Monthly Archives: July 2012

Canon U.S.A., Inc., announced a new flagship model in its most popular EOS Rebel line, the Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR Camera. The new EOS Rebel T4i features incredible image quality with an 18-megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, DIGIC 5 Image Processor that helps capture all the action with high-speed continuous shooting of up to five frames per second (fps) and an extended ISO range of 100–12800 (expandable to 25600 in H mode) that gives photographers the opportunities to take the EOS Rebel T4i into more shooting situations than ever before.

The camera includes a revolutionary new autofocus (AF) system to help achieve fast, sharp focus and smooth HD video. The new AF system includes a nine-point all cross-type sensor array, and new Hybrid CMOS AF which achieves fast focus when shooting stills or video in Live View mode. Much to the pleasure of aspiring student filmmakers and parents everywhere, the Rebel T4i features Canon’s new Movie Servo AF providing a quiet, continuous AF during HD video recording when using one of Canon’s newly introduced Stepping Motor (STM) lenses. The silent continuous autofocus when shooting HD video helps ensure the camera only captures the sounds of the scene being recorded. When combined with the camera’s new Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II and intuitive “fingertip” controls, touch-menu and advanced still and video capabilities, the EOS Rebel T4i stands as Canon’s most “consumer-friendly” DSLR to date.

“Our Rebel line of cameras bridges the gap between the casual photographer and someone looking to advance their photography and capture moments in new and creative ways. The EOS Rebel T4i boasts full HD video with AF and touch-screen navigation, inspiring even more photographers and videographers to explore the creative options made possible with DSLR cameras and lenses,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

New AF Capabilities

One of the most significant upgrades to the EOS Rebel T4i is a dramatically upgraded AF system including a nine-point all cross-type AF array, with a high-precision dual-cross f/2.8 point at center. The EOS Rebel T4i is the first Canon camera to feature the new Hybrid CMOS AF system which increases AF speed by reducing the camera’s need to “hunt” for focus. The result is fast continuous AF when shooting photos and movies in Live View. Because the camera’s cross-type AF points have two-dimensional contrast detection, the EOS Rebel T4i provides highly accurate focus regardless of your shot composition and ensures great focus no matter where the subject is located in the frame. The addition of the dual-cross point in the center allows for much faster and precise focusing for photographers using high-speed f/2.8 lenses.

Using the touch panel, parents can select their child on the LCD screen and the camera will remain focused on that child while they stay in-frame, ensuring sharp focus in crowds and group shots. The new AF system enables Touch Focus for shooting photos and movies in Live View. To make capturing photos even easier, a Touch Shutter function can also be enabled, whereby selecting a subject on the LCD screen, the camera will instantly take a photo, once focus is locked.

Continuous AF during HD Video Recording

For the first time in a Canon EOS DSLR, the EOS Rebel T4i includes Canon’s new Movie Servo AF for recording video. When used with Canon’s new EF and EF-S STM lenses, the camera can provide smooth and quiet continuous AF while recording video. This technological breakthrough enables the new EOS Rebel T4i to achieve AF while still retaining a DSLR camera’s signature background blur and image quality, producing stunning videos of parties, events, summer vacations or graduations.

When shooting video with Canon’s STM lenses, AF also remains silent, helping ensure you only capture the sound of the scene being recorded. The EOS Rebel T4i features a built-in stereo microphone, a first for the Rebel line, that includes an attenuator function to reduce audio distortion in extra loud situations.

Canon’s First Touch-Screen DSLR

Another Canon first, the EOS Rebel T4i includes a best-in-class Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II featuring 1.04 million dot resolution for unparalleled, clear viewing. The electro-static touch-panel screen is the most advanced that Canon has released to date with multi-touch capabilities allowing photographers to use familiar gestures such as “pinch-to-zoom” and “swiping” to scroll between pictures. Camera operation has been simplified through this feature allowing for Touch Focus or Touch Shutter controls via the vari-angle touch-screen. The vari-angle touch-screen flips out to the left and rotates 180 degrees forward and 90 degrees backward, making tough above-the-head and low-to-the-ground shots easy, and allowing improved views during photo or video capture. That means the overhead shot taken in a crowd or at a graduation march just got a little easier to shoot.

Improved Imaging Performance Features
The EOS Rebel T4i helps novice photographers capture great images and video, even in low-light with a range of new and upgraded modes:

• Handheld Night Scene
• HDR Backlight Control
• Multi-Shot Noise Reduction
• Video Snapshot
• Scene Intelligent Auto

Canon’s new shooting modes (Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control and Multi-Shot Noise Reduction), take multiple pictures, and combine them – in camera – to help capture a wider dynamic range, minimize the image grain or noise, and produce more vivid colors so landscapes and city scenes are as breathtaking as when seen in person.

Families have enjoyed coming home from a vacation or outing with a fun, short Video Snapshot highlight reel shot on their Canon camera to share the full story of their adventure. Now with the EOS Rebel T4i users will also have the option to delete, cut or re-order the clips before exporting the Snapshot album to post or share.

Canon’s Scene Intelligent Auto mode – the “green” mode on the dial – analyzes the scene being shot, taking into account faces, colors, brightness, movement and contrast, to select appropriate camera settings and help produce the best possible image. This mode has been enhanced to deliver the best possible exposure, particularly when shooting in low-light.

New STM Lenses and Accessories

To leverage the unique, new shooting functions of the EOS Rebel T4i, such as EOS Full HD Movie with continuous AF, Canon is introducing two new unique lenses, the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens and new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens. Both new STM lenses includes Canon’s new Stepping Motor technology, which allows the lenses to smoothly and silently focus, and when used in combination with Canon’s new EOS Rebel T4i Movie Servo AF feature, achieve continuous AF while recording video. The new stepping motor technology in both lenses quietly focuses allowing the EOS Rebel T4i’s stereo microphone to only record the sounds of the scene being shot.
The versatile EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens offers the right combination of size, weight, image stabilization and focal length, allowing photographers to capture wide-angle or telephoto photographs and video. This lens is a great option for photographers who may only want to carry one lens with them for both wide landscapes, and close-ups. Appearing for the first time in a Canon EF lens is Dynamic IS (Movie Shooting Mode only) that uses a wide image stabilization correction range to help ensure steady video even when shooting while walking.

The new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens offers an ultra-slim, lightweight design that helps photographers avoid overwhelming their subjects with a large lens and to remain discreet in sensitive shooting situations without compromising performance. The “pancake-style” lens boasts an aperture of f/2.8 making it an ideal lens for capturing portrait stills or stunning video. The lens is under an inch thick when attached, making it easy to carry and fit conveniently into a purse or pocket.

The EOS Rebel T4i is also compatible with Canon’s previously introduced GP-E2 GPS Receiver that can be mounted to the camera’s accessory shoe. The GPS unit was created to serve outdoor photographers; it records shooting locations including latitude, longitude and altitude, as well as camera direction. A Logging function can tell how far a photographer has traveled as well.

Availability

The EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR camera will be available at the end of June for an estimated retail price of $849.99 for the body alone; $949.99 bundled with an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens kit and a Movie Kit bundle for $1199.00 with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.
The new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens and the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM will also be available separately at the end of June at an estimated retail price of $199.99 and $549.99 respectively.

Combining the perfect blend of advanced video features and excellent still image quality in a convenient size, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the EOS M Digital Camera. Canon has made significant advancements in the realm of professional-quality HD video capture, from advanced CMOS sensor technology to smooth, quiet continuous autofocus. Inspired by EOS technology, the EOS M leverages these core technologies and distills them down to provide outstanding video capture capabilities while retaining high-quality still image capture. When shooting still images, the EOS M camera’s 18-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor provides a shallow depth of field, incredible low-light image quality and a wide dynamic range to capture rich gradation and detail.

This new addition to the EOS family offers a great solution to videographers and photographers of all levels, with two new lenses designed specifically for Canon’s new camera format – the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens and the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens– and the ability to use the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses through the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M.

“The EOS M includes a unique feature set making it an ideal movie-making tool while offering incredible still image quality on its APS-C-sized CMOS sensor. The camera’s size, image quality, advanced video capabilities and the versatility of Canon’s full lineup of lenses make the EOS M another great option to help our customers record and capture their creative vision,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

Product Specifications and Features:
• EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects also includes:
• Manual exposure control
• Multiple resolution frame rates
• Built-in stereo microphone
• Manual audio level adjustment
• Video Snapshot mode with touch-screen editing
• 18.0-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• ISO 100–6400 (expandable to 12800 in H mode) for video recording, ISO 100 – 12800 (expandable to 25600 in H mode) for still image shooting from bright to dim light and high performance Powerful DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality video and photos
• Hybrid CMOS AF delivers fast autofocus speed for video and photos
• Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation allowing photographers to use familiar gestures such as “pinch-to-zoom” and “swiping” to scroll between pictures and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive video capture experience
• Scene Intelligent Auto mode delivers expertly optimized photos and scene detection for amazing results even when shooting at night
• Advanced imaging features like Handheld Night Scene mode, HDR Backlight Control mode, and seven Creative Filters provide added versatility
• Multi-shot Noise Reduction helps preserve precious detail in photos at high ISO speeds
• Compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, including new Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) cards
• Compatible with all Canon Speedlite accessories including the new Speedlite 600EX and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT
• Compatible with Canon’s GPS Receiver GP-E2

An Advanced Video Capture Device

The EOS M utilizes Canon’s Hybrid CMOS AF system to deliver fast autofocus speed for both video and photos. The Hybrid CMOS AF system truly shines when shooting video with EOS Full HD Movie mode including Movie Servo AF for continuous autofocus and tracking of moving subjects. The Hybrid CMOS AF system is located on the CMOS sensor itself and combines phase-difference AF and contrast AF to achieve operational stability, speed and precision. The Movie Servo AF function on the EOS M is enabled by default which keeps images on the rear screen in constant focus, even before the shutter is pressed. This continual focus makes for sharp video capture in a snap or to help reduce shutter lag due to focusing when still images want to be shot. The camera employs three AF methods for video and photos, Face Detection & Tracking AF, Multi-Point AF for automatics selection and Single-Point AF, where users select one of 31 AF points. Through the camera’s touch-panel operation, subject recognition and tracking is engaged at the touch of a finger, allowing users to track subjects accurately and focus on intended subjects with ease. In addition to subject tracking, the touch-panel LCD allows for simple, intuitive operation, menu navigation and touch features making it easy to shoot video and photos.

Thanks to Canon’s new Stepping Motor (STM) technology, when using either of the newly announced M-series lenses – the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens or the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens – the AF system remains silent, helping ensure users only capture the sound of the scene being recorded. The EOS M also features manual audio level control to 64 levels, a built-in stereo microphone, which includes a wind filter and an attenuator function to reduce audio distortion in extra loud situations. The EOS M records MPEG-4 AVC H.264 video as an .MOV file in a range of NTSC and PAL professional frame rates, including 1080p Full HD video at 30p (29.97), 24p (23.976) and 25p, 720p HD video at 60p (59.94) or 50p and Standard Definition video at 30p (29.97) or 25p.

In addition to the creativity afforded by over 70 compatible lenses, the EOS M also includes Picture Style settings – including custom Picture Styles – when shooting video, allowing users to adjust color settings the same as when shooting still images. The camera also includes Canon’s Video Snapshot mode for an easy way to record and create a fun highlight reel that can be easily shared. Video Snapshot mode combines a series of short video clips into a single file, all in-camera. Through the camera’s touch-screen controls users can delete, cut or re-order the clips in-camera for quick and easy editing.

Optical Diversity: New M-Series Lenses and Accessories

Along with the EOS M, Canon is also introducing two new M-series lenses – with new EOS M mounts –that include STM technology allowing for smooth and silent focusing when paired with Hybrid CMOS AF.

The EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens is ideal for shooting video and still images. The fixed focal length lens has a great capacity for gathering light with an incredible aperture of f/2 and when combined with the camera’s APS-C image sensor, provide beautiful bright images and background blur for both video and stills. For more focal range versatility, Canon is also introducing the new EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, which provides videographers and photographers with a variable zoom range for general use with video recording or photographing. Both lenses are designed specifically for use with the EOS M digital camera.

In addition to the two lenses, any of Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses can be used with the EOS M with the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M. The EOS M camera’s strong magnesium and stainless steel frame provide the durability and rigidity to support the full line of EF and EF-S Lenses in a lightweight convenient design. Using the adapter allows the camera to be fully integrated into the EOS ecosystem of lenses, adding creative options and versatility to this powerful camera.

Ideal for use with the EOS M, Canon is also announcing a new compact and lightweight flash unit, the Speedlite 90EX, designed for the photographer on the go. The Speedlite 90EX is capable of coverage for 24mm wide angle lenses (35mm equivalent) with maximum guide numbers of 30 feet (9 meters) at ISO 100. The flash unit can be controlled wirelessly for creative multiple flash shoots and uses the standard Canon EOS hot shoe mount for compatibility with all EOS DSLR cameras and PowerShot digital cameras that include a hot shoe.

Availability

The EOS M Digital Camera bundled with the new EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens will be available in October for an estimated retail price of $799.99. Also a white version of the EOS M Digital Camera bundled with the new EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens will be exclusively available through the Canon Online store, shop.usa.canon.com.

The new EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, Mount Adapter EF-EOS M and Speedlite 90EX will all be available in October at an estimated retail price of $299.99, $199.99 and $149.99 respectively.

Reviews: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/23/canon-eos-m-hands-on/

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/03/canon-eos-m-review/

Zoho announced it has integrated its core Zoho productivity applications with Google Drive. Specifically, Google Drive users can create, open and edit files with Zoho Writer word processor, Zoho Sheet spreadsheet and Zoho Show presentation applications – all while working in Google Drive’s web interface. To set up the Zoho applications for use with Google Drive, users can add them to Google Chrome by visiting the Chrome Web Store at http://ow.ly/ch2TX (Zoho Writer), http://ow.ly/ch2Xp (Zoho Sheet) and http://ow.ly/ch347 (Zoho Show).

“Google has been excellent in creating a platform for web applications, and we have been the leading vendor in Google’s web application ecosystem, both in the Google Apps Marketplace and Google’s Web Store”

“Google has been excellent in creating a platform for web applications, and we have been the leading vendor in Google’s web application ecosystem, both in the Google Apps Marketplace and Google’s Web Store,” said Raju Vegesna, Zoho evangelist. “We are excited to take our integration one step forward by offering our Office suite to Google’s users.”

Zoho Office Apps in Google Drive

Users can add Zoho applications to Google Drive using the “Manage apps” option in the Settings menu in Google Drive. Once added, Zoho Writer, Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show will appear as options under the “Create” option, to create new documents, spreadsheets and presentations. When users right-click on individual files to open them within Google Drive, the Zoho applications will appear under the “Open with” option.

When a user saves Zoho documents, spreadsheets or presentations in Google Drive, the files are stored in Google Drive and automatically synchronized with that user’s other desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet devices – assuming those devices are also connected to Google Drive.

Files uploaded from a desktop, as well as native Google files, can be opened using the Zoho Office applications. While editing existing documents, a copy of a document is created and saved in Zoho Office formats – .zdoc for documents, .zsheet for spreadsheets and .zslides for presentations – leaving the original document untouched.

Users can also invite their Google contacts to collaborate on their Google Drive documents and edit them using Zoho editors in real time. Based on the permissions, users will be allowed to access the document for collaboration.

Pricing and availability

Zoho Writer, Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show for Google Drive are available today, at no charge. Users can add the Zoho applications to Google Chrome by visiting the Chrome Web Store at the following links and clicking the “Add to Chrome” button:

Zoho Writer: http://ow.ly/ch2TX
Zoho Sheet: http://ow.ly/ch2Xp
Zoho Show: http://ow.ly/ch347

For more information on Zoho, please visit www.zoho.com and watch “What is Zoho?” To get breaking Zoho news, visit and subscribe to the RSS feed at http://blogs.zoho.com, and follow the company on Twitter at @zoho and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/zoho.

Zoho Resources

Zoho news releases: http://www.zoho.com/in-the-news.html
Zoho product videos: http://www.zoho.com/product_videos.html
Zoho general videos: http://www.zoho.com/videos.html
Zoho blogs: http://blogs.zoho.com
Zoho on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zoho
Zoho Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/zoho

Google have announced Gmail SMS. Gmail SMS automatically forwards your emails as SMS text messages to your phone and you can respond by replying directly to the SMS. You can control the emails received by replying with commands such as MORE, PAUSE and RESUME. Additionally, compose a new email as an SMS and send to any email address recipient – who will find your message in the right email conversation thread!

You can now send and receive emails as SMS messages using your mobile phone, regardless of whether or not your phone has an internet connection, like Wifi or 3G. Gmail SMS works on any phone, even the most basic ones which only support voice and SMS.

Gmail SMS is free of charge. Standard SMS rates apply when replying to messages, creating new messages and sending Gmail SMS commands from your phone.

Read more: http://google-africa.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/send-and-receive-gmail-on-your-phone-as.html

ViewSonic Corp., announced its latest high performance, energy efficient display — the VX2703mh-LED.

Ideal for consumers, SMBs and educational environments alike, the VX2703mh-LED is a 27″ widescreen LED monitor with a contemporary thin bezel design. Ideal for both home and office, this versatile Full HD 1920 x 1080p monitor offers HDMI(R), DVI and VGA inputs with HDCP support, along with a speedy 3ms response time, a 10M:1 MEGA Dynamic Contrast Ratio, integrated power, and built-in SRS Premium Sound(R) speakers.

VX2703mh Monitor

The VX2703mh-LED also comes standard with loads of useful features such as automatic aspect ratio adjustment to ensure content is optimally positioned and sized for screen viewing, in addition to being Windows(R) 7 certified and VESA wall mount compatible. The VX2703mh-LED is as feature rich as it is eco-friendly. In fact, this mercury-free display offers ViewSonic’s ECO-mode feature for extended display life, along with an energy savings of up to 40%* when compared to a regular 27″ monitor.

“The new VX2703mh-LED is the ideal display for home and office applications, as well as web surfing and multimedia entertainment with its multiple video inputs,” said Erik Willey, LCD monitor and PC product marketing director at ViewSonic. “If you’re looking for a versatile monitor with both low TCO and high performance, backed by a display heritage you can count on, the ViewSonic VX2703mh-LED is your solution.” The VX2703mh-LED comes standard with a 3-year limited warranty, and the industry’s best pixel performance policy. The VX2703mh-LED will be available in North America in mid-July for an ESP of $299. For further information, visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on the Company blog, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

About ViewSonic ViewSonic(R) Corporation, headquartered in Walnut, California, is a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics, and communications solutions. Founded in 1987, ViewSonic’s mission is to be the preferred global brand of visual solutions as we continue to focus on display-centric product offerings including LED monitors, tablets, projectors, digital signage displays, and cloud computing solutions. ViewSonic continues to pioneer in visual technology innovation to build a connected and ever-reaching digital future. For further information, please visit ViewSonic.com.

dextr a downloadable keyboard-replacement app for Android has been released.

Text with dextr – the revolutionary keypad that makes texting as easy as A B C
dextr® is designed with you and your fingers, thumbs and hands in mind.
The keys are arranged alphabetically — they’re all where you’d expect them to be:
* The buttons are fingertip sized and fingertip shaped
* And they’re spaced one finger-width apart
* You’ll never hit the wrong key again
* There’s only one memory trick required – where we’ve placed the “Z” key

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gkxim.android.dexter

Garmin International Inc., announced f?nix, its first GPS wrist watch for outdoorsmen, such as mountaineers, hikers, cyclists, hunters and backpackers. f?nix provides comprehensive navigation and tracking functionalities as well as trip information to guide adventurers during their challenging activities off the beaten track. Its built-in sensors provide information on heading, elevation and weather changes. Utilizing Garmin’s leading GPS technology, f?nix can guide adventurers off the trail and back to the safety of a vehicle, trailhead or campsite. Sporting a classic round watch design in a high-strength housing with a scratch-resisting display, it is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions and also makes a stylish day-to-day timepiece.

“f?nix packs Garmin’s leading and trusted outdoor technology into a robust, wrist-worn GPS watch that outdoorsmen can rely on,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Being able to go hands free while still having access to Garmin’s precise and accurate information on weather, elevation and position provides adventurers the confidence and peace of mind to take their outdoor activities even further off-trail.”

Plan, Navigate and Track

f?nix includes a comprehensive navigational toolset that allows users to plan trips and create routes, record waypoints, such as campsites or points of interest, and record GPS bread crumb trails on the move (tracklogs). Adventurers can navigate to coordinates, along a track or route, towards waypoints, geocaches or along any other selected bearing. A navigation arrow provides clear directional guidance and the TracBack® function can guide one back along a previously recorded tracklog. This provides adventurers peace of mind knowing they’re never “lost” and can easily find their way back in case of an emergency or bad weather conditions. Also included is a worldwide basemap displaying cities nearby. Using the BaseCampTM desktop application, f?nix users will be able to easily plan trips and share their adventures with friends and family. f?nix is equipped with both ANT capabilities and Bluetooth® to wirelessly share tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches with other compatible Garmin devices. A Basecamp mobile app allows users to transfer waypoints and tracklogs to view them on a more detailed map and larger screen of select smartphones.

Altimeter, Barometer and Compass

f?nix is equipped with ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer and compass) to provide explorers relevant real-time information. The built-in altimeter provides elevation data to accurately monitor ascent and descent, the barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure and a 3-axis electronic compass keeps the user’s bearing whether he’s moving or not. Utilizing its GPS receiver, f?nix can auto-calibrate its ABC sensors and also auto sets the time based on location. For an extremely accurate temperature reading, f?nix can be paired with tempeTM, Garmin’s new external temperature sensor.

Measure Performance

Similar to Garmin’s running watches, f?nix provides real-time performance data, such as distance, pace time and calories, helping outdoorsmen keep track of their progress during and after their adventures. This is especially useful to keep track of fitness activities off the beaten track, such as adventure or trail running. f?nix is also compatible with Garmin’s premium heart rate monitor for heart rate info and with a speed/cadence sensor for distance, speed and cadence while on a bike. The displayed data fields are fully customizable right from the watch.

Built to Endure the Roughest Conditions

f?nix is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions, combining a high-strength housing to survive shocks with a mineral glass lens to resist scratching. It boasts a large LCD display with LED backlight and a robust polyurethane wristbands. Garmin’s outdoor watch is waterproof to 50 meters and has a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode (depends on settings) and up to 6 weeks in watch mode. Basic watch functions include alarms, tones, vibration alerts, timer, stopwatch and world clock with the ability to display several times zones at once.

Garmin f?nix is expected to be available in fall 2012 and will have a suggested retail price of $399.99. tempe is an optional accessory and has a suggested retail price of $29.99. The polyurethane wristband will be available in olive or orange and an optional leather wristband can be added.

f?nix is the latest solution from Garmin’s growing outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ outdoor experiences. Whether it’s Golfing, Hiking, Hunting or Geocaching, Garmin outdoor devices are becoming essential tools for outdoor enthusiast of all levels. For more information about Garmin’s other outdoor products and services, go to http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail/, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.

Corsair announced the Force Series™ GS solid-state drives (SSDs). The new SSDs, which offer the fastest overall performance in Corsair’s SandForce®-based lineup, will initially ship in capacities of 180GB and higher. As with other Force Series drives, the Force Series GS SSDs are based on the SandForce SF-2200 SSD Processor, but add toggle NAND flash memory to boost random write speeds up to an amazing 90,000 IOPs.i

The Force Series GS SSDs feature SATA 6Gb/s connectivity for compatibility and performance, TRIM support to maintain performance over time, and lower power operation for longer battery life. Their 2.5″ form factor, combined with an included 3.5″ adapter, allow easy installation into notebooks or into desktop PCs.

The solid-state design of Corsair SSDs enable them to deliver faster data read and write speeds which can reduce software load and PC startup times. And because SSDs have no moving mechanical parts, they help laptops run cooler, run longer on batteries, and resist data loss from bumps.

Availability
The Force Series GS SSDs are immediately available in capacities of 180GB, 240GB, 360GB, and 480GB. Prices (in USD) in the United States start at $189.99 for 180GB, $239.99 for 240GB, $349.99 for 340GB and $489.99 for 480GB capacities.