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Fujifilm unveils FinePix S2500HD - 12MP, 18x Fujinon long-zoom lens at Rs. 16,999

Posted by Technoratti-Anuraag on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 , under | comments (0)



Fujifilm  is reportedly proud to announce the release of the new FinePix S2500HD - a compact and portable 12 mega pixel digital camera with high performance Fujinon long-zoom lens, that promises to promote digital photography to the next level.
Speaking on this occasion Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, Managing Director, Fujifilm India, has reportedly said, “Built around 18x Fujinon lens and Fujifilm’s proprietary image processing, the new FinePix S2500HD delivers remarkably high quality results all the way from wide angle through to telephoto. With unique easy-grip styling, and its small, lightweight design, this model is sturdy enough and can be easily carried around.”
Sharing his viewpoints on the high performance Fujinon long-zoom lens, Mr. A. Rajkumar, Country General Manager (DSC), Fujifilm India, has reportedly stated, “Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD boasts a 28mm wide-angle start to the zoom range and extends it up to an impressive 504mm at telephoto (18x). From sweeping landscapes, interiors and large group shots to distant sports or wildlife action, FinePix S2500HD is ready for every photographic challenge thrown at it.”
It is said to incorporate a mechanically fortified CCD sensor and high ISO sensitivity (ISO 6400) to provide anti-blur protection and thereby minimize the blurring effect of both hand-shake and subject movement to provide sharp, clear and high quality images even at the longest zoom settings or in the most mediocre lighting conditions. Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD promises to give you the flexibility of framing your shots using the high quality electronic viewfinder or the large, bright 3.0-inch LCD screen. Irrespective of the option you choose, both are expected to offer high resolution image playback at a fast frame rate of 60 fps (frames per second).
Apparently, FinePix S2500HD employs Fujifilm’s Scene Recognition Auto (SR Auto) function to intelligently select the scene mode and the ambient shooting conditions. The camera settings are said to adjust accordingly, optimizing performance results and enabling the user to take high quality snapshots. FinePix S2500HD is reportedly designed to capture HD videos and HD images enabling you to play them back on any HD ready television for the ultimate viewing experience. Additionally, the FinePix S2500HD introduces a HDMI mini port, which could be connected to a HD ready TV directly, using a HDMI cable.
FinePix S2500HD also introduces Tracking Auto Focus function. This handy function purportedly allows you to track moving subjects by half-pressing the shutter button, and ensures that while capturing a shot your subject is automatically framed in the center of the viewfinder and in perfect focus, leaving no chance for frustrating missed shots! To further enhance the existing face detection system, Fujifilm has reportedly added two interesting and valuable features: Smile & Shoot Mode which can recognize the precise moment your subject smiles and is programmed to release the shutter only at that instant, ensuring that all your photos are memorable ones. In addition, the Blink Detection feature is expected to warn you if any of the subjects in the viewfinder have blinked, so that you can re-shoot the photo if necessary.
Instant Zoom is said to be another versatile feature which enables the user to keep the subject in frame even at long distances, by offering a wide field of view around the frame and then zooming in to the subject once the snapshot is taken. In addition, the innovative Zoom Bracketing feature is said to enable three shots to be taken at the single click of the button, at varying degrees of magnification (original, 1.4x and 2.0x). This apparently unlocks instant editing on the camera to select the ideal shot, rather than having to revert to a PC to facilitate a digital crop.
The famed Panorama mode is meant to allow you to take a series of pictures and then stitch them together to create an impressive continuous shot of a landscape or a large group photo. This new model is said to feature impressive pre-programmed scene modes, incorporating a one-touch setting for almost every possible situation, including: Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Party, Flower, and Text. The new S2500HD is said to possess advanced burst capabilities to quickly shoot two images in rapid succession - one with the flash and one without and save both. This handy function is meant to allow users perform an image comparison at their convenience and select the most appealing image. It is also said to feature Programmed AE, Shutter Priority AE, and Manual mode with extensive metering and focus options for the advanced & the adventurous users alike.
New Auto Picture Rotation is a function that reportedly ensures your photos are always the right way up in playback. Whether you have taken a landscape or portrait image, you are guaranteed to enjoy your pictures whichever way around you are holding the camera, as the image is programmed to rotate in the screen to suit. Last but not the least, the Micro Thumbnail - a playback feature that is meant to allow for an index-style image viewing on the LCD. The FinePix S2500HD is rated to show up to 100 images in micro form and the control buttons are meant to select specific images. The feature-rich FinePix S2500 HD makes its domineering presence felt in the Indian market with a competitive price tag of Rs.16,999.



Samsung Wave

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Samsung, in it's ‘Global Developer Day’ event in Bangalore yesterday, announced their hotly anticipated smartphone 'Wave', the first device based on the proprietary OS 'bada'.
By launching what will be one of the most powerful smartphones in India, Samsung have ushered the era of 'superphones' in India. Wave has a 3.3-inch Super AMOLED WCGA capacitive touch screen that displays 16 million colours at a crisp resolution of 480x800. It offers a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. But it's the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor that elevates this phone to the 'superphone' status. It will also have accelerometer, proximity sensor, and TouchWiz UI 3.0. Oddly, however, Samsung didn't announce the price of the device in the event.
Samsung, in the event, also announced the 'Samsung bada Developer Challenge'. The challenge gives Indian developers and opportunity to have a share of the US$ 2,700,000 prize money set aside for this worldwide competition. Even you can develop applications for the platform, which Samsung labels as 'user-interactive, service-oriented, open and configurable'. The top Samsung 'bada' developer will win a grand prize of US$300,000. The money reflects Samsung giving the 'bada' sound backing, or is it just the App rat-race? A look Samsung's answer to "What is bada?" indicates a fair bit of customizability in the OS, something the developers will surely appreciate. We can't wait to pick up the device and fiddle with it!
Samsung's decision to spell 'bada' with a small 'b' looks utterly odd though. What does the small 'b' denote? A common noun? Just another OS? We hope it is not...

Iron Man 2 [movie review]

Posted by Technoratti-Anuraag on Saturday, May 15, 2010 , under | comments (0)




Before going for the special press preview of Iron Man 2, I had the usual sequel anxieties. Will it be as good as the first? Will it match up to my expectations? Giving it some thought I realised this is really too much baggage considering I’m going for the movie to have fun. So I left it all outside; including the first set of opinions I got on twitter about the movie. People quoted international reviews which basically revealed nothing other than the fact that critics are confused.



First off, let’s make the point of this review clear. I’m not here to critique the movie or to tell you whether or not you should spend 124 precious minutes of your life. I’m sure you’re going to end up watching the movie whether I tell you to or not. I mean c’mon it’s Iron Man! A narcissistic billionaire capable of building some awesome tech like a wearable, indestructible exo-suit with an arsenal of weapons is every geek, chick and action junkie’s wet dream!

Now that you know who the movie is meant for let me tell you who fails to make the height requirement for this thrill ride. The movie is definitely not for two kinds of people:

1.The kind who rub their chin thoughtfully and ask “is it better than dark knight” and
2.The kind who want their fix of “realism” in cinema (don’t know why). These are the kind of people who ask you in a nasal voice to explain why whiplash’ whips didn’t cut through the tarmac when they could easily slice formula X cars.


The movie starts off where we last saw Tony Stark – brashly proclaiming to the world “I am Iron Man”. Little does he know that the world is not yet ready for an outspoken super hero. No wonder they wear masks, right? So what ensues is not only Tony Stark’s fight against the bad guys but also a humungous PR battle to keep his suit from being turned over to the government. To add to the plot mix you have Tony Stark slowly being poisoned thanks to the Palladium used in the arc reactor core in his chest. 



These might leave you feeling that the movie was a little light on the action, but that’s just a feeling. Ignore it. Instead focus on the brilliant AC/DC fuelled adrenalin rush you experience throughout the movie. Honestly I was on the edge of my seat all through the first half, heaving an involuntary slow breath only at the interval. If there’s one complaint about the film then it would be that I would’ve liked more daylight action in the second half. The film has more corny moments than the first and very few of those under 12 child friendly jokes.

You will be very pleasantly impressed by some of the cool new weapon systems from Iron Man’s arsenal that are revealed in this movie. Also, if Minority Report impressed you with the interface-free touch/gesture computer screen, this movie will blow your mind. It takes augmented reality and computer assisted overlays to a whole new level.

Amongst other things worth reporting is Scarlet Johansen, who looks ravishingly tasty – no kidding. I wonder how poor Gwyneth agreed to share the screen with her, knowing no one will even glance at her. Mickey Rourke played a convincing, though nowhere near joker-esqe super villain. And yes there is a new black guy. Err… Colonel Rhody I mean. To his defence, he states in his first dialogue on screen - more to the audience than Tony - “yea I’m here, it’s me, now deal with it”. The only actor I couldn’t stand was Samuel Jackson (who plays Nick Fury). Yea fine we need the avengers build up but this guy can be irritating. 



All in all Iron Man delivers the right mixture of action, humour, cheesy action hero one-liners, and most importantly – FUN. The first movie probable made you get up and say “whoa this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” The sequel will probably make you say “hey this was friggin cool too”. What more do you want? Ok fine I’ll leave you with a little spoiler and some advice. In this movie you get one of your biggest questions answered – how does Iron Man pee when he is wearing the suit? And the advice – stay till the titles get over.

Rating: A solid 4 on 5


Android leaves Apple behind in US smartphone race

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Based on unit sales in the first quarter of 2010, NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Track has revealed a major shift in the US smartphone market, when one collates the operating systems from the data. The Android OS has managed to edge out the Apple iPhone OS, to take number two spot in the US smartphone market. More accurately, more phones based on the Android OS were sold in this quarter, than phones on the iPhone OS. Figures are 28% of the market for Android, 21% for Apple, and 36% for RIM, the rest being split up over various other operating systems, such as webOS, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.

While we all knew this would happen one day, it is welcome news nonetheless, a sign of how the smartphone market is ‘opening’ up, as numerous smaller companies begin to compete with Apple and BlackBerry (RIM) at a level footing, helped in no small part by their choice of operating system.
Methodology: The NPD Group compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically-representative sample, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers. Note: Sales figures do not include corporate/enterprise mobile phone sales.


HTC DROID INCREDIBLE Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)