This just in…
Hewlett Packard is recalling more than half a million digital cameras due to a fire hazard problem, caused by a firmware issue that activates when the camera is plugged into an AC adapter or attached to the docking station. The HP r707’s firmware attempts to recharge non-rechargeable batteries.
The recall affects some 679,000 cameras worldwide, as well as some 224,000 in the US. The camera was sold between August 2004 and April of this year.
You can download a patch for the firmware that is Mac OS-X compatible, and requires that an SD card be in the camera.
In a less dramatic story, but equally disturbing story, Nokia recently did a study on camera enabled cell phones, and found that 44% of the almost 2.5 billion cell phone owners in the world use their handset as their main camera. 69% of those polled in India said that they use their handset as their main camera. Those of us in the US (89%) still prefer to have a cell phone as well as a camera. Also, a fifth of the repsondents would rather lose their wedding rings than their handset. Talk about needing to get your priorities straight…
Sony announced today that they are introducing their first digital SLR, after having introduced the first digital point and shoot camera 25 years ago. The Alpha DSLR-A100 is the result of a culmination of Sony’s year-long collaboration with Japanese precision-equipment maker Konica Minolta, which pulled out of the camera business in January and sold the assets to Sony.
“This marks Sony’s first entry into a new segment in a long while,” he said. “Alpha is a new challenge for Sony.” said Kiyoshi Shikano, a Sony marketing official.
Is it better to shop online, or at a store? This article suggests that maybe you are better off buying online, because at the camera store, the cameras may be damaged from so much handling. You decide…
Kodak will begin making digital cameras in Brazil, making it the first place outside of China where Kodak will make digital equipment. Read the full short story