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Nikon goes superzoom with P80

Nikon had been eschewing the superzoom category in recent years, with the notable exception of the S10, which had a 10X optical zoom lens and wouldn't qualify as a superzoom in the current market. Now, Nikon has introduced the 10MP Coolpix P80, which includes an optically stabilized 18X optical, 27-486mm equivalent zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, as well as an electronic viewfinder (EVF) for a more SLR-like experience. The camera also includes manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and program-exposure modes, along with 15 preset scene modes.

In case your picture doesn't turn out to your liking, Nikon includes … Read more

Pink breast cancer ribbon tees off in golf RPG

Pink face paint isn't exactly par adornment for the golf course, but it's about to show up on at least one green--that of fantasy golf game Albatross 18.

Starting Thursday, players of OGPlanet's golf sim will be able to add pink-ribbon face paint to their characters' getups. The in-game item will cost $2.50, with $2 of each purchase going to support Boarding for Breast Cancer, a nonprofit dedicated to raising health awareness and supporting cancer research.

Albatross 18 mixes classic golf play with the role-playing genre for a game that lands far from the teeing ground … Read more

Where if Jeff laughs, he dies

EPISODE 58

Jeff is back, finally. We take a look at creepy robots and infidelity runs rampant if you're the governor of a state close to NYC. Plus, Carmen Sandiego villains sung by 404-epella and John Falcone joins us to imagine how awesome Skype would be on a WiMax compatible iPod Touch.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Kind of Blue: Acer launches new line of Blue-branded 16- and 18-inch laptops

We first told you back at CES about the laptop industry's move towards 16- and 18-inch laptops, highlighted by a 16-inch Dell prototype and our off-the-record discussions with several other vendors about these new screen sizes.

Acer is leading the charge with two new multimedia-oriented consumer laptops, the 16-inch Acer Aspire 6920 and the 18.4-inch Acer Aspire 8920. Both are part of what Acer is calling the Gemstone Blue series.

We just got a peek at these two new systems in person at a press event in New York, and while they're not going to be game-changers, … Read more

New Panasonic DVD recorders sure to disappoint ATSC fans

One of our predictions for CES 2008 was that DVD recorders with ATSC tuners would get a couple of key features upgrades that take full advantage of the built-in digital tuner. Well, if Panasonic's new line of DVD recorders is any indication, we were wrong.

Despite some significant clamoring for a DVD recorder with a hard drive, the new Panasonic Diga line of DVD recorders includes only two standard DVD recorders, plus two DVD/VHS recorder combo units. There's also no mention of a few features we were hoping for: true HD output for ATSC programming, an EPG … Read more

Alienware's Hangar18 HD Entertainment Center goes on sale

Alienware's new Hangar18: HD Entertainment Center (announced at CES) fires a direct shot at Sony, Velocity Micro, and the other PC vendors still hanging on in the home theater PC game. Equipped with a built-in 200-watt surround sound amplifier, an HDMI output, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, and a Gyration Media Center remote (the keyboard costs $50 extra), the Hangar18 looks about as well-stocked as the competition. It even trumps both Sony and Velocity Micro by giving you the option to upgrade to two over-the-air HD tuners and two analog tuners, for a total of four cable streams … Read more

Yahoo goes green, CO2 and old light bulbs beware

Today, Yahoo launched two new sites to get people motivated to be environmentally responsible. The sites complement Yahoo's previous green offering 18seconds.org, which tracks fluorescent light bulb usage in the continental United States. The sites are information tools, and part of a contest to help the greenest city in the U.S. get greener.

The first of the new sites is Yahoo Green, which helps people create their own plans to go green, using a drag-and-drop building tool. Yahoo provides lifestyle actions in four categories, which range from air drying your clothes all the way up to buying … Read more

Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold: I love gooooooold

For centuries, man's fascination with gold has produced all kinds of bizarre and wonderful objects. From sarcophaguses to Hummers, the list of things you can make or plate in shiny metal is practically endless.

Now even staid old Nokia has succumbed to the power of gold and created the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold, a re-release of the original 8800 Sirocco with an 18k gold-plated makeover.

This isn't the first time a mobile manufacturer has announced a gold phone--you might remember the gold Dolce & Gabbana Motorola Razr V3, but unlike the V3, the 8800 Sirocco Gold costs about … Read more

If it's gold, we've got it covered

We've been accused of having a gold fetish, something that we resoundingly deny. It's mere coincidence that we've recently had occasion to mention gold phones, cameras, watches, printers, USB keys and, most recently, styluses (styli?).

Crave covers items made with all minerals, precious or otherwise. So it's simply out of obligation that we must now write about Samsung's special auction to mark the millionth sale of its "Z5" MP3 player. Up for sale: 10 of the players with 18k gold casings, each with a signature of designer Paul Mercer (of iPod fame) etched … Read more