HI-TECH GADGETS

Here's an interesting little gadget from Swann - its FlashlightDVR is a run of the mill torch with a digital video camera built in. The heavy duty design certainly isn't pocket sized but is particularly hard wearing and aimed at everyone from security guards to happy campers who want to document late night exploits/grab video footage of the Blair Witch.

It features a weatherproof aluminium construction and takes microSD cards to expand the 128MB of built in memory. Video footage is recorded to MPEG4 format, you can snap photos as well and there are three levels of brightness to change the intensity of the bulb. Best of all, infrared sensors provide night vision up to 13ft!

Faz Colhbie, Swann Security's UK Channel Manager says "This device will appeal to a wide range of users who need a discreet system that will allow them to record video and photos during the day or night such as security guards, club "bouncers", and night watchman. It is also ideal for leisure activities such as camping, fishing or even dog walkers where a flashlight and camera are both needed."

Our first thought is to wonder how well images will appear in this sort of lighting, what with the bulb being so close to the camera. Provided they've done enough R&D though we can see this being extremely handy in some quarters, particularly if the footage is admissible as evidence against perps out on late-night crime sprees. It retails for a rather pricey £199.99 and should be available any day now from the link below. - Paul Lester

The Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph camera has been touted for its contemporary design and versatility. Unlike other digital cameras with smaller LCD displays, the Canon PowerShot offers a wide range of features, including its “face detection” capability, to ensure exquisite results.

Other aspects of this camera that consumers are raving about are the compact design, ease of use, and video components. In fact, if you are an eBay seller, the Canon PowerShot digital camera affords you the opportunity to display pictures that are clear and crisp. Providing pictures with the utmost clarity can make all the difference when selling items on eBay.

The Canon PowerShot SD1000 offers the following features:

• 7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• DIGIC III Image Processor, Face Detection Technology, and Red-eye Correction
• Vivid, high-resolution 2.5-inch PureColor LCD
• 17 Shooting modes, including 8 Special Scene modes
• ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings
• Type of camera: Compact digital still camera with built-in flash, 3x optical/4x digital zoom
• Focusing range: Normal: 1.0 feet/30 centimeters to infinity; macro: 1.2 inches to 1.6 feet/3 to 50 centimeters (wide), 1.0 to 1.6 feet/30 to 50 centimeters (telephoto); digital macro: 1.2 to 3.9 inches/3 to 10 centimeters (wide)
• Autofocus system: TTL autofocus
• Viewfinder: Real-image optical zoom viewfinder
• LCD monitor: 2.5-inch low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD brightness adjustment: 15 levels
• LCD pixels: Approximately 230,000 pixels
• White Balance control: Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H), Custom
• Built-in flash: Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Auto w/ Slow Synchro, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On w/ Slow Synchro, Flash Off
• Shooting modes: Auto, Camera M, Portrait, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Indoor, Kids and Pets), Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, Digital Macro, Stitch Assist, Movie
• Continuous shooting: Approximately 1.7 frames per second (fps)
• Storage media: SD memory card, SDHC memory card, MultiMediaCard
• JPEG compression mode: Still image: Exif 2.2 (JPEG); movie: AVI (image: Motion JPEG; audio: WAVE [monaural])
• Playback modes File: Still image: Single, Magnification (approximately 2x to 10x), Jump, Auto Rotate, Rotate, Resume, My Category, Histogram, Index (9 thumbnails), Sound Memos, Sound Recorder, Slide Show, Red-eye Correction; Movie: Normal Playback, Special Playback, Auto Rotate, Resume
• Video out: NTSC/PAL
• Power source: 1. rechargeable lithium battery NB-4L; 2. AC adapter kit ACK-DC10
• What's in the box: Canon PowerShot SD1000 digital camera, lithium battery pack NB-4L, battery charger CB-2LV, SD memory card SDC-32M, wrist strap WS-DC2, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, AV cable AVC-DC300
• Compatible with Windows Vista

In addition, taking videos on the Canon PowerShot allows you to utilize three different resolutions. They can be edited, and you can add your own commentary as well. Or, if you prefer, you can create a slide show for family and friends. With June just around the corner, the Canon PowerShot is perfect for graduation ceremonies, weddings, and just about any other occasion.

Nikon introduces The Nikon D2X Professional Digital SLR Camera.

The High resolution is achieved by an 12.4 million pixel DX Format CMOS image sensor and a new image processing engine that works seamlessly with optimized systems throughout the camera. The Nikon D2X can comfortably shoot full resolution images at 5 frames per second. With a 6.8 megapixel 'High Speed Cropped Image' mode the D2X can achieve a shooting rate up to 8 frames per second.
The camera is ready to shoot the instant it is turned on and has an almost a 37ms shutter lag time.

The new Wireless Transmitter WT-2A allows photographers to not only transmit images over a Wi-Fi network, but also allow wireless remote control of the D2X over a Wi-Fi network from a computer running Capture 4.2 software. Photographers can set the D2X in places that may be inaccessible or unsuitable for photographers, and wirelessly adjust settings, trigger the camera, and instantly retrieve the images over a LAN - Very Cool!