Eclectic Electronics

Posted: 30 Apr 2009 03:45 PM PDT

According to a Sprint Customer Service Specialist, we can expect the Palm Pre to arrive one month after Sprint starts allowing pre-orders on the device. Campaigns and promotional ads are also set to roll out a month before the actual release.

Hold on to your wallets for now people, or keep checking Sprint’s website. Too much competition just over the horizon, Palm… Better wake up and get that Pre out of the caves before the rocks crumble!

[via PreThinking]

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Star Trek Edition hitting the UK

Posted: 30 Apr 2009 03:30 PM PDT

A movie-endorsing Nokia handset is about to make its way into the UK. Will it have a capacitive touchscreen? I suppose not because it’s just way too soon. Or maybe this gig will actually propel Nokia 5800 XpressMusic sales into the realm of the 5310 XpressMusic.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Star Trek Edition is slated for a May 1st release in the UK. Color choices will be red, blue and black/silver. The handset is free if you can convince to tie yourself up with a contract from either Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile or Orange.

There isn’t anything really special about this handset, except that it has exclusive Star Trek content such as ringtones, wallpapers, etc. (which will somehow find their way on the internet just after a couple of days). The handset is also reportedly going to ship with a Phazer application, as to what that thing actually does… Nobody has any idea yet.

[via MobileCrunch and GadgetHeat]

Flip UltraHD (high definition) and Ultra (stadard definition) now available

Posted: 30 Apr 2009 01:30 PM PDT

Need a video camera that’s ultra handy and easily pluggable to your desktop or notebook computer? Enter the Flip Video cameras! The Flip Ultra started appearing during 2007. The company has recently updated its Ultra line-up of video cameras and is also making a high definition version Ultra available.

If you’re mobile a lot and you shoot lots of videos that you need/want to put on the web, then these video cameras are definitely for you. Although they don’t have optical zoom capabilities, they pretty much beat out any other video camera on the market today due to their pocketable size and built-in USB connectors.

These newly updated 2009 Flips are almost twice as thick as the Flip Mino series, but they are able to record twice as much (60 mins vs. 120 mins). The UltraHD has 8GB of memory while the standard Ultra has 4GB. The new Flip Ultra’s also feature a 2-inch screen, which is 33% larger than the Mino’s. The UltraHD also features an HDMI output port, hooray for instant television viewing!

Price for the standard definition Flip Ultra is $149.99, while the high definition 720p Flip UltraHD is $199.99. The Ultra comes in four color choices while the UltraHD is only available in either black or white. Both models accept 2x AA batteries, which might be more acceptable compared to the Mino’s non-removable battery.

Head on over to the official Flip website for all your Flip Video comparison needs.

Images sourced from CamcorderInfo.com.

[via Gearlog and TechWhack]

Canon Super Telephoto 1200mm f/5.6L EF USM Autofocus Lens, only $120,000

Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:30 AM PDT

Are you into bird photography? Or maybe wildlife photography (but the lions might think you’re about to shoot them with a canon!)? Then you might be interested in this Canon Super Telephoto 1200mm f/5.6L EF USM Autofocus Lens, or maybe not since it costs $120,000 for a rarely used one.

The Canon Super Telephoto 1200mm f/5.6L EF USM Autofocus Lens stops all the way down to f/32 and has a minimum focus distance of 45.9 feet. Of course, I probably don’t need to point out that a heavy-duty tripod is necessary if you ever plan on using this gigantic bazooka barrel lens. It weighs 36 pounds and measures around 33 inches long. It is the longest fixed Canon Telephoto Lens ever made.

If you’re filthy rich and have lots of moolah to burn, then head on over to B&H Photo Video, where they are selling a rarely used 9+ condition Canon Super Telephoto 1200mm f/5.6L EF USM Autofocus Lens for a jaw-dropping $120,000 USD! Or you could lease it out for around $4,000 USD monthly (or maybe spend it more wisely on getting a house).

And you thought those $2,000 lenses were expensive… Think again! Oh, and here are some sample shots of what you can do with this heavyweight Canon L lens.

[via CrunchGear and dv-depot]

LaCie DataShare memory card reader puts microSD/SD cards lying around to good use

Posted: 30 Apr 2009 09:00 AM PDT

The LaCie DataShare memory card reader puts those microSD/SD cards lying around and makes them useful again, by making them into USB flash drives. The two-tone USB reader separates into two separate USB readers. The red one takes SD cards while the white one takes microSD cards.

The LaCie DataShare measures just 70 x 35 x 13 mm. Although not quite as handy as USB flash drives, it’s still very much pocketable. It is compatible with all SD and MicroSD cards on the market (SD/SDHC/Class 1 to 6). It is also backwards compatible to USB 1.1 specifications.

Package contents include the following: