jessica's blog

"This is a rugged camera? It's too pretty!" was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the latest entry from Casio. But sure enough, the new EXILIM G1 is a shock-resistant, waterproof, and dustproof digital camera. And, at only 0.78-inch thick, it is also the slimmest shock-resistant digital cam on the market today.

Thanks to the camera's two layer construction of stainless steel and resin, the EX-G1 can be dropped from seven feet and can be used underwater at depths of 10 feet for 60 continuous minutes. It even withstands freezing temperatures as low as 14 degrees!

The 12.1 megapixel EX-G1 will hit store shelves in December 2009 with an MSRP of $299.99. It will be available in black and red.Read more

The Android-powered Samsung Behold II hits T-Mobile stores today (November 18th). The touchscreen Behold II features a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, zoom, flash, five shooting modes and video capabilities. The cube menu also gives you quick access to music, photos, videos, the Web, YouTube and Amazon MP3 for music downloads.

The Behold II features built-in Google mobile services, as well as applications and games available for download from Android Market. The Wi-Fi-enabled Behold II also supports e-mail, as well as instant messaging, and text, picture and video messaging. Additional features include assisted GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, visual voicemail, and a 2GB microSD memory card (with support for up to 16GB of external memory).

Visit the T-Mobile website for pricing information.

Are the kids bugging you to purchase the new Pokemon Rumble on Wii? I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but it happens to me all the time…my son just has to have the latest game, so what do we do? We head to the store (or purchase the online download), shell out the money, only to have him play it a couple of times and then decide "oh, I don't really like it that much." Nintendo has solved this problem by offering 5 free online game demos.

This week, Wii owners who connect their Wii consoles to the Internet can enjoy demos of five games for the WiiWare downloadable game service for zero Wii Points: BIT.TRIP BEAT, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord, NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits, World of Goo and the new Pokémon Rumble. To try them out, go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel and search for "Demo."

Try it before you buy it…that sounds much better to me!Read more

TiVo today announced that they are lowering the price on both the TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL DVRs. The TiVo HD is now $249.99 (reg. $299.99) and TiVo HD XL is now offered at $499.99 (reg. $599.99).

Need an HDTV to go with the TiVo? In addition to the lower price, you can get an additional $100 off the cost of an HD TiVo DVR when you purchase an HDTV from Best Buy, bringing the price of a TiVo HD DVR to only $149.99. A subscription to the TiVo service is required and sold separately.

"This holiday season consumers are focused on giving great gifts at a great value. It's not how much you spend, but how much you get for what you pay," said Tony Lee vice president of marketing for TiVo. "The TiVo service offers the world's largest on demand video library, giving you and your family countless hours of in-home entertainment. So rather than giving a gift that will be shoved into a junk drawer or forgotten days later, give the gift that your family will use all year long, a TiVo HD DVR."

Get more information on TiVo products and service at tivo.com.

Pandigital just added two new portable photo scanners to their PhotoLink line, the PhotoLink One-Touch 5x7 Scanner and PhotoLink Personal Photo Scanner.

Ready to go right out of the box is the new PhotoLink One-Touch 5x7 Scanner (PANSCN04). You can easily scan 5x7-inch (or smaller) prints onto a memory card or PC, with no software to install. The scanner supports SD, MS, MS Pro, MMS, and XD memory cards. A 512MB SD card is included. To use, just insert a photo into the feed area and push the button to start. The result is a digital image at 1800x1200 pixels and 600 dpi.Read more

LEICA just announced a new, limited special edition of their M7 – the LEICA M7 Edition Hermès. With all of the features of the standard M7, this limited edition adds silver chrome with a choice of two calfskin leather colors…and, of course, the Hermès name. Two colors of leather are available – Etoupe and Orange. Only 100 cameras are available in each color.

The LEICA M7 Edition Hermès set includes a silver anodised LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. wide-angle lens, a matching classic round lens hood and a LEICAVIT M rapid winder in silver chrome. A leather Hermès carrying strap is also included, and it comes in a linen-covered, silk-lined box.Read more

Remember when your cell phone was used only when you were out and about, and the minute you walked in the door it was turned off? Those days are long gone. In fact, cell phones have become the main form of communication for many. VTech realizes this and has integrated Bluetooth technology into their latest home phones.

The new VTech Bluetooth-enabled LS6245 and DS6321-3 cordless phone systems can be synced with your cell phone so you can make and receive cell calls using the cordless handset. You can also use a Bluetooth headset to answer landline calls.

Up to four BLUETOOTH devices (cell phones, smartphones, headsets) can be registered on either the LS6245 or DS6321-3, and two cell phones can be connected at one time. Don't have a landline? You can still benefit by having a cordless system in your house for all of your cell calls.Read more

Dell has confirmed that they are getting into the smartphone business with the announcement of the new Mini 3 Android device. It will be available first in China and Brazil. No word on pricing or availability in the United States.

"Our entry into the smart phone category is a logical extension of Dell's consumer product evolution over the past two years," said Ron Garriques, President, Dell Global Consumer Group. "We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want."

For more information visit www.dell.com.

Are you looking to add a high-end Blu-ray player to your home theater system? Marantz recently announced a deal where you can "Get some green by going Blu." The company is offering a $100 rebate on two of their high performance Blu-ray players, the BD7004 ($800) and BD5004 ($550).

Purchases must be made from authorized retailers from November 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. Rebate forms must be sent in by January 31, 2010.

For more information on the Marantz BD7004 and BD5004 Blu-ray players and to download the rebate form, visit the company's website.

There is another Internet clock radio hitting the marketplace, the chumby one. It is similar to the original chumby device (now known as the "chumby classic"), with content available from more than 1,500 applications such as Pandora Radio, The Weather Channel, MTV, CBS and The New York Times. However, the chumby one has a few new features. It has an ABS plastic casing rather than leather, a battery option (using a standard rechargeable lithium ion battery), an FM radio tuner, and a volume knob.

Facebook and Twitter can be monitored, and photos can be shared from sites like Flickr and Photobucket. You can also watch sports clips, play games, or choose from more than 200 different clock applications to display on the touchscreen device. Read more