Around mid-2009, Pentax announced the Optio W80, a 12.1MP rugged cam that was designed to withstand drops from 3 feet, underwater dips down to 16 feet, and temperatures of -10° Celsius. The line is now being updated with the newer, tougher W90, in case you need a camera that can survive higher drops, colder temperature, and deeper water.
Earlier this month, Olympus launched the PEN E-PL1, a 12.3-megapixel Micro Four Thirds compact that should be more affordable than their other Micro Four Thirds cameras. It was expected to ship next month, but for whatever reason, they’re available on Amazon now.
If you’re one of those graphic-artist types looking for a performance notebook made for, um, graphic artistry, you might want to check out the ThinkPad W701, Lenovo’s current flagship for their ThinkPad W series. It’s actually an update to the existing W700 (launched a year ago), a massive 17-inch workhorse of a notebook that comes with a Wacom digitizer and pen on the palmrest and an extra retractable 10.6-inch screen (for the W701ds).
The 3D-capable Samsung LED HDTV series, made up of the LED7000, LED8000, and flagship LED9000 (a.k.a. “the 0.3-inch HDTV that comes with the really awesome remote”), will start shipping by March… at least in the UK, according to the announcement made during Samsung’s 2010 Forum in Vienna.
The 3D hype won’t end with video: apparently, Sony is gunning for a piece of the 3D pie that isn’t tied to an HDTV, PC, console, or home entertainment system. According to a dpreview interview with Masashi Imamura, the president of Sony’s Personal Imaging and Sound business group, they’re looking at expanding into consumer-class 3D imaging. That means 3D digital cameras for everyone (or at least everyone who’s potentially willing to spend for it) if Sony decides to follow through.
