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(Credit: Lori Grunin)

When Canon's Chuck Westfall popped by last month to give us a sneak preview of the EOS Rebel XSi, I expressed my disappointment that the camera's raw continuous-shooting maxed out at a mere 6 frames. I asked Chuck if there was anything on the horizon that might deliver a better raw burst-shooting experience for the can't-afford-a-Mark-III set. His immediate and somewhat unexpected response: "JPEG XR." A few weeks later, I put a similar question to Casio's Scott Nelson, a product manager in the camera division, as he showed off the company's burst-mode blitzkrieg, EX-F1--a camera which doesn't support raw for burst shooting. He, too, indicated that JPEG XR held the key for delivering higher-quality, high frame-rate photos at reasonable prices.

Never let it be said that I couldn't recognize a trend once it whacked me on the head a couple of times.

Raw files--data straight from the sensor--place a heavy performance burden on a digital camera. Though they're same dimensions as JPEGs, raw files support 12-bit or deeper color, while JPEG and its widely ignored successor, JPEG 2000, support only 8 bits. That makes the raw file footprint bigger, even when compressed, and increases the required amount of buffer memory. Furthermore, while JPEG-processing chips are cheap, the proprietary nature of raw files makes it necessary to use dedicated silicon for processing them with any speed. That's a lot of cost to add to a sub-$1,000 dSLR or enthusiast shooter.

Microsoft's JPEG XR--the XR stands for "extended range"--provides some of the image-quality benefits of raw while offering the smaller file size and non-proprietary processing benefits of JPEG. Keep in mind that JPEG XR doesn't replace raw. It simply offers better compression algorithms, and a wider dynamic range than JPEG. At best, one might find a JPEG XR photo visually indistinguishable from a processed raw file. That lets it stand up to retouching better--suffer from less degradation--than its predecessor. For shooters in that market segment, that may be enough.

Clearly, no one's talking about actual products yet, and JPEG XR-as-standard hasn't even attained Committee Draft status within the ISO's JPEG committee (that's scheduled for the end of March). But the fact that I'm actually hearing about it in conversation makes me think that we might start to see some implementations by next year. While I still would prefer longer raw bursts, JPEG XR strikes me as a reasonable compromise.

(Credit: Casio)

Usually I'm not a big fan of pink cameras, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception. Casio just announced that it will be releasing a special edition of the Exilim EX-Z75 to help fight breast cancer. Casio is working with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October.

The special-edition pink EX-Z75 will be available throughout October in a bundle with a pink-ribbon-embossed camera case and a pink ribbon lanyard. The bundle will retail for $180 and will help sponsor the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You can already find the EX-Z75 in pink, but it won't come with the case or lanyard, and proceeds won't go to the NBCF. If you're really jonesing for a pink Z75, wait a couple more months for a good cause.

Verizon Wireless G'zOne Type-S

(Credit: Verizon Wireless)

Verizon Wireless has just announced that it will be the exclusive provider of the Casio G'zOne Type-S rugged cell phone, starting tomorrow. A successor to the Type-V handset it debuted a year ago, the Type-S is much smaller and has a more streamlined designed, but it was still made with the same military-grade specifications. According to Verizon and Casio, it is able to withstand extreme humidity, three feet of water for up to 30 minutes, and drops from about five feet; it can also resist dust as fine as silica flour. It certainly looks rugged, too, with its sturdy build and shock-absorbent rubber packaging. As a Verizon phone, it also comes with several Verizon applications, like the Verizon's Get It Now mobile Web browser, instant messaging, and support for VZ Navigator, Verizon's location-based service. A definite upgrade from the Type-V is the inclusion of Bluetooth support, though the move from a 2.0-megapixel to a VGA camera is small yet important downgrade. It'll be available nationwide starting tomorrow for about $149.99 after a $50 rebate and a two-year service agreement. We have the phone in our hands right now, and we'll give you a full review of this rugged phone shortly. Stay tuned!

Verizon Wireless/Casio G'zOne Type-S

(Credit: Phonescoop)

PhoneScoop spotted the Casio G'zOne Type-S phone on the FCC site yesterday, and it looks to be the smaller version of the G'zOne Type-V phone we reviewed last year. The Type-S seems to be just as durable and rugged as its predecessor, although the specs on it are slightly different: it sports a VGA camera instead of the 2-megapixel one on the Type-V, and features Bluetooth, which the Type-V didn't. The Type-S also did away with the stubby antenna on the Type-V, opting instead for a loop antenna similar to those found on a lot of Sony Ericsson handsets. We can't decide if it's a downgrade or an upgrade just yet, but extreme sports enthusiasts might want to keep their eyes peeled for this one. Even though there is Verizon branding all over the phone, Verizon has yet to announce the phone officially. We've even heard that the Verizon Wireless G'zOne Type-S may already be in a few retail stores, though it hasn't been released.