Olympus XZ-1 and other pre-CES camera rumors from Sony and Panasonic

It's no secret that CES is the stage from which camera companies unleash more compact shooters than you can shake a tripod at -- and preceding those come a glut of rumors, naturally. 4/3 Rumors has heard Olympus will unveil the XZ-1 (pictured), which boasts the LX5's 10 megapixel sensor and a none-too-shabby 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 lens. The site also heard that a few Panasonic model numbers that at this point really don't tell too grand a story: DMC-S1 and S3, DMC-TS3, FH2, and FH5. Meanwhile at Sony Alpha Rumors, the eponymous company will reportedly launch a number of compact cameras (go figure) including a Cybershot DSC-HX1 successor, some new Bloggies, and new 2D and 3D video recorders... and though no Alpha and no NEX models will be on the show floor, the site is also suggesting the future NEX-7 and Alpha A77 models have 1080p60 AVCHD and a 0.1-second autofocus. Latter tidbit notwithstanding, we'd wager by mid-January everything else here will be either confirmed or forgotten.

Olympus XZ-1 and other pre-CES camera rumors from Sony and Panasonic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)

It's highly improbable that you actually need yet another option when looking for a watch band to house your iPod nano 6G, but if that first-run version you sprung for is already in tatters, HEX has a little something worth considering. The company has just started shipping its HEX Watch Band in the US of A, with $29.95 netting you a soft, flexible band that requires no complicated plug-and-play action whatsoever. Just pop your nano into the face, strap it on your arm, and roll. It's designed to be remarkably rugged (as seen in a torture video just past the break), and the headphone socket is arranged in a way that nicely runs the cable up your arm towards your cranium. The only problem? Choosing which of the nine hues fits your personality best.

Gallery: HEX iPod nano 6G watch band

Continue reading HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)

HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WhereDoYouGo Heatmaps Foursquare Check-ins [Maps]

Where Do You Go is a Google Maps mashup that generates a heat map of your Foursquare check-ins, then lets you take a snapshot of a city and publish it. Here's my NYC heat map.

At the end of the year, it's always fun to look back at the places you've gone and things you've done in the past 12 months, and if you log your comings and goings with apps like Foursquare or Twitter, doing that year in review is even easier.

To use Where Do You go, you've got to log in with your Google Account and authorize it to index your Foursquare check-ins, which gave me pause, since I keep my Foursquare history private. But, the app doesn't publish check-in details, just your past whereabouts in aggregate. You can delete all your data from the app if you want to just try it and bail. If you keep your account, the map updates with each new check-in, but only displays check-ins which are more than 24 hours old for privacy reasons. It's fun to see what areas of different cities you favor most—apparently I rarely travel above 34th street in Manhattan—and it can give you even more motivation to visit areas you normally don't, even in your home city. Someday I hope to get a similar heatmap view in ThinkUp for posts from Twitter and Facebook, too.

Where Do You Go [via Smarterware]

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SwipeGood Donates Your Loose Change to Charity [Charity]

If you want to give to charity but don't have the time to think about it, free service SwipeGood will round up your change from every credit card purchase and donate that to the charity of your choice.

In order to keep down your credit card fees, SwipeGood rounds up every purchase you make to the nearest dollar, adding the change from that purchase to your donation, which it makes at the end of the month (instead of after every purchase). If you have a specific charity you'd like to donate to, you can switch your charity any time you want, and they're always adding new ones. And, while in this case it's a good thing that the change from your purchases adds up quickly, you can always set a monthly limit for your roudups so you don't end up donating more than you can afford. Hit the link to read more.

SwipeGood

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HTC EVO Shift 4G headed for a January 9th launch at $150, according to RadioShack leak

HTC's worst kept secret (this side of the Thunderbolt) has popped up online again, this time as part of some RadioShack promo materials, which list its price, launch date, 4G capabilities, and screen size. Earlier indications had this Android slider launching on January 9th at a $150 price point with a two-year contract and now, lo and behold, both data points seem to have been confirmed. $450 is the price for the EVO Shift 4G sans any carrier obligations, though you'll probably want to stick with Sprint to make use of that WiMAX radio contained within. Bring on 2011 already!

HTC EVO Shift 4G headed for a January 9th launch at $150, according to RadioShack leak originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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