TechLounge

Sony is set to release their new 10.1 megapixel Cybershot camera in September, the DSC-T77. The super slim (measuring just 15mm thick) and sleek design will be available in five colours; Silver, Black, Pink, Green and Brown and offers a huge 10.1 megapixels and a 3 inch touchscreen display.

The DSC-T77 also features a Carl Zeiss lens with 4X optical zoom, SteadyShot for those shaky hands, smile shutter and enhanced face detection and scene recognition. Included in the camera is 15MB of internal memory and a Memory Stick Duo card slot for up to 4GB.

The Sony DSC-T77 is sure to be a crowd pleaser with enhanced features like, Smile Shutter which detects a smile before taking a picture, face detection that optimises focus and white balance for clear portraits and SteadyShot image stabilisation for anti-blur images. The images are also stored in individual folders for easy navigation.

The DSC-T77 has a HD output to view images on your TV and with 10.1 megapixels; pictures can easily be sized to A3 and beyond without losing clarity. Due out in early September, price is to be confirmed.

Tired of having lots of wires and boxes connected to your television? Sharp has the answer with its new home cinema rack, the ANPR1500H. Not just content in being a TV stand capable of holding a screen up to 46 inches, the ANPR1500H also boasts an upscaling DVD player, 2.1 speaker system with 300 watts of output, HDMI and scart interfaces and USB connectivity.

The DVD player is able to play DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA and is Divx compatible. The ANPR1500H also features a Radio/Alarm clock and has a handy shelf underneath for any additional items you have like a Sky box or games console.

The Sharp ANP1500H comes in a sleek gloss black finish, so it will fit in with your existing products. Available direct from the Sharp website now for £599.

Samsung have announced that their new 8 megapixel camera phone, the Innov8 or i8510 will be released in the UK later this month. Built on the Symbian OS system, this powerhouse of a phone is one of the most advanced phones that Samsung have made and is set to go head on with the Sony Ericsson C905.

The Samsung Innov8 is a slider phone featuring a 2.8 inch QVGA screen, Wi-Fi, GPS and a massive 8 megapixel camera. The camera itself has features taken from Samsung’s highly popular digital camera range including an image stabiliser, face detection and a wide dynamic range, plus a dual powered LED flash for low light pictures.

The phone is Wi-Fi ready and features HSDPA for super fast internet connection and is capable of playing Divx, WMV, H.263 and H.264 video files and MP3, AAC, WMA and AMR audio files. The Samsung Innov8 has a 16GB internal hard drive and a microSDHC card slot for an additional 16GB.

Information on the Innov8’s price and networks are still to be confirmed, but expect it to show up soon on the networks websites.

Ixos have extended their HDMI range with the introduction of their new HDMI Adapters the XS118 and XS218 adapters. The XS118 and XS218 are ideal for side mounted HDMI inputs and keeps wires out of sight due to its 90 degree angle.

Both adapters feature Ixos’ patented 4 layer PC board that minimises FEXT (Far End Cross Talk)by stabilising the impedance at the plug, TRU-HD for an official high definition performance of up to 1080p and gold plated connectors to provide a long life and a maximum signal.

Unlike the XS118, the XS218 features Ixos’ iVEC passive circuitry. The iVEC circuitry equalises the digital signal and allows a cable to be up to 4 meters longer, whilst still producing the best 1080p signal. This is especially good for home cinema systems that exceed the normal 7.5 meter cable.

Both the XS118 and XS218 are available now for £14.99 and £29.99 respectively and are ideal for anyone who has those annoying side mounted HDMI slots on their home entertainment system.

The TH-42PX80 is the first of Panasonic’s new 2008 Viera high-definition TV’s to hit the UK market and promises to create a bit of a stir. This 42 inch TV features Panasonic’s Viera V-Real technology that effortlessly provides a superb picture quality.

The TH-42PX80 also features an advanced 3D colour management system that processes colour, luminosity and brightness separately, which means you will always see a crisp and sharp picture.

The TV is HD ready and is capable of displaying in 1080p; currently the best a TV can display. This give a smoother more realistic picture and is ideal for watching sports and movies.

Combining an integrated freeview tuner and a contrast ratio of 15000:1, the TH-42PX80 also boasts 3 HDMI sockets, 2 Scarts, PC socket, audio in and out, component and Ariel connections as well as a headphone jack, S-video, composite and SD card slot. Meaning that you can connect everything you will ever need in your home entertainment system.

Prices start from just over £600, and for that amount of money it’s a great buy.

Mordaunt-Short has been producing high quality and stylish home cinema and stereo speakers for many year now, and the Alumni 2 speakers are no exception. The Alumni 2 satellite speakers benefit from Mordaunt-Short’s vast speaker experience with an improved signal path, produced by an upgraded crossover that improves clarity and detail whilst reducing distortion.

Each speaker features a 1 inch dome tweeter made from aluminium the delivers dynamic accuracy and enhanced resolution, while the 3.5 inch mid/bass speaker provides superior audio reproduction.

The curved shape of the speakers minimise the build up of standing waves for a crisper, more realistic sound. Inside the speaker, the wadding has been improved to give support and strengthen the speakers and helps with the damping process.

The Alumni 2 speakers also feature industry standard mountings and are Omnimount ready, this means that you can choose from a wide range of speaker stands to suit your home. The optional Alumni stands are an ideal companion to the Alumni 2 speakers, and feature integrated cable management.

Available in black and white, the Alumni 2 speakers will set you back around £139.99 per pair, with the optional Alumni stands at £79.99.

The Tangent Evo E24 Centre speaker has been especially designed to match Tangent’s Evo range of speakers. Finished in the same high gloss black or high gloss white, the Evo E24 centre looks as stylish as the other Evos.

As with the rest of the Tangent Evo range, the E24 is not just one of the finest looking speakers in its class, it is also one of the best sounding. The carbon effect woofer units and soft dome tweeters combine to create an impressive sound with crisp mid range and treble response.

The speakers are housed in an elegant enclosure and come in two colours, high gloss black and white and are small enough to fit in with any home entertainment system. The Evo E24 center speaker is a perfect addition to your speaker system and really does sound as good as it looks.

The Tangent Evo E24 is available now from various outlets and will set you back around £99.

Tangent’s new range of floorstanding speakers, the Evo E34 combines sleek and unobtrusive styling with a powerful and dynamic sound. Each speaker is over a metre high and features three woofer units, which gives the speakers a mighty punch.

Each Evo E34 speaker comes with a dedicated bass unit that delivers a well defined bass sound whilst not compromising the mid-range frequencies and a dome tweeter, which offers an impressive treble response.

The speakers are housed in a super slim cabinet that not only means that they blend into the background, but also offers excellent stereo imaging to improve realism. Sound enhancing spiked feet elegantly finish the speakers off and minimise the sound resonance lost into the floor.

The Evo E34 speakers are the flagship model in the Tangent Evo range and its stylish design and powerful sound has to be heard to be believed. Prices start from £349 per pair and are available in two colours, high-gloss black and high-gloss white; the Evo E34 speakers will make a welcome sight and sound to any home entertainment system.

Acer’s stunning Gemstone Blue design has just been upgraded with quality components, and has its sights firmly on the home entertainment and gaming market. The Acer Aspire 8920G is the first laptop to feature an 18.4 inch full HD screen, capable of a resolution of up to 1920 x 1080.

Acer has packed the 8920G full of features including a Blu-ray/DVD writer disc drive, so you can watch HD movies on the 16:9 aspect ratio screen, an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz processor, 4GB of memory and a NVIDIA GeForce 9500M graphics card for running the latest software and games.

In addition the Acer 8920G boasts a 320GB hard drive, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and an integrated webcam. Windows Vista Home Premium comes bundled in, along with Acer’s 1 year warranty.

The Acer Aspire 8920G starts from a very reasonable £799 and with the power and quality of this laptop, it’s sure to meet any mobile gaming enthusiasts needs.

True Colours Industries (TCI) has just released their newest entry level audio and home cinema cable. The Tiger II cable is an improved version of the very popular Tiger cable and improves the sound of your audio or home cinema system with a twisted pair of silver plated, pure OFC copper conductors, is PE insulated and has ungraded TCI gold phono connectors.

This updated version, the TCI Tiger II cable has all of the dynamic sound of its predecessor and improves smoothness and bass response, as well as being able to reproduce more subtle detail and micro dynamics.

All TCI cables are made by hand in the UK, using the latest technology and quality materials from the aerospace industry. The Tiger II cable is perfect for upgrading your audio and home cinema cables and at £29.99 each are outstanding value for money.