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Minox DCC M3

What do you get the photography enthusiast who has everything? A tiny 1/3rd scale reproduction of a classic Leica camera – that is functional and produced by a firm that has a concrete reputation in the field of subminiature photography? Possibly. What if that camera is also digital and can be used right out of the box to take pictures without the hassle of messing with 8 x 11 film… Read the rest of this entry »

Just a quick one – Dynamism is doing bundles of FlipStart accessories, so any FlipStart users seeking a spare battery, the rugged “shell” case, the Snap! camera or any other accessories should head over to Dynamism. (click here for the UK-price site). These aren’t just “a small discount”, these are seriously good value bundles of about $400 worth of accessories including battery, case, nylon case, port replicator, camera, ac and car adaptors, screen cloths and other parts for around $99. Given that the batteries alone were over $100 each, this is a no-brainer for FlipStart users.

It also looks like they have some Vista equipped FlipStarts at $999, but the $699 model is now sold out.

Following yesterday’s preview, today I got the opportunity to take the Sigma DP-1 out for a “test drive” around Focus. The camera I had access to was not a finished production model, but is very close – UK availability should be around the beginning of April, and if these preliminary results are anything to go by, the DP-1 is going to be heavily in demand. Quite often when looking at pre-production cameras there is no question of reproducing files produced by the product, Sigma’s DP-1 need have no fear.

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It’s the end of February, and once again time for the annual photographic industry trade show, Focus On Imaging. Whilst I will be covering this professionally for our print titles, I’ve been particularly looking forward to this one – as it marks the arrival in the UK (and worldwide) of Sigma’s new DP-1 28mm compact camera with Foveon sensor. I only had a short trip today, so here are the first pictures of the hardware, and a roundup of the specification.

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It’s probably something that most “geeks” will be aware of – working with computers will trash your back, make you feel unfit and is otherwise Not Very Good For You. It’s okay. Just as I’m happy to admit I can be a bit of a geek, I’m also happy to admit that I’m not in perfect shape. In fact, I’ve had some continued issues with posture and back/leg pain, similar to sciatic pain, for a few years.

A gentleman never discusses his ailments, but a blogger won’t shut up about solutions! With that precognition…

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Whilst it is not the intention of Geextreme to focus on in-car entertainment, it IS an appealing area of the market to look at, both for the sort of products you get to play with and the lack of competition! Ever since I got my first Japanese import car with a Double-DIN aperture, I’ve wanted a decent multimedia setup in my car. With the new Kenwood DNX-8120 pointing to an EU-market 8200 in a few months (sales of the DNX-8220BT are now beginning, with prices around £1,050), the existing “fully featured” DNX-7200 is a compelling purchase with heavy discounting from the original RRP.

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Whilst I intend to focus on “real content”, I feel I’ve now found out enough about Alpine’s latest additions to the IDA-X range – due for general release in the UK around April – to offer a belated news item on them. Announced on 7th January, Alpine have advanced the “direct connect” aspect of the IDA-X001 to cover a range of three models, and have refined the user interface. Read more for details of the new models and commentary!

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Following the replacement of the original radio in the Delica, I upgraded to the Pioneer AVH-P5900DVD with iPod connectivity. This is marketed by Halfords as a “made for iPod” unit, though their website erroneously stated that the necessary CD-I200 cable is not included. Installation was sufficiently simple that it was done in the Halfords car park in a matter of minutes, and as such with a wallet £519 lighter (web price at the time of purchase, now available between £470 and £600 online), I was able to enjoy AV in the Delica again. However; comparisons with the Ripspeed DV920i are inevitable, and they aren’t all in the Pioneer’s favour…
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Often the saying goes “Better late than never”, but I have already reviewed the FlipStart in print, when it was a new product first launched in the UK. At the time, I also provided a review for UK online tech publication “The Register” – which they declined to print. Interestingly despite coverage for many, many similar devices, the FlipStart has warranted only remarks about the “vapourware” nature of the project in 2004, and a grudging acknowledgement of a price reduction at the very end of 2007. Coming in at $699 now, the little FlipStart is a bargain for those that recognise the value of robust design.

With this in mind, here is the original article provided to El Reg, with a couple of changes to reflect current pricing and competition!

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On 24th January, I slipped over on a train (ambulance chasing lawyers perk up) and landed on my laptop bag, destroying my phones. Two were covered by house insurance, one was covered by Vodafone’s insurance.

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