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Adobe tests raw support for Olympus E-P1, new Nikons

Adobe Systems has released a test version of its Camera Raw 5.5 plug-in so Photoshop can handle raw images from the Olympus E-P1 high-end compact camera, Nikon's new D3000 entry-level SLR, mid-range D300s SLR, and Panasonic's DMC-FZ35 ultrazoom.

Raw images are made of data taken directly from cameras' image sensors without in-camera processing, and they offer more flexibility and higher quality to those willing to put up with the hassle of converting them to JPEG or other more universal formats with software such as Adobe's Photoshop and Lightroom, Apple's Aperture and iPhoto, or Google's … Read more

BOL 1035: Gadget of the year 2006

CNET's Donald Bell previewed the Zune HD and it brought him tears of joy. But the rest of us think it's about three years too late. We also debate the need for Google to get into the video codec game and whether you need a Pico projector in your camera.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1035

Google acquires On2 video compression company http://gigaom.com/2009/08/05/google-on2-deal/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10303488-93.html

…and sells off radio automation http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10303498-92.html… Read more

The projector: A camera buyer's next must-have?

I'm a digital-camera fanatic. I can't get enough. But as much as I love taking pictures with them, I dislike the task of showing friends the pictures I've taken--not exactly a simple endeavor. So when Nikon this week announced that it's bringing the Coolpix S1000pj to store shelves later this year, I became extremely excited.

The camera is nothing more than a standard point-and-shoot. Its overall quality won't compare with my Nikon digital SLR. But the Coolpix S1000pj has the single feature that I've been craving: a built-in projector capable of showing pictures and video in a 40-inch display.

If I decide to show friends my snapshots on the camera's small LCD display, they won't be able to get the full effect. In fact, many pictures look much different when they're finally ported to the computer.

If I opt instead to let them see the pictures on my computer, it takes time. I need to bring my camera to my computer, plug it in, and transfer the photos to the hard drive. Only then can I show them the images. By then, none of us is all that interested.

Another option is popping the SD card out of my camera, inserting it into my HDTV, and viewing its contents on the 50-inch display. It tends to be quicker. Plus, it allows anyone in the room to see them. But there's a major limitation: I need to be home to do that.

That's precisely why I think that Nikon's projector camera is such a major step forward. I believe that projectors will be the next big thing in the digital camera space.… Read more

A little longer, a little wider, a lot faster: Nikon Coolpix S640

Despite a 3x zoom probably being the best for keeping photo quality intact, it looks like a 5x optical zoom will be supplanting it as the point-and-shoot norm. Nikon's doing its part to help that along with the 12-megapixel Coolpix S640 and S570.

Both cameras measure 0.8 inch thick and feature a 5x f2.7-6.6 28-140mm-equivalent lens on front and a 2.7-inch LCD on back (though the S640 has an "antifouling and water-repellent layer"). Where the S640 pulls away from the S570 is in performance.

Nikon's claiming a start-up time of 0.7 … Read more

Nikon goes further with S70's touch panel

Looks like Ashton should've waited a year. A refresh of the Nikon Coolpix S60, the S70 is improved in almost every way, changing a decent first effort of a touch-screen camera into something usable.

Like its successor, the 12-megapixel S70 is almost entirely controlled with the touch screen, including the zoom for the 5x f3.9-5.8 28-140mm-equivalent lens. Fortunately, it's much more responsive than last time. In fact, the entire interface is improved as is the screen itself: a 3.5-inch OLED panel. The display and interface have a few new functions, too, including a tap shutter … Read more

Nikon shoots and shows with embedded projector

As we increasingly use handheld devices as the primary way to share photos and videos, the inevitable conflict arises: how do you keep the device stylishly compact while including a display big enough for the whole gang to huddle around? Nikon's the first--although likely not the last--to address the problem by integrating a tiny projector into its Coolpix S1000pj so that you can display your photos up to 40 inches tall on any surface.

The LCOS projector is rated for up to 10 lumens (brightness), with contrast ratio of 30:1 and a throw of about 10 inches to … Read more

Wrapping up Road Trip 2009

After more than five weeks and 5,765 miles of driving through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and very, very small parts of Arizona and Nevada, Road Trip 2009 is over.

This was the fourth year I've done this project, and I've now covered a fourth major region of the United States. In 2006, it was the Pacific Northwest; in 2007, the Southwest; in 2008, the deep South; and this year, it was the Rocky Mountain region. All told, my CNET Road Trips have taken me through 21 states and have covered 18,618 miles. And while there … Read more

On Road Trip, comparing simple video camera options

If you're going to go on the road for nearly six weeks, visiting some of the most interesting and most beautiful destinations in the United States, you'd better be able to shoot some video.

For me, heading out on Road Trip 2009, the question wasn't whether I'd be able to do so, but how I'd do it. In general, when I'm working on the kinds of stories I do during these projects, I'm loaded down with enough equipment as it is. So I don't want to, nor do I really have the … Read more