Daily Tech and Gadget

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Chris, who just happened upon some cheddar and can’t wait to buy some sort of recording device. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com . “I’ve got $500 – $800 to spend for my company.

We were enamored by Nikon’s first-gen projector camera, the S1000pj , but for the price ($430) we expected better photographic quality. This second-gen model Nikon’s rumored to be planning is expected before August, with a lower price with any luck. More » Nikon – Camera – Photography – Arts – Equipment and Services

Toshiba Corp. and the Singapore-based Trek 2000 International Ltd. joined their forces to promote industry standard SD card that supports Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, comes in a capacity of 8GB, and allows a digital still camera with an SDHC slot to download or upload JPEG and RAW images to and from another digital camera with SDHC

iPhone , iPod touch You’ve upgraded your iPhone to iOS 4 , and you’re anxious to play with all sorts of new and wonderful features. Before you do that, take a few minutes to make sure everything is working as expected. Here’s a list of things to confirm. They aren’t in any particular order, and not all of them will apply to everyone, but some of them will, especially if you have “restored” your iPhone.

Nikon’s D3S didn’t exactly emerge out of nowhere, but the DSLR’s ISO ceiling of over 100,000 ( 102,400 , if we’re being precise) has certainly shaken up the industry. Nikon claims that it’s set a new bar for low-light performance and raw speed in the crowded DSLR arena, and we were tickled pink when given the chance to see if this thing was worth its weight in gold. Now, the master photogs over at DP Review have already broken down the nitty-gritty details in an exhaustive 34 page critique , but for those just looking for a little insight — and perhaps a short answer to “should I buy this?” — we’ve got exactly what you’re looking for.

Olympus has two new cams in the pipeline according to Let’s Go Digital . The waterproof Olympus X560 WP boasts a 10 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, face detection, a high ISO sensitivity, 18 shooting modes and digital image stabilization. The T100, meanwhile, is a starter camera that’s apparently aimed at teens, and it’s got a 12 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, and face detection. It also shoots VGA video.

Whether you’re diving for sunken treasure or just exploring the great expanses of your kiddie pool, waterproof cameras are great. But, swimming freestyle is a little difficult when you’re lugging around pounds of photographic equipment. Enter the Chobi Cam WP: a device that is about the same size as cigarette lighter and, when enclosed in its GoPro -style case, is waterproof to 20 meters. It can record VGA footage to microSD, take JPEG photos, and even capture mono audio — which we figure will sound something like “gurgle gurgle gurgle.” It’s available today for 12,800 yen — about $140, which is a bit dear if you ask us, so don’t let it get washed away.

All together now: “Finally!” Believe it or not, we first saw the SD15 glimmer back in September of 2008 — practically an era ago based on what has transpired on our little planet since — and we found out this February that Sigma was keeping the dream alive for the time being. According to a report straight out of Japan, it looks as if the long wait for a DSLR that’s possibly past its prime by now is just about over. As the story goes, the SD15 (along with its famed Foveon X3 image sensor) will be shipping in at least some portions of the world by the month’s end, with a body-only price of ¥120,000 / €1,199 (around $1,310 on a good day) and a kit price of ¥140,000 ($1,528).

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. When the original iPhone was first launched, its camera ranked among its least competitive features. While the face of Apple’s product broke ground for how it reacted to touch, its eye into the world was wanting.

iPhone According to DigiTimes , Apple has been ordering VGA lens kits (for use with the new front-facing camera on the iPhone 4 ) from supplier Asia Optical (AO) since May, to the tune 3 million (on average) per month. This is great news for AO, of course. If the current rate continues, they expect to get out of the red and reach profitability by the second quarter of this year. It’s also good news for customers, as it suggests that Apple is stockpiling a whole lot of units

iPad Not satisfied that the magical and revolutionary Apple tablet is helping marine mammals communicate their displeasure with the despoilage of the majestic oceans ? Fortunately, the iPad is no unitasker; it’s being put to good use in both inner and outer space. First up, CrunchGear points to this video of Japanese surgeons using the iPad as a display for reference during an operation. The iPad appears to show CT images and possibly a video loop as well; it’s covered with a sterile plastic drape.

So you like Samsung’s NX10 pseudo-DSLR camera, but can’t quite reach up to its price point? Good old uncle Sammy is looking out for you with this here budget-friendly model — the NX5 replaces the AMOLED display with a standard 3-inch LCD, but looks to be keeping all the other important features. That means you’re still getting an electronic viewfinder and that 14.6 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor — which collected plenty of review approbation — inside a compact body, plus the same selection of NX-mount lenses to choose from.

Oh sure, Nikon ’s got its own solution for adding native geotagging to your existing DSLR , but the GP-1 dongle definitely has its drawbacks. Aside from sucking down around 4x more power than Gisteq’s new PhotoTrackr Plus, it also eliminates the ability to use a dedicated flash in the hotshoe while capturing GPS data. Moreover, it has to warm up every time you turn the camera on / off, and there’s just 18 tracking channels compared to the Gisteq’s 44. Regardless of the back and forth, we do appreciate the PhotoTrackr Plus’ ability to plug directly into the 10-pin terminal that few amateurs even think to recognize, though we do fear that the reliance on Bluetooth could cause issues if you stray too far from the transceiver.

Pinhole photography is fun but what if you want to avoid the hassle of building a pinhole camera and using film that you have to carefully load and get developed? You can make pinhole lens for a DSLR camera. More » Photography – Pinhole – Arts – Techniques and Styles – Pinhole camera

Canon just recently sold its 20 millionth digital EOS camera, so there’s a better-than-average chance that the company’s EOS Rebel T2i made up a bulk of those final sales leading up to the milestone. If you’ve been shooting (and shooting… and shooting) with your new T2i over the past few months, we’re interested in hearing how exactly you’d like to tweak things. Is the 1080p movie mode living up to the hype