Casio exposes ultrathin camera

Electronics manufacturer Casio has unveiled a credit card-size digital camera that also boasts digital-audio playback, voice recording and the ability to create short movies.

The Exilim EX-M1 is 12 millimeters thick and comes with 1.3-megapixel resolution and a 4x digital zoom. Images can be stored via 12MB built-in memory or on a Secure Digital or Multimedia flash memory card.

		Reader Resources EX-M1 info

The EX-M1 sports a built-in microphone and speaker for voice recording. It will also record short movies with sound. A pair of earphones and a remote control with a liquid-crystal display are also supplied.

"With the end of the first phase of (digital camera) evolution focusing on basic performance, we felt it was better to propose new digital camera functions and styles and to produce new needs in order to expand the market further," Tatsuo Asai, Casio Singapore's executive director, told reporters.

An even slimmer Exilim EX-S1, which excludes the digital audio playback and voice recording, has also been introduced. It is 11 millimeters thick.

The camera was launched in Japan last month and in Malaysia on Monday. According to Casio, the worldwide launch will take place within the next two weeks. U.S. release is slated for mid-July.

CNET's Reuben Lee reported from Singapore.