clipped from www.pcmag.com

Windows 7: Inside Multitouch

what makes Windows 7 so exciting is that no computer operating system ever incorporated native support for multitouch before. The new breed of multitouch laptops and desktops with touch screens don't need extra downloads or plugins-- multitouch just works

Vista offered single-touch capabilities in tablet mode, and pen input is quite common as well. But as much as Microsoft would love to paint multitouch as a natural progression in its operating systems, its Apple that was the real democratizer of multiple-input touch screens.

Optical sensors are set up around the screen creating a grid. The screen reacts when your finger, pen, stylus, or any other implement break one of the beams

pen, stylus, or any other implement break one of the beams; you don't actually have to physically touch the surface to get a response.

there's no question that this interface can change the way we look at computing.

clipped from www.pcmag.com

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

CHECK PRICES

$900 - $1500

Amazon	$899.95
Amazon Marketplace	$1499.99

EditorVery Good

By�PJ Jacobowitz

With image quality that rivals capable D-SLRs and a body not much larger than a super-zoom camera, the 12.1-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 ($899.95 direct, with lens) is the most compact model in Panasonic's line-up of Micro Four Thirds cameras. Panasonic's first two entries into the space, the $799 Lumix DMC-G1 and the $1,499 GH1, weren't much smaller than traditional D-SLRs. The GF1 is more comparable in size to the $800 Olympus E-P1, which features great image quality but a painfully slow autofocus. The GF1 doesn't perform as well as the E-P1 or D-SLR competitors in low-light conditions (ISO 1600 and higher), but in brighter shooting situations, image quality is top-notch.

clipped from www.gearlog.com

Here's a news flash: Cell-phone cameras be damned, because a significant segment of the population is actually prioritizing sharp, well-exposed images over ultimate convenience. Since the introduction of the first Canon Digital Rebel in 2003, this quality-conscious segment has been turning to interchangeable-lens digital SLRs (DSLRs) to take the best possible photos.

Wednesday�October 28, 2009

Death of the DSLR Camera

In the past few months, digital camera manufacturers have finally begun to ship non-DSLR cameras that can meet the needs of the quality-minded photographer. This has been largely driven by Olympus and Panasonic and their Micro Four Thirds system, which obviates the need for the mirrors in SLRs that are used for the optical viewfinder.

Most digital camera sales still tend towards compact units; as nice as the Micro Four Thirds cameras are, they don't slip into your pocket.

they'll become marginalized as more and more people turn toward more convenient alternatives

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk

US President Barack Obama used his first UN address to urge world unity

In his first speech to the UN General Assembly, he said global problems included nuclear proliferation, war, climate change and economic crisis.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi berated the UN Security Council, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a stern warning to Iran

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has previously said he does not believe the Holocaust happened, was due to speak later on Wednesday.

Israel has called for a boycott of his appearance and the Germans have said they will walk out if he repeats the claim.

"Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone," he said.

MARDELL'S AMERICA Obama's speech to the United Nations was a reminder of the scale of his ambition and the intractability of the problems before him Mark Mardell BBC North America editor Read Mark's thoughts in full