Off Duty, Technology - Air Force Times

New Products: Shoot like a pro with Sony’s digital SLRs

Sony’s new digital SLR cameras aren’t just for serious shooters. Equipped with a built-in screen guide, the digital SLR cameras make it easier for point-and-shoot photographers to make the leap to more advanced photography. The 10.2-megapixel a230L and a330L models, along with the 14.2-megapixel a380L camera, also feature an image stabilizer, a 2.7-inch LCD screen and slots for Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC media. Equipped with a standard zoom lens, the a380L will cost about $850 while the a330L and the a230L, which include tilting LCD screens, will be about $650 and $550 respectively. These cameras also can be purchased with other lens combinations.

www.sony.com

Acoustibuds know their place in your ears

The Acoustibuds may look strange, but their plunger-like design has a purpose. Designed to fit over ill-fitting ear buds, the comfy Acoustibuds help keep flat-fronted ear buds in place. Made of a flexible, hypoallergenic silicone rubber, the buds also have a twin cone cores that help direct sound waves inside the ear canal. A pair costs about $15.

www.acoustibuds.com

Now there’s a laptop just for kids

If your toddler can’t keep his sticky hands off your laptop, maybe you can distract him with the PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop. Designed for children ages 3 to 10, the spill-and-drop notebook is preloaded with 10 age-appropriate software and game titles. It also includes a convertible rotating screen, a touch tablet, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, a 1.6-gigahertz Intel Atom processor, 1 gigabyte of memory, a 60GB hard drive, two USB ports and wireless connectivity. The laptop from PeeWee PC costs about $600.

www.peeweepc.com

eMachines offers mini PCs for small prices

Short on desk space? The Mini eMachines EL1300 series might make a good fit. Measuring 10.7 inches tall, 4.2 inches wide and 15 inches long, the PC can be placed on a dorm desk, a kitchen counter or a crowded office desk. The EL1300G-01w model has a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon processor, a 160GB hard drive, 2GB of memory, a digital media card reader, a DVD recorder and nine USB ports, including five conveniently located in the front. It costs about $300. A similar model, which also includes a 20-inch wide-screen LCD, is about $400.

www.emachines.com