Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 Review, Richard Butler

Review based on a production Alpha DSLR-A350 with firmware version 1.0

Sony's first two DSLRs, the A100 and A700 showed clear signs of their Konica Minolta lineage - sharing a lot of DNA with the Maxxum (Dynax) 5D and 7D respectively. Its latest, the A350, still shows signs of that ancestry but also hints at the influences of a company with rather different intentions.

The recently introduced A200, A300 and A350 represent an aggressive assault on the entry level market. All three models are extremely close in terms of price and features (The A300 is a A200 with Live view or an A350 with a less pixel-dense sensor, depending on how you look at it). And, with the A300, Sony has introduced the first single-retailer "exclusive" DSLR: a product only sold through a single outlet, allowing that retailer to maintain a stronger level of influence over selling price.

These baby Alphas, the 200, 300 and 350, are more similar than any group of cameras in any other manufacturer's lineup, complicating the market but also offering a greater degree of choice than ever. Some existing Sony and Konica Minolta owners have been upset by the perceived reduction in features from the A100 but the new Alphas should perhaps be considered the first real Sony products, reflecting a different interpretation of how people choose entry level cameras, rather than the A100's continuation of the assumptions that underpinned the KM 5D.

Sony may be confident in its application of marketing theory, but do those theories result in cameras that will satisfy photographers as well as sales projections?

Other new / upgraded features of note:

• Live view with dedicated sensor
• Larger, articulated LCD
• 14.2 MP sensor
• New software bundle with all-new raw converter
• Creative Styles (expansion of color modes function on A100)
• ISO 3200
• Optional high ISO noise reduction
• RGB histograms
• Digital Teleconverter function

Source http://www.dpreview.com

New Dell Latitude Notebooks: No More Business as Usual

Today we’re officially unveiling our new line of Latitude laptops to the world. Based on the amount of internal buzz and the volume of work it took to get us here, this is about the biggest product rollout I can remember—besides maybe the launch of the Latitude brand back in 1994 when Dell re-entered the notebook business. Enough with the history… let’s talk new products.

We're introducing seven new Latitude notebooks today—they are the ones we build for business customers. For the entire lineup, our product teams have been focused on designing laptops that can meet a variety of business user needs. If you consider yourself a demanding user who rarely works in an office, take a look at my post over at DigitalNomads.com to better understand what mobility features set these notebooks apart from the competition.

For notebooks, thin and light is a barrier of entry. Battery life is critically important. So is connectivity. And these days, design matters more than ever. As we store more of our work on laptops, reliability and data security are also key. Our teams focused on making improvements in all these areas across the product line. Beyond that, we're also introducing new technology options like backlit keyboards, external SATA drive connections, DisplayPort capability; USB PowerShare allows users to charge mobile devices via the Latitude's USB ports even when the system is powered down.

Here are some examples about what to expect from these new Latitude notebooks:

• Excellent battery life: some system configurations can get up to 19 hours. But it's not just the largest batteries that benefit—we've made improvements on battery life whether you use a 6-cell, 9-cell battery or a battery slice. In this video, Jim Leftwich, the engineering lead behind these new notebooks, offers insight into how we did just that.
• All models offer lots of connectivity options: Wi-Fi (802.11n), several mobile broadband options, WWAN, Ultra-wideband and Bluetooth 2.1. Most are WiMAX ready, and can be ordered with an optional GPS.
• All kinds of security options: smart card and fingerprint readers, hardware-based disk encryption, contactless smart card technology. Another hardware-based security feature is Dell's ControlVault solution that centralizes user identity key management and storage.
• Centralized control via software—Dell's ControlPoint software allows users to manage battery power, network and connectivity configurations and system security settings all in one place. I'll blog in more detail about it soon.
• In the coming weeks, we will offer color options on the E4200, E4300, E6400 and E6500 in addition to Mica-Brushed Metal Black: Regatta Blue and Regal Red. The E4200 adds Quartz Pink as an option, and the Latitude E5400 and E5500 are available in Matte Black.
• Slick design that doesn't sacrifice functionality: our team focused on balancing a aesthetics with durability and functionality. Besides the looks, these laptops feature full-frame magnesium alloy construction and all-metal hinges. Take a look at this video where Steve Belt from our engineering team talks about how we tested things like the keyboards and the metal hinges on these laptops.

Source http://direct2dell.com