6 innovative new products found at the PMA 2010 camera show

Trade shows, like the PMA camera show that just ended, can be great opportunities to check out the most cutting-edge products. This year, there were some excellent examples of companies thinking outside the box. Here are some I saw on the show floor:

• Casio’s EX-G1 is a great example of taking the point-and-shoot “Klondike Bar” motif and distorting and stretching it so that it’s a unique design. The EX-G1 is also waterproof, like the Olympus Stylus Tough 8010, but it was the body that really caught my eye. Other camera makers recently introduced cameras with unique camera-body designs, too, including Pentax’s i10, which offers a retro look that harks back to a tiny film camera, the Pentax A110. (Sadly, Pentax didn’t have their usual large booth at the show. However, I did meet with them in a small conference room to check out their latest cameras and SLRs.)

• Pocket camcorders have also been popping up with new form-factors. For example, Kodak’s Playsport has a waterproof design and includes rounded edges, giving it more of a look of a throat lozenge than a Klondike bar. The buttons and controls are beautifully laid out too.

• But thinking outside the box isn’t just about the body. It’s also about what’s inside: For example, Olympus, in several of their cameras, including the Stylus SP8000UZ, now stores an entire user manual in the built-in 2 GB of memory. The manual can be transferred to your computer as a PDF file, although you must use the Olympus software to do it. (Speaking of memory, Olympus has made all of its point-and-shoots compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards. Although I think that’s more like getting with the program, than thinking outside the box.)

• Of course, the Micro Four-thirds cameras and the APS-sensor based, mirrorless, interchangeable lens models, like Samsung’s NX10, break new ground with their exterior and interior design changes.

• Sometimes, you’ll find only one example of a new, possibly groundbreaking product or system. Fujifilm, which has presented its 3D digital camera in the past, also put its 3D digital frame and 3D printer on view on the show floor this time, along with sample prints. You can order such prints now, but they cost around $7 each and must be shipped from Japan.

However, despite the presence of these interesting designs, the camera industry needs to go further. For example, in some new products, I thought some companies were taking a step backwards in their graphic user interfaces and menu structures.

I wanted to ask them point blank, “Have you ever seen an iPhone?”

And why doesn’t every major camera and camcorder manufacturer offer brief video tutorials within their devices. Nikon, for example, has a wonderful iPhone app called Nikon Learn & Explore that includes video tutorials. Why isn’t this included in a D300s or Coolpix point-and-shoot?

Nearly every manufacturer representative to whom I posed that question said that video tutorials embedded in a camera was indeed a good idea and that their company should look into it.

My reply? Please, do!

What do you think? Do camera manufacturers need to pick up the pace of innovation when it comes to design? What improvement in cameras or camcorders would you most like to see? If your idea is good, I’ll present it to the manufacturers the next time I go to a show.

—Terry Sullivan

Sony Bravia LX900 3D TV
Photo: Sony

One of the biggest questions we’ve had about 3D TVs has been, “So, how much are these sets going to cost?” Thanks to a few retail sites that are now promoting new 3D-ready LED LCD TVs, it looks like they’ll be more expensive than a regular set, but not insanely so, with a starting price of about $2,000 for a 46-inch model.

Sony, for example, is now offering in-store demos at its Sony Style locations of its 3D LCD TVs, all of which have LED backlights and 240Hz technology. You can pre-order some of the sets, which will be available early this summer. On the Sony Style website, the least expensive 3D set is a $1,700 40-inch NX700-series model (KDL-40NX700); the 46-inch version (KDL-46NX700) is priced at $2,100.

In the step-up NX800 series, a 46-inch set (KDL-46NX800) is $2,300, and a 52-inch model (KDL-52NX800) is $2,800. The biggest model listed is the 60-inch version (KDL-60NX800), priced at $3,500. NX700 and NX800 models are 3D-capable sets that require optional 3D glasses and a 3D transmitter; models in a flagship XBR LX900 series come equipped with two sets of 3D glasses and a built-in 3D emitter.

You can get more information about Sony's plans on its 3D Web site.

On its Web site, Sears is now advertising two of Samsung’s 7000-series sets, and is accepting pre-orders. Like the Sony sets, these have LED backlights and 240Hz technology. The 46-inch model (UN46C7000WFXZA) is priced at  $2,600, and the 55-inch version (UN55C7000WFXZA) is $3,300. Both sets will be available in March. These are Samsung's entry-level 3D models, though not entry-level sets, and you have to buy the 3D glasses separately.

The only other 3D TV pricing we’ve seen is from Vizio, which at CES announced three XVTPRO-series models. The 47-inch XVTPRO470SV will be $2,000, a 55-inch version (XVTPRO550SV) will be $2,500, and a giant 72-inch flagship model (XVTPRO720SV), which include 480Hz technology, a full-array LED backlight that has 480 separate zones that can be locally dimmed, and built-in wireless networking. That set will be just $3,500. However, these models won’t be available until the end of the summer.

Since all these 3D sets tend to be flagship models loaded with bells and whistles, it’s hard to say exactly how much more 3D is adding to the cost of the TVs. But it appears to be in line with what we’ve seen when other new features, like 240Hz technology and LED backlights, first make their way into a manufacturer’s TV lineup.

You can bet we'll get our hands on one of these sets as soon as they are available, so keep checking in with our blog for a First Look at a 3D TV. We'll be looking to see not only how well these TVs perform with 3D material, but also whether enabling a TV for 3D playback has any deleterious effect on its performance with standard HD programs.

—James K. Willcox

Today's electronics deals courtesy of the Consumerist:

• Lenovo: Lenovo Ideapad Y450 14-inch Laptop $449 + free shipping
• Lenovo: Lenovo IdeaPad S12 12-inch Netbook $349 + free shipping
• Best Buy: Best Buy Rewards members: $100 off refurb Apple iPhones in-store, from $30
• Vann’s: Panasonic Lumix 12.1MP Camera & Case $135 Shipped
• Newegg: Lenovo G550 Dual Core 15.6-inch Widescreen Notebook PC $450 Shipped
• Amazon: Logitech Wireless Keyboard for Wii $23 Shipped
• Babies R Us : 25% Off All Nintendo Wii Fitness Accessories

Related: Computer Ratings and buying tips; Digital camera Ratings and buying tips.

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informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or
products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.

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and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics (both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.

Like a computer, the capabilities of a smart phone can depend as much or more on its operating system as on its display, processor, and other components. In the coming weeks, two notable smart phone platforms will get OS upgrades. Here are the details:

Palm 1.4. This update, scheduled for February 25, will give the Palm Pre the ability to shoot and edit video. An editing tool in the bottom right-hand side of the screen will break up your video into bite-sized segments, much as iPhone 3GS users can do now. After the video is shot and edited, you’ll be able to send your clip directly to YouTube or Facebook, or to attach it to an e-mail or multimedia message with one push of a virtual button.

An upgrade to Adobe Flash 10 will enable all users of the Palm Pre (though not of the Palm Pixi, its smaller cousin) to view a wider range of videos on the Web, including movie trailers.

Android 2.1. This latest version of Google's popular operating system debuted last month on HTC's Nexus One, and has since left owners of other Android phones salivating for an upgrade. Most Android phones will be eligible for the free update to 2.1 sometime this year, beginning this month.

New features include Voice command that supports all text fields, allowing you to dictate your Tweets on Twitter and command the phone to get you driving directions to any location. There's also an Android version of Google Earth, as Motorola Droid users just received. And the trademark Android pull-down screen for viewing all the apps has been replaced by a 3-D navi-cube, which you can flick up or down to see up to five different pages of applications. You can also summon a mini-icon view of all the application pages so that you can jump directly to the page you want. Wallpapers also move and react to touch.

The bad news: some of the aforementioned 2.1 features, such as the reactive wallpapers, won't work on certain phones.

—Mike Gikas

Motorola Devour
Photo: Verizon

Following the avalanche of new phones in the last quarter of 2009, things have been quieter in 2010, with manufacturers tweaking popular models or add new features to existing models via software updates. But quiet isn’t necessarily dull. Motorola, for one, has updated two big-selling phones, both of which happen to score fairly well in our smart phone Ratings, available to subscribers. These will hit the market—and our labs—in the coming weeks:

Motorola Cliq XT. The first version of this T-Mobile phone, called the Cliq, served as a showcase for Motorola's innovative Motoblur interface, which does an excellent job of integrating contact information and social-networking applications on a single page. The Cliq XT keeps those desirable traits, though it ditches the slide-out out keyboard we really like on the Cliq. As a consolation, the XT adds support for Swype for its virtual keyboard. Swype is an intriguing application that lets you type words without lifting a finger. You just drag your finger from letter to letter, which we found, as claimed, really does] help reduce errors. Available next month for an undisclosed price.

Motorola Devour. Available for $50 on Verizon next month, this 3G smart phone is a lower-end cousin of the popular Motorola Droid, though it sports a sharp-looking extruded aluminum case. It has a slide-out keyboard and, like the Cliq XT, features the Motoblur interface and supports Swype keyboard application. Besides its 3.1-in. touch screen, the Devour features a touch-sensitive track pad for navigation.

—Mike Gikas