmin anticipates that the n vifone will be available in the third quarter of 2008. Specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced in the future. Additional information about n vifone is available at www.garmin.com/nuvifone.

PANASONIC EXPANDS ITS AWARD-WINNING TZ-FAMILY OF LUMIX COMPACT, SUPERZOOM DIGITAL CAMERAS

New LUMIX TZ5 and TZ4 Offer 10x Optical Zoom, 28mm Wide-Angle Lenses and Advanced Intelligent Auto Mode Technologies for Increased Ease-of-Use

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 29, 2008) - Panasonic today introduced two new additions to its award-winning TZ-family of LUMIX digital cameras, the DMC-TZ5 and DMC-TZ4 - both packing a 28mm wide-angle, 10X optical zoom Leica DC lens in a compact design, ideal for the active user needing a versatile camera. By combining a 28mm wide-angle lens, which lets the user capture a wider-framed shot when compared to a traditional 35mm camera, with the TZ-Series 10x optical zoom - consumers are empowered to take expanded shots, both wide and far. Adding to these feature-rich digital cameras, Panasonic also expands its Intelligent Auto technologies with new Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction.

"Panasonic is taking digital photography to a new level and recognizes that everyone, not just professionals, should be equipped with a digital camera powerful enough to take high-quality photos, but compact enough to carry with them everyday," said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "With the success of the TZ3, we're confident that the enhancements we've made to the 2008 TZ-family will make them a must-have for consumers who appreciate advanced, intuitive and versatile digital cameras."

With the addition of Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction, Panasonic's Advanced Intelligent Auto mode consists of seven intuitive technologies, all which are specifically designed to help make photo-taking an enjoyable and seamless process unnoticed by the consumer - helping them to take clear photos. When in Advanced Intelligent Auto mode, the following technologies all operate automatically; the consumer does not need to change any settings:

• Intelligent Exposure - With this new feature, photos will no longer be under- or over-exposed. Instead, the TZ5 and TZ4, instantly analyze the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.
• Digital Red-eye Correction*- This feature helps to eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at the night. Incorporated into the built-in flash, the camera emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash, detects red-eye and will digitally correct it.
• MEGA O.I.S. - Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.
• Intelligent ISO - With Intelligent ISO, the TZ4 and TZ5 can determine if the photo subject is moving and change the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly, thus giving a blur-free photo.
• Intelligent Scene Selector - Intelligent Scene Selector senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode. This intuitive technology, helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.
• Face Detection - Panasonic's Face Detection detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp. Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic's Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.
• Continuous AF - The Continuous AF (auto focus) system maintains focus on the subject even without pressing a shutter button halfway, thus minimizing the AF time.

Also new to the TZ5 and the TZ4 is the Venus Engine IV, Panasonic's new high-performance image processing LSI. The Venus Engine IV produces higher-quality pictures than its predecessor, the Venus Engine III, by using a more advanced signal processing system. The new Venus Engine IV also improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects in both MEGA O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO and reduces the shutter release time lag. Both models also incorporate Intelligent LCD, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, to offer optimal clarity in any situation, whether dark or light; indoors or outdoors. With a newly developed 460,000-dot high resolution in the TZ5's 3.0-inch LCD and 230,000-dot in the TZ4's 2.5-inch LCD, photos can be easily viewed on the display, regardless of the shooting environment.

The TZ5, with 9.1 megapixels is capable of recording 720p High Definition motion pictures, and because of its support of SD Memory Cards, is easily compatible with Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTVs that have an integrated SD Memory Card slot, so viewing photos is simple. The TZ4, with 8.1 megapixels, joins the TZ5 in its ability to take 1920 x 1080 pixel High Definition-ready photos that perfectly fit a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV. Also, with the newly added HD component output capability, users can also connect the TZ models to an HDTV and watch a slideshow complete with mood-appropriate music, choosing from natural, slow, urban and swing.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ5 is available in blue, black and silver models for a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $349.95, while the DMC-TZ4 is available in black and silver for an MSRP of $299.95. Both models will be available in late March 2008.

*Digital Red-eye Correction available only on the LUMIX DMC-TZ5.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (NYSE: MC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos. Panasonic is honored to support OUR PLACE - The World's Heritage, a project that will create the world's largest photographic collection of UNESCO World Heritage sites, with acclaimed photographers exclusively using LUMIX digital cameras to capture all images. Information about Panasonic LUMIX digital still cameras and its affiliated programs is available at www.panasonic.com/dsc.

# # #

DMC-TZ5/ DMC-TZ4 Specifications
DMC-TZ5: S-Silver, K-Black, A-Blue
DMC-TZ4: S-Silver, K-Black

　 DMC-TZ5 / DMC-TZ4
Dimensions (W x H x D) TZ5: 103.3 x 59.3 x 36.5 mm (4.07 x 2.33 x 1.44 in)
　 TZ4: 103.3 x 59.3 x 36.2 mm (4.07 x 2.33 x 1.43 in)
Weight TZ5: Approx. 214g (0.47 Ib) Approx. 240g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.53 lb)
　 TZ4: Approx. 208g (0.46Ib) Approx. 234g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.52 lb)
Camera Effective Pixels TZ5: 9.1 Mega pixels
　 TZ4: 8.1 Mega pixels
Image Sensor TZ5: 1/2.33" 10.7 Total Mega Pixels CCD, Primary Color Filter
　 TZ4: 1/2.5" 8.32 Total Mega Pixels CCD, Primary Color Filter
Optical Zoom 10x
Extra Optical Zoom TZ5:
　 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 11.3x for 7Mega, 13.5x for 5Mega, 16.9x for 3Mega, 2Mega, 0.3Mega
　 3:2 Aspect Ratio: 11.6x for 6Mega, 13.9x for 4.5Mega, 16.9x for 2.5Mega
　 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 12.1x for 5.5Mega, 14.5x for 3.5Mega, 16.9x for 2Mega
　 TZ4:
　 TZ4: 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 12.8x for 5Mega, 15.9x for 3Mega, 2Mega, 0.3Mega
　 3:2 Aspect Ratio: 12.8x for 4.5Mega, 15.9x for 2.5Mega
　 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 12.8x for 3.5Mega, 15.9x for 2Mega
Digital Zoom 4x
　 ( Max. 40.0 x combined with Optical Zoom without Extra Optical Zoom )
　 TZ5: (Max. 67.5x combined with Extra Optical Zoom)
　 TZ4: (Max. 63.8x combined with Extra Optical Zoom)
Focal Length f=4.7-47mm (35mm Equiv.: 28-280mm)
Lens LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR
　 11 elements in 9 groups
　 (3 Aspherical Lenses / 4 Aspherical surfaces, 1 ED lens)
Aperture Wide: F3.3 / F8.0 (2 steps) Tele: F4.9 / F11 (2 steps)
Optical Image Stabilizer MEGA O.I.S. (Mode1/ Mode2)
Focusing Area Normal: Wide 50cm/ Tele 200cm - infinity
　 Macro / Intelligent AUTO / Clipboard : Wide 5cm / Max 200cm / Tele 100cm - infinity
AF Metering Face / 1-point/ 1-point high speed/ 3-point high speed/ 9-point/ Spot
Focus Normal / Macro, Continuous AF (in Intelligent Auto, On/Off)
AF Assist Lamp Yes
ISO Sensitivity Auto /100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600
　 (High Sensitivity Mode : Auto(1600 - 6400) )
White Balance Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set
　 White Balance Adjustment (±10steps, except for auto set)
Exposure Program AE
Exposure Compensation 1/3 EV step, +/-2 EV
Backlight Compensation Yes (at Intelligent AUTO mode)
Auto (AE) Bracketing +/- 1/3 EV ~1EV step, 3 frames
Light Metering Intelligent Multiple/ Center Weighted/ Spot
Rec Mode (Mode Dial) Intelligent AUTO, Normal Picture, Motion Picture, Clipboard, Scene 1, Scene 2
Scene Mode TZ5:
　 Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait,
　 Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1, Baby2, Pet, Sunset, High sensitivity, Hi-Speed Burst,
　 Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial photo, Underwater, Multi Aspect
　 TZ4:
　 Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait,
　 Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1, Baby2, Pet, Sunset, High sensitivity, Hi-Speed Burst,
　 Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial photo, Underwater
Shutter Speed 8-1/2000 sec, Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec.
Self Timer 2sec / 10sec
Auto Review 1sec, 2sec, Zoom, Hold
Color Mode Standard, Natural, Vivid, Black & White, Sepia, Cool, Warm
Recording Format Still Image: JPEG(Design rule for Camera File system, based on Exif 2.21 standard)
　 DPOF corresponding
　 Image with audio: JPEG (Design rule for Camera File system, based on Exif 2.21 standard)
　 + QuickTime
　 Motion picture: QuickTime Motion JPEG
Recording Image Size TZ5:
　 Still Image:
　 4:3 Aspect Ratio:
　 3456 x 2592 pixels, 3072 x 2304 pixels, 2560 x 1920 pixels, 2048 x 1536 pixels,
　 1600 x 1200 pixels, 640 x 480 pixels
　 3:2 Aspect Ratio:
　 3552 x 2368 pixels, 3072 x 2048 pixels, 2560 x 1712 pixels, 2048 x 1360 pixels
　 16:9 Aspect Ratio:
　 3712 x 2088, 3072 x 1728 pixels, 2560 x 1440 pixels,1920 x 1080 pixels
　 TZ4:
　 Still Image:
　 4:3 Aspect Ratio:
　 3264 x 2448 pixels, 2560 x 1920pixels, 2048 x 1536 pixels,
　 1600 x 1200 pixels, 640 x 480 pixels
　 3:2 Aspect Ratio:
　 3264 x 2176 pixels, 2560 x 1712 pixels, 2048 x 1360 pixels
　 16:9 Aspect Ratio:
　 3264 x 1840 pixels, 2560 x 1440 pixels,1920 x 1080 pixels
Image Quality
Fine / Standard
Motion Picture TZ5:
　 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 640 x 480 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
　 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
　 HD（16:9 Aspect Ratio）: 1280x720 30fps, 15fps
　 TZ4:
　 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 640 x 480 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
　 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
Burst Shooting Mode TZ5:
　 Full-Resolution Image
　 2.5 frames/sec Max. 5 images (Standard mode), Max 3 mages (Fine Mode)
　 High-speed Burst Mode:
　 Approx. 6 frames/sec (recorded in 2M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9)
　 TZ4:
　 Full-Resolution Image
　 3 frames/sec Max. 7 images (Standard mode), Max 4 images (Fine Mode)
　 High-speed Burst Mode:
　 Approx. 7 frames/sec (recorded in 2M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9)
Unlimited consecutive shooting Yes
Intelligent Exposure Yes
Digital Red Eye Correction TZ5: Yes / TZ4: No
Easy Zoom / Zoom Resume Yes / Yes
Zoom in Motion Picture Recording Yes
Still Image Rec. with Audio 5 sec
Audio Dubbing Max. 10sec
Real-time histogram Yes
Composition Guide line Yes (2 patterns)
Built-in-Memory approx. 50MB
Scene Mode Help Screen Yes
Auto Angle Detection Yes
Travel Date / World Time Yes / Yes
Title Edit Yes
Text Stamp Yes
Built-in-Flash Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
　 0.6 - 5.3m (Wide/ISO Auto), 1.0 - 3.6m (Tele/ISO Auto)
LCD Monitor TZ5: 3.0" Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display (460K dots), Field of View : approx. 100%
　 AUTO Power LCD mode, Power LCD mode, High angle mode
　 TZ4: 2.5" TFT LCD Display (230K dots), Field of View : approx. 100%
　 AUTO Power LCD mode, Power LCD mode, High angle mode
Playback mode TZ5:
　 [REC]/[Play] Selector switch
　 30-thumbnail display, 12-thumbnail display, calendar display,
　 zoomed playback (16x max.), playback of favorite pictures,
　 image rotation, Resizing (selectable number of pixels),
　 trimming, protection, aspect conv. DPOF print setting 　
　 Creating still pictures from a motion picture, Dual image playback
　 TZ4:
　 [REC]/[Play] Selector switch
　 30-thumbnail display, 12-thumbnail display, calendar display,
　 zoomed playback (16x max.), playback of favorite pictures,
　 image rotation, Resizing (selectable number of pixels),
　 trimming, protection, aspect conv. DPOF print setting 　
Slideshow Mode Yes (duration & effect with music adjustable)
Category Playback Yes (in slideshow mode and normal playback)
OSD language English,German,French,Italian,Spanish,Polish,Czech,Hungarian,Russian,
Chinese(Traditional),Chinese(Simplified), Netherlandic,Thai,Korean,
Turkish, Portuguese, Arabic, Persian, Japanese
　
Recording Media Built-in Memory
　 SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard(Still image only)
Microphone Yes
Speaker Yes
Interface DC Input, AV Output (NTSC/PAL), HD AV Output (Component), USB2.0 High speed
Direct Print PictBridge
Power Li-ion Battery Pack (3.7V, 1000mAh) (Included)
　 AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional)
Battery life (approx.) TZ5: 300 pictures (CIPA Standard)*1
　 TZ4: 330 pictures (CIPA Standard)*1
Included Software PHOTOfunSTUDIO -viewer-
　 ArcSoft (MediaImpression / Panorama Maker)
　 USB Driver
Standard Accessories Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery carrying case
　 AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, Strap, CD-ROM

*1. Shooting conditions: 23°C with 50% humidity; LCD on; using SD Memory Card; starting to shoot 30 seconds after turning on the power; shooting once every 30 seconds with the flash in full operation for every other shot; changing the zoom setting from telephoto to wide, or wide to telephoto, for each shot; and temporarily turning the power off after each 10 shots (long enough to lower the battery temperature).

*The number of recordable pictures decreases in Auto Power LCD mode or Power LCD mode.

*Some accessories are not available in some countries.
*The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.
*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
*The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.
*All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.
*QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are used under license. QuickTime is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries.
*This unit is compatible with both SD Memory cards and SDHC Memory cards. You can only use SDHC Memory cards on devices that are compatible with them. You cannot use SDHC Memory cards on devices that are only compatible with SD Memory cards. (When using a SDHC Memory card on another device, be sure to read the operating instructions for that device.)

*Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Even though the guts of the camera are essentially a year old at this point, we still walked away from our brief time with it pretty satisfied, actually, thanks to small improvements that add up to a lot, like the new image-stabilizing kit lens, auto-orienting screen (horizontal or vertical) and built-in stop-motion moviemaker for quickly stringing together Robot Chicken-style clips on the go (which we adore, just wish the 100 pic limit was higher).

But, there are a couple of things that don't quite stack up to the EOS 450D XSi, live view being the most glaringly absent feature. The XSi also has a bigger screen, packs in more megapixels (even though it has a slightly smaller sensor than the D60) and shoots faster in continuous shooting (3.5 fps to the D60's 3). But enough paper football—we'll be putting these two head-to-head, flesh-to-the-floor soon enough.

NEW NIKON D60 DIGITAL SLR CAMERA MAKES CAPTURING BEAUTIFUL PICTURES FUN AND EASY

MELVILLE, N.Y. (Jan. 28, 2008) - Nikon, Inc., today introduced the new D60 digital SLR camera, which provides consumers with stunning picture quality and versatility in an easy-to-use, compact camera design. The D60 joins Nikon's award-winning line of D-series digital SLR cameras and shares a form factor similar to the D40 - Nikon's smallest D-SLR camera ever. With 10.2 effective megapixels and a wealth of innovative and user-friendly features, the D60 enables both photo enthusiasts and those new to digital SLR photography to capture incredible images like never before.

"The Nikon D60 makes stepping up to digital SLR photography easy for anyone, but is also a wonderful choice for photo enthusiasts looking for remarkable performance in a compact package," said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon, Inc. "This model, like the wildly popular Nikon D40, greatly simplifies use and builds confidence in the user. With a host of innovative features, such as a visually intuitive LCD information display, Nikon's highly regarded EXPEED image processing concept, new dual dust reduction countermeasures, in-camera editing tools and exciting creative options, the D60 enhances the picture-taking experience for picture-takers of all skill levels."

Users will immediately appreciate the D60's fast 0.18-second start-up time and split-second shutter response, which combine to eliminate the frustration of shooting lag - a common issue with many point-and-shoot digital cameras. With a fast and accurate autofocus and the ability to shoot continuously at up to three pictures-per-second, the D60 faithfully captures pictures that other cameras often miss. The D60 does all this while delivering extraordinarily vivid and detailed pictures, ensuring that fleeting expressions, special moments and memorable events are captured beautifully.

Packaged with Nikon's new AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilization lens, the D60 camera and lens outfit delivers striking image sharpness. What's more, Nikon's proprietary VR (Vibration Reduction) image stabilization technology also dramatically reduces blur caused when shooting handheld pictures, especially in low light.

The camera's 10.2 megapixel CCD sensor delivers crisp, high-resolution images with astounding color and clarity, while Nikon's advanced 3-D Color Matrix Metering II ensures that images are exposed beautifully and automatically, even in challenging lighting conditions. Additionally, Nikon's new digital image processing concept, EXPEED, delivers smooth tones and accurate color for vibrant pictures and flattering portraits.

The D60 also offers consumers comprehensive in-camera functionality, such as Active D-lighting. Through this innovative Nikon feature, the camera can, with the option selected, further optimize shadow and highlight detail—as pictures are taken. Shots that once required adjustment with photo editing software can now go straight to the printer, bypassing the computer altogether.

For added fun and creativity while reducing or helping to eliminate time spent manipulating pictures later, the D60's In-camera Retouch Menu enables users to accomplish a wide variety of tasks without a computer. The D60 offers new in-camera editing capabilities, including adjustable cross-screen star effects, color-intensifying filters as well as D-