Tag: canon
Tech Digest Podcast #1
So, this morning, Dan and I got on Skype and had a go at recording a podcast. We chatted about the big stories of the week – Twitter and Last.fm trying to monetise their services, and the big media companies approaching Google to try to get their content higher in search rankings.
I’m a bit of a software person, whereas Dan’s into his hardware, so as a central feature, we thought it’d be fun to try to convince each other of the joys of a bit of software and a bit of hardware respectively. I plumped for Last.fm, whereas Dan tried to convince me I need Canon’s EOS 500D DSLR in my life.
Lastly, we took a brief look at some of the stranger news stories of the week – the 60ft penis on the roof and the CC all your emails to Jacqui Smith campaign. I wanted to talk about a few other stories here too, but we ran out of time.
Download the podcast as an MP3 here, or subscribe via RSS here.
It’s a little clunky, still – my voice buzzes a bit thanks to the cheap headset I’m using. We’re very much feeling our way around how the whole process works, so any recommendations and advice are more than welcome. Drop us a tweet at @techdigest or email me or Dan.
SHINY VIDEO PREVIEW: Canon IXUS series
While Dan was mucking about with the Powershots, Susi took a shine to the IXUS range. Her conclusions are in the video above, but can basically be summed up as “more of the same with some gimmicky features”. Thanks to its svelte profile, her favourite of the lot is the 100IS.
SHINY VIDEO PREVIEW: Canon PowerShot range
Yesterday, Dan got to check out Canon’s PowerShot range of cameras in person in Soho. You can see his thoughts in the video above – the conclusion of which is basically “they’re alright”. His favourite was the SX200 thanks to the decent zoom, wide angle lens and fully manual operation.
At the same event, Susi got her hands on Canon’s IXUS range. I’ll have that video up momentarily.
GALLERY: IXUS and PowerShot compact upgrades from Canon
It seems rather like HD video recording has become what makes a compact camera high spec this week which is a bit of shame given that it has little to do with taking photos. Nevertheless, even the mighty Canon has succumbed to the apparent desires of the public by announcing a relatively expensive range of Ixus models in excess of £250 in which only two feature wide angle lenses.
Mercifully, the PowerShot series holds the side up with more under the hood…
Canon doesn't make vacuum cleaners
Today, ladies and gentlemen, Canon did not announce a vacuum cleaner. It didn’t announce one yesterday either, or one the day before. In fact, it’s never announced a vacuum cleaner. That’s why Canon’s Russian service personnel were a little confused when people started calling saying that their vacuum cleaner was broken.
What seems to have happened is that a major electronics supplier bought a job lot of vacuums that a dodgy Chinese factory had produced with the Canon label, figuring (correctly) that it’d help them sell. Hilarious. If you’ve got one, then please send it to us – we’d love to review it.
(via EnglishRussia)
Related posts: iRobot automated vacuum cleaners | Roomba vacuum cleaner hacked to become Bluetooth Pac-Man!
Canon lets Japanese employees go home early twice a week to make babies
Japan’s birthrate is 1.34, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and that’s too low. It needs to be 2.0 for the population to maintain itself. As a result, 22% of the population is 65 or older – the highest proportion in the world. All this is primarily due to the country’s common 12-hour workday, which doesn’t exactly assist procreation.
Well, to try and rectify the balance, Keidanren, a business group of 1300 major international corporations, has asked its members to let workers go home early to “spend time with their families”, meaning ‘have lots and lots of dirty sex’.
Canon’s part of the group and will be letting its employees go home early at 5.30pm twice a week for that very reason. As well as helping the country’s demographic problems, it also means that the company spends less on overtime payments, and employees are happier. Everyone wins.
(via Crunchgear)
Related posts: Start ’em young: Baby’s First Internet nursery rhymes | Philips launching “Warm Intimate Massager” sex toy for couples within weeks – and the UK is first to try it
Canon launches PowerShot A480 compact digital cameras
Canon has announced its latest compact digital camera, the 10 megapixel PowerShot A480 featuring a 3.3x optical zoom (that point three is all important, evidently), face and motion detection, 15 shooting modes, 30fps VGA movie shooting, red eye reduction, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen.
It features Canon’s DIGIC III processing system that promises low noise levels and better colour reproduction, while face detection can adjust focus, exposure, flash settings and white balance to take the best pictures of up to nine human subjects, aided by motion detection to reduce the blur caused by shaky hands or moving subjects…
Gallery: Canon unveils new range of LEGRIA and DC camcorders
Canon has announced a new range of camcorders, including several able to shoot in full high definition, as well as a couple that record directly to DVD.
Take a look through our gallery for an overview of each model by clicking on the image below. Exact pricing and availability to be confirmed.
RUMOUR: Canon planning new Ixus compact camera with CMOS chip
In fact, at the moment there’s only one compact on the market that has a CMOS sensor – Canon’s own PowerShot SX1 IS, which retails for a whopping £530. Our tipster reckons that a whole rash of CMOS compacts will be unveiled at the forthcoming PMA ’09 in March. He also proposes this as a possible CMOS Ixus spec.
- 10-megapixel CMOS sensor (most likely 1/2.33 or 1/2.5 inch in size)
- HD Movie Mode
- 5x Zoom (28mm wide)
- 3″ LCD
- Li-Ion battery
- ISO 50-3200
- RRP of £250-£280, on the shop floor at £220 or so
It’s that massive ISO range which is the most promising. If this new Ixus exists, can cope with low light as promised, and doesn’t cost the earth, then this could bring the tools for some fantastic photography into the hands of amateurs. Or, at very least, your photos of ‘Debbie an the gals dahn at the club’ will look sublime.
Related posts: REVIEW: Canon IXUS 870 IS | Canon engineers held back by marketing department’s “megapixel race”
EXCLUSIVE: Canon engineers held back by marketing department's "megapixel race"
Canon engineers are being held back from developing new sensor technology by marketing departments in a “race for megapixels”, claims an employee of the Japanese photography company.
