Lumix DMC-GF1 release dates
This Micro Four Thirds model claims to be the world’s smallest and lightest camera with built-in flash and HD movie record and is suitable for both experienced photographers, with its many advanced functions and for beginners who can employ its iA mode.
The new compact size has been reduced from the G1 by 35% and its weight by 26% yet it still has built in flash, a large 76 mm (3 inch) Intelligent LCD display with a wide viewing angle and full 460,000-dot resolution, an optional EVF and impressive focus speed, also offering continuous shooting at three frames per second.
Backlight control is combined with high resolution and image quality is excellent with a 4/3-type 12.1 megapixel Live MOS Sensor combined with low power consumption. Images are reproduced with fine detail and strong gradation. The DMC-GF1 also features a My Colour mode with seven preset effects and a manual mode that lets users set the colour, brightness and colour saturation levels. Capable of recording 1280×720 high definition motion pictures in AVCHD Lite, the DMC-GF1 has a long recording time and HDMI output. It can network with other AV devices and record in the Motion JPEG format for use with PCs.
The Optical Image Stabilizer and MEGA O.I.S. helps prevent blurring and minimises hand shake when using a high powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects up to six faces in the frame and adjusts focus, contrast and exposure accordingly with the ability to recognise up to three people and record their names once registered.
Intelligent exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts exposure to compensate, preventing blocked shadows and highlights and the Intelligent Scene selector recognises the four most common scenes of portrait, scenery, close-up and low light and alters accordingly. There is also an option to use an optical viewfinder attachment. The DMC-GF1 goes on sale with two lens options of a 20mm f1.7 fixed focus lens or a 14.45mm f3.5050.6 lens and is available in October.
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Vodafone 360
Vodafone have announced the new Vodafone 360; the first truly integrated mobile internet service that consolidates and organises all your social life in one place.
Uniting friends everywhere, Vodafone 360 works on mobile phones, PCs or Macs and combines a single 3-D address book gathered from your phone, internet and social network accounts with instant access to social media sites. You can now chat on Facebook, receive status updates share photos, videos, games, music and maps and addresses or identify your location to chosen friends wherever and whenever you like.
The service links across all networks and works on a range of 100 popular mobile phones including two Vodafone 360 mobile handsets. Manufactured by Samsung and driven by Vodafone’s ‘proximity algorithm,’ these provide a tailor-made interface with a 3.5 inch high definition screen, 5 megapixel camera and LiMo operating system. You can access emails from your personal accounts like Hotmail and Gmail from your personalised web homepage with links to your favourite websites.
Contacts are organised into tiers so that the most frequently contacted are at the front, via a user-friendly, 3D visual address book; the Vodafone 360 People view. There’s also access to over 1,000 Apps, games and music. The Maps service includes a GPS that gives detailed directions which can be shared with friends so that you can meet up or search for specific locations and points of interest.
The Vodafone 360 integrates all contacts from your phone, Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk and will soon embrace Twitter, Hyves and stuiVZ. Information, emails, tags and messages are automatically backed up and updated and synchronised wirelessly between the mobile and PC or Mac giving you the confidence of knowing that contacts can easily be recovered should you lose or change your mobile.
Vodafone 360 epitomises Vodafone’s new slogan ‘power to you’ that aims to put the customer in control. “The beauty of Vodafone 360 is that all the services work together and it’s easy to use,” says Pieter Knook, Director of Internet Services at Vodafone Group, “It enables customers’ digital lives.”
A Dance with Dragons Release Date
The ongoing, award winning epic series of fantasy novels, A Song of Fire and Ice by novelist, George RR Martin, continues with the fifth book, A Dance With Dragons.
Picking up where A Storm of Swords left off, it A Dance with Dragons runs simultaneously with events in A Feast for Crows. The War of the Five Kings seems to be winding down. In the North, King Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall and vowed to win the support of the northmen to continue his struggle to claim the Iron Throne. On the Wall itself Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but has enemies to watch for. Tyrion Lannister has been taken by ship across the Narrow Sea to Pentos, but his eventual goals are unknown even to him. In the far east, Daenerys Targaryen has conquered the city of Meereen, but Daenerys’ presence is now known to many in Westeros, and emissaries are on their way to find her and use her cause for their own ends.
A Dance with Dragons is released on 29th September.
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