Cameras.co.uk reviews the Casio Exilim EX-Z77 and writes, “Overall I have to say my test shots are below average. The lack of sharpness in the photos is the biggest disappointment to me. … If you are looking for a cheaper pocket sized digital camera then the Casio Exilim EX-Z77 is a possibility. It is not the best on the market, but then again the price tag is not one of the highest.” Read more about the Casio Exilim EX-Z77 Get…

Imaging Resource reviews the Olympus SP-560 UltraZoom Digital Camera where they write - ‘Long zooms used to be 10x or maybe 12x, but 2007 was the year that Olympus introduced the 18x zoom; and before the year goes out, Olympus has rolled out an improved version with more resolution, and speed enhancements galore. In addition to its 8.0 megapixel sensor, the Olympus SP-560 also sports new features like the Effects Preview and Shadow Adjustment Technology. More importantly, shutter lag is…

Pocket-Lint reviews the Olympus E-510 DSLR and writes - “With a stunning feature set and great handling in a (slightly) beefier body than its E-410 predecessor, plus great image quality, the only thing left to want is a great price. Oh! Hang on; it has a great price too – in a variety of tasty-looking kits or body only. Okay, if you own a Canon or Nikon system you’re already locked into that are unlikely to swap due to the…

Pocket Lint reviews the Nikon Coolpix S510 and writes - “Overall, the S510 marks a small step up in terms of performance, image quality, resolution and processing but it is also a step down in terms of user control but there’s an ace in the hole that I’ve not mentioned yet. And is its price. At £199.99, it is £50 cheaper than the introductory price of the S500 and makes it a very competitive camera indeed. Brilliant build and pricing,…

Filed under: Cellphones, WirelessAlthough America’s upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction could see a newcomer or two join the fold, Canada’s auction is actually calling for it. Reportedly, Industry Minister Jim Prentice made known that 40MHz of the 105MHz of spectrum available for bidding would be “set aside for newcomers to the industry,” hinting that more competition could eventually lead to lower cellphone rates across the nation. He went on to say that the “introduction of new service providers would help to make Canada’s wireless market more dynamic, more competitive, and more innovative,” and moreover, only companies that hold less than 10-percent of revenues in that market would be allowed to bid for the luscious 40MHz segment. As expected, big boys in the biz are none too pleased about the announcement, with Telus executive vice-president Janet Yale even going so far as to say that it believed the move “wouldn’t be in the best interest of consumers or telecom industry overall.” Right.[Thanks, Andy] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: CellphonesThis certainly won’t be the first time that an exploding cellphone battery has been pegged with blame before all the facts shook out, but now it seems that the South Korean worker who perished yesterday was in fact not killed by his mobile. Reportedly, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation “said the injuries were too substantial to have been caused by a battery explosion,” and an unnamed medical examiner was quoted as saying that it was “difficult to conclude that the damage of internal organs was caused by [the explosion].” Details are still likely to unfold in the coming weeks, as it will be about a fortnight before autopsy results are analyzed and a final conclusion is drawn. Seems that “virtually impossible” notion from LG may be accurate after all, eh?[Image courtesy of Yonhap News] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, WirelessA 20-year old EU legislation is on the brink of being abandoned, and it’s good news for those wanting more 3G across the pond. Reportedly, European Union telecom ministers supported proposals to “open radio frequencies allocated exclusively for GSM mobile phone services to other technologies, such as 3G mobile data.” If approved by the European Parliament, creating a 3G network in the 900MHz band could provide “up to 40-percent greater coverage than one in the 2,100MHz band for the same capital expenditure,” according to the GSM Association. Furthermore, some 300 million more individuals across Asia, Europe and Africa could purportedly have access to mobile broadband by 2012 if operators could use the 900MHz spectrum for 3G services. Sounds good from here, but we’ve no idea how long it’ll take to hear a final decision on all this. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones
Well, would you look at that. If not for the gaudy packaging, $69.99 price tag and blatant Oasis Media branding, we’d swear the Playr was a T-Mobile Shadow (or HTC’s P3300, we guess). Yep, this knockoff does a fairly decent job of mirroring its inspirer, sports 2GB of storage and a miniSD expansion slot, comes with 35 free eMUSIC downloads and includes a built-in media player for good measure. Interestingly, we get the feeling that this thing won’t actually send or receive calls, but if you’re quick, no one will even notice.[Thanks, Rick]Update: Turns out this thing is actually the MachSpeed Oasis Video Player, and is readily available on Amazon (among other places). Still, it could stand some originality in the design department. [Thanks, Rob!] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: CellphonesJust last month we heard that there were some 2.68 billion mobile accounts currently active in the world, but a new study by Informa has found that there are actually 3.3 billion subscriptions. This number is somewhat significant considering that it’s approximately half of the world’s population, but alas, not half of all Earthlings actually own a cellphone. Researchers found that 59 countries had mobile penetration over 100 percent, suggesting that some individuals actually accounted for numerous mobile subscriptions. Sure, the figures here could be picked apart in a myriad ways, but why not just raise your handset to commemorate hitting the big three point three? You are one of them, right?[Image courtesy of W3] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones
Yeah, we did a double take upon seeing the above image too, but believe it or not, that car phone is actually a new Bluetooth handsfree system. Developed by Cartel Mobile Solutions, this in-car setup can reportedly be installed into nearly any whip and will connect up with most every BT-enabled handset. From there, it mysteriously warps you back to the 1990s where you can dial on near-Chiclet sized buttons; once the haze clears, it ushers you back to modern day by enabling motorists to chat without holding anything up to their yapper. Users can opt to wire it to their vehicle’s sound system or plug in an external speaker, and yes, that display you see does indeed handle Caller ID duties. Unfortunately, no price was readily apparent, but you can bring that 1979 Buick of yours a few years closer to the 21st century by hitting Cartel up for purchasing details.[Thanks, Mickel] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!