If you're a Nexus One owner and you have a sense of adventure—or are black-out drunk—you can now flash an alpha version of the leaked HTC Desire ROM on your phone. Speaking of Flash, this ROM has it.

Have you secretly harbored Desire-envy ever since its unveiling at MWC? This is your chance to close the gap; the Desire ROM will give you its Sense UI as well as support for Flash 10.1, apparently.

Of course, this is all very experimental, so things are buggy and it's more of a curiosity than a permanent makeover. But a cool curiosity, nonetheless. As usual, proceed with extreme caution. [Redmond Pie via Boy Genius Report]

Recently, Apple removed Wobble—an app that adds real jiggle to photographic boobies—from the App Store. Other removals followed. Now, a developer who talked to Apple has the scoop on the future of iPhone titillation, and it is bleak.

Really bleak. Like no racy photos, no suggestive language, no bathing suits bleak.

This devastating news comes by way of TechCrunch, who has been following this story closely (but not in a weird way). Initially it seemed that Apple's new policy was to ban "overtly sexual content," which was disappointing, but, you know, understandable. Now TC has received word from a developer who has discussed the matter with "multiple App Store reviewers," and things aren't looking too hot. Not even close to hot, in fact.

Said developer was told "there will be no more applications that are for any purpose of excitement or titillation." Huh? I get pretty excited playing Tapulous—are they going to ban that too? Well, if you're thinking that maybe behind the hyperbole things aren't actually so bad, think again. Here's the full shakedown, as recapped by the developer of Wobble, an individual who has been standing in the shower since Apple first turned on the cold water on Thursday night:

1. No images of women in bikinis (Ice skating tights are not OK either)

2. No images of men in bikinis! (I didn't ask about Ice Skating tights for men)

3. No skin (he seriously said this) (I asked if a Burqa was OK, and the Apple guy got angry)

4. No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs (yes – I am serious, we have to remove the silhouette in this pic)

5. No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex – all banned

6. Nothing that can be sexually arousing!! (I doubt many people could get aroused with the pic above but those puritanical guys at Apple must get off on pretty mundane things to find Wobble "overtly sexual!)

7. No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content (not sure how Playboy is still in the store, but …)

This can't be life! Of course, the glimmer of hope here is that Apple is still reviewing their policy and taking a hard line while doing so, just to be safe. On the other hand, this could it, the real deal, the Puritanical future of apps on the iPhone. I hope you have a thing for girls in turtlenecks. [TechCrunch]

Engineering students at the California Polytechnic State University are showing off the updated Black Widow, their entry for the upcoming Shell Eco-Marathon contest, and it involves some unusual numbers: 3 (wheels); 3 (horsepower engine); and 2,752 (miles per gallon).

The team has been working on the vehicle since 2005, and with each successive year they've managed to shed weight and ramp up mileage. In its current state it weighs only 96 pounds, and can hit a top speed of 30 MPH with its Honda 50cc engine.

In the last three Shell Eco-Marathons—a competition for student-made, energy-efficient vehicles—the Black Widow placed either first or second. The competition takes place at the end of March, and this year the California Polytechnic State team will double its chances by entering a second vehicle, also with three wheels, in the Urban Concept category.

The Black Widow may not be the fastest car or the most powerful, but it will almost certainly get you where you need to go. [Wired via Inhabitat]

The Mars Society is a group that prepares for man's eventual exploration of Mars with simulations in the Utahan desert. But their mission logs, posted regularly on the group's website, reveal a tension that is very real—and very funny.

The two-week simulations, including various experiments and equipment tests, take place at the Mars Desert Research Station, located outside Hanksville, Utah. The volunteers who participate are expected to take the matter very seriously—after all, our future Mars colony depends on it. But of course, some pretend Mars astronauts are more dedicated than other pretend Mars astronauts and this is where the trouble starts.

The current team occupying the Research Station, Crew 90, is led by Nancy Vermeulen. According to their "Mission Info" page, they are the first team comprised entirely of Belgians. In the wake of the trouble they've been having, it now seems ominous that the last line of their statement reads, "the media is following our project very closely." Indeed, Geekosystem picked up on the mission and faithfully documented its simmering turmoil.

After days of snits and snubs, the tension came to a head on February 15. In that day's report, Commander Vermeulen explains:

The growing frustration that after 9 days PE, Nora and Margaux are
still not able to manage the Hab systems/ standard engineering
reporting system (and even don't consider this as a problem!), exploded
during the lunch.

The lack of dedication to the mission of some people overloads the
others and it had to be spoken out. The problem was already there from
the first day, when it came out that some people didn't prepare
anything for the mission, didn't look at the manuals, which were send
to them months ago and didn't even prepare the tasks for their own
role.
The accusation into my direction that I didn't brief enough about the
systems was too much. Nicky almost exploded.
Arjan reacted double: At one hand he couldn't stop criticising the
incompetence of some others during last week, but during the discussion
he acted as if he was from Barcelona (don't know anything). He has his
own mission and own world.

The Commander's Reports for the last days of the mission, which ended yesterday, obscure the interpersonal conflicts that paralyzed the crew. Only a few bloody noses are referenced, perhaps as physical manifestations of the crew's frustrations.

You can read the whole saga unfold on the Mars Society site, or check out the abridged version at Geekosystem, who has done a commendable job tracing how the drama transpired. To Crew 91: Godspeed. The Red Planet makes beasts of men. [Mars Society via Geekosystem]

Surely by now you've heard about the high school student suing Philadelphia's Lower Merion School District for remotely accessing his webcam. And maybe you read the Superintendent's response and thought, "well, maybe this whole business is getting blown out of proportion." It isn't.

According to a Washington Post report from early this morning, the school district has admitted to remotely activating its laptops' webcams forty-two times over the last 2 years. Now the FBI is involved, determining if the school district violated any wiretapping or computer-privacy laws in the process.

The school district maintains that the webcams were only accessed in efforts to retrieve stolen or lost laptops, but this whole mess stems from the punishment of a student in which a webcam shot, snapped while the student was in his home, was cited as evidence of wrongdoing. The extent to which the school abused its ability to access the webcams isn't quite clear at this point, but the original incident makes the school's defense about using them strictly as a security measure pretty hard to believe. [Washington Post]

There's a lot of hostility swirling around Foxconn these days. First, Foxconn security assaulted a photograph-snapping reporter in China. Now there's a report that workers at a Mexican Foxconn factory burned the joint down after being forced to work overtime.

Apparently at the end of the work day on Friday, supervisors at the Foxconn factory in Juarez, Mexico weren't quite ready to wrap up for the weekend, so they told the workers that the transportation trucks that take them home everyday were being held up at a military checkpoint. In the meantime, the workers were forced to keep toiling away without any extra compensation.

Well, that bit about the military checkpoint wasn't entirely true, and when the workers found out that the trucks were just being blocked-in in the parking lot, they expressed their anger by setting fire to the gymnasium, the area of the building in which the factory's finished computers and cell phones are stored.

This reportedly isn't the first time the slimy managers at the Juarez plant had tried to strong arm their employees into staying overtime without extra pay, so the explosive reaction is not entirely surprising. Sometimes you just gotta fight fire with arson. [El Norte (sub. required) - Thanks Wilibaldo]

So you're fed up with Google, and you've got a litany of reasons. You don't even have to explain—I'm just here to help you crawl out from under the shadow of the big G, step by step.

You don't have to be ready to commit to a full overhaul of your online lifestyle to understand why someone might want to yank their data from Google's servers, and hand it off to someone else: You've got Google's CEO deafly rehashing fallacious arguments about privacy—"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place"—and hesitating on a drawback; you've got contextual advertising that seems just a little too closely tuned to that sexxxy love letter your girlfriend sent you while you were on that business trip; you've got that violently insane ex husband who now knows where you are because of Google's clumsy Buzz rollout. Most of all, you've got reasons, and you're ready for change.

The decision to close your Google account has to be carefully considered—after all, this is the place that stores your email, your documents, your contacts, your photos, your news, and even your health records. But this level of investment to one service is as good a reason to leave as it is to stay: If looking at your Google Dashboard, which lists all the services you use, and the amount and type of information you store on them, doesn't make you feel a little uneasy, then hell, what would?

Anyway, I'm not here to make the case for you to drop Google altogether—it's not something I'm prepared to do, for a start—I'm just here to tell you how to do it. Here's everything you need to know about life after Google.

Search

It's easy to forget that there are other search engines in the world, because Google has been so plainly dominant over the last few years. But they're there, and they're actually pretty good.

The best alternative to Google, by a long shot, is Microsoft's Bing. It's an evolution of the Live search engine, and it's offers a distinctly different experience than Google: it's far from minimalist, with a colorful interface, content-tailored results pages, and and emphasis on reducing clicks, rather than reducing clutter. Coming from Google it can be visually jarring, and the fact that the results for common searches are different—if not better or worse—means that at first, you'll get the feeling that it isn't working right.

Give it some time and some patience, and you'll realize that it's pretty damn good. And even if search isn't perceived as the biggest threat to your privacy, it's important to make the switch anyway—after all, it was Google search that was the gateway to all the other Google services, which you're now trying untangle yourself from.

Honorable Mentions:

• Yahoo
• Wolfram Alpha
• Collecta
• Mahalo

Email

Back when it launched in 2005, Gmail lured users with insane amounts of free storage space: One gigabyte. Impossible. This caught the dominant services of the day completely off guard, and made their free webmail seem utterly ancient.

Today, that one gigabyte has grown to nearly seven, and on the surface not much has changed about ol' Gmail. Meanwhile, the companies that were blindsided back in 2005 have had plenty of time to catch up to, and in some cases, exceed Google's offering. Here's how to make the full switch:

Backing up your Gmail: There are a number of ways to do this, but one stands out as the easiest: The email client method.

1.) Download Thunderbird, a free email client from the same people who make Firefox (Download for Windows, OS X)
2.) Enable IMAP access on your Gmail account, by clicking the Setting link in the top right of your inbox, navigating to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, and selecting the "Enable IMAP" radio button

3.) File > New Mail Account
4.) Enter your name and Gmail address, after which Thunderbird should find your mail settings automatically, and set itself up as an IMAP client: (If this doesn't happen, consult Google's guide for a manual setup.
5.) Once the account is set up, open Thunderbird's Account Settings panel, and navigate to the Synchronization and Storage tab. Make sure "Keep messages for this account on this computer" and "Synchronize all messages regardless of age" are both selected.
6.) Wait for your messages to sync to your computer—this could take hours, especially if you're near your Gmail storage limit.

What you've done here is imported all of your Gmail messages into a local client—Thunderbird—which lets you browse them, search them, or back them up to an external hard drive for posterity. And if you switch to another IMAP-based service, you can import these old messages into your new account simply by dragging them from your Gmail inbox folder in Thunderbird to your new account's inbox folder.

Contacts are a trickier question, but at the very least you can use Gmail's contact exporting tool (under your Gmail inbox folder list) to create a CSV file or or VCard, for importing into a client like Thunderbird.

The best alternative service: As long as it's been since Gmail showed up on the scene, the webmail scene hasn't seen many exciting new players—Google has a knack of preempting new competition when it moves into a product category. So, for the best remaining alternative is a veritable oldie: Yahoo mail. Consider the facts:

• It's still free
• It offers unlimited storage
• POP access is available in the free version, and with a little fiddling, so is IMAP access
• Free text messages in certain countries
• The interface doesn't look like it was designed in 1999, like certain other webmail clients.

The matter of Buzz: Now, when you ditch Gmail, you'll also be losing Google Buzz, which is a sort of location-aware status update system that nobody has really had the time to get into yet. Don't worry: Buzz was a response to other services, not a trailblazer, so you'll be served just fine sticking with Twitter (which lets you update you status with geolocation), FourSquare (which lets you alert your friends as to which particular establishments you visit, and see what other people think of said establishments), and Facebook (for posting media and accepting comments on it). Buzz didn't have time to become vital, so switching away from it should be easy.

Calendar

Exporting your Google calendars: This one's easy. Just:

1.) Navigate to your GCal settings page, and click on the Calendars tag.
2.) Export calendars to an ICS file, like so:
3.) That's it!

The best alternative: Yahoo calendar is fine, but in the spirit of spreading your vital info around, let's go with Windows Live Calendar. One you've created a Live ID—you pretty much need one of these nowadays—you're automatically given a Live Calendar account. To import your Google Calendars, just do the following:

1.) Open Live Calendar
2.) Click "Subscribe"
3.) Import the ICS file you exported from Gmail, like this:

Photos

Not that many people use Picasa, so this one should be easy. Plus, there are some obviously superior alternatives.

• Flickr doesn't stop at being a great photo sharing site, it's also an amazing resource for photographers, both expert and amateur. Storage is limited with a monthly upload cap.
• Photobucket is a simple gallery service, with an emphasis on sharing over archiving. Storage is limited to 1GB.
• Shutterfly is another super-simple service, with unlimited storage (Google doesn't even offer that for free)
• Facebook shouldn't be counted out—its photo compression may be aggressive, but it does allow you to upload and tag a virtually unlimited number of photos.

Documents

A lot of people find themselves using Google Docs because it's just so damn convenient—you receive a document in your Gmail account, and suddenly, hey, it's in the Google Docs service! That's how they get you. And interestingly enough, despite Google's acquisition of Writely and subsequent improvements on in the Docs service, there's still an objectively superior online document editing service out there.

ZoHo Docs is a full online office suit (among other things) which does virtually everything Google Docs can do, and often more. It offers deep document editing, offline editing (!), and collaborative editing. Document compatibility on ZoHo is absolutely tops, and the formatting and editing options far exceed Google Docs. There's a text editor, a spreadsheet editor and a presentation editor, to name a few.

Pulling the Plug

So, you've migrated what you can, and settled into you new services nicely. Now, it's time to close your Google account out, once and for all? Are you ready? Are you sure? Ok.

For any grievances you may have about Google's privacy practices, you have to give them credit for making the process stupidly easy.

1.) From any Google page, click the Settings link in the top right, then Account Settings from the submenu.
2.) Next to "My Products", click the "Edit" link
3.) From here, choose to delete individual services, or close your Google Account altogether.

4.) Confirm that you want all of your data deleted.
5.) DO IT.

Feels strange, doesn't it? For anyone with enough spite and motivation to follow this guide, though, I suspect "strange" could be replaced with any number of more gracious adjectives. So, ex-Googlers: Do you feel better now?

We couldn't cover ever last Google service and piece of software, so if you have more tips and alternatives to share, please drop some links in the comments-your feedback is hugely important to our Saturday How To guides. And if you have any topics you'd like to see covered here, please let me know. Happy diversifying, folks!

Samsung's new TL500 is capable of shooting RAW with a crazy fast F1.8 lens and lets you view it all on a twisting AMOLED screen. It's possibly Samsung's best point-and-shoot ever, and it could be a Canon S90 killer.

In October, we swore that the Canon Powershot S90 would never leave our pockets. But we might be willing to empty them out for Samsung's TL500.

The TL500 packs a 1/1.7" CCD sensor—the same size as the S90's—and has a 24mm Schneider f/1.8 lens which makes for faaaast shooting and wiiiiide angles, with 3x optical zoom. The TL500 smartly scales back on the megapixels for better low-light performance, packing 10 as opposed to the 14MP offered by their recently announced CL80.

The TL500 shoots RAW and offers the garden variety of shooting modes including full manual control, and it has Samsung's Smart Auto 2.0 and Dual Image Stabiliziation tech for recognizing surroundings and keeping them sharp in your photos.

Sweetening the deal, the TL500 has a swiveling 3.0" AMOLED screen, so you will be able to see your shot no matter what crazy position you find yourself in.

But—and there's always a "but," isn't there—the camera only shoots 640x480 video, and with a steep pricetag of $449, we would've liked to see 720p capability.

Nevertheless, Samsung has been steadily improving their camera offerings, and with the TL500 they might have created their masterpiece. You can be sure that we are going to get our hands on one as soon as possible to see if that's the case. It'll hit shelves sometime this spring.

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES THE TL500 - A HIGH-END COMPACT WITH AN ULTRA WIDE AND BRIGHT F/1.8 LENS

Fast Operating Speed and Ultra-Sensitive 1/1.7" CCD Will Impress Enthusiast Photographers

Anaheim, CA (February 20, 2010) - Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, proudly introduces the 10 mega-pixel TL500, a high-end compact digital camera designed specifically for today's advanced and enthusiast photographers. The new flagship of the company's compact digital camera family, the new TL500 incorporates a full-range of advanced features, including a high-performance imaging sensor and one of the brightest lenses ever featured on a compact camera – a 24mm ultra wide angle Schneider KREUZNACH, f/1.8. The TL500 will be on display during PMA 2010, February 21 23, in the Samsung booth, #2227, in the Anaheim Convention Center.
"With the TL500, Samsung further differentiates its lineup from the competition and achieves yet another milestone in the industry," said Mr. SJ Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company. "With ultra-wide angle capability and unparalleled speed, the TL500's lens offers a new level of versatility allowing the user to be more creative and take better pictures."

High-Quality Optics and Images
The Samsung TL500 is sure to turn heads thanks to its ultra-wide, f/1.8 Schneider lens – one of the brightest ever featured on a compact digital camera. The impressive f/1.8 lens offers photographers a wider range of aperture steps and shallow depth-of-field, giving them the ability to blur out the background of their images while maintaining focus on their subjects. The ultra-fast, f/1.8 lens also allows users to take better photos in low-light environments as more light is passed through to the new high-performance 1/1.7" CCD sensor. Larger than the sensors typically found in compact digital cameras, the TL500's 1/1.7" CCD offers unrivaled sensitivity (max ISO 3200/full-resolution). Together with Samsung's re engineered and fast, DRIMeIII imaging processor, the TL500 captures high-quality images, regardless of the lighting environment.
The high-end Schneider lens offers a 24mm, ultra-wide focal length and 3x optical zoom. Much wider than traditional compact cameras, the TL500's 24mm ultra-wide angle lens allows photographers to capture more of a desired scene, such as beautiful landscapes and large groups of friends or family. For blur free images, the TL500's lens is also paired with Samsung's Dual Image Stabilization technology.

Versatile Display Enhances the Viewing Experience
Composing and reviewing images on the TL500's three-inch, swiveling AMOLED screen is a pleasure. The rotating AMOLED display will allow photographers to precisely frame their images the way they want and shoot from just about any angle, including overhead or low to the-ground shots. Compared to the traditional TFT-LCD found on most digital cameras, the TL500's AMOLED provides users with a higher contrast ratio, deeper blacks and more accurate, vivid colors, even when viewed from an angle or in direct sunlight. The TL500's AMOLED display is also more efficient when it comes to power consumption, allowing photographers to maximize battery life and shoot longer on a single charge.

Multiple Shooting Options
The TL500 supports RAW and gives enthusiasts full control over their images thanks to its shutter priority, aperture priority and full Manual shooting modes. When using these settings, shooters can experiment with features such as slower shutter speeds and depth of field; however, for those who prefer ease-of-use over manual controls, the TL500 also offers Samsung's Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology. Applicable for video recording (640x480 / 30fps / H.264) and taking digital stills, this intelligent feature analyzes the scene and then automatically selects the appropriate settings for the best results possible. Using this mode requires minimal effort and does not sacrifice image quality for simple operation.

Specifications
TL500
Mega-Pixels 10 mega-pixels
Optical Zoom 3x optical zoom / ultra-wide 24mm
LCD Size 3.0" swiveling AMOLED
Lens Schneider KREUZNACH
Ultra-Bright f/1.8 lens
Movie Mode 640x480 @30fps / H.264
Size 114.3mmx63.2mmx29.2mm
Special Features - Ultra- Bright f/1.8 lens
- 24mm Ultra-Wide-Angle Lens
- 3.0" Swiveling AMOLED
- Dual Image Stabilization (Optical + Digital)
- Manual Controls: A/S/M
- RAW support
- Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie)
- Large 1/1.7 inch, high sensitivity CCD
- Front Wheel Control
Availability Spring 2010
Pricing $449.99
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Samsung Electronics America's PMA 2010 press releases, video content and product images are available at http://www.samsung.com/newsroom.

Not to be upstaged by the TL500, the Samsung TL350 point-and-shoot offers its own unique bag of goodies: it shoots RAW, shoots video up to 1000fps, has an AMOLED display, and can capture 10MP stills while shooting 1080p video.

The TL350 sports a 10MP CMOS sensor and a 24mm Schneider lens capable of 5x optical zoom. It shoots RAW and has full manual controls, so seasoned photographers can get down and dirty.

Onto the good stuff: it's one of the first non-superzoom point-and-shoots capable of shooting full-HD, 1080p video. We don't know how it'll actually look, but that's a big deal. Even more bonkers is its new Dual Capture function that lets you snap 10MP stills while you're shooting video, without having to switch modes. That's hot. When you're not doubling up, it has a burst mode in which you can shoot up to 10 full size shots per second.

It's also capable of shooting high-speed video, all speeds of up to 1000 fps, though we'll have to wait and see how it stacks up against the Casio EX-FH100, the forthcoming update to the reigning high-speed point-and-shoot champ. In any event, shooting at 1000fps crams the video down to a teeny 138x78 resolution.

Shooting 1080p video would be enough to grab our attention, but the high-speed video, simultaneous shooting, and RAW capabilities really make the TL350 a standout. It'll be coming down the pipeline this spring for $350.

SAMSUNG ANNOUNCES THE HIGH-SPEED TL350 WITH FULL HD VIDEO

TL350's New Dual Capture Mode Allows Users To Take 10 Mega-Pixel Stills While Simultaneously Recording Full-HD Video

Anaheim, CA (February 20, 2010) – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled the TL350 - a high-speed, 10 mega pixel compact camera with 1080P, full-HD video recording. With a maximum video recording speed of 1,000 frames-per-second (fps) and a burst mode capable of capturing 10 full-size digital stills per second, the TL350 takes high-speed imaging to a new level for today's consumer. Additionally, the TL350 enhances the digital imaging experience with Samsung's Advanced Panorama Shot with Object Tracking as well as an innovative Dual Capture mode, which allows users to simultaneously take 10 mega-pixel still images while recording full-HD videos. The TL350 will be on display during PMA 2010, February 21-23, in the Samsung booth, #2227, in the Anaheim Convention Center.
"The TL350 is representative of Samsung's strategy to lead the digital imaging industry through product innovation," said Mr. SJ Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company. "Consumers have expressed frustration with having to choose between shooting video or taking digital stills with their camera. With the TL350, Samsung has addressed this unmet consumer need, and now gives consumers the ability to do both simultaneously."

High-Speed Digital Stills and Video
The TL350 allows users to capture high-quality images no matter how fast the action may be. Its advanced CMOS sensor and re-engineered DRIMeIII processor yield impressive low light performance and most notably, speed, giving users the ability to capture up to 10 pictures-per-second (pps) at the resolution of 10 mega-pixels. Additionally, the TL350 features a 1,000 fps (138x78), high-speed video recording mode which today's creative consumer can use to reveal details of a fast moving event in super slow motion. Whether it's used to capture an everyday moment in an astonishing new light or to analyze a golf swing, the capabilities of the TL350's super-slow motion playback are endless.

Impressive Optics and Display
In addition to its impressive speed, the TL350 also features a high-performance 24mm ultra wide angle Schneider KREUZNACH lens complete with a generous 5x optical zoom. Much wider than traditional compact cameras, the TL350's 24mm ultra-wide angle lens allows photographers to capture more of a desired scene, such as large groups of friends or family, while the 5x optical zoom will allow them to get in close when shooting from a distance. Samsung's Advanced Panorama shot with Object Tracking will further enhance the camera's wide-angle capabilities, ideal for the better capture of scenes such as vast landscapes. For blur free images, the TL350's lens is also paired with Samsung's Dual Image Stabilization technology.
The TL350 is equipped with a three-inch AMOLED screen providing users with a higher contrast ratio, deeper blacks and more accurate, vivid colors, even when viewed from an angle or in direct sunlight. The AMOLED display is also more efficient when it comes to power consumption, allowing photographers to maximize battery life and shoot longer on a single charge.

Features for the Advanced and Novice Shooter
The TL350 will appeal to both novice and more experienced users thanks to the combination of Smart and Manual controls. The camera's intuitive Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology will take the guess work out of taking a perfect photo or video every time; however, for those users who want to have more control over image capture, the TL350 supports RAW and offers Manual control. When set to Manual, consumers can experiment with features such as slower shutter speeds, depth-of-field and even focus.
Specifications:
Video Resolution / Frames-Per-Second
Aspect Ratio Speed Max. Resolution
WIDE (16:9) 30 fps 1920x1080
60 fps 1280x720
240 fps 608x342
420 fps 316x178
1000 fps 138x78
STD (4:3) 60 fps 640x480
240 fps 320x240

TL350
Mega-Pixels 10.2 mega-pixels
Optical Zoom 5x optical zoom / Schneider lens
LCD Size 3.0" VGA AMOLED
Lens Schneider KREUZNACH
Movie Mode 1080P HD Resolution With HDMI Connectivity
Size 3.91 x 2.32 x 0.85 inches
Special Features - 24mm Ultra-Wide-Angle Schneider Lens
- 5x Optical Zoom
- 3.0" VGA AMOLED (614K dots)
- Full-size Dual Capture Feature
- Advanced Panorama Shot with Object Tracking
- High speed CMOS sensor
- 10fps continuous still shot at 10M pixel
- High-Definition 1080p Video With HDMI Connectivity
- High speed Movie recording at up to 1,000fps
- Dual Image Stabilization (Optical + Digital)
- RAW Support
- Full Manual Control
- Advanced Picture Mode (manually adjust color tones)
- Smart Auto 2.0: Still & Movie
- Smart Album
- Smart Face Recognition (up to 20 faces)
- Perfect Portrait System: Beauty Shot / Face Detection / Self Portrait / Smile Shot / Blink Detection/Red-eye Fix
- Photo Style Selector
- Built-in software for playback, management, and editing on a PC (no CD-Rom installation required)
Availability Spring 2010
Pricing $349.99
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Samsung Electronics America's PMA 2010 press releases, video content and product images are available at http://www.samsung.com/newsroom.

Samsung's AQ100 and SL605 are billed as being waterproof and durable, respectively, but they're really not all that waterproof and durable. Still, the AQ100 shoots 720p video on the cheap and can go for a dip, if not a dive.

With the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2's 30 foot waterproof rating, the 10 feet of waterproofness guaranteed by Samsung's AQ100 doesn't seem all that impressive. But you can bet that it's going to be cheaper—at $200, the AQ100 is almost half as pricey as Sony's new rugged cam, the DSC-TX5, which can only go the same 10 feet deep.

The AQ100 also shoots 720p video, shoots 12MP photos and sports 5x optical zoom. A dedicated Aqua Mode tweaks settings for shooting beneath the surface, and the AQ100'S image stabilization will help keep videos looking smooth. The quality likely won't stack up to that of Sony or Panasonic's new rugged cameras, but if you're looking for an inexpensive way to get some underwater shots, it'll do the trick.

The $129 SL605's nods towards durability are its metal front cover, dust-proof controls, and scratch-proof casing, but I wouldn't count on it taking too much of a beating. But it might suffice if you're looking for a cheap point-and-shoot for an accident-prone loved one. Like the AQ100, it shoots 12MP and has 5x optical zoom, though it only shoots VGA video. The SL605 features a Smart Night Mode that allows the brightness of the flash to be controlled for better looking nighttime photography.

Both cameras will hit shelves this spring in a variety of colors.

SAMSUNG ANNOUNCES PAIR OF DURABLE COMPACT CAMERAS ALLOWING USERS TO GET ADVENTUROUS WITH THEIR PHOTOS

Waterproof AQ100 and Durable SL605 Offer High-End Features in Protective Frames

Anaheim, CA (February 20, 2010) - Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today added two 12 mega-pixel point and shoots to its digital camera lineup for 2010 - the durable SL605 and the waterproof AQ100. Thanks to their elements focused design, the AQ100 and the SL605 grant peace of mind and allow users to focus on taking the perfect shot, rather than worrying about damage to the camera. The AQ100 and the SL605 will be on display during PMA 2010, February 21-23, in the Samsung booth, #2227, in the Anaheim Convention Center.
"Memories can happen at any given moment and in any environment," said Mr. SJ Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company. "Further diversifying and expanding the range of digital imaging solutions available from Samsung, consumers can rely on these durable compacts to perform in the most challenging of environments as they're both built to last and feature packed for the highest-quality results."

AQ100
Offering extraordinary capabilities, the slim (0.78" thick) AQ100 was developed for use in up to 10 feet of water and thanks to the camera's exceptional low-light performance, it's capable of taking bright images at that depth. Whether taking photos of friends and family in the pool or a school of fish while snorkeling in the ocean, users will benefit from the AQ100's dedicated Aqua mode, which will optimize camera settings for the best possible underwater photos.
A powerful camera on land or in water, the AQ100 boasts an ample, 5x optical inner zoom lens complete with Digital Image Stabilization to help reduce blurry images. Additionally, the AQ100 features a bright, 2.7 inch TFT-LCD screen for framing and reviewing images.
In addition to taking beautiful still images, consumers can also record impressive 720p HD video above or below the water. The AQ100 offers image stabilization while recording video and for complete simplicity, it has Smart Auto (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology which fine tunes both video and picture settings for the best possible results. All the users have to do is point and shoot.

SL605
The new SL605 was designed with durability in mind, and offers consumers Samsung's Anti scratch Mask, which safeguards the camera from any unwanted scratches during everyday use. Furthermore, key areas of the Samsung SL605, including the bottom, buttons and areas surrounding the 2.7-inch TFT-LCD (230,000 pixel), are rubberized to further protect the camera from elements such as dust, dirt or sand.
Beyond its durability, users will also benefit from the Samsung SL605's internal 27mm wide angle, 5x optical zoom lens, which gives them the ability to take sharp and detailed images from any distance. With a wide-angle lens at their fingertips, users will be able to capture more of a desired scene, such as landscapes or large groups of friends and family. The SL605 offers standard definition, VGA video recording and also features Samsung's intuitive and easy-to-use Smart Auto scene recognition technology.
Samsung has also incorporated a Smart Night Mode in the new SL605, which will allow consumers to capture sharp, properly exposed images when shooting at night. Typically, a flash can be too bright and wash out one's subject when used in low-light or night-time settings, ruining what could have been a great image. With Samsung's new Smart Night Mode, this is no longer an issue as consumers can now increase or decrease the power of the flash to ensure the perfect shot, the way they want, each and every time.

Specifications
AQ100 SL605
Mega-Pixels 12 mega-pixels 12 mega-pixels
Optical Zoom 5x optical inner-zoom 5x optical zoom
LCD Size 2.7" TFT-LCD (230K pixels) 2.7" TFT-LCD (230K pixels)
Lens SAMSUNG SAMSUNG
Movie Mode 1280x720p @30fps / H.264 VGA @30fps MJPEG
Size 3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7" 3.8" x 2.3" x .85"
Special Features - Water-proof up to 10 feet
- 5x optical inner-zoom
- 720p HD video recording
- Smart Filter (Lens & Color Effect)
- Smart Auto (Still & Movie)
- Smart Album
- Perfect Portrait System: Beauty Shot / Face Detection / Self Portrait / Smile Shot / Blink Detection/Red-eye Fix
- Photo Style Selector - Durable design (Metal Front Cover, Dust-proof Button-pad & Anti-scratch Mask)
- Smart Night Mode
-Li-ion Rechargeable Battery
-Smart Auto
-Smart Album
-Perfect Portrait System: Beauty Shot / Face Detection / Self Portrait / Smile Shot / Blink Detection/Red-eye Fix

Availability Spring 2010 Spring 2010
Pricing $199.99 $129.99
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.