Following several teasers, Pentax has finally announced availability information and detailed specs for its upcoming 645D medium-format camera. The DSLR integrates a 40 megapixel sensor manufactured by Kodak, along with a SAFOX IX+ autofocus system providing 11 sensor points. Like many other Pentax cameras, the 645D features a semi-rugged body with 70 seals for resistance to dust, water and low temperatures.
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Jumsoft has extended its collection of images for Apple's iWork software, releasing Pages Clipart 6.0. The number of images has doubled from its previous version, from 500 to 1000, and can be used for everything from illustrating presentations and web pages to creating news letters. All images are divided into twelve different categories and are available in PDF and PNG formats. Tools are also included for resizing and rotating each image.
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The iPad, not due to ship for another three weeks, is getting its fair share of accessory launches, with several new cases from WaterField and Quirky. WaterField has announced the iPad Smart Case, a drop-in case which features multi-layered padding with a rigid insert and ultrasuede lining, along with a water-resistant exterior to help protect against damage. The case arrives with a low-profile pocket for a charger cable and comes in black, silver, red, brown green and blue. It is due to ship for $60 within one to three weeks of the iPad's initial availability.
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TeamViewer GmbH has launched an iPhone app that allows users to remotely access the Finder view on a Mac. The screen-sharing app works in conjunction with the company's desktop software which provides a unique password. Entering the info into the iPhone app allows users to access the desktop interface via any Internet connection such as Wi-Fi, 3G or EDGE.
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Macgamestore.com has launched Murder, She Wrote, a new game based on the classic television show. The hidden-object mystery game allows players to take control of the murder novelist Jessica Fletcher as she attempts to solve a variety of different homicides. The game features over 25 detailed 3D settings for players to travel through, along with familiar TV show characters Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger.
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Microsoft's decision to drop the Zune HD from its XNA development kit may actually be hints at plans for its sequel, leaks indicated on Tuesday. Multiple sources toldZDNet that the follow-up touchscreen player will be "similar to an iPod touch," indicating a more general-purpose role than the media-heavy Zune HD. With Windows Phone 7 as the only known mobile OS supported by XNA 4.0, the shift implies that Microsoft may use a variant of its phone OS to drive the next Zune.
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Autodesk on Tuesday announced Maya 2011, along with updates to its Mudbox and FDX utilities for Mac OS X. The latest version of Maya features a redesigned user-interface based on Nokia Qt, with simpler customization and dockable elements. The graphics core has been revamped to improve performance with complex scenes, while also enhancing the viewport feedback.
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8 hours ago | Posted in: Apple, iPad
Verizon tonight was caught distributing a memo to retail staff encouraging them to sell to iPad customers. The note obtained by Engadget encourages floor workers to promote the idea of using a Wi-Fi only iPad with a Novatel MiFi router. Mixing the two would not only save the $130 premium on an iPad with built-in 3G but would help users get off of AT&T's "overloaded network with limited coverage," according to the memo.
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OWC has launched its OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini 1TB portable drive, which it claims is the first ever 2.5-inch 1TB drive shipped with a quad interface. The bus-powered drive has eSATA, USB 2.0, and FireWire 800/400 connectivity in a brushed aluminum, fanless enclosure. In addition to the new 1TB capcity, the drives are also available with 7200RPM 500GB drives and solid-state drives up to 200GB.
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9 hours ago | Posted in: industry
Former Sun CEO and president Jonathan Schwartz claims to have received a lawsuit threat several years ago from Apple CEO Steve Jobs. After Schwartz unveiled the prototype Linux desktop titled Project Looking Glass in 2003, Jobs allegedly called to personally notify Sun that its graphical effects were "stepping all over Apple's IP," according to Schwartz's personal blog.
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Sony touted an industry first today as its PSN video service became the first service to get HD movies from all six major studios. Besides its own Sony Pictures, the company's deal will allow buying and renting HD on the PlayStation 3 from Disney, Fox, Paramount, Universal and Warner. No price changes were mentioned as part of the additions, but the agreement is non-exclusive.
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Progressive rock band Pink Floyd on Tuesday sued its label EMI for allegedly breaking the terms of its contract through online sales. The complaint accuses EMI of knowingly "unbundling" the band's songs by letting those at iTunes and other online music stores buy some songs individually, against terms that insist all the content of an album be sold as one item.
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UniPrint has launched UniPrint 7.0, intended for Mac network printing in server-centric physical or virtual desktop situations. It works in both 64- and 32-bit environments using a PDF-based universal printer driver, which in turn is designed for Citrix, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and other non-Windows host system servers. It allows administrators to manage a single universal print driver and, through the use of PDF conversion and compression, in theory save up to 90 percent of the network bandwidth consumed by other direct printing methods.
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Samsung on Tuesday announced it will soon release the HW-C450 sound bar for simple home theater setups. The 2.1-channel system comes in black, while the HW-C451 will be available in silver. Apart from the color, the systems have an identical 280W power rating and sport Samsung's Touch of Color design. Their speakers are grill-less, and the subwoofer is wireless.
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Apple should be able to churn out approximately 5 million iPads in the first half of the year, claims FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger. The number is higher than what some analysts have said Apple will sell in all of 2010, and is based on a dismissal of claims that the company is experiencing production setbacks. "We believe various news articles and competitor notes calling for a build delay were just false alarms," says Berger. At least one report has suggested that the delay to April 3rd is based on software issues.
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Apple could have the bestselling e-book reader of all time in just three months on the market, according to an estimate from FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger. He believes that talk of hardware-related delays from competing analyst groups were just "false alarms" and that that Apple is purportedly set to ship 5 million iPads just in the first half of 2010. At this rate, the tablet would push past Amazon's unofficial lifetime record of 3 million Kindles in just the three-month span between early April and the end of June.
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