Sony goes pocket-friendly with its new point-and-shoot video camcorder. The MHS-PM1 features a swivelling lens system that makes video-blogging easy.


First came the Flip. Then others, such as Kodak and Creative offered their own take on these pocket devices dedicated to filming on-the-go and Web sharing.

Sony joins them with its MHS-PM1, a member of the larger Webbie HD family.
A swivelling lens system sits on top of the vertical body (approximately 0.9" thick and 2.2" wide) allowing you to capture images at 270°.

The camcorder boasts 4x digital zoom and can record in either High Definition (1440x1080, 1280x720) or Standard Definition (640x480).There is also a still mode for snapping 5 MP photos and embedded software to upload content directly online after a quick preview on the 1.8" LCD screen.

Sadly there seems to be no built-in memory and as this is Sony, forget about using an SD card. Memory Sticks are sold separately.

The PM1 comes in three colours (silver, orange and purple) will retail in shops come Spring for $170

Events like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are wonderful opportunities to evoke technologies that are about to invade the mainstream market, within months for some, within years for others. 3DTV is one of those.


Panasonic demoed its 3D Full HD Plasma Home Theater System including a 103-inch plasma, a Blu-ray player and a dedicated set of specs. The system by the Japanese electronics giant uses a special disc on which images are recorded on two canals, one for each eye. The glasses shutter successively the right eye and then the left in order to produce the 3D effect.

3D technology itself is not new, but has still failed to come to stores, mainly because of the lack of 3-D movies. The other reason is compatibility between the different manufacturers' systems and standards. These two points will have to be worked on in order to see 3D TV in homes anytime soon. Meanwhile, those who lag behind can take the opportunity catch up. LG for instance has already announced that 3D will be one of its priorities in 2009.


> Product Survey: 40'' to 49'' TVs

If you happened to see the demo on the news the other night, chances are you were -at least slightly- gobsmacked! Hitachi's Gesture Remote Control certainly looks like a fun piece of technology.


photo Matbe.com

Part of it reminds you of the Wii, as it involves a lot of gesturing about in front of a TV set. However in this case, there is no such thing as a remote control. The TV responds directly to the hand motions. For example, to switch channels, all you have to do is turn your palm facing the screen and slide it to the left or to the right.

This sophisticated technology is based on a 3D motion sensor that detects and processes the various gestures in real time. The TV will then react accordingly. Does this mean that one would have to start watching football sitting still, for fear of turning the set off at the most crucial moment, or switching the volume down while grabbing a glass from the coffee table?

Probably not, and something not to worry about just yet. The model presented at CES in Las Vegas was still a prototype, but one that certainly managed to create a buzz around the Hitachi stand.