panasonic lumix dmc-zr1 digital camera

Crave giveaway of the day: Targus Crave laptop bag

For today's giveaway, we have the Targus Crave laptop bag. (The "Crave" moniker is just a happy coincidence--it's not related to this blog in any way.) The model in question is the TSB158US laptop backpack, which can accommodate laptops with wide screens up to 16 inches in size. The bag also sports a water-resistant cover and bottom, as well as double foam padding along the laptop compartment for maximum protection.

So, how do you try to win this Targus Crave laptop bag? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a … Read more

Crave giveaway of the day: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 digital camera

For today's giveaway, we've got the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 digital camera. When Josh Goldman reviewed it just a few weeks ago, he praised this 12-megapixel megazoom for being simple to use and for delivering excellent performance and photo quality. Normally, the camera goes for between $230 and $280. But the folks at Willoughy's have supplied us with one to give away to our readers for free.

So, how do you try to win this Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

Lens design gives Panasonic ZR1 more zoom in less space

Every round of releases from Panasonic's digital camera division gets more interesting. Case in point, the very compact 12-megapixel Lumix ZR1 features a 25-200mm-equivalent lens with an 8x zoom. The extended zoom is courtesy of a new aspherical lens design for digital cameras that makes the elements just 0.3-millimeter thick. This allows for a 1-inch body depth and a weight of 5.6 ounces with battery and SD/SDHC card.

According to Panasonic, the camera is very fast because of a revamped high-speed auto focus system and a start-up time of only 1.1 seconds (very good for … Read more