I’ve witnessed the rise of CrunchGear from the beginning and I can’t help but feel a little sad to part ways with something I’ve let encapsulate the last three years of my life. Blood, sweat and tears as they say. But it’s time to move on and work on something new and different. I’ll be moving on up to midtown where I’ll be joining Time.com to launch something the likes of which you’ve never seen before. It’s a daunting task, but I’m elated and I hope you’ll stop on by when we launch later this year.

And who could forget the band of misfits I’ve been working with day in and day out. You guys are the best and I’ll miss jumping into the chat room every morning and discussing everything from Nietzsche to Chipotle’s “dry” burritos. You guys really are the best in the biz and I hope we cross paths again in the future.

Oh, who am I kidding? I’ll see your ugly mugs next week at that dumb tech event in NYC.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

P.S.- Matt, your Red Bull is in the freezer. Don’t forget.

P.P.S.- Nicholas, BONES.

Ford and Microsoft have found great success partnering together on Sync and the rest of the automotive industry have finally taken notice. We’ve taken Sync for a ride or two and know that it works as advertised. We even took a 2010 Mustang for a spin over the weekend and even without the full-fledged Nav system with touchscreen, Sync worked great. BTW- Ford kicked some ass on the new Mustang. The interior is plush.

Anyway, BMW and Nuance announced earlier today that they’ve partnered to bring Nuance’s Music Search and One-shot Destination Entry tech to the Bavarian’s 2010 lineup of whips with Professional. Said system launches this month in the US and Europe. The speech recognition technology will go hand-in-hand with BMW’s already overly complicated iDrive system. Have fun with that.

Burlington, Mass. and Aachen, Germany, September 9, 2009 — Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN), today announced that its Music Search and One-Shot Destination Entry speech technology are now featured as part of the BMW 2010 model series. Nuance’s innovative speech technology has been integrated as part of Professional, BMW’s new navigation system. The system is available in various languages, and will be introduced throughout the U.S. and Europe beginning this month.

Speech technology has been available for many years in BMW’s infotainment systems to support voice dialing and destination entry in the conventional multi-step approach. However, through these technology advancements made possible by Nuance, the new generation of BMW systems now enables a more conversational dialogue between drivers and BMW navigation and entertainment systems. Drivers can search for music by voice and enter an entire destination address in one, simple spoken command, ultimately reducing the distraction posed by manual input and limiting visual confirmation.

Nuance’s speech technology is combined with BMW’s iDrive system, its renowned console controller that enables drivers to control the entire head unit, including entertainment, communication and navigation systems. Both interfaces can be used simultaneously and allow a multimodal use of the speech input that allows drivers to switch easily between the manual controller input and speech recognition. This allows the driver to use navigation and entertainment system quickly and efficiently while minimizing distractions. The system was developed by Harman Becker Automotive, a leading automotive supplier and Nuance partner.

“Speech technology is increasingly becoming a key automotive interface as it allows drivers to remain focused on the road, yet still take advantage of today’s most popular in-car features like MP3 connectivity and navigation,” said Arnd Weil, general manager, Nuance Automotive. “By integrating our Music Search and One-Shot Destination Entry as part of in-car infotainment systems, car manufacturers have demonstrated their commitment to providing a safer and more user friendly driving experience.”

Nuance’s One-Shot Destination Entry featured as part of the new Professional BMW navigation system enables drivers to simply speak an entire address in one, simple command versus a series of multi-step dialogs and response commands for city, street and street number. Drivers can now simply say “1 Wayside Road, Burlington, Massachusetts,” and the route will be calculated automatically.

With Nuance’s next-generation Music Search capabilities for automotive, BMW drivers can quickly and easily access their favorite, stored songs from behind the wheel by selecting the audio source, genre, artist, album or song with a simple, spoken command. Nuance Music Search also recognizes several languages in parallel. So a French-speaking driver can look for a German song title or English album, and vice versa.

Recent surveys commissioned by Nuance have shown that controlling in-car systems by voice is one of the most important features to reduce driver distraction and increase overall ease of use of the entertainment and navigation systems. Nuance’s Voice User Interface study found that consumers desire shorter dialogues with fewer confirmations. Nuance’s Distracted Driver study confirms that One-Shot functionality has a measurable positive impact on reaction time and is reducing the driver distraction. Also, manual control of media players is highly distracting with the average driver 50 percent more distracted during lane changes, versus being able to simply say the artist and song title via a speech-based interface.

Today more than 100 models from major car manufacturers and nearly all leading portable navigation device manufacturers feature Nuance’s industry leading speech technology to enable voice destination entry or speech synthesis for voice guidance. To learn more, please visit http://www.nuance.com/automotive/

Lowepro announced a handful of new camera bags at PMA in March and over the last couple months they’ve slowly trickled into the market. We were lucky enough to snag a Pro Roller x100 early and have spent quite a bit of time with it over the last few weeks including trips to Indianapolis for the Red Bull MotoGP.

Storage is abundant in the x100 and you can comfortably fit two camera bodies and an assortment of lenses that include a telephoto or two. The internal pads can be arranged to accommodate how ever much or little gear you have. On the flapside, there are zippered pouches for manuals, cleaning cloths, filters and memory cards. Lowepro even added multi-color tabs for memory cards to help you keep track of which ones are full/empty. It’s a pretty neat feature.

If you haven’t noticed yet, the x-Series comes with a hidden Reserve Pack that zips out, which is fantastic for photographers who travel with a light to moderate rig. It’s not very comfortable as a backpack, but you take what you can get at this point. The main compartment comes with a kickstand that offers adequate support, but I worry too much and decided to lay the bag on its back when sorting through lenses and camera bodies.

Did I mention the fact that you can use the retractable handle as a tripod? I wouldn’t strap a 300mm telephoto to it, but your standard zoom lens or prime lens won’t knock the bag over. But there are plenty of straps to lock down a tripod.

In addition to the aforementioned features, the x-Series boasts the Lock & Go System, which keeps the Reserve Pack from mysteriously disappearing at the airport. A single retractable cable coupled with the 3-digit combo lock keeps it all together. The lock itself is TSA compliant, so no worries there.

My initial thoughts on the x-Series went something like this, “Oh great. Here’s another crappy hybrid roller bag.” Well, I was wrong. Of course, it’s too soon to comment on durability (wheels, handle, etc.), but from a functional standpoint, it works well.

Prices are a bit steep for the x-Series, but it’s a viable solution for any traveling photographer. The x100 retails for $360 while the x200 and x300 sell for $400 and $480, respectively.

Pro Roller x300
INTERIOR:
14.5W x 6.8D x 21.8H in.
37 x 17.5 x 55.5 cm
EXTERIOR:
18.5W x 11.4D x 26.3H in.
47 x 29 x 67 cm
NOTEBOOK:
14.7W x 1.1D x 19H in.
37.5 X 3 X 48.5 CM
FITS:
1-2 pro DSLRs with grip plus 8-10 lenses; accessories, up to 17″ notebook

Pro Roller x200
INTERIOR:
12.2W x 6.6D x 19.8H in.
31 x 16.8 x 50.5 cm
EXTERIOR:
15.7W x 11.2D x 24.2H in.
40 x 28.5 x 61.5 cm
Notebook:
12.7W x 1.1D x 18.1H in.
32.5 X 3 X 46 CM
FITS:
1-2 pro DSLRs with grip plus 6-8 lenses; accessories, up to 17″ notebook; airline carry-on size

Pro Roller x100
INTERIOR:
11.4W x 6.6D x 15.7H in.
29 x 16.8 x 40 cm
EXTERIOR:
14W x 11.2D x 20H in.
35.5 x 28.5 x 51 cm
NOTEBOOK:
12W x 1.1D x 15.3H in.
30.5 X 3 X 39 CM
FITS:
1-2 pro DSLRs with grip plus 4-6 lenses; accessories, up to 14″ notebook; airline carry-on size

In honor of Nerf’s 40th anniversary and the launch of the N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS 35 blaster, which ships today, Nerf sent over a mighty fine and ginormous care package to the CG office. I can’t believe the Parker Brothers developed Nerf in 1969 and the first product was some dumb four-inch polyurethane foam ball. They’ve come a long way since then.

Let’s dig into the goodie bag.

I’ve been wanting a Nerf football all summer! Do you guys remember the Nerf Turbo football with the whistle from the late 80s, early 90s?

All these N-Strike doohickeys came out after my time, but they look pretty sweet. I’m actually impressed that the quality of the Nerf products is quite high. Most of the toys I see these days are of poor quality and materials. Other Hasbro products I’ve seen are pure crap, but these ones are pretty cool. Good job, Hasbro! Now make the Transformers toys like you used to.

Is that a scope? Hell yes!

Capture the flag?! Bless your hearts, Parker Brothers. Who wants to play?

Again, I used to have a Nerf basketball hoop set up in my room as a kid. This one will go up in my office.

Anyone up for LARPing this weekend?

And now for the pièce de résistance, I present to you the N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS 35 blaster. What makes this so special? It holds a 35-dart drum. How bout dem apples?!

Hasbro is even giving away free darts for their N-Strike blasters. You can find all the details on how to receive 50 free darts here.

Nerf

Go and see this movie today!

Welcome to 2006, AT&T.

That’s right, folks. AT&T has finally joined the fray and they’re calling it the A-List with Rollover. AT&T prisoners can now call up to five domestic “VIPs” without putting a dent into their pre-existing plan. As an added bonus, the Rollover feature has been bundled in and starts with the individual Nation plans higher than $59.99. A-List with Rollover launches on September 20. Oh, and don’t forget to read the fine print.

A-List: Numbers must be entered online at MyWireless Account at att.com/wireless.com. Only standard domestic landline or wireless numbers are eligible. For additional terms see http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/plan-terms.jsp

Let the good times roll. With AT&T A-List with Rollover, customers can do just that—with unlimited mobile calling to and from five “VIP” domestic phone numbers at no additional cost. Families can join in the savings too with unlimited calling to up to 10 lines with FamilyTalk. And only AT&T lets you keep the minutes you save with Rollover. When A-List premieres on Sept. 20, customers can manage their A-List exclusively online at www.att.com/alist.

“This is an incredible value for many of our customers that essentially lets them ‘double dip’,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Not only will they not use minutes from their monthly plan when they call their A-List numbers, but our unique Rollover feature means they can keep those minutes for use in future months. Nobody else is going this far in letting customers stretch their minutes. Others may let you save minutes, but only AT&T lets you keep them.”

How To Prepare For
AT&T A-List with Rollover

* Be sure you’re enrolled in online account management at www.att.com/alist.
* Review previous bills to determine which numbers you call most often.
* When AT&T A-List with Rollover launches, visit www.att.com/alist to create your A-List.

Customers with individual Nation plans of $59.99 or higher can use A-List with Rollover to select up to five domestic phone numbers to call anytime –including landlines and wireless numbers on any network– without using any of the minutes in their plan.

FamilyTalk customers with plans of $89.99 or more can select up to ten numbers which any person in the FamilyTalk plan can call as much as they want.

Adding and modifying phone numbers on A-List with Rollover is easy. Customers can use the online account management tool available at www.att.com/alist. Numbers can be changed anytime, though customers should allow 24 hours for the changes to take effect on their account. Any online changes will result in an email confirmation for security purposes. Instructions available at http://www.att.com/Common/merger/files/pdf/choice/a_list_fact_sheet.pdf .

It’s a little early to be down, isn’t it? The iPod event doesn’t start until 1PM ET.

Apple Store

Sony’s ballyhooed motion control system for the PlayStation platform is months away from launch, but the PS Blog has some intriguing behind-the-scenes-like video with the R&D team that’s currently fine-tuning the system. Have a look at two videos after the jump.

Umm…yes, please!

via The Gizza

From the fine folks who brought us the first video comparison comes another batch showing that the PS3 Slim is, in fact, faster than the PS3 fatty. However, I’m sure you noticed that the Slim is running firmware v3.0 while the fat is still on v2.8. Regardless, the Slim is booting up and loading faster than the fat all across the board. Hit the jump for two additional videos showing off Slim’s speed on Uncharted and Blu-ray start ups. Oh, it’s just a comparison between firmware v2.8 and v3.0 on the Slim. It’s pretty fast, right?

Ready?

Let’s start with the “compact, magnesium alloy body” because most cameras are initially judged by specs and how they feel. The K-7 has significantly more weight than previous DSLRs that I’ve handled from Pentax. To be specific, it weighs roughly 26.5 ounces with the rechargeable Li-ion battery compared to that of the K200D, which weighs 24.3 ounces. As you can surmise, it’s a bit of a lump in the hand, but it’s well balanced. The groove in the grip for your middle finger ensures a firm hold of the body, but it could have protruded out a little further for an even better grip. I can usually carry the K200D without a strap and not worry about it being easily knocked out of my hands, but I’m not as comfortable going without a strap on the K-7. And I don’t have the world’s largest hands either.

Buttons and controls are well laid out on the rear of the K-7 and it may be construed as a drastic change from previous models in the Pentax lineup such as the K20D, which the K-7 now replaces as the premier SLR in the family. The same can be said of the UI, but we’ll get to that in just a bit. The playback and delete buttons have been moved to the left of the viewfinder to allow for a 3-inch LCD. Said LCD is bright and vibrant and offers viewing angles from every which way. The K-7 now includes a dedicated Live View button and Green mode button. White Balance, Flash, Drive Mode and Image Tone have been given dedicated buttons and the Menu and Info buttons have been moved from the left hand side to the lower right below the aforementioned buttons.

Adjusting the AF point switching dial can lead to inadvertly turning on Live View mode and it’s a bit stiff so be prepared to dedicate a few minutes to adjust how to turn the dial without pushing the LV button. Pentax also decided to move the EV compensation button up top next to the ISO button.

Also new to the K-7 is a mode dial lock button that must be depressed while switching modes. It can be cumbersome when trying to switch modes quickly, but it also eliminates the chance of switching modes inadvertently. Other than that, there isn’t anything new when it comes to this area of the camera so let’s move on.

Starting with the K2000, Pentax drastically overhauled their UI and I initially found it awkward, but it’s much more streamlined with the way the hard buttons have been laid out. It’s also far more intuitive than the UI found on the K200D. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any time with the K20 so I can’t compare the two. I haven’t even begun to dip into the menu system and tweak things around to my preferences and just started shooting with it right out of the box. We’ll have more on this in the review.

I found the following features to be useful while shooting over the weekend: built-in level, auto-rotating menu and the AF assist light. Speaking of AF, the K-7 is much, much faster at locking on than the K200D and the 50mm f/1.4 that I primarily use with the K200D feels alive. However, I did notice that the K-7 struggled to lock onto multiple subjects even in continuous AF mode and would focus in on something stationary that didn’t seem to be focused on from my point of view. I can’t pass judgment, though. It could have been user error and I’ve only had the camera for a few days. We’ll investigate this further. I should also mention that the shutter is much more quiet than in previous SLRs from Pentax.

HD video has finally come to a Pentax DSLR, which is great and all, but why not go with full HD when competitors have been touting 720p capabilities for months. Hell, look at the Canon 7D that was just announced. As a consumer in the market looking at high-end DSLRs, I’d probably go with the 7D because for $400 more I get a rig that shoots in full HD regardless of everything else the K-7 may offer over the 7D. Either lower the price of the K-7 down to $999 or offer a badass rig that rivals the big boys, Pentax.

But I digress. A total of two videos were shot over the weekend and this was the best of them. This is just a sample that I shot during the practice round with the 300mm telephoto. You can imagine how difficult it is to manually focus such a large lens without a strap or monopod. User error, I know. Again, we’ll work with the video mode a bit more extensively for the full on review.

And now the sample images taken with the 300mm lens from yesterday’s post. The first and last were shot way atop the Penthouse E level at turn 1 while the second and third were taken from the turn 2 shooting pit. I’ve never photographed a race before, but I don’t think they’re horrible.

A few things that I wish were different based on my initial hands-on with the K-7 that others may or may not agree with. The 3-inch LCD is bright and the viewing angles are tremendous, but like any other LCD, it smears from body oil and it’s a pain in the ass to clean. How about an oleophobic screen? It makes perfect sense, right? Easy to clean and I doubt any photographer wouldn’t want one. An AF-L function would have been righteous, too. AF in movie mode would have been the killer feature on the K-7.

Again, this is the real deal hands-on and not me spouting off like a fanboy. Hope you enjoyed.

One of the downsides to covering gadgets on a daily basis for as long as I have is the fact that I think everything is crap. Very few things excite me and anything that does usually ends up falling short of my expectations. It’s unfortunate, but once in a blue moon does something not only impress, but also exceed my expectations. Case in point, the Pentax K-7.

I had the pleasure of taking it along with a DA* 300mm f/4, DA 17-70mm f/4 and my trusty FA 50mm f/1.4 to the 2nd Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix race over the weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I knew the K-7 was a good camera and based on all the reviews I’d seen for it, I knew it was right up there with the Canikons. But I never imagined that it would make my jaw drop.

I really only used the 300mm telephoto and that sucker rocked my socks off. All photos were taken at f/5.6 and ISO 800. There’s a bit of smearing at ISO 800, but I pulled a rookie move and didn’t take my laptop with me on the trip. I would have changed my setup for the final day, but you live and learn. Anyway, the jewel of the entire weekend is the last image I’ve attached of Jorge Lorenzo on his Yamaha as he’s coming around the first turn in front of the BMW M banner. Of course, I really like the emotion I captured with the Tony Elias crash during qualifying on Saturday. He wasn’t a happy camper after that, but he still managed to qualify fourth and started on the second row. That crash also happened less than 100 yards from where I was shooting at turn 2.

Here are a handful of “test” shots that I thought you guys might want to check out. I’ll have a few more “hands-on” posts throughout the week.

Coming to an iPhone/iPod Touch near you this fall from the creators of the greatest game in history, Grand Theft Auto, is Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. I guess it’s going to be an exact port of the DS title. Are you excited?

Live Webcast on 9/9/2009 – The next Generation of Leica Cameras from leica camera on Vimeo.

While Biggs is at the iPod event in San Francisco, I’ll be here in NYC live blogging the Leica event. Oh, there’s going to be a live webcast of the event? Hm. Should I stay or should I go now?

[Update: Look closely, could that be the rumored Leica M9 they're handling there?]

Big news this AM from Olympus with the announcement of the E-600 DSLR. Looks like another entry-level(ish) digital SLR. Big notables for the 12.3-megapixel shooter include a swiveling 2.7-inch LCD and slew of fancy art filters. That’s seriously about it, folks. The E-600 coupled with a 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 kit lens will retail for $600 in November.

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., August 31, 2009 – The new Olympus E-600 is a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera with everything you need to start enjoying the benefits of DSLR-quality photography today. It’s simple to use, so moving up from a basic point-and-shoot is an enjoyable and affordable experience, and packed with features to meet all of your still photography needs.

The E-600’s high-performance swivel 2.7-inch HyperCrystalTM LCD screen helps you compose from virtually any angle; in-camera Art Filters add more pizzazz to your pictures; its four-frames-per-second burst speed won’t miss a moment of the action, and In-body Image Stabilization removes blur caused by camera shake when you’re on the go. The 12.3-megapixel image sensor and TruePic III+ captures detailed, crisp images and accurate color.

“With the E-600, Olympus has answered the call for a more affordable and creative camera that has everything you could need to get great results,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, Digital SLR, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “The new entry-level SLR camera offers something for everyone to enjoy, including in-camera Art Filters for expanded creative freedom.”
Exceptional Image Quality

Whether you’re shooting a high school basketball game or capturing a city streetscape, the E-600’s high-performance 12.3-megapixel Live MOS image sensor delivers excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity, and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to reduce noise and capture fine image details in both highlight and shadow areas.

Its Live MOS image sensor is complemented by Olympus’ TruePic III+ Image Processor, which produces clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible. The new image processor is noted for accurate natural color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies, and precise tonal expression; it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.
Swivel Live View LCD Swings into Action

The E-600’s 100 percent accurate 270 degree swivel 2.7-inch Live View HyperCrystal III LCD can be rotated freely so photographers can compose at any angle, including overhead and down low, without getting bent out of shape. This makes it easier to photograph young children on their own level or shoot high above a crowd. E-600 photographers can compose a subject right on the Live View LCD and see the results of the various creative features – live as they’re happening, before the shot is taken.

With Live View, settings like white balance and image brightness can be selected, and the result can be seen instantly on the LCD display. Real-time Live View offers amazing versatility and creative control. The LCD displays 230,000 pixels in vivid color and includes HyperCrystal technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors for easier viewing in both preview and playback. It also provides a wide viewing angle of 176 degrees, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The 2.7-inch LCD makes icons and text on the camera’s menu easy to view.
Fast Autofocus

Life moves fast, so it’s important to have a camera that locks focus accurately and quickly. Whether you choose to use the super fast autofocus technology or focus the lens manually, the E-600 offers the same sophisticated focusing options as higher-end DSLRs. Use the optical viewfinder to track movement like birds or wildlife or your favorite team on the field, or use the large Live View LCD to frame up a flower or a group of friends at the family gathering. Consumers accustomed to composing and focusing using a point-and-shoot camera’s LCD will appreciate that the E-600 offers the same easy, seamless experience (what you see on its LCD is what you get!). Either way, the focus is quick, precise and easy.
Art Filters for Expanded Creative Control

If you’re hoping to get more out of your camera than simply capturing and documenting a scene, and enjoy enhancing or customizing an image to make it your own, then you will value the camera’s Art Filters. The filters, which are built into the camera, provide incredible individual artistic control over an image, so that you can spend more time shooting and less time computing.

Let your inner artist shine through and make a statement with these in-camera Art Filters:

* Pop Art: Enhances colors, making them more saturated and vivid, creating high-impact pictures that express the joyful, lighthearted feeling of the Pop Art style of the 1960s;
* Soft Focus: Creates an ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere that renders subjects in a heavenly light without obscuring details; and
* Pin Hole: Adds a nostalgic look and feel to the image with a darkened vignette around the subject connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center of the picture.

Art Filters are easily activated with the mode dial on the right side of the camera body, and the fun part is that you can see and experiment with the effects on the subject live, on the LCD, before you take the shot!
In-Body Image Stabilization for Sharp Images on the Go

The E-600 travels with you to more places, thanks to its compact size and light body. Capture sharp images on the go with the camera’s in-body Image Stabilization (IS), which virtually eliminates blur with any lens attached. Three IS modes handle any situation. The IS-1 mode is for general shooting and adjusts the sensor on both the horizontal and vertical planes to compensate for movement by the photographer so images stay sharp in low light even at slow shutter speeds. To capture the motion of moving subjects, the E-600 offers two specialized modes: IS-2 mode is ideal for capturing a runner or cyclist traveling by in the horizontal mode, preserving the sense of motion while panning; IS-3 mode achieves the same effect when the camera is held vertically. In either mode, the artistic effects of panning enhance the shot and render the subject in sharp detail with blurred background. Moreover, the E-600 is the world’s smallest DSLR with built-in Image Stabilization, so you’ll feel comfortable taking it on the road with you to capture the action.
Always Find a Face in the Crowd

The new camera’s Face Detection technology reduces the chance of blurred subjects in photography by distinguishing between people’s faces and the background. It tracks up to eight faces within the image area, even if people are moving, and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures (ideal for large family or party group photos).
Fast Sequential Shooting

The E-600 can capture images at the highest image-quality setting at a rate of four frames per second. Whether you’re capturing a soccer game, children playing or a bird swooping through the yard, the E-600 ensures that you won’t miss a frame.
Preview a Multitude of Possibilities

Perfect Shot Preview enables users to easily preview and select from four thumbnail previews of the photographic effects of white balance and exposure compensation adjustments live on the LCD before taking the photograph. It is an ideal way for novice users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, visually, without having to scroll through menu options. With 13 preset scene-select modes for every imaginable shooting scenario, automatic modes and full manual controls, the E-600 offers a world of possibilities to photographers.
Versatile Memory

Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, UDMA, Microdrives and xD-Picture Cards, the camera provides a choice of data storage options for enhanced flexibility, and it is possible to transfer image files from one card to the other right inside the camera.
Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images

Life moves too fast to spend time worrying about dust ruining the perfect image. Olympus’ proven Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave FilterTM. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor and captures it on a special adhesive membrane every time the camera is turned on. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours spent retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside. With Dust Reduction and the new creative features, Olympus continues to liberate users from the computer and editing software, and enables them to have fun capturing it all while on the go.
Accessories

The HLD-5 Power Battery Holder can hold up to two Lithium Ion BLS-1 batteries to extend the performance life of the E-600 and its existing BLS-1 battery. It also enables effortless vertical shooting with its own separate shutter button and control dial.
Availability

The Olympus E-600 DSLR will be available in early November 2009. It includes the E-600 Body, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLS-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCS-1), Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS Master 2 Software CD-ROM, Manuals and Registration card.
U.S. Pricing / Product Configurations

E-600 Body with ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens Estimated Street Price: $599.99

via PB

Don’t forget to enter the Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicle zombie tee contest brought to you by Capcom. If your beer belly and man boobs are hindering you from entering the contest then just send in a photo of yourself making a zombie face to contest at crunchgear dot com with the subject line “Me Want Brain” and don’t forget to tell us what size shirt you’d like. We have L and XL size tees. We’ll be running the contest until Tuesday.

What would it be like to have a real testing lab instead of working in the makeshift “lab” that is John’s attic? A blogger can dream. Or we can take a look at an outfit like Cnet.

The boys over at CBS tested the new PS3 Slim against the PS3 Fat using an array of power consumption tests. The verdict? The Slim uses less than half the power of the old 60GB PS3, which we all know is about as power hungry as a plasma TV.

The numbers really speak for themselves. The Slim even runs more efficiently than the current gen Xbox 360s, says Cnet. The 360 uses around 187 watts while playing a game whereas the Slim only uses 96.24 watts. Not too shabby, Sony.

via CBS

Don’t forget to enter the Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicle zombie tee contest brought to you by Capcom. If your beer belly and man boobs are hindering you from entering the contest then just send in a photo of yourself making a zombie face to contest at crunchgear dot com with the subject line “Me Want Brain.”