11/19, 9:00am
G'zOne Rock touts outdoor apps, music
Verizon added a new rugged phone to its slate through the Casio G'zOne Rock. The clamshell is hardened to the military's 810F standards for dust- and waterproofing, shock and temperature but also now has six apps tailored for hiking and other outdoor activities. It uses its GPS both for a distance-aware compass as well as a pedometer; it also has independent apps for the lunar calendar, sunrise/sunset, temperatures and the tides.
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11/18, 7:30am
Casio Exilim G just 0.8in thick
Casio today added a new category to its Exilim cameras tailored just to ruggedized models. The Exilim G series is headed up by the EX-G1 and claims the title of the thinnest toughened camera: it measures just 0.78 inches but can survive drops of 7 feet and is both dustproof as well as waterproof at depths of up to 10 feet for up to an hour. Winter travelers can also use it as it operates in temperatures as low as 14F (-10C).
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11/16, 8:20am
Casio Exilim FH25 and FC150 in Japan
Casio on Monday upgraded two of its key Exilim cameras to focus on low-light image quality. The EX-FH25 superzoom and EX-FC150 compact both have backlit CMOS sensors borrowed from the Sony TX1 and can take in more light, improving the detail both for night scenes as well as portraits of backlit subjects. Both cameras accordingly have dedicated scene modes.
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11/05, 4:55pm
Casio G'zOne Brigade gets QWERTY keyboard
At a press event in New York City on Thursday, wireless provider Verizon showed off the still-unannounced Casio G'zOne Brigade handset. Photos reveal that this is Casio's first rugged push-to-talk device to flip open vertically to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. This keyboard has four rows of keys that include a shortcut key for messaging along with a dedicated row of number keys.
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09/14, 10:10am
Casio Hitachi NEC joint cellular venture
Casio, Hitachi and NEC took defensive steps to protect their cellphones today and said they would merge their handset businesses into a single joint venture. The deal leaked earlier will see NEC join an existing Casio and Hitachi venture but largely take it over; NEC will have a 66 percent stake while Casio and Hitachi will have 17.3 percent and 16.7 percent respectively. All three will share their technology, production and other efforts as part of the deal.
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08/31, 9:25am
Casio Exilim Z280 and Z33
Casio became the second camera maker to refresh its line on Monday with two new Exilim Zoom models for newcomers in the US. The EX-Z280 tops these with a Exilim Engine 4 processor that the company claims produces better image quality while also extending battery life. It further brings features that weren't an option before, including 720p video recording and a new version of Dynamic Photo that embeds animated clip art on-camera.
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08/28, 8:55am
Casio Hitachi NEC Rumor
Three of Japan's major cellphone makers are nearing a joint venture that would create one of the largest companies of its type, sources said on Friday. Contacts for the WSJ believe Casio, Hitachi and Sharp are in talks to create a phone-only firm that would launch by April 2010. The project would be an attempt to consolidate businesses after the combination of economic fallout and a largely saturated Japanese cellphone market, where such a high percentage of residents own cellphones that handset designers are often competing for upgrades rather than new users.
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08/18, 8:00am
Casio Exilim Z450 and Z90
Casio this morning upgraded its Exilim Zoom compacts with two new models that focus on software, not hardware. The EX-Z450 and EX-Z90 both have an Intelligent AF addition that can recognize many objects in a scene, not just humans, and automatically tune both focus and exposure to capture what it believes is the right subject. They also have a new Dynamic Photo compositing mode that can cut out a moving subject and put it in another shot by taking a single photo with a solid-hued background.
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07/20, 4:35pm
Upcoming Verizon phones
A list of upcoming handsets due out soon at Verizon Wireless has been outed by a Verizon insider, according to a weekend PhoneArena report. All are expected to be available later this year, and among them is the LG Chocolate Touch VX8575, which is expected to sport a full touchscreen interface and may turn out to be the previously leaked BL40. Rumors of the BlackBerry Storm 2, aka 9550, have also been well documented, with the device expected to arrive sometime around October or November.
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06/17, 9:40am
Casio XJ-S43W Projector
Casio on Wednesday launched an update to its slim projector line with a lone but important model, the XJ-S43W. The new DLP unit is now much friendlier to widescreen notebooks and HD sources with a 1280x800 native resolution. It's also now brighter and generates as much as 2,500 lumens with a 1,800:1 contrast ratio. Size remains the selling point as the system is just under 1.7 inches at its thickest point and less than 1.3 inches at its best.
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06/11, 7:35am
Casio Exilim EX H10
(Updated with US launch info) Casio on Thursday ventured into compact but high-zoom cameras with the advent of the EX-H10. The 12.1-megapixel point-and-shoot is centered on a 10X, 24-240mm equivalent that both permits long range as well as wide-angle shots up close. Its battery is as much of a strong point: through a combination of increased capacity and power-saving refinements, the H10 can last for about 1,000 shots before it needs a recharge, or almost three times longer than a typical compact.
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06/10, 9:40am
Casio Exilim at Verizon
Verizon today officially launched the Casio Exilim. As the first camera phone from Casio for the provider, the Exilim has a 5.1-megapixel sensor like some rivals but also a real 3X optical zoom that lets it crop the shot without losing detail. Its clamshell display also swivels around to give photographers a large display for previewing the shot while still holding the phone like it was a dedicated camera.
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06/10, 9:05am
Eye-Fi Pro Card
Eye-Fi this morning launched the Eye-Fi Pro, its first SDHC card geared towards owners of entry- to mid-range DSLRs and semi-pro compacts. The 4GB card can now transfer RAW files over Wi-Fi directly to a computer or to one of the multiple photo websites the company already supports. It also adds a unique ad hoc mode that creates a peer-to-peer connection directly between the card-equipped camera and a Mac or Windows PC, bypassing the need for a network router that might not be available at a live photo shoot.
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05/28, 5:05pm
Exilim C721 specs leaked
Pricing and full specs of the rugged Casio Exilim C721 handset, first spotted early in April, were leaked on Thursday. The device will come to wireless provider Verizon on June 10th, and is equipped with a 5.1-megapixel autofocus camera with video recording capabilities, flash, image stabilization and 3x optical zoom. The phone is also rugged, meeting 810F military specifications for resistance to water, fog, shock, salt, dust, altitude and temperature extremes.
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05/20, 3:50pm
Sony TransferJet tech due
Sony is bringing its TransferJet wireless data transmission technology closer to production by announcing recently it is now accepting licensing applications from interested companies. A Wednesday report has Sony taking "adopter" membership from companies that are interested in incorporating TransferJet into their products. TransferJet, which operates on a 4.5GHz radio frequency, lets users transfer data between portable devices at up to 375Mbps when they are about an inch apart. It is faster than wired USB 2.0 and FireWire connections and is supported by Japan, the US, European Union members and South Korea.
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04/10, 1:55pm
Casio Exilim C721 Teaser
An upcoming Casio cameraphone for Verizon has been teased through a pair of videos [since pulled] posted to YouTube and promoted by PR reps. The Exilim C721 should be one of Verizon's first phones from Casio that isn't designed solely for ruggedness and, matching the Exilim camera name, would have a 5.1-megapixel sensor. Little else is known, though the clamshell design has a semi-hidden external display for calls.
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03/03, 9:00am
Casio Exilim Z29
Casio this morning gave the Exilim Zoom a new entry-level model in the EX-Z29. The camera has a now standard 10-megapixel sensor with a 3X zoom lens but is designed to both be easier to carry and now comes with 23 presets (dubbed Best Shot modes) to simplify shooting under specific conditions. Casio relies solely on DSP-based stabilization to reduce blurring but adds face detection, 16:9 video recording and a full-auto mode for absolute beginners.
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01/29, 3:40am
Casio touchscreen handset
Casio, together with KDDI, has recently unveiled the CA001 handset, equipped with a 3.1-inch, 854x480 resolution touchscreen display among many other features. It's the first Casio handset to run on KDDI's 3G CDMA 1X WIN network, allowing download speeds of up 2.4Mbps. The flip phone is double hinged, allowing the screen to be rotated towards the outside and fold back into the handset, similar to a tablet PC's operation.
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01/07, 4:35pm
Casio at CES 2009
Casio today upgraded its Exilim cameras with the first two point-and-shoot cameras ever to shoot at extremely high frame rates. The EX-FC100 and EX-FS10 both take conventional pictures at 9 megapixels but have a new imaging engine that can record lower-resolution videos at up to 1,000 frames per second, allowing extremely slow motion footage despite the cameras' compact footprints. They can also step down to 6 megapixels to burst shoot at 30 frames per second and will record 720p movies at the same speed.
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12/29, 3:15am
Casio Exilim leaked photos
Alleged images of the rumored Casio Exilim NX-9250 phone have emerged, adding reinforcement to recent reports that the mobile device is on its way to the North American market. FCC filings suggest that the phone will feature support for CDMA 800/1900, EVDO Rev A radio and Bluetooth. If genuine, the photos indicate that a 5.1-megapixel has been chosen for capturing pictures or video. The phone is likely to use a WVGA screen and also may offer 3x optical zoom.
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12/12, 4:20pm
Casio Exilim phone spotted
A recent series of FCC preliminary filing reports hints at the upcoming release of a Casio handset, the Exilim NX-9250, for the North American market. Little is known about the handset apart from its use of a CDMA 800/1900 with EVDO Rev A radio along with Bluetooth support. The Exilim name is used on Casio's digital cameras and camera-equipped handsets in Japan, along with the recently introduced W63CA handset which sports an 8.1-megapixel camera, leading many to believe the NX-9250 will likewise sport a multi-featured and high megapixel count shooter.
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10/27, 4:50pm
Casio intros 8.1MP handset
Casio, in conjunction with KDDI AU, on Monday announced the upcoming release of the EXIFILM-series W63CA flip phone that features one of the most advanced cameras in the industry, with an 8.1-megapixel camera carrying a nine-point autofocus and a wide-angle mode. The CDMA handset also sports a 3.1-inch, 480x800 OLED screen that rotates in the same fashion as a tablet PC's screen and can be left facing outside so users can enjoy streaming video provided by the phone's 1Seg support in Japan.
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09/25, 8:35am
Casio 546DPI 2 inch LCD
Casio on Thursday unveiled what it says is the sharpest display yet and took significant steps towards making HD video possible on mobile devices. Although measuring just two inches diagonally, the display uses a new hyper amorphous silicon LCD with an extremely small pixel structure and 15.5 micron dot pitch that lets Casio produce a 960x540 resolution. The output is a full quarter that of 1080p HD and results in an extremely dense 546 dots per inch, generating a near print-like quality to the final image.
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09/16, 9:40am
Casio EX-FH20 unveiled
Casio on Tuesday unveiled the Exilim EX-FH20, a lower-end alternative for the Pro EX-F1. It offers users a higher-resolution 9.1 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor focused through a 20x lens but also makes a slight degradation in continuous frame rate, dropping from 60 frames per second for the F1 to 40 (at seven megapixels) in the FH20. The ultra-quick burst movie mode has likewise dropped from 1200 frames per second to 1000. The EX-FH20 nonetheless keeps sensor-shift image stabilization and a pre-shot buffering ability to capture the moment just before the shutter press.
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08/20, 8:00am
Casio Exilim Z300 Z250 Z85
Casio today began its prelude to the Photokina show with three new Exilim cameras for the US and elsewhere, two of which introduce a new automatic image tuning feature. The Zoom series tops out with the 10.1-megapixel EX-Z300 and the 9.1-megapixel EX-Z250, both of which include a new Makeup feature: the optional setting can dynamically improve the look of faces in portrait shots by either eliminating blemishes or reducing the impact of long shadows. They can also automatically correct overly dark faces or stitch together three shots to simulate a long exposure time.
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08/19, 3:10pm
Casio PCP-1200 and 250
Casio Japan today hoped to stand out against traditional digital photo printers by launching two with much more control over editing images than before. The PCP-1200 and PCP-250 both have a QWERTY keyboard that permits comments and other text overlays for photos and also enables content creation that would be impractical on photo printers using only a touchscreen, such as calendars.
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07/29, 10:10am
gzOne Boulder VZ Launch
Verizon today quickly followed up Casio's news of the g'zOne Boulder with its own official launch information. The ruggedized device will ship in black and orange models and is now known to support Verizon's Rhapsody access for unlimited subscription music as well as VZ Navigator for the phone's GPS mapping feature. Verizon also confirms that the phone's signature push-to-talk feature uses faster EVDO Revision A data and can be added to any phone that technically supports such a feature.
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07/23, 4:20pm
E Ink displays in phones
E Ink Corporation announced on Wednesday that both Casio and Hitachi will use its E Ink Vixplex Imaging Film for the outside displays of their upcoming clamshell cellular phones. The company specializes in electronic paper display technologies, and promises its technology will decrease the energy used by the devices. While the Hitachi W61 was previewed back in January, the Casio Model G’zOne is all new.
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07/14, 7:55am
Casio Exilim Z-150
(Updated with US launch info) Casio on Monday unveiled the Exilim Zoom Z-150. Although relatively low resolution at 8.1 megapixels, the camera compensates for this with a 28mm, 4X zoom wide-angle lens that both shoots further and captures more of the subject. Image stabilization is onboard, as is Casio's frequent YouTube video mode that captures video that can easily be uploaded to the video website.
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07/07, 4:05pm
Casio EX-F1 firmware V1.10
Casio America announced today it will make its Firmware Ver. 1.10 available on July 8 for its EXILIM Pro EX-F1 digital camera. Among the features unlocked by the update will be a unique Prerecord Movie function that will enable video recordings to start five seconds before users press the record button. The Prerecord function will work with all of the camera's movie modes, including 30 fps Standard, 300, 600 and 1200 fps High Speed and High Definition modes. Casio did not reveal how the Prerecord Movie function works.
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06/19, 12:30pm
New Casio XJ projectors
Casio has revealed information on a new Pro-Series group of Super Slim projectors. The base-level systems fall under a "Super Colorä" line, and are said to have a higher level of color accuracy than previous Super Slims, with a 10 percent larger chromacity region. The units have a 2x optical zoom, a native resolution of 1024x768, and a contrast ratio of 1,800:1, achieved through a 2,500-lumen lamp. Of the two the XJ-SC215 also has a built-in USB host, which lets users view converted PDF, JPEG, BMP and AVI files directly from a flash stick.
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06/02, 10:45am
Verizon Leaks Treo 800w
A set of slides leaked today via Engadget Mobile has detailed many of Verizon's phone plans for the next few months, including new smartphones. One image confirms that the US carrier will pick up the Palm Treo 800w and verifies virtually every detail of the device, including its being Palm's first phone with EVDO Revision A for faster 3G access as well as Wi-Fi, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and 256MB of permanent storage in addition to a microSD slot. The new Treo is due in the summer and may launch near the Sprint version.
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03/06, 10:00am
Casio EX-Z9 Camera
Casio today took advantage of the quiet camera market for the launch of the EX-Z9, a new entry model for its Exilim Zoom series. The 8.1-megapixel camera is said to be more portable than previous Exilims in the category and now has 23 separate Best Shot presets that fine-tune the settings without requiring an experienced user; as with past models, the Z9 also has a fully automatic Easy Mode that takes control of all settings except for flash use, resolution, and the timer.
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01/06, 3:45pm
Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1
Helping to kick off CES, Casio today released a sweeping change to its Exilim cameras aimed alternately at budding professionals and home users invested in the iTunes and iPod ecosystems. Previewed in early form at German's IFA last year, the Exilim Pro EX-F1 is not only the company's first semi-professional camera but also the fastest in the world, according to the camera maker. In still photo mode, the EX-F1 can shoot at an unprecedented 60 frames per second; though it cannot hold this rate, it can adjust the frame rate on the fly, extending shooting time while still offering a frame rate as good or better than more expensive pro models. It also offers a 1,200 FPS video recording mode for very slow motion photography without specialized equipment, Casio notes.
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