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Sony's tapeless XDCAM EX adopts a standard media format

This week, the National Association of Broadcasters converges in Las Vegas for its annual convention, a show we here at CNET usually ignore; after all, while the typical CNET reader may have a room dedicated to the worship of the moving image, we don't expect to see a TV studio in an adjacent shrine. And no, producing YouTube videos doesn't count. However, interesting prosumer news floats down every now and then, and Sony's announcement of its flash-memory-based XDCAM EX camcorder landed gently on my keyboard this morning, via Engadget.

In fact, I usually ignore Sony's XDCAM … Read more

AniBOOM's ShapeShifter: easy user-generated animation creation

Old-school Mac users might remember a little application called HyperCard. Originally a database application, it doubled as a casual animation tool--letting users create fairly basic cartoons, frame by frame. This morning I've been playing around with AniBOOM's ShapeShifter, a Web-based animation creation tool that brings back those old feelings of black-and-white computing, with a new social bookmarking twist.

ShapeShifter is pretty simple to use. There are four shapes to choose from, and you can place them wherever you want on the canvas. Each shape can be rotated, resized and grouped together to make new forms. When you're … Read more

Mini-SD? T-flash? Oink, oink...

Most computer peripherals are already available in tons of wacky incarnations: speakers, mice, keyboards, and of course USB storage drives. But memory card readers have, at least until this point, remained pretty boring. Cue Brando's USB Piggy Card Reader, which really does look just like a piggy bank. It can handle, according to ProductDose, SD, CF, XD, MS, Mini SD, and T-flash/Micro SD cards. And it connects to your computer via a USB 2.0 "tail." Sure, it might be taking the definition of "memory hog" (oink, oink) a little too literally, but it'… Read more

Memory card reader as jewelry

Once again, the R&D people at Japan's Elecom may be unwittingly indicating that they have too much time on their hands. Witness their latest creation: a luxury memory card reader. Granted, it looks beautiful in the company handouts--available in silver, black and white a la Apple style, according to Akihabara News--and might even be quite fetching on the end of a white gold chain around your neck, sort of like an updated retro medallion circa 1974. But if you ask us (and no one ever does, of course), the peripheral-as-jewelry craze won't exactly have Tiffany longevity.… Read more

Velocity Micro CineMagix Grand Theater

Perhaps one of the most notable sign of the convergence of entertainment devices is the media PC. It started with TV tuner cards, but quickly escalated to PC's which touted their multimedia capabilities. Velocity Micro has taken the next step with their CineMagix Grand Theater. A full-fledged media PC, The CineMagix aims to provide users with a total digital experience.

Speakers that can fit in your pocket

In the electronics industry's twin obsessions of products that are flat or small, what could be better than something that's both? TDK's Xa-10 mobile speakers, which are planned for the Japanese market, are not only flat but can also fit in your pocket with the approximate dimensions of an index card (but not quite as thin). MobileWhack says the thickness--0.63 inches, to be exact--is necessary to house a battery compartment, though the speakers can also be powered through a USB connection. The best part, other than their orange, lime and silver colors, is the price: $25.… Read more

Photo Safe lets you leave your laptop behind

At PMA today, Digital Foci announced a new portable hard drive designed for on-the-go photographers who want to transfer images from card to hard drive, but don't want to lug around a laptop. The lightweight (0.6 pound with battery) Photo Safe drive comes in 40GB, 60GB, and 120GB capacities, and sports a memory card reader that works with all of the popular formats (some require an adapter). To transfer your photos, simply insert the card and press the autocopy button. Digital Foci claims the drive can copy a full 1GB card in about five minutes.

The drive has … Read more

Camera the size of a credit card

It's not often you see a digital camera with resolution well under 1 megapixel anymore, but you don't often see any this thin either. The aptly named "Credit Card Digital Camera" is less than one-fifth of an inch thick and can easily slip into your shirt pocket. MobileWhack says the ultra-slim camera can store 26 1280x960 images on 8MB of built-in memory, record 40 seconds of video and even be used as a Webcam through its USB connection. And at $40, it's almost cheap enough to fall into the "disposable" category.