Tuesday focus: Gadgets
Sony’s new DSC-W230 Cyber-shot camera doesn’t just look smart; it acts smart, too.
When set on auto mode, the 12.1-megapixel camera can detect up to five scenes and adjust its settings accordingly. Not only can the camera detect faces, but it can also be set to automatically take a photo whenever a smile lights up the subject’s face.
The camera has a 4x optical zoom lens, an image stabilizer and a 3-inch LCD screen. Available in silver, black, blue and red, it will go on sale this spring for $200. Other new Sony cameras with similar smart features will also be available then.
www.sonystyle. com/retail
Electronic doodling: You can doodle electronically with a lap-sized drawing pad from Genius. The G-Pen F-509 media tablet includes a 5.25-inch- by-8.75-inch work area, a cordless pen and programmable shortcut keys for Office, Internet and Vista functions. Priced at about $110, the drawing pad connects to a computer via a USB connection.
www.geniusnet usa.com
Eyeball “sees” on command: The Blue Eyeball-HD Webcam makes it easy to share online video and audio with your friends through an online connection.
Simply attach the mini Web camera to your laptop or desktop monitor and connect it to a computer via a USB port. Capable of delivering CD-quality audio and high-definition video, the webcam has a microphone and a retractable camera lens that prevents accidental recordings. It costs $100.
www.bluemic. com
Notebooks for work and play: Gateway’s new TC Series Notebook provides plenty of entertainment options.
You can watch movies on its super-bright high-definition 14-inch wide-screen backlit display. Or if you’re feeling creative, you can make your own recordings with its 1.3-megapixel Web cam and built-in microphone.
The laptop also sports a five-in-one media card reader, three USB ports, wireless connectivity, a 2-gigahertz processor, four gigabytes of memory, a six-cell lithium ion battery and a DVD burner with a DVD-RAM drive.
The black TC7306u model and the burgundy TC7307u model cost $650 each. Other configurations are available.
www.gateway. com
Associated Press