Panasonic's new Lumix point and shoots were introduced earlier this month at CES and they caught our eye with their skinny design. We've always found Lumix to be nice gear, so we're glad to see that the FH and FP series cameras are available at several price points, from $110 for the F2 up to $229.95 for the FP3, with the rest all falling somewhere in between.

The cameras are slated to ship in mid-February. For full details, check out the press release below.

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES PRICING FOR 2010 LUMIX DIGITAL CAMERAS, FOCUSING ON STYLE, FUNCTION AND CONVENIENCE

SECAUCUS, NJ (January 25, 2010) – Panasonic today announced pricing for its new line of LUMIX digital cameras, which include the LUMIX FH-, FP- and F- Series – all which will be available in mid-February.

The LUMIX FH-Series including the FH1, FH3 and FH20 are all slim, pocket-size models that pack a powerful 28mm wide-angle lens. All of these models also record High Definition video and feature Panasonic's hallmark, iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, a suite of technologies that engage automatically – with no setting changes needed by the user. The LUMIX FH1 will be available for a suggested retail price of $159.95, the LUMIX FH3 for $179.95 and the LUMIX FH20 for $199.95.

The FP-Series, featuring the LUMIX FP1 and the LUMIX FP3, have a 4x optical zoom with a folded optics design, making the camera design stylish and sleek. The series highlights a newly-adopted lens cover which protects the lens and also serves as the camera's power switch. The FP3 features an intuitive 3.0" touch-screen LCD for easy-to-use operation. New to the FP-Series is High Definition (HD) video recording capability allowing for both beautiful still and motion images. The FP1 will be available for $149.95 and the FP3 for $229.95.

In the LUMIX F-Series, the LUMIX F3 and LUMIX F2 have been designed with simplicity, style and performance in mind. Both models record High Definition video and are equipped with 28mm wide angle lenses and an Extra Optical Zoom function to extend zoom power from 4x to 7.8x. Both models also feature Intelligent ISO Control, which prevents the blurring of a moving subject; Face Detection, which helps to clearly capture registered faces; and Intelligent Scene Selector, which automatically selects one of six scene modes that best fits the shooting
situation. The LUMIX F3 will be available for $129.95 and the LUMIX F2 for $109.95.

For more information on all Panasonic LUMIX digital camera models, please visit http://www.panasonic.com/lumix.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company's Eco Ideas programs. Company information for journalists is available at http://www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

For more than 20 years, Panasonic has been proud to support the Olympic Movement as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category and, beginning in 2009, in the Digital Imaging category as well. Panasonic has also renewed its partnership with the International Olympic Committee for an additional eight years through the 2016 Summer Games. For more information, visithttp://panasonic.net/olympic/.

When Mark reviewed the Nokia Booklet 3G last November, he unfortunately didn't have 40 of them so couldn't play a giant game of Guess Who by himself. But the guys at WOMWorld/Nokia did, making a hilarious video in the process.

Are you the blue website with the red hat and an eyeglass? [Recombu]

According to the Times (the LA one), the Times (the NY one) has been working on a tablet app in recent weeks. Also: Condé Nast basically admitted to the same in a press release. Familiar? Sure. But intriguing!

In September, we reported through two sources at the paper that the NYT had been approached by Apple to develop content of some sort for the tablet. As the paper of record, they're the obvious choice for an inaugural app demo—remember the the wave of iPhone commercials, where the floating hands navigate to the NYT homepage?—and they already have tablet-appropriate software available for download. In that sense, the LAT report is just more corroboration; of the NYT's involvement with Apple; of the tablet's penchant for the written word; and obviously, of the tablet's mere existence.

More interesting, though, is a quote highlighted in the report from a Conde Nast press release last week, which was supposed to tout the (moderate) success of the GQ iPhone app, but which may have also revealed it to be a not-so-subtle prelude to a tablet app. Quoted directly:

In addition to developing more content for the iPhone and the anticipated tablet from Apple, Conde Nast has formed a strategic partnership with Adobe to collaborate on creating technologies that will allow the company to design and produce a new generation of digital magazines.

Normally it'd be prudent to just ignore this kind of thing, since the Apple Tablet, even as a rumor, has ingratiated itself so far into the media's consciousness that print ombudsman and PR people can't seem to squeeze out a public statement or press release without mentioning it, but at this late stage in the game, and from the company most likely in the world to be involved with such a venture if it does exist, these words are worth hanging on.

On another note, I tend to think people are overstating the role that print media text content will play in this device, and vice versa! Discuss.

UPDATE: Peter Kafka at AllThingsD isn't convinced that Conde Nast will be in the tablet demo lineup. [LAT]

We've long been fans of Oppo, makers of high-quality, universal Blu-ray players, but that quality always came at a price. Their new BDP-80, announced today, plays Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SACDs, MKVs, MP3s, and more for only $289.

The last we heard from Oppo, their BDP-83 was getting near-perfect reviews. The only problem was the price: $500. Now, you can bring a high performance Oppo player to your home theater for under $300.

The BDP-80 shaves off some of its more expensive older brother's higher end features, like 24p DVD conversion and in/out IR ports, but it still looks like it's a great option if you're looking for a high-quality, versatile BRD player. To check out a full comparison chart or place your order head to Oppo's site. [Oppo via Engadget]

The Classic Controller Pro for Wii has been available in Japan for some time already, but it's making its way to these here parts this April.

The controller looks like it came from the PS2 factory, and it won't plug directly directly into your Wii. Instead, you have to plug it into your Wii Remote, which isn't that much of a hassle. It'll ship with Monster Hunter Tri, but will also be sold separately for $20.

The Classic Controller Pro will come in black or white, and be compatible more than 450 Wii, WiiWare, and Virtual Console games. The design includes a second row of shoulder buttons, and an "ergonomic" grip, which sounds like marketing pablum to me. Still, though, looks neat!

The Perfect Bundle for Hunting Season: Monster Hunter® Tri and Wii Classic Controller Pro Come Together for the First Time in North America

Bundle Will Bring the Highly-Anticipated New Controller and Popular Franchise Together for the Ultimate Monster Hunting Experience on the Wii System

SAN MATEO, Calif. & REDMOND, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)— Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, and Nintendo of America today announced an exciting new bundle featuring one of the most highly anticipated titles for 2010, Monster Hunter® Tri, and combining it with the new Classic Controller Pro™ for the Wii™ system. The Classic Controller Pro's more traditional control configuration will give gamers the ultimate Monster Hunting experience when the bundle becomes available in North America this April at a suggested retail price of $59.99.

"Monster Hunter Tri has made a huge splash in the Japanese market, and we're confident the bundle with the Classic Controller Pro will give fans in North America plenty to get excited about," said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America's vice president of Licensing. "Gamers of all kinds enjoy playing games on Wii. Monster Hunter Tri delivers an incredible new experience on Wii, while the Classic Controller Pro gives players even more control options for their favorite Wii games."

The new Classic Controller Pro includes a second row of shoulder buttons and ergonomically friendly grips. The Classic Controller Pro plugs directly into the Wii Remote™ controller, and until now, has been available only in the Japanese market.

The Classic Controller Pro will be compatible with more than 450 Wii, WiiWare™ and Virtual Console™ games. The Classic Controller Pro bundled with Monster Hunter Tri will be black, while both black and white versions of the controller will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Making its North American debut on Wii this spring, Monster Hunter Tri is one of the most strikingly beautiful titles developed for Nintendo's Wii system. Pushing the hardware to the limit, Monster Hunter Tri depicts a living, breathing ecosystem where humans co-exist with majestic monsters that roam both dry land and brand new sub-aqua environments – a first for the series. Offering the player varied control configurations to suit their style of play, players can choose between the Classic Controller Pro, Wii Remote™ and Nunchuck™, or Classic Controller™ to slay the monsters that inhabit the world.

The Monster Hunter series has sold over 11 million units worldwide and has become a social phenomenon in Japan giving rise to training camps, dedicated festivals and numerous licensed products. According to Media Create, Monster Hunter Tri sold 520,000 units in its first week of release in Japan and became the leading title sold across all platforms for the week of its release.

Well, this is a nice thing that Sony and Hong Kong International Airport have done: there are now 14 PS3 "Game Poles" (read: kiosks) distributed throughout the airport for travelers who've exhausted the entertainment potential of the Duty Free shop.

Curiously, the games that they've chosen to provide—like Final Fantasy XIII, Avatar, and Uncharted 2—have the kind of long story arcs that don't exactly lend themselves to a two-hour delay. But hey, that's probably the point! The first hit's free, etc.

It's a great thought, but if the lines are anything like those at the sports bars at JFK during a snowstorm, I'm not sure the riots will be entirely worth it. [The Moodie Report via Kotaku]

I doubt Leica would make a 24-carat gold-plated camera for my 60th anniversary, but they did for China.

Each one of the 60 limited edition cameras costs 199,900 yuan (about $30,000), and is individually numbered from 1949 to 2009. I'm pretty sure you're going to have to be someone pretty important (and in China) to get one of these, but if you've got 30 grand and a connection, Leica's probably not going to say no. [Itechnews via Engadget]

Right, so FM transmitters are generally terrible. Not just because they sound worse than direct line-in connections and even tape adapters, but because they're a pain to control. Belkin has solved at least one of these problems, for iPhone users.

As promised, the Belkin TuneCast Auto Live transmitter, seen below looking like pretty much every other Belkin FM transmitter ever, has a single, massive trick up its sleeve: an iPhone app that actually controls it. It basically turns your iPhone into a smart remote for your transmitter, which doesn't just modulate your broadcast frequency but actually finds the best one, and which in concept seems kind of backwards, but makes plenty of sense. It's digital + analog - car crashes! Got it.

Anyway, the TuneCast transmitter/app combo is available today, with a price of $80. [Belkin]

AMD's making a strong budget play today, releasing its 3.2GHz Phenom II dual core desktop processor for under $100. It comes as part of a broader release that also includes the Phenom II X4 910e, clocked at 2.6GHz but energy friendly at 65W, as well as three new Athlon II processors that range from 65W-95W and $74-$119.

AMD Introduces Sub-$100 AMD Phenom™ II Processor, and AMD Athlon™ II Processors, for Mainstream Desktop Computing Market

New AMD Phenom™ II processors and AMD Athlon™ II processors deliver advanced computing per dollar for multiple desktop product form factors

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -1/25/2010
What:
AMD (NYSE:AMD) today expanded its AMD Phenom™ II and AMD Athlon™ II processor families for desktop with several new processors designed to give mainstream consumers advanced performance capabilities from their desktop PCs at increasingly attractive price points. As desktop PCs continue trending toward smaller form factors, AMD remains committed to maximizing the user experience by bringing platform technology integration, efficiency and performance benefits to consumers. Examples of the new processor offerings from AMD include:

The new AMD Phenom™ II X2 555 Black Edition processor, AMD's fastest dual-core desktop processor to date at 3.2 GHz, is an ideal choice for the budget-conscious consumer's Microsoft® Windows® 7 system platform at an affordable $99 Suggested System Builder Price (SSBP).1
The new AMD Athlon™ II X4 635 processor is designed to provide exceptional quad-core performance to handle the demands of multitasking and multi-threaded applications.
Why:
Continuing its commitment to providing high performance at affordable prices, AMD meets the computing needs of mainstream consumers with these new processors - from gamers to social media devotees. This variety and value enables OEMs and system builders to develop compelling PC solutions optimized for Windows 7.

Who:
The new additions to the AMD Phenom™ II and AMD Athlon™ II processor lines are great choices for consumers interested in HD entertainment,2 casual gaming, digital file editing and social-media networking.

Benefits:
When combined with the latest generation of ATI Radeon™ 5800 Series graphics cards and AMD 7-series chipsets, these new AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II processors can provide consumers with optimal user experience and capabilities such as:

Brilliant HD entertainment experience2
Support for DirectX® 11 gaming feature
Exceptional energy efficiency with dynamic power management
Socket AM3 compatibility for flexibility and compatibility with motherboards based on the upcoming AMD 800-series chipset
Advanced multitasking performance
Optimized for Windows 71 and the latest sleek desktop designs
Pricing:
CPU Name TDP Frequency 1ku Price
AMD Athlon™ II X2 255 65 W 3.1 GHz $74
AMD Athlon™ II X3 440 95 W 3.0 GHz $84
AMD Athlon™ II X4 635 95 W 2.9 GHz $119
AMD Phenom™ II X2 555 80 W 3.2 GHz $99
AMD Phenom™ II X4 910e 65 W 2.6 GHz $169

Fighting back against the downloaders, a new music file format by the name of MusicDNA has been introduced by the people who created the MP3, which will bundle a heap of bonus content with the music file.

When downloading a song or album in the MusicDNA format, the buyer will also recent videos of concerts, album artwork and sleeve notes, blog posts and tweets from the band, and concert/merchandise information. It's all about giving the buyer a greater incentive to download legally, just like Apple's iTunes LP which was announced last year—though I've never met a single person who's actually paid money for some pretty digital pictures before.

The MusicDNA team has already signed deals with indie labels, so bands such as Radiohead and the Arctic Monkeys will soon be offering downloads in the format, though for how much, nobody seems to know. We'll start seeing a lot more about MusicDNA, with the launch expected to be spring time—but will a few videos and tweets make you give up BitTorrent for good? Nah, didn't think so. [The Guardian]

It's enough to make some quake with faith and speak in tongues. Overheard second, third, or several hands, Steve Jobs is quoted (well, maybe paraphrased) speaking of the tablet, "This will be the most important thing I've ever done." [TechCrunch]

We know he's a BlackBerry fanboy, an international iPod evangelist, and a prolific YouTube vlogger, and a general nerd, but now we have a new label for our POTUS: Internet addict.

In 2010, to "use the internet like a normal adult" is to give in to a terrible, emotionless symbiosis from which you can never withdraw, so what's said here—that the president reads blogs, that he spends a lot of his day online, that he's the first president to have an internet connection at his desk—is less interesting that what's left unsaid: Does he laugh at memes? Does he comment? Does he troll?

And as the WaPo's anonymous source so obviously wanted the world to ask, or else he/she would have worded things differently: Porntube or xHamster? [Washington Post via Ed Bott]

The Consumerist, as always, is right on top of Barnes & Noble's recent Nook-related failings. Yes, people are still without their Nook, and yes, customer service woes are still running rampant at the fledgling book retailer.

You see, the $100 gift cards promised to customers if their Nook did not arrive by Christmas? That's good customer service. However, those $100 cards have yet to arrive in many cases. That's bad customer service.

Worse still, blogger Jesse Vincent has been writing dutifully about the cards and more since the holidays, and things haven't gotten any better. Broken promises, vanishing orders—all there, and all indicative of a retailer that grossly underestimated demand for its savvy e-reader and overestimated its ability to sell them.

The silver lining? B&N customer service is super polite when they tell you your order has been canceled or disappeared or whatever. So there's that, although I'm pretty much with Kat when she says these thing will never truly hit the mainstream. [Consumerist]

How's this for conference schwag? GDC attendees, meaning "speakers and conference associates," will be gifted their choice of a Motorola Droid or the Google Nexus One. If you're a fan of either phone, commence your jealous hatred now. [GDC via Joystiq]

The tumorific Motorola MOTOROI, first spotted heading to Korean shores earlier this month, could be coming Stateside soon (via T-Mobile), if a filing with the FCC is to be believed.

We brought you the details earlier this month, but for those averse to clicking here's a recap:

Running on Android 2.0, it's got native apps multitouch on that 3.7-inch WVGA screen, takes photos with an 8-megapixel camera, records video in 720p, and has an HDMI out and a T-DMB TV tuner for watching 24 of South Korea's channels. 8GB of storage and a microSD card slot are pretty decent for storage options, and just like with its older brother the Droid, it comes with a docking station.

The smoking guns, if you will, that say this is the same Korea-only MOTOROI we spied earlier are: The FCC filing does not make mention of a slider. It also uses the Sholes codename for this phone. Then there's the "T-Mobile friendly 1700 / 2100MHz HSPA," says Engadget. Triple word score.

These bits of evidence, taken together, all but confirm T-Mobile will be the carrier that brings the phone to the U.S., possibly by March. [FCC via Cell Phone Signal via Engadget]

Microsoft and Apple, already strange bedfellows if we're to believe Apple's seriously considering Bing over Google on future iPhones, are at it again, albeit indirectly. This time it's Microsoft's turn, as they present counterarguments in an Xbox 360 antitrust case.

The disgruntled player is a company called Datel Design & Development, which dubiously argues that Microsoft is monopolizing the market for "Multiplayer Online Dedicated Gaming Systems." With their supposed monopoly, Microsoft is allegedly controlling the related market for accessories by using software-related barriers that bar 3rd party devices from competing with Microsoft Xbox 360 accessories. In a nutshell, this means Datel's unlicensed Game Genie-type cheats device is barred from being sold for use on the Xbox 360 platform.

Now, I say dubious because Datel conveniently leaves out any mention of market leader Nintendo Wii, as well as the PS2, PSP and DS handhelds in its argument. If one only considers the Xbox 360 and PS3 in the dominant market, as Datel does, the argument has some merit, maybe. Add in those pesky "other consoles"—the ones Datel says don't count because their owners aren't really gamers, or something—and poof, a little bit less believable.

Nevertheless, the Datel complaint led Microsoft to cite Apple's legal battle with Psystar, and hence the strange bedfellows comment above. From the Microsoft motion, transcribed by TechFlash *deep breath*:

[Psystar responded with antitrust claims] "much like those alleged by Datel, alleging that Apple had sought to monopolize a primary market for the Mac OS as well as the aftermarket for hardware that could be used with the Mac OS and had tied the Mac OS to its own hardware. [Much like Apple owners agreeing to the OS X EULA] Xbox 360 purchasers knowingly and voluntarily gave Microsoft the right to prohibit the use of unauthorized accessories...each Xbox 360 comes packaged with a software license requiring consumers to agree that the Xbox 360 software can be used only with Microsoft authorized accessories."

The one thing I'll give to Datel is their accessories really expose how Microsoft gouges us all with their accessory pricing. For $30 MS gives us 512MB memory cards. For $40, Datel sells us 2GB. The case goes to court March 1. [TechFlash, Datel's Motion (pdf)]

Camera rumor site Photorumors snagged a pair of images today that purportedly show two new Pentax cameras, yet to be released. Seen here is the Pentax Optio L10. Below is the Optio H90:

The images were obtained with the help of Google cache, as they were almost immediately removed from the retailer site where Photorumors found them in the first place. Little else is known other than what we see here, but Pentax sure loves its whited out cameras these days, no?

A third, nameless camera was also spotted, but there was an issue with the image download, and it was lost. Lost until we know more, anyway. [Photorumors]

Jim McCormick promised his ADE-651 wand could identify anything, including bombs, simply by waving it around with the right RFID card inside. Yeah, totally fake, and now he's in prison. Too bad Iraq already spent £85 million on them. Updated.

Literally, the $40,000 (apiece) devices did absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch. Experts think the insides contained nothing more than a dumb RFID card. Powered by nothing. Nope, not even a power supply. Just some snake oil, if that. $85 million!

Even worse, "inventor" McCormick was a firm, open believer in dowsing (as in, finding water with a stick), and that's what the device was based on. Dowsing!

The BBC ran an investigative report on the device, during which McCormick claimed, without breaking his stride, that the device could detect explosives up to one kilometer away. Video below (money shot at 7:30 when the insides are shown to be empty):

Now the money lost is bad, but the loss of life is worse. Immeasurable. Security personnel and Iraqi soldiers were using these powerless dowsing rod devices in the field to detect bombs at security checkpoints and who knows where else. Scores died with this murderous thing gripped tightly in their hands. Hundreds more when the security checkpoints, armed with these devices, failed to protect them.

Update: We ran the US's doubts on this device in November. This story confirms without a doubt that devices were fake, probably resulted in hundreds of deaths, and that McCormick, thankfully for the human race, has been arrested and is awaiting trial (although he's currently out on bail). [BBC, CrunchGear]

Current NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles Bolden, speaking a few weeks ago at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, explained how our nation's space program is at a crossroads and pledged to continue manned missions into space.

A combination of the federal budget deficit and a number of successful unmanned space endeavors—think Hubble, Mars Rovers—has dimmed Dubya's plan to put man back in space in a big way. Bolden, however, refuses to let the Astronaut die on his watch.

"I do not see this president being the president who presides over the end of human spaceflight," he said. Bolden expressed an interest in partnering with other nations on practical manned missions, in addition to continuing to develop more efficient space flight technologies. Still, there are many powerful voices who consider manned spaceflight a frivolous endeavor.

NASA's course will be determined in large part by Barack Obama and the funding he allots to the agency in the next few weeks. Here's to hoping he's looking towards the stars. [PhysOrg]

If you're thinking to yourself, "that's sort of a small window for a luxury hotel suite," well, you're right. But it's only because this room occupies the entirety of a repurposed Cold War-era East German aircraft.

OK, the view isn't anything special: the plane stays grounded outside the Teuge airport in the Netherlands. But the room itself, dubbed the Vliegtuigsuite, is spectacular, including three flat screen TVs, a Blu-ray player, a sauna, and a jacuzzi. Guests have access to the entire plane, from your king-size bed in the back all the way up to the cockpit.

My Dutch isn't quite what it should be, but from the looks of things a night in the aircraft will put you back €350. A bit steep, sure, but totally worth it if you've always wanted to get it on in an airplane without worrying about a foot ending up in that weird blue toiletjuice. [Hotelsuites.nl via WeHeart]