HP photosmart r937 digital camera

Overview
The HP Photosmart R937 Digital Camera takes photos to the next level with a large, 9.14cm (3.6-inch) interactive touchscreen and superior 8-megapixel resolution. Ideal for those on the go – this stylish, remarkably thin camera easily slips into a pocket or purse. Users can apply creative touches, easily organise photos with Microsoft Vista™-compatible tags, add e-mail addresses for easy sharing and create slide shows – all in the camera. In addition, the HP Photosmart R937 Digital Camera includes the latest HP Design Gallery features such as industry-leading in-camera red-eye removal,(1) pet-eye fix, slimming, HP steady photo anti-shake and HP touch-up to ensure subjects look their best.
Key Features and Benefits
• Take superior photos that can be cropped or enlarged with 8-megapixel resolution and Fujinon 3x optical zoom.
• View photos easily – indoors or out, using an energy-efficient 9.14cm (3.6-inch) Auto-bright Display.
• Edit and organise photos directly from the easy-to-use, interactive touchscreen – no PC needed.
• Enjoy quick photo organisation for easy sharing using the in-camera, Microsoft Vista™-compatible tagging feature and touchscreen menus.
• Easily add e-mail addresses or tags to the camera simply by tapping the virtual keyboard.
• Get the photo intended with HP Design Gallery’s industry-leading in-camera red-eye removal(1) and pet-eye fix.
• Slim subjects and remove blemishes – in camera – with a unique slimming feature and HP touch-up.
• Add on-camera personal touches to photos using borders, colours and effects.
• Get more detailed photos with new automatic HP steady photo anti-shake mode and HP adaptive lighting technology.
• Stitch panoramic photos and save them for viewing and easy printing – no PC necessary.
• Catch gripping action shots with minimal delay with the easy-to-use burst mode.
• Capture spontaneous memories in high-quality video with audio.
• Snap a photo and mark it for e-mail right on the display, using HP Photosmart Share.
• Includes everything needed to start taking photos right out of the box, including a long-lasting, rechargeable battery and 32MB of internal memory.
• Effortlessly share, save and print photos, plus order prints online, using HP Photosmart Express.
• Order brilliant prints online through Snapfish by connecting to a PC. (2)
• Microsoft Windows Vista™ ready.
Additional Features
• Meets HP’s General Specification for the Environment, which includes compliance with the EU ROHS Directive (focus: lead, cadmium, mercury, PBB, PBDE). (3)
Spend more time shooting and sharing photos by quickly charging the HP Photosmart R937 Digital Camera’s high-capacity, lithium-ion battery in one hour or less(5) with the optional HP Photosmart Quick Recharge Kit for R-series cameras. (4)

© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Care key in camera cleaning

By ANDRE BOILY

If you own a reflex digital camera, changing the lens means exposing the bottom of the casing to airborne particles each time. As a result, small stains can end up marring all of your pictures. Cleaning the camera is relatively easy, but is a job you have to handle with the utmost care.

You just purchased a splendid reflex digital case, two or three lenses, a two GB memory card ... Kudos! You'll love the results and the ease with which you'll always take great pictures. Yet this type of device calls for a bit of maintenance. You need to clean the CCD or CMOS sensor, or more specifically the filter that's right in front of it.

Before moving ahead, if you own a compact digital camera, the odds you'll soil the sensor are nil; the lens sticks together with the casing. Otherwise, if you own a reflex with only one lens, you need to avoid disassembling it at all costs, because you'll end up unnecessarily exposing the sensor's filter to particles.

There are two schools of thought in the quest to eradicate dust -- those who can't tolerate it and clean their filter regularly, and those who could care less. Admittedly in the latter category, expert Ken Rockwell -- whose knowledge of the reflex and its lenses is vast-- --- never once touched the filter in his innumerable casings. When push comes to shove, he simply uses a quick air jet to evacuate the dust.

To check out whether there is dust on the filter, the method remains rather simple. All you have to do is take a picture using a very small aperture (f22) and target the skies (a nice blue spot or a pretty white cloud) or any very luminous and solid space, such as a light box, for instance. Take the same picture twice more, setting the aperture to f12, then f6.

Load these three images in your computer, zoom the f22 picture 100% and, if your camera is infiltrated by dust, you'll see small stains. I've got a good dozen on my sensor. But at f12, I can only see half, and at f6, zip!

Why? Because the filter is housed a certain distance away from the sensor, and when the aperture is large -- when the depth of field is short -- the light reaches the sensor at many angles. Worst case scenario, on a 8" x 12" picture with a beautiful blue sky, a "noisy" image will show tiny dots that look like birds are far away in the background.

As mentioned in the intro, cleaning remains a simple task, but you better know exactly what you're doing. Improper cleaning may prove as expensive as your casing was. You would therefore be wise to read the cleaning product instructions a few times or to ask someone to show you how it's done. Having your camera cleaned in a store is a bit steep -- around $100 -- and your casing is often sent to specialists, so you're left without your favourite toy for anywhere from 10-15 days.

All in all, there are two types of relatively affordable solutions: For the first variation, moistened brushes or pads are used to sweep the filter surface. For the second, this is done either by blowing or vacuuming air -- this method is simpler, but a bit less effective against more stubborn particles. In both cases, the product you purchase is good for a dozen uses and only costs $30-$75. A $10 manual air gun is a good place to start.

One of the best websites around to get more info is CleaningDigitalCameras.com. You'll find a host of detailed explanations. On VisibleDust.com, a Canadian site, you can watch a video on the moist pad cleaning method. When it comes to shopping, though, the site is unfortunately badly disorganized.

But the very first thing you should do is read the manual on how to clean your reflex's sensor. To reach it, you must follow the procedure so that the mirror and shutter remain open during cleaning -- and this is precisely when the sensor is the most vulnerable to dust. Knowing this is already a step halfway up the learning curve!

DIGITAL CAMERA SENSOR CLEANING SUPPLIES

PRODUCT Green Clean Sensor Swab Arctic Butterfly Sensor Brush Bundle DSLR Clean

METHOD Vacuum Moist sweeping pad Wet and dry cleaning kit Cleaning pads

PRICE $90 $68 $250 Approx. $40 for 10

WEBSITE green-clean.at photosol.com/world_dealers.htm visibledust.com intemos.c om

Sony Ericsson K770 Phone Cum Digital Camera!

Thursday, August 16, 2007: Sony Ericsson has launched K770 Cyber-shot -- a digital camera, a photo album and a phone all-in-one. At 14.5mm slim and finished in Truffle Brown, K770 can take pictures which can be printed up to A4 size. The camera can also be used for video and comes with a powerful photo light for indoor photo-taking and filming.
Speaking on the launch, Helene Barnekow, head, central marketing, Sony Ericsson, said, "If you like the idea of having a snapshot camera on your phone and want shots that look good in your family album, then K770 is perfect. The real beauty of K770 is that you can let your friends and family share your experiences. Once you’ve captured the moment, it’s easy to print the picture or upload it immediately to your personal on-line gallery."

Once in camera mode, the 1.9" screen becomes the viewfinder, the Cyber-shot based menu becomes visible and you’ll also see eight lit icons appear across the phones keypad. These serve as 1-click shortcuts to each of the camera’s key functions, such as picture size and photo light. If you want a spontaneous snapshot and the light conditions are poor, simply select Photo fix for PC-free photo editing on your phone.

The K770 phone features 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, supports Memory Stick Micro (M2) and comes with a 256 MB memory card where one can store up to 200 photos. With in-built media player, the phone has FM radio with RDS. The Stereo Bluetooth Headset HBH-DS200 can be auto-paired with K770 and offers up to 6 hours of talktime or music listening time.

K770 is a GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 and UMTS 2100 phone that will be available in selected markets from autumn 2007.