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Sony Cyber-shot HX7V review: More features, more megapixels, still good

Sony's 2011 Cyber-shot lineup has three compact megazooms in it: the high-end HX9V, the low-end H70, and, snuggled in between, the HX7V.

The HX7V is essentially a beefed-up version of the H70, featuring the same lens and body size, but backed by a high-speed, 16-megapixel Exmor R backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor instead of a slower CCD sensor. That sensor among other things gives the HX7V many more shooting options, such as a Background Defocus mode to simulate a shallow depth of field, and creating high-resolution panoramas. And it does most everything quickly.

Now, as for photo quality, it really … Read more

IE screen capture tool

LightShot for Internet Explorer is a fast, flexible screen capture tool that makes it easy to upload and share your captured images. It's free and works in the latest versions of IE, including IE 9.

We downloaded LightShot, which opened inside Internet Explorer. A start-up page quickly explained how to use this simple tool: click the program's feather icon to activate the selection area, drag your cursor to select an area to copy, and choose a command from a widget-style menu that appears. We clicked the feather icon on the toolbar, and our window changed appearance to indicate … Read more

Sony intros TX55 ultracompact with new digital zoom, creative filters

So it seems digital zoom is experiencing a bit of a revival after years of consumers being told not to use it. Panasonic has its Intelligent Resolution/Intelligent Zoom function, which extends the zoom ratio by about 1.3x while maintaining the picture quality. Sony's new By Pixel Super Resolution technology in its latest ultracompact, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55, puts that ratio to shame.

Instead of just magnifying pixels or cropping in, Sony's Clear Image Zoom uses pixel creation and pattern matching when it "zooms" in. Sony claims this will maintain the image quality and keep the … Read more

It's a snap

Screen-capture utilities come in a lot of different flavors; some are so basic that they're barely useful, while others are jam-packed with complex features. SnapShot is a program that doesn't go to either extreme. It has plenty of useful tools and options, but it's still simple enough to master within a minute or two.

The program's interface is plain, with a viewing area in which you can see your most recent screen capture and a few menus across the top that give you access to the program's settings. SnapShot uses hot keys to let you … Read more

Canon PowerShot Elph 500 HS review: Good, but not S95 good

The Canon PowerShot Elph 500 HS is the more stylish Elph version of the PowerShot S95 enthusiast compact. The 500 HS has a similar lens with a bright f2.0 maximum aperture and semimanual shooting modes. It also has the company's HS (high-sensitivity) system for improved low-light photos. However, the S95 uses a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor that's larger than the 500 HS's small 1/2.3-inch backside-illuminated CMOS. There's also a $100 difference in price, and while the photos from the S95 are better, they won't be $100 better for a lot of snapshooters.

On … Read more

Canon PowerShot A2200 review: Good photos and video if not much else

The Canon PowerShot A2200 is basically filler in Canon's A-series PowerShot lineup and, despite that, it's one of the most popular cameras on CNET. It's a step-down from the A3300 IS, getting a shorter lens, smaller LCD, and no optical image stabilization. (It's also lower resolution: 14 megapixels compared to the A3300's 16-megapixel resolution.) Below the A2200 is the A1200, which is basically a 12-megapixel version of the A2200. It has the same shooting options, LCD, and lens, but the A1200 has an optical viewfinder and AA batteries.

That's not to say the A2200 … Read more

This Day in Tech: Tesla says bye to Roadster; Google antitrust probes stepped up

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Thursday, June 23.

Tesla bids farewell to Roadster Tesla will stop taking orders for its electric Roadster sports car later this year as it shifts its focus to the Model S electric sedan. More

FTC, Senate rachet up Google antitrust probes Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Senate appear to step up their antitrust investigations of Google, a development that follows formal investigations already under way in Europe. More

Microsoft chasing Apple's app lead Trailing badly in the number … Read more

Angry Birds with a Rio theme

Angry Birds Rio is the surprisingly good game tie-in to the animated movie "Rio." While many co-branded marketing vehicles show signs of slipshod shoehorning, Angry Birds Rio expands on the core Angry Birds mechanic while adding some twists and improvements we hope will, ahem, migrate their way into the main game.

Fans of the titanically popular Angry Birds series will find the same basic interface and gameplay--but instead of crushing pigs, your avian assault team is freeing other birds imprisoned by smugglers, taking out menacing monkeys, and presumably doing other things as more chapters are added. (The game … Read more

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V review: The ultimate compact megazoom?

Sony has three compact megazooms in its 2011 lineup; the Cyber-shot HX9V is the most expensive. It's also the only one of the three (the H70 and HX7V are the others) that's not replacing a 2010 model. It's entirely new and hosts what seems like all of Sony's latest Cyber-shot technologies. That includes (for better or worse) a 16-megapixel Exmor R sensor, a 16x ultrawide-angle 24mm-equivalent Sony G lens, and a high-speed linear-focusing system. It shoots video in full HD at 60p. It has a GPS receiver for geotagging photos while you shoot. Shooting modes go … Read more