Introducing Comice OS 4: The Mac-Looking Linux

We proud to introduce today, February 7th, a new Linux distribution, called Comice OS, which is actually a redesigned version of the Pear OS Linux. 

Remember Pear OS? It's that Mac OS looking (see screenshots below) Ubuntu-based operating system introduced last year on our Linux section.

Well, it looks like David Tavares, the developer of Pear OS, prepares these days a revamped version of his Linux operating system, under the name of Comice OS.

Comice OS 4 will be built on top of the GNOME 3 interface, powered by Comice Shell, which is a modification of GNOME Shell to look exactly like a Mac OS desktop. It provides two views: Mission Control to view running apss and Launchpad to see installed apps.

Wait, that's not all! Comice OS 4 will be powered by Linux kernel 3.2 and GNOME 3.2.1. Will contain drivers for wireless networks and known graphics cards, like Nvidia, ATI/AMD and Intel.

One of the most highlighted apps of Comice OS will be of course the Pear Appstore, which features parallel downloading, resuming of downloads, updates notifier, cache cleaner, and one-click installation.

Included apps:

• Mozilla Firefox web browser;
• Mozilla Thunderbird email client;
• LibreOffice office suite;
• Clementine audio player;
• Shotwell image organizer and editor;
• Totem Movie Player;
• BleachBit system cleaner;
• Adobe Flash Player plug-in.

System requirements:

• Intel, AMD or VIA CPU
• At least 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended);
• At least 8 GB HDD free space;
• Supported graphics card: Nvidia, ATI/AMD, Intel, SiS, Matrox, VIA (3D desktop effects require a video card with 3D acceleration).

At the moment, Comice OS 4 is distributed only as a 64-bit ISO image burnable on a DVD media or USB flash drive.

Download Comice OS 4 right now via link below:

Comice OS 4 64-bit [ISO]

Comice OS 4 64-bit [md5 of ISO]

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Canon Goes Rugged with the PowerShot D20 Point-and-Shoot

After Panasonic and Nikon presented their rugged point-and-shoot cameras earlier this month, Canon follows their lead with the introduction of the PowerShot D20, a strange looking compact with underwater shooting abilities. 

To make the D20 better fitted for its role, Canon used a special design which enabled it to include an easy to access switch for swapping between the regular photo mode and the special underwater of snow modes.

Furthermore, the D20 has a built-in underwater macro mode, as well as a special wind reduction technology to help it capture clear audio even in breezy conditions.

Moving past the rugged features of the D20, Canon’s point-and-shoot sports a 12.1MP CMOS sensor, similar to the one found in the ELPH models launched by the company earlier today.

This is paired together with a DIGIC 4 image processor and with a 5x 28mm optically stabilized zoom lens.

The rest of the features list includes a 3.0-inch rear LCD display, 1080p Full HD video recording, and a built-in GPS so that users can know precisely where they were when they captured their pictures.

According to Canon, the D20 is waterproof to a depth of 32.8 feet (about 10 meters), shockproof to drops from up to 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) and it can withstand cold down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius).

"Whether it's a powerful zoom, Wi-Fi or waterproof features, our new PowerShot lineup empowers people to be creative with their photography,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

“There are good enough images and there are great images, we always aim to help people capture the best images," concluded the company’s rep. 

The PowerShot D20 camera is expected to ship in May 2012 for an estimated retail price of $349.99, which translates into about 267 EUR.

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Nvidia Kepler GK104 GPU Is Reportedly Smaller Than the HD 7970

Rumors regarding Nvidia’s next-gen graphics cards, code named Kepler, keep on arriving at a frantic pace, the latest of these claiming that the mid-range GK104 GPU has a smaller die than that of AMD Tahiti graphics cores.

According to SemiAccurate, some unnamed sources have managed to measure Nvidia’s GPU and after some calculation they found out that the GK104 die has between 324 and 361 square millimeters.

While this is a lot bigger than what most of us were expecting, the chip is actually smaller than the Tahiti GPUs used by AMD in the Radeon HD 7970 and HD 7950, which measure 365mm2.

No specifications were provided together with these measurements, but a previous report that arrived just yesterday indicated that the GPU included 512 stream processors, along with 32 ROP units and a 256-bit wide memory bus.

This is said to link the GPU to a maximum of 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM working at data rate speeds of up to 5.8GHz.

According to the same article, which also provided the specifications of the GK104 core, Nvidia will use this GPU for both the GeForce GTX 660 and the GTX 650 Ti, the former being expected to arrive in April 2012.

The GTX 650 Ti on the other seems to be scheduled for a Q3 release and is said to carry a $249 (190 EUR) price tag, while its older brother will sell for $70 (53 EUR) more. 

Just like AMD has done for the Radeon HD 7900-series, Nvidia’s Kepler GPUs will also be manufactured using TSMC's high-K metal gate (HKMG) 28nm fabrication process. The new graphics core is expected to be more flexible in terms of programmability than the current Fermi architecture.

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Maingear’s Updated Titan 17 Notebook Sports Sandy Bridge-E CPUs

Maingear has recently announced an updated version of the Titan 17 desktop replacement, which swaps the LGA 1366 processors used in the previous model with Intel’s new LGA 2011 Sandy Bridge-E CPUs.

The Titan 17 notebook is based on the Clevo P270WM design, which can be configured to feature Intel’s high-performance Core i7-3930K and the Core i7-3960X desktop CPUs and up to 32GB of quad-channel DDR3 memory.

In the standard configuration, Intel’s powerful processors are paired together with a GTX 580M graphics card, but for a “few dollars” more users can upgrade to an SLI setup or to Nvidia’s professional-grade Quadro 5010M GPU.

The rest of the Titan 17 specifications list includes support for up to three hard drives or SSDs, a 17.3-inch glossy screen with 1080p resolution, a DVD burner and a Bigfoot Networks Killer Wireless-N 802.11 b/g/n WiFi card.

As far as connectivity is concerned, Maingear’s Titan 17 has all the usual features found in such high-performance notebooks, including dual USB 3.0 ports, FireWire and eSATA connectivity, HDMI and DVI video outputs, a media card reader, a backlit keyboard as well as high-definition audio.

“The new Maingear Titan 17 offers the best in desktop replacement versatility,” said Wallace Santos, CEO and co-founder of Maingear Computers. 

“With the power of the latest Intel 2nd generation Core i7 Extreme Edition desktop processor, dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 580Ms in SLI and with the option to use Quadro 510M graphics, this system caters to anyone looking for the ultimate mobile powerhouse,” concluded the company’s rep.

The Maingear Titan 17 notebook is currently available for pre-order with prices starting at $3,499.00 (about 2689 EUR), and shipping expected to begin in early March.

Maingear will bundle the Titan 17 together with the Jagged Alliance: Back in Action and Batman: Arkham City PC games.

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Canon Intros New Wide Angle and Standard Zoom Lenses

Canon releases cameras on a regular basis, but this time it chose to offer a couple of lenses instead, a Standard Zoom Lens and a pair of Wide Angle Lenses.

The EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM & EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM are Canon Standard Prime Lenses with Optical Image Stabilizer.

Excelling at wide-angle image capture, they feature the Image Stabilization technology and Ultrasonic Motor-powered auto focus.

Canon made sure to implement the Optical Image Stabilizer technology as well, which enables up to four shutter speed stops of correction.

June, 2012 is when these two are set to start selling, for $849.99 / 648.59 Euro (EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM) and $799.99 / 610 Euro (EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM).

The third lens that Canon introduced was the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, for “harsh and rigorous conditions” as the announcement calls them.

With a Super UD element and two UD lens elements, it maximizes quality throughout the whole zoom range, leading to less “chromatic aberration” in the outer area at wide-angle.

The newcomer is also highly resistant to water and dust, as well as weather-sealed and equipped with a zoom lock that secures the zoom position during transport.

Furthermore, the lens coatings have been optimized for reduced spherical aberration and color balance while minimizing ghosting.

With Availability scheduled for April, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens will boast an approximate retail price of $2,299 / 1 754.29 Euro.

“Our heritage is our optics with over 70 years of expertise, we look to continually further our promise to our users and deliver the ultimate image quality,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. 

“These new lenses are powerful tools for photographic and video enthusiasts to pair with Canon cameras to help enable and enhance their creative vision.”

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Nokia Lumia 710 Call Disconnect Issue Confirmed, Bug Fix Coming Soon

Nokia Lumia 710 has been on the market for about two months now and owners are still complaining about an issue that apparently doesn’t allow them to end calls.

Two months after the official launch of the Lumia 710, Nokia has finally admitted the existence of the “call disconnect issue” and is preparing to deploy a minor software update that is meant to fix this bug.

Until today, it was believed that owners of the Nokia Lumia 710 would not be able to terminate a call even after tapping the End call touch key on the screen. According to Nokia, this is only a display software bug, as the call is in fact ended, even though it’s not obvious for the user.

The folks over at The Next Web found out that Nokia had acknowledged the issue and was already working to fix the problem via a software update.

One of Nokia's forum moderators has finally responded to numerous Lumia 710 owners complaints with the following statement: 

“One other important fact about this issue is that the phone modem is responding to the call disconnect signal from the touch display, the call is taken down as it should. The issue is that the user interface displays the call disconnect button but is should not. Consequently consumers are not being excessively billed for a call that seems to be staying up.”

However, there’s no telling when exactly the Finnish company will start to roll out a fix for this allegedly software bug. Moreover, it’s still unclear why Nokia didn’t fix this issue, as reports on this problem are dated way back.

All in all, until Nokia fixes this issue, Lumia 710 owners who experience this problem should not be worried that they would continue to be billed for a call that seems to be staying up. Well, that’s if you believe Nokia’s explanations, of course.

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Canon Intros Six New PowerShot A-Series Point-and-Shoot Cameras

Alongside the new high-end ELPS and the SX260 HS, Canon has also introduced today no less than six other PowerShot A-Series point-and-shoot cameras, which will be available starting this month in a variety of colors.

The most advanced of Canon’s new point-and-shoots are the A4000 IS and A3400 IS, both of them featuring image stabilization and a 3-inch rear display.

In the A3400 IS however, the rear screen is touch sensitive making it the first PowerShot A-series model to offer both Touch Focus and Touch Shutter shooting modes. 

To make up for this, the A4000 IS comes with an 8x zoom lens, while its smaller brother has to make do with a 5X lens.

A similar lens was also installed by Canon in the PowerShot A2400 IS and the PowerShot A2300, but in the former this also features optical image stabilization enabling users to capture sharper pictures more easily.

Finally, the last two point-and-shoots Canon has announced today are the A1300 and A810, both coming with a 5X optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD when they debut in April, for $120 and $110 (91.5 and 84 EUR), respectively.

All the A-Series cameras released by Canon in the PowerShot line are based on the same 16MP sensor, which is paired with a 28mm wide angle lens and allow for 720p HD video recording.

"The new additions to Canon's new PowerShot A-series lineup will provide entry-level users with many options to unlock their creativity and capture high-quality images at a budget-friendly price," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

The first of the A-Series cameras to arrive will be the A4000 IS, which is expected to make its entrance later this month for $200 (about 152 EUR). Besides the two entry-level PowerShot A1300 and A810 models, the rest of the A-Series cameras will be launched in March.

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Windows Phone-Based LG Miracle Leaks

South Korean mobile phone maker LG Electronics is expected to bring to the market a new handset running under Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, one that will arrive on shelves under the name of LG Miracle. 

The handset will be based on the newer flavors of Microsoft’s mobile OS, most probably Mango, though Tango could also be loaded on it right from the start. 

The new device is said to be none other than the previously leaked LG Fantasy smartphone, that was spotted on the web at the end of the last year. 

The upcoming Windows Phone device is rumored to pack hardware specifications that put it in line with the rest for the WP family. By the looks of it, it will not be able to differentiate itself too much from the rest of the Windows Phone devices available on shelves at the moment. 

Thus, we will see it packing a 1GHz application processor when released (a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU), along with a four-inch WVGA display (a NOVA display, it appears). 

Moreover, the upcoming device will be launched with 8GB of internal memory and with a 5-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with support for HD video recording capabilities. It also sports a VGA camera on the front, great for making video calls. 

At the same time, the LG Miracle is expected to hit the shelves with support for 14.4Mbps HSPA connectivity, as well as with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. 

The smartphone is also said to be packing support for NFC connectivity, something that Microsoft did promise for devices running under its mobile upcoming Windows Phone 8 operating system. 

The new device might become official as soon as the Mobile World Congress kicks off later this month, yet it will not arrive on shelves before spring. Keep an eye on this space for additional info on this mobile phone.

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Nikon Outs New Firmware for V1 and J1 ILC Cameras

A new firmware update for the V1 and J1 interchangeable lens cameras just went live on Nikon’s website.

This carries the v1.11 designation and according to Nikon’s change log it’s just a minor release meant to fix some issues that were affecting its 1-series snappers.

The problems range from a miss-communication issue with the Speedlight SB-N5 flash, which led to some images being over-exposed by the cameras, to a bug in the previous V1 firmware.

According to Nikon, this bug stopped the camera from functioning properly after switching from framing photos in the monitor to using the electronic viewfinder, or vice versa, with focus mode set to MF (manual focus) and the display zoomed in.

The firmware files can be downloaded from Nikon’s website (V1, J1), but I don’t see much point in upgrading if you haven’t run into any of the issues listed above.

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Photo of Symbian-Based Nokia 801 Leaks

Nokia has been long rumored to plan the release of a successor for its high-end Nokia N8 smartphone, but specifics on the matter have been lacking until now. 

Recent reports, however, suggest that the company might be nearing the release of this device, and that the company could put an end to any other Symbian plans as soon as the new phone arrives. 

Rumor has it that there is a Nokia 801 smartphone in the pipeline, and that it will run under Symbian, just as N8 did. 

In fact, the said device has just made an appearance online, showing an outer design strikingly resembling the Lumia 800 Windows Phone from the Finnish handset vendor. 

The new device might run under the Nokia Belle OS flavor (the Symbian Belle platform with a new name), and some suggest that it is actually coming soon. 

A photo that made it to SmartphoneGeeks, and which is said to be showing the real thing, offers us a better glimpse at the smartphone. 

Clearly, Nokia does consider the N9 design to be a great one, thus the emergence of the fourth handset to sport it (Lumia 800 and Lumia 900 were both unveiled with the same design).

The Nokia 801 is expected to arrive on shelves with a 4-inch AMOLED ClearBlack touchscreen display on the front, capable of delivering a 640 x 360 pixels resolution (a low resolution for a flagship device, that’s for sure). 

The same as Lumia 800, the upcoming device is expected to pack a 1.4GHz application processor, complemented by 512MB of RAM. No info on the handset’s storage capabilities have emerged. 

The specs list of this smartphone also includes a 12-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with dual LED flash and support for 1080p video recording, as well as NFC capabilities. 

For the time being, we’ll take all this with a grain of salt, but we’ll keep an eye out for more details on the matter. After all, this is said to be the last Symbian handset from Nokia. It might also be the last one in the world.

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More Olympus OM-D Details Emerge

With just a few more hours left until the Olympus OM-D becomes official, more details about this camera have emerged.

Just like before, these new specs were uncovered by 43 Rumors, which learned from a "super European source."

According to this latest info, the OM-D could sport a "super fast" autofocus and 3D tracking system, an external "weather-sealed" GN10 flash and additional filters.

Furthermore, Olympus’ interchangeable lens camera will also be capable of showing the effects of the image stabilization mechanism employed right through the electronic viewfinder, which definitely sounds like something that will make all of your friends jealous.

All these however will come at a price, as it seems that Olympus’ interchangeable lens creation is said to retail for somewhere in the region of $1,300, about 989 EUR.

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MSI Win U180 Cedar Trail Netbook Up for Sale

Micro-Star International's collection of entry-level mobile personal computers has just grown by one, though we cannot really say there is anything particularly revolutionary to see here. 

The company has completed the preparations for the shipping of the MSI Wind U180 Cedar Trail netbook. 

There was no loud announcement or any real effort to spread word far and wide about this consumer electronics device. 

Of course, with how sharply the popularity of netbooks has declined recently, this is not unexpected. 

There is also the matter of MSI not having put any effort into changing much of the Wind series of netbooks, design-wise that is. 

Still, the performance benefits should be visible immediately, to those who know their way around product spec sheets anyway. 

The new model is powered by an Intel Atom N2800 central processing unit, a dual-core chip with a clock speed of 1.86 GHz. 

As expected, video capabilities are provided by an integrated graphics component, the GMA (graphics media accelerator) 3650 to be exact. 

Moving on, storage space is provided by a hard disk drive with a capacity of 350 GB, while a built-in SD / MMC card reader allows for interfacing with cards from photo cameras, phones, etc. 

Other specifications include an Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, a 0.3 megapixel webcam and, of course, the 10.1-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) whose native resolution is 1,024 x 600 pixels. 

As for software, as some may have guessed, the MSI Wind W180 netbook is loaded with Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, namely Windows 7 Starter. 

Finally, the price is of 349 Euro, which more or less translates into $451. Whether or not this sum is worth it for something that soon enough won't have over Ultrabooks is for buyers to figure out. Everyone should just try and remember that even the first-generation Ultrabooks have gone down in price.

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Two New Boards from Gigabyte – GA-970A-DS3 and GA-78LMT-S2P (revision 5.0)

While the planet is still waiting for the wave of new motherboards announced at the 2012 CES and centered on Intel's new chipsets, it's really nice to see Gigabyte showing new gear. 

Well, maybe not all new gear, but in any case, after almost a month with no fresh products, this sounds really good.

The not-that-new board is the GA-78LMT-S2P, now reaching revision 5.0. This one is a motherboard designed for the AM3+ and Phenom/ Athlon II CPUs, sporting the 760G north bridge and SB710 southbridge. GA-78LMT-S2P (rev. 5.0) can hold up to 8 GB DDR3 and comes with no USB 3.0 slots or SATA 6GB/s connectors, like the new-generation boards do.

The all-new AM3+ board dubbed GA-970A-DS3 works with the same CPUs, but boasts all the new and nifty features of the modern motherboards. With a RAM capacity of 32 GB DDR and capable of running DDR3 2000 in overclock mode, this board also comes with no less than 6 SATA 6GB/s connectors and dual USB 3.0 ports.

Both boards sport Gigabyte's latest proprietary technologies and promise a smoother, faster and more stable experience. DualBIOS and electrostatic/ high temperature/ humidity protection features are also present, together with UEFI BIOS, On/ Off Charge and many more. We'll be adding their drivers in a matter of days, so stay tuned.

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Canon Selphy CP810 Compact Photo Printer Packs a Ton of Cool Features

Besides all the point-and-shoots that we took a look at earlier today, Canon has another gadget that could interest some of the amateur photographers among you, the Selphy CP810 compact photo printer.

Coming as the successor of the CP800, this smallish printer brings a series of improvements over its predecessor, such as a 2.7-inch color screen, one-button printing, and the Auto Image Optimizer function.

The latter addition is particularly interesting, since it automatically increases the quality of the print output compared to the quality of the original digital image, recognizing scenes and improving the subject by making specific adjustments. 

Moreover, a selectable Smooth Skin effect evens out skin blemishes for more flattering portraits, and manual brightness adjustment can be applied to fine-tune the prints produced.

Sounds interesting? If so, the Canon Selphy CP810 can be yours starting with May 2012 for £99 (about $156 US).

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Galaxy S III to Be Incredibly Thin When Launched in May

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung is gearing up for the release of a new flagship device in the Galaxy S line, supposedly called Galaxy S III.

The smartphone did make it to the headlines a few times before, but some more info on it is now available, complemented by details on its possible release. 

Apparently, Samsung could have it launched sometime in May, and is expected to have it available on shelves soon afterwards. 

Rumor has it that this device would pack a quad-core application processor, and that it will run under Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. 

This device will be launched as the successor of Galaxy S II, and should be slimmer and more appealing than the current flagship Android handset. 

According to ETNews, Samsung decided last year that it was high time it started to pack its devices with 10- to 20-percent thinner components than before, and that the PCB would be trimmed as well. 

This will result in Galaxy S III being only 7mm thin, it seems. The company’s currently best-selling handset is 8.49mm thick. 

However, the smartphone will feature an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, which is expected to present a bump on the profile.

The specs list of the upcoming device will also include a 2-megapixel front facing camera, great for making video calls while on the go. 

The handset will also provide users with full HD video recording, as well as with the possibility to playback HD videos via HDMI. The device might also include support for LTE networks. 

However, it will sport all of the usual connectivity capabilities found in Android devices these days, such as WiFi and Bluetooth, along with 3G, GPS receiver, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the like. 

Samsung was initially expected to make the new mobile phone official at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, but the company announced that the successor of Galaxy S II would be a bit late to the party, but that it would still arrive in the first half of the current year.

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Nokia Starts the Deployment of Nokia Belle

Nokia has just started the delivery of Nokia Belle to its users, the latest OS upgrade for its Symbian-based smartphones. 

The new platform release brings along a variety of enhancements, with more personalization options than before and with a new UI for users to enjoy. 

“Starting today, with Nokia Belle, you’ll be able to transform your Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia E6, Nokia X7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7, or Nokia Oro device, by adding a whole load of enhancements. For Nokia 500, Nokia Belle will be made available within the next few weeks,” a post on Nokia Conversations reads. 

As soon as they install the new software update on their devices, users will enjoy up to six home screens to put shortcuts on, for fast access to favorite applications and services. 

Moreover, the new OS version arrives on devices with larger live widgets display, so that users can see what is important to them directly on the homescreen. 

Moreover, placing shortcuts on the homescreen is easier than before. The same as is moving them around. 

“The new and improved Nokia Belle interface also includes new features like imaging applications with HD video recording at 30 frames per second and a visually improved browser enabling high-quality browsing and viewing of Web videos,” Nokia explains. 

“The menus have been simplified and a notifications bar has been added to make accessing key settings or features, very fast.”

Moreover, the new OS flavor arrives on devices with powerful Microsoft Apps, including Lync and OneNote. These apps will soon be made available for download on Nokia Belle. 

Today, Nokia Belle was made available in most markets, including India, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Poland, UK, Germany, Italy, Vietnam and Indonesia, among others. Users can check on the availability of the update on this web page at Nokia. 

“As Nokia Belle is a major update, you’ll need to connect your phone to a PC to perform the update,” Nokia also explains. 

For that, users will need the latest version of Nokia Suite to be installed on their computers. The software was updated last month with support for Nokia Belle, and can be downloaded via link below. 

Nokia Suite 3.2.100

Nokia Suite 3.3.84 Beta

To learn more on how you can perform the software update, have a look at the video embedded below.

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$25 Raspberry Pi Credit Card-Sized PC Available by the End of February

Looks like people won't have to wait much longer for the arrival of the Raspberry Pi credit-card sized computer, in the United Kingdom at least. 

The super-cheap and very small device invented by the Raspberry Pi Foundation (and bearing the same name) is almost ready to ship. 

It used to be scheduled for January, 2012 (last month), but the company was unable to make enough of the things, due to shortage of certain quartz crystals. 

After finally getting a supply of such crystals, which are easy to find in the UK, but not in China (where the item is made), production sped up substantially. 

Now, the foundation says that it should be done building the things by February 20, at which point it will send out shipments, to the UK anyway. 

“We’ll be airfreighting them to the UK immediately, so you should be able to buy them before the end of the month,” says this update. 

For those that need a reminder, the Raspberry Pi is a very small computer that relies on a system-on-chip (SoC) called BCM2835. 

An ARM processor with a clock speed of 700 MHz is the centerpiece and is backed up by 128 or 256MB RAM. 

The Pi also possessed an SD card slot, RCA and HDMI ports and a 5V Micro USB connector, for power. The full list of hardware details is found on this PDF. 

It is unclear how close to the original price goal ($25 / 19.07 Euro / 15.82 pounds) the foundation will manage to stick. 

That said, there will no doubt be skeptics wondering how worthwhile this miniature PC can be, even if it can turn any HDTV into a SMART TV. 

Fortunately, there is a way to get a clear answer to that dilemma: the Raspberry Pi was found to be much better than both the iPhone 4S and the NVIDIA Tegra 2 tablet platform in terms of graphics/video support.

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Canon Adds ELPH 530HS, 320HS and SX260 HS Cameras to PowerShot Lineup

Canon has just announced that it expanded its PowerShot camera lineup with three new models targeting amateur photographers everywhere, which will reach retail starting with March this year.

The most advanced of the three point-and-shoot cameras are the two ELPH models (known as IXUS in Europe), which feature Canon's DIGIC 5 image processor, 1080p video recording and a 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen.

WiFi connectivity is also included and this enables users to wirelessly upload their pictures to Canon's online portal from where they can be posted on Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube.

Specs wise, the ELPH 530 HS features a 12x optical zoom lens paired with a 10MP sensor, while the 320 HS has a 5x optical zoom lens and a 16.1 megapixel sensor. Pricing for the 530 HS is set at $349 (266 EUR) when the camera arrives in April, while the 320 HS will hit shelves in March for $280 (214 EUR). 

Moving to the third PowerShot SX260 HS, this will also arrive in March 2012 and will retail for the same $349 price as the 530 HS.

Just like the two ELPH models, the SX260 HS features a DIGIC 5 processor and captures 1080p video, but it swaps WiFi connectivity for a built-in GPS.

A 12.1MP CMOS sensor, a 10.3 frames per second burst shooting mode and a 25mm wide-angle 20x lens round up the specs list of this latter PowerShot point-and-shoot.

"Canon wants to help people capture the best images possible with the ability to quickly and easily share them with the world,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

“With new PowerShot features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, people can quickly upload and share images on social networks,” concluded the company’s rep

In addition to these three high-end PowerShot models, Canon has also announced today a new series of entry-level point-and-shoots that we will cover a bit later.

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iPhone 5 and iPad 3 to Sport "Macroscalar" CPU (Rumor)

A discovery by Patently Apple reveals that the company run by Tim Cook has recently trademarked the term “Macroscalar”, which may be related to 3D transistors as part of a new A-processor architecture, according to Extreme Tech’s Joel Hruska.

Up until now, work on Apple’s “Macroscalar” Processor Architecture has been tightly kept under wraps, but as the iPad 3 and iPhone 5 draw closer, the company is required to have all of the paperwork ready to ensure smooth sailing.

The respective trademark filing emerged this past weekend. It got picked up by the aforementioned patent-centric blog, as well as by Hong Kong‘s Intellectual Property Office.

The trademark carries an International Class covering “microprocessors for computers.”

According to Jack Purcher covering the filing, “The most interesting product possibility listed in this filing relates to voice recognition software and applications that is likely related to Siri.” He adds that Apple laid out a mind-boggling list of possibilities that involves the technology.

Some highlights of what Apple believes this processor may power over time (from the International Class Details for "Macroscalar"):

“Computer software for personal information management; database management software; database synchronization software; character recognition software; voice recognition software; speech to text conversion software; voice-enabled software applications.”

Joel Hruska believes the A6 will almost certainly be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), after Samsung handled production of the A4 and A5 chips.

The ongoing legal spat between the Cupertino giant and the Korean chip maker may prevent them from doing profitable business in the future.

The A6 that will presumably power the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3 will be a quad-core Cortex-A9 on 28nm, most experts agree. If true, it will be one of the first 28nm CPUs ever released.

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