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The Snapture (app) is upon us! No more jailbreaking required. Instead, $1.99.

For more than a few iPhone owners, homebrew apps like Snapture--which endows the iPhone camera with extra features--were reason enough to jump through jailbreaking hoops.

Thankfully, that's no longer necessary, at least for this particular app: Snapture has gone legit. It's available in the App Store for an introductory price of $1.99.

Snapture provides a wealth of handy camera tools, starting with full-screen shutter action: tap anywhere to capture a snapshot. That makes self-portraits a lot easier than trying to nail the Camera app's tiny shutter button.

You also get zoom and pan capabilities: just reverse-pinch your fingers to zoom in up to 5x (keeping in mind that photos will turn seriously blurry at that level, though perhaps less so with the 3GS' higher-resolution sensor), then drag your finger to pan around. Very cool.

Speaking of fingers, Snapture's clever Touch Zone gives you the option of tapping and holding the screen, then releasing when you're ready to shoot--the idea being to reduce the blur that results from "shutter tapping." And if you slide your finger out from the blue circle that appears beneath the Touch Zone, it cancels the shot.

I particularly like Snapture's multishot feature, which can fire off three shots in rapid succession. As you shoot, thumbnails appear along the left (or right) edge of the screen for easy review. Tap and hold a thumbnail to get a full-size look, or swipe it to the opposite edge for Delete and Email options.

Having trouble keeping your shots level? Just toggle Snapture's Level Aid, which overlays a simple reticle. Want to shoot at a lower resolution so you can save memory? Snapture gives you a choice of three image sizes.

The app normally sells for $7.99, but Snapture Labs should give serious consideration to making the $1.99 introductory price permanent: Competing app Camera Genius offers many of the same features for just 99 cents.

But two bucks is a very reasonable price to pay for an app that overcomes most of the camera's shortcomings and adds several worthwhile features. I think it's safe to say Snapture has earned a permanent home on my 3G.

Update: Snapture Labs is offering a free upgrade to those customers who purchased the jailbreak version.

(Credit: Samsung)

If there weren't already three cameras available using the same wide-angle 26mm-equivalent lens with a 24x zoom, the announcement of the Samsung HZ25W would be a little more interesting. It doesn't seem to bring anything terribly new to the category either, making it an also-ran in a race of fairly mediocre cameras.

I'm not saying Samsung's entry isn't worth considering, just that it's more than fashionably late and brought the same bag of pretzels to the party that Nikon, Kodak, and Pentax did. Hell, Samsung even brought the same brand as Kodak by using a Schneider-Kreuznach lens.

Specifications include:

• 12 megapixels
• 24x, f2.8-5.0, 26-624mm-equivalent lens
• 3-inch LCD and an electronic viewfinder
• 720p HD movie capture (H.264)
• Dual image stabilization
• Raw support
• Full manual, shutter-speed priority, aperture priority modes

Samsung HZ25W--photos

The Sony PCM-M10 digital audio recorder.

(Credit: Sony)

Sony makes some damn fine portable audio recorders. Its PCM-D50, released in March of 2008, has a cult-like following among audio professionals and still stands as one of CNET's highest-rated field recorders. But Sony's pro-audio portable recorders have historically been attached to nearly unjustifiable price tags, especially in the face of affordable options like the Zoom H4n.

In an effort to compete against these increasingly sophisticated budget-priced recorders, Sony pulled back the curtain on its $399 PCM-M10 during this year's Summer NAMM showcase. The PCM-M10 includes many of the features found on last year's D50, such as articulated X/Y pattern stereo microphones, a five-second recording buffer, and an extremely intuitive interface that honors the transport and gain functions with big, dedicated controls.

In many ways, however, the Sony PCM-M10 improves on its high-priced predecessors. Support for MicroSD memory cards and direct-to-MP3 recording (in addition to WAV format) are a first for the Sony PCM line.

Still, Sony's sound quality will really need to dazzle to win share from companies like Zoom and Edirol, which have carved out a nice little niche in the sub-$400 audio recorder market. Out of the box, the PCM-M10 only includes 4GB of internal memory, limited external microphone support, and a capacity that maxes out at 20GB.

Expect to hear more from us on the Sony PCM-M10 when the recorder ships in October.

(Via Sound On Sound)

The Zoom Q3 puts a high-end audio twist on a familiar video camera design.

(Credit: Zoom)

It used to be all about getting your band's music on the radio, but these days, it's all about YouTube. Producing the ultimate viral music video isn't easy, though. Video cameras like the Flip Mino HD, RCA Small Wonder, and Creative Vado have lowered the cost of entry when it comes to recording high-quality video, but the built-in mics leave plenty to be desired.

Zoom Q3--photos

To answer the call for a musician-friendly video recorder, the folks at Zoom have unveiled the Zoom Q3--a $249 handheld camcorder with a built-in pair of high-quality stereo condenser mics. The Q3 can record at audio resolutions up to 24-bit/48kHz WAV (or 320Kbps MP3) using a selectable X/Y microphone pattern that can focus on individual instruments or capture the sound of the whole room.

The Q3's video resolution is set at a YouTube-friendly 640x480 resolution at 30fps, falling short of the HD image quality of the latest Flip cams. Other features include a 2.4-inch screen, a built-in USB cable, and support for SDHC memory cards (up to 32GB). Power is supplied by two AA batteries, offering up two hours of recording.

The Zoom Q3 is expected to ship in September of 2009.

(Credit: Casio)

Casio joined the list of manufacturers with a pocketable megazoom Thursday with the announcement of the EX-H10. In retail around mid-July, the $299.99 12-megapixel camera is fronted by a wide-angle 24mm lens with a 10x zoom with CCD-shift image stabilization in a body that's 0.96 inch thick and weighs only 5.8 ounces. Even more impressive, though, is Casio's battery life claim of a 1,000 shots on a single charge.

That number comes courtesy of low-energy requirements of the the multi-CPU Exilim Engine 4.0 circuitry and operational controls coupled with a high-capacity battery. Usage is based on CIPA standards calculated with the LCD monitor on; a full zoom back and forth every 30 seconds; the flash used every two shots; and the power cycled every 10 shots.

Underneath it all it's still a typical Casio camera, too, with a gazillion Best Shot scene modes (OK, just 38, but that's still a ridiculous amount), high-speed shutter continuous shooting, and 720p HD movie capture at 24fps.

8X zoom for your DSi.

(Credit: Nyko)

Hot off the heels of the company's Wand accessory release for the Nintendo Wii, video game accessory manufacturer Nyko debuted three new products at this year's E3 convention.

The Zoom Case for Nintendo DSi is certainly the most interesting DSi accessory we've seen yet, boasting an 8X zoom lens attachment. The protective case is textured for a better grip on the system and the zoom lens itself can be detached and transported in a case of its own. Good thing for that or this accessory would have removed the "portable" feature of the DSi.

For those PSP owners not choosing to upgrade to the new PSP Go, the Charge Flex Grip will provide your handheld (the PSP-2000 or the 3000) with an improved grip as well as up to 1.5 times more play with an embedded rechargeable battery. More high-res photos await! ... Read More

The best sounding songs you'll ever hear are the ones you record yourself. Just like amateur photography or amateur film making, amateur musicians take a lot of pride in their art and are always looking for new, affordable tools to take things to the next level.

If you're a musician or podcaster looking for a rock-solid, four-channel pocket recorder, the Zoom H4n is the best we've seen for the money.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)

Computer-based recording software, such as Pro Tools and Garage Band, have gone a long way to help today's musicians create digital recordings that rival the results from professional recording studios. But even the best laptop-based recording rig can be limited by battery life and a less-than-convenient jumble of components (external sound cards, mixers, microphones). For the sake of convenience, some musicians and podcasters have turned to popular standalone portable recorders, such as the Edirol R-09HR and Sony PCM-D50.

Historically, the trade-off you make by using a handheld recorder is limited support for additional microphones and the restriction of recording only two tracks (stereo) simultaneously. The minute you want to use three microphones to record your band (or an interview), things start to get complicated. That is, unless you're using the Zoom H4n.

The H4n is a solidly-built portable audio recorder that retails for about $350, and lets you record four channels of audio (two stereo files) simultaneously. It's a brilliant feature that's a little hard to describe, so why not let the audio speak for itself? To hear the difference four channel recording can make compared to standard stereo recording, we enlisted the help of Alan Stewart and Jesse Clark from the Bay Area music group Agents Del Futuro. The guys set up an impromptu rehearsal at their recording studio to let us capture the sound of a variety of instruments.

To hear the results, check under the Performance section of my Zoom H4n review, or click through the following audio-enhanced slideshow.

Testing the Zoom H4n mobile audio recorder

Jasmine and Donald try their best to analyze the leaked image of what may be Microsoft's new Zune MP3 player (aka the Zune HD). Then a rant on tiered music pricing gets Jasmine and Donald on a tangent about why they despise paying for cable, but justify paying for music subscription services. Plus, wooden earbuds, the Zoom H4n, and buying refurbs.

Dicing garlic is, obviously, not my forte. Otherwise I would have been a chef extraordinaire instead of dishing out literature on Crave Asia.

(Credit: Firebox.com)

Not too long ago, I played a tiny role in preparing homemade steamed mussels with garlic and tomato broth. The shellfish dish was cheap, easy to prepare, and delicious, but there was a tiny problem. The garlic left a pungent smell on the fingers. Sure, the condiment's great for flavoring, but the lingering odor negates any after-dinner plans.

Which is why I think the Garlic Zoom is a brilliant kitchen accessory. Pop a peeled clove in the transparent cylinder and the stainless steel blade within will cut the bulb into tiny bits when you roll it back and forth. After you're done, simply open the lid and tap the garlic bits out.

The Garlic Zoom is available on Firebox for $11.50, which is a small price to pay for some kitchen fun. Otherwise, you could opt for the cheapo option of rubbing your hands on a stainless steel utensil to get rid of the smell.

(Via Crave Asia)