The Fujifilm FinePix AX200 and AV100 are new entry-level cameras that offer 720p HD movie recording.

The Fujifilm AX200 is a 12 megapixel camera with a 5x, 28-140mm lens, 2.7 inch LCD screen, ISO 3200 and powered by AA batteries.

The cheaper Fujifilm AV100 offers the same core specification with a 3x zoom lens. Both the AX200 and AV100 offer HD Movie Capture, Automatic Scene Recognition, and Face Detection. The FinePix AV100 will be available in February at a price of $99.95 and the FinePix AX200 will also be available in February at a price of $109.95.

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Panasonic presented its PMA line-up showing three Lumix compact cameras each one with its own advantage.The 12-megapixel ZS7 has a “superzoom” shooting with a 12×, 25-300mm equivalent lens and is most of all noticed as Panasonic’s first GPS-capable camera. Shots taken with the camera can optionally be geotagged in order to allow iPhoto ’09 and other similar applications to map out photos.

The point-and-shoot is mostly meant to be used by hobbyists and semi-pros wanting manual control over exposure, aperture and shutter speed. The camera has relatively quick auto focus, even at the zoom’s far end (0.4 seconds maximum). The optical image stabilization is the most advanced at Panasonic, roughly twice the correction of its IS system. People looking for a slightly longer reach have an optional Intelligent Resolutions feature. It uses digital zoom and corrects for softness and the pixelated look for a maximum 16× zoom.

Video can be captured at 720-pixel in the AVCHD Lite (H.264) format and has a dedicated recording button. Full-auto and face detection features are also available on the camera that supports SDXC for storage capacity over 32GB.

The Lumix ZR3 is a simpler alternative with an 8×, 25-200mm lens and 10× with Intelligent Resolution. It does not have GPS, like the Lumix ZS7, but is significantly smaller and has a faster focus, at 0.3 seconds. It also can shoot AVCHD Lite video. Launch information is lacking.Another member of Panasonic’s PMA line is the Lumix TS2, an impressive upgrade to its predecessor in what concerns its rugged capability.

The camera features a hardened, rubber-sealed shell that is now waterproof to 33 feet and also conforms to US military standards, being shockproof to 10 feet, dustproof and freezeproof to 14F. The camera can also get a silicone jacket guarding against cosmetic scratches. It can shoot at 14 megapixels with a 4.6×, 28-128mm lens. The same optical IS, the AVCHD Lite video capability as well as other software features of the other cameras are also present.

Do you lead an extremely active lifestyle, and love toting a camera with you wherever you go? Nice to see other companies walking in Olympus' footsteps as Panasonic has unveiled its latest LUMIX DMC-TS2 digital camera which is a rugged point-and-shoot device that does HD video recording as well.

This 14.1-megapixel shooter is capable to swim with the fishes perfectly as long as it doesn't break the 10 meter depth mark, and is up to two meters shockproof - perfect for butterfingers like me. Apart from that, it will run perfectly fine even in temperatures as low as 14° F. Other standard features to make this a surefire winner for those who want a rugged digital camera would include image stabilizer, a 6x optical zoom, face recognition capability and autofocus. No word on pricing for this puppy though, but we do know it will come in silver, blue, orange and yellow colors.

Over the last few years, LED backlighting on TFT LCD screens has moved beyond tech that is found in a few high-end notebooks and other devices to being one of the more common technologies used in notebooks and netbooks at a variety of different price ranges. CCFL backlit screens are slowly being replaced in most product categories.

Research firm DisplaySearch issued a report today that claims by 2013, the penetration rate in 10-inch and larger TFT LCDs using LED backlighting will reach 74%. That will leave the minority of systems using the less efficient CCFL backlighting systems. In the shorter time frame, TFT LCD panels with LED backlighting will surpass CCFL backlit panels in the 10-inch range starting in 2011.

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Nokia is still the world largest phone maker, even if other devices like the iPhone and Android phones are grabbing most of the headlines.

The company unveiled the 32GB X6 music phone with the comes with music service late last year, but the handset was more expensive than many users could afford.

Nokia has now announced a smaller version of the X6 with 16GB of storage and no comes with music service included. The handset has a 3.2-inch screen and will come in black, white, white with pink, and white with yellow colors. The handset is good for up to 18 days of standby per charge.

The phone also has 11.5 hours of talk time and can play video for 4.5 hours per charge. The handset also has a 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash. Ovi Maps GPS navigation is also included. The handset will hit stores this quarter at an undisclosed price.

Pentax was quiet at CES this year, but that silence just ended with a bang. Today, the company announced three additions to its Optio point-and-shoot camera line, two of which offer the best-looking designs I've seen for a compact camera.

The 12-megapixel Optio I-10 ($300, due in February) sports a fashionable, old-school look akin to an SLR that has been blasted with a shrink ray, right down to its faux-leather front.

Its 5X-optical-zoom lens reaches from 28mm to 140mm, bolstered by both sensor-shifting and digital image stabilization. It also records 720p HD video at 30 frames per second, offers a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and can handle Eye-Fi cards. Ye olde Optio I-10 will be available in black and white.

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Up until recently, Sharp had been associated with rather workmanlike and not particularly exciting LCD TV's. Their affordable LE600 and LE700 LED panels propelled them back onto the flat panel main stage; their LE920 series are set to give them a real presence in the LED arena.

The LE920 features Sharp's four primary colour (Quad Pixel) technology technology which adds yellow to the three colour R (red), G (green), and B (blue) mix. Sharp say that the new screens are capable of rendering nearly all colours that can be discerned with the unaided human eye.

The LE920 also features Aquos Motion 200Hz to reduce motion blur and a new version of Aquos Net web connectivity. There will be 68in (LC-68LE920UN), 60in (LC-60LE920UN) and 52in (LC-52LE920UN) models at launch.

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Though the Samsung Stunt SCH-r100 may not be anything to write home about, those looking for a simple phone could certainly do worse. To its credit, this basic candy bar phone has Bluetooth and voice commands, but consistent to its class, a camera and music player aren't part of the Stunt's limited bag of tricks.

Fuzzy and tinny nuances marred overall decent call quality, but call volume held steady. The Stunt was made for MetroPCS and costs $39; it doesn't require a service contract.

Design - Make no bones about it: the Samsung Stunt SCH-r100 is about as basic as cell phones get. And that's fine, really, for the people who want a handset just for making calls. Standing 4.2 inches tall, 1.7 inches wide, and 0.54 inch deep, the Stunt's candy bar design is pocket-size and slim.

It's light (2.6 ounces) and narrow in the hand, but feels sturdy enough to take a few spills on the floor. We like the plastic backing with its faint black nubbles on the top portion and combination glossy and matte striped bands on the lower half--the only visual flair apart from two electric blue accents.

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Sharp introduced a 240Hz 60-inch LCD TV, the LC-60E88UN at CES 2010. The LC-60E88UN employs Sharp's proprietary full HD 1080p X-Gen LCD panel with UV2A technology and 10-bit processing for a bright and clear picture.

The new LC-60E88UN is compliant with Energy Star Version 4.0 standards and is equipped with Sharp's OPC function that automatically adjusts the unit's brightness based on the lighting of the room.

The LCD TV also is equipped with four HDMI inputs with Instaport Quick Switching. The LC-60E88UN will be available in February, pricing to be determined.

Photo: Company, Jan 21, 2010.

LCD TV shipments worldwide will total 171 million units in 2010 mainly benefiting from strong demand from emerging markets, 3D TVs and LED TVs, according to DisplaySearch. LCD TV shipments are expected to reach 36-37 million units in China in 2010, 10 million units in Brazil, and 18 million units in India, market sources noted.

Worldwide LED-backlit LCD TV shipments in 2010 are expected to reach 32 million units as first-tier vendors including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Sony, Sharp and Vizio will be actively promoting them, the sources added.

The ED-backlit TV market in China is expected to reach 3.71 million units in 2010 as local vendors are reducing product prices to stimulate sales and to compete with international vendors, the sources said. In terms of the global 3D TV market in 2010, shipments are expected to reach one million units, and Sony expects there will be a total of 30-40 million 3D-ready TVs in 2013.