GeekSugar

CES Gadgets For the Stylish Geek

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:25:36 PST

The Consumer Electronics Show is still in full force in the Las Vegas desert, but we've already seen so many gadgets that we can't wait to get our hands on when we get back to the real world. Keep in mind that these products have yet to announce their prices and release dates and just dream about holding them in your hot little hands for now. Check out a few of our favorites here and don't forget to tell us which ones you have your eyes on in the comments.

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Offers Instagram-Style Effects Without Photoshop

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:53:53 PST

Instagram has become an incredibly popular app for mobile photographers since its launch in 2010, and camera manufacturers are taking notice. Panasonic is hoping to lure mobile photography enthusiasts away from the smartphone by adding Instagram-style effects to its hardware. The Panasonic Lumix GX1 has two things going for it - its awesome retro style and customizable built-in photo filters that let you change the look and feel of your images without a secondary program like Photoshop.

Eight different filters - from "retro" to "toy camera" - give your photos a distinctive personality by adding a dose of color, contrast, and vignetting. The good news is, you can control just how much of the effect goes into your pics with the addition of a slider bar on the three-inch touchscreen LCD panel. Add a little or a lot - it's totally up to you. Additionally, the GX1 comes with a Touch Defocus tool that helps you achieve the Tilt-Shift effect, or just bring a subject into sharper focus by blurring out the background. You can even choose from four different aspect ratios, including 1:1 square if you can't get enough of that Instagram styling. An interchangeable lens model, the GX1 can be used with other Micro Four Thirds lenses as your skills improve.

You can get the Panasonic Lumix GX1 now for $700.

How About a Hair Wash From a Robot?

BellaSugar — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:59:39 PDT

If you like your science fiction and your hairstyling in close quarters, you'll want to check out the new hair-washing robot Panasonic just unveiled.

The 16-"fingered" machine has sensors that allow it to determine the optimal pressure and technique for individual people's scalps. It can also "remember" heads, so you get a consistent wash. Unfortunately, it's only in prototype phase, and will probably be pretty pricey when it does hit the market, since it's designed to assist large numbers of people living in nursing homes. Does this kind of robot excite you, or are you holding out for an automated hairstylist?

How Much Is This Twin-Lens 3D Camera?

GeekSugar — Sun, 23 May 2010 04:00:29 PDT

We all know how expensive professional grade cameras can be, but this smaller, more portable Panasonic Twin-Lens number shoots your scenes in 3D fabulousness. Capable of HD 1080p recordings in three dimensions, a 3.2-inch side-mounted LCD screen to peep what you're shooting, and comes in at six pounds. It all sounds great, but can you guess how much it costs?

Take the Quiz

Skype Brings HD Video Calls to Your PCs, Internet TVs

GeekSugar — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:47:08 PST

I relied heavily on Skype to contact family and friends when I spent a few weeks in Japan last year, and even though I thought the video and voice quality were pretty fly I guess there's always room for improvement. Skype announced yesterday that the newest version of their software would bring HD-quality VoIP calls to your PC and will also be partnering with LG and Panasonic to bring the high quality calls to Skype-embedded Internet-compatible TVs later this year.

In addition, Skype will be producing a line of high def webcams for your TV set so you can make the HD calls right from your living room - no PC required. The FV Touchcam N1 ($70 - $100) will ship in February, and the FreeTalk HD Pro ($120) will hit the virtual Skype shelves in March.

Daily Tech: Qik App Available For Free On the iPhone 3GS

GeekSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:13:28 PDT

Easily share videos and photos from your iPhone 3GS with the new Qik app - Gizmodo
Twitter is giving its retweet functionality an overhaul by removing the cut and paste step - TechCrunch
Wii Sports Resort from Nintendo was the bestselling video game in the US last month - Kotaku
Here's a hands-on demo of Microsoft's new Zune HD in action - Mashable
Wireless customer care scores are in, and the most hated wireless company is Sprint - Wired
The Panasonic Link-to-Cell phone allows your home cordless phone to become your cell phone - Boing Boing

Daily Tech: Panasonic Unveils Three New Lumix Cameras

GeekSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:05:54 PDT

Coming this September are three new 12.1 megapixel LUMIX cameras - Engadget
The Withing Connected Scale will send all of your weight records to your iPhone via WiFi - Chip Chick
Why the BlackBerry Tour is both yay and nay - Switched
The White House wants the public to know it likes Twitter very much - TechCrunch
Apple's Final Cut Studio app update is out and it offers significant feature changes - Boing Boing
We're still giving away Amazon Kindles! Log in for a chance to win one - geeksugar

Snap Pics Like Kanye With a Panasonic Lumix LX3

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:48:21 PDT

Kanye just can't get enough digital cameras. We've already seen him with the stylish Leica D-LUX 3 at the 2007 Givenchy show in Paris a few years back, and now he's been spotted in London with a new Panasonic Lumix LX3 ($600) number around his neck.

The 10.1 megapixel LX3 is just what Kanye needs to capture great photos on his trips around the world - it comes with a large three inch LCD screen, shoots in 16:9 HD video, includes 21 fun scene modes like self portrait, pet, and starry sky, and it accepts expandable SD cards to boost its onboard 50MB internal memory space.

Plus, this portable number takes excellent low-light photos, thanks to its wide aperture range and the newly developed Leica DC Vairo-Summicron lens, which captures clear shots during late night outings, concerts, and candlelight dinners. Perfect for a geek on the go!

Move Over Roomba: Here Comes a New Robotic Vacuum

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:33:01 PDT

I can't think of much not to love about the Roomba, but there's always room for competition in a market with one really great product.

So, welcome the Panasonic Fukitorimushi (Japanese for "wipe-up bug"), introduced recently at the Tokyo Fiber Senseware exhibition in Milan.

The Fukitorimushi (um, can we please just abbreviate it to "Fuki"? OK then) has a nanocloth underbelly, rather than a traditional sucking mechanism like a Roomba.

Its cloth-covered body kind of looks like you dropped a towel on the floor and forgot to pick it up, but I could learn to live with anything that cleans my apartment for me.

Today's geeksugar Bargain Buys!

GeekSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:00:52 PST

In today's installment of Bargain Buys, you'll find an iPod alternative, a flat screen TV, video games, and a very fun geeky home accessory. Let the deals begin!