Sun
1 Canon A460 five-megapixel digital camera, $230.
Aimed squarely at first-timers in the digital camera space (although you wouldn’t think there would be any of those left), the A460 is certainly an inexpensive way to get started shooting those snaps. It features 4x optical zoom, and a two-inch LCD screen. It also has an optical viewfinder, and offers compatibility with MMC, SD and SDHC memory cards. It features Canon’s smart autofocus system, and its iSAPS intelligent scene analysis so you hardly have to do anything but push the button.
2 Kodak EasyShare EX011 Digital Picture frame, $350.
Here’s a way to get those computer-stored digital photos in front of friends and family at last. This 10-inch model (there are smaller ones in the same family of frames) allows you to send via WiFi both images to its screen and music to its speakers, to give a continuous slide show of the latest and greatest of your photos for anyone who is interested. There are optional faceplates available, so you can customize them according to the decor of your home.
3 LG SMB-007 Super Multi Blue HD-DVD player, $1,500, available in the first quarter of 2007.
In case you’ve been hesitating about getting a new high-definition DVD player because there are two formats — Blu-Ray and HD-DVD — LG has come to your rescue with this about-to-be-launched unit that plays both formats. And it comes at a price that won’t make you feel like a wild-spending idiot after the format wars have ended. In Canada, it will be carried on the shelves at Future Shop.
4 Other World Computing ModBook, Mac Tablet computer, starts at $2,200 US.
Okay, so the tablet computer has been a relative marketing failure, with the device catching on largely in niche markets — mostly for business users who need such a handy device for note-taking and form-filling through handwriting software. But there has been a small outcry in consumerland for one based on the excellent MacBook computers. The price includes that of the MacBook, which is then modified by OWC. The ModBook won a best-of-show award from MacWorld Expo at the recent event in San Francisco.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007