Fujifilm’s FinePix F80EXR reviewed

You all know the deal: the quest for higher numbers to put on stickers on the front of cameras hasn’t necessarily resulted in a similarly exponential increase in image quality. If you needed more proof, check out Photography Blog’s review of the Fujifilm FinePix F80EXR, an upgrade to last-year’s compact 10x superzoom F70EXR. This year’s revision get’s a 20 percent boost in the all-important megapixel count, up to 12, but the sensor “delivers slightly worse image quality than its predecessor.” That’s not a good start, but the rest is better, with the camera’s dynamic range shooting mode earning high marks, and the body’s overall design and compactness scoring well too. It sounds like decent value for $299.99.

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Motorola rumored to have acquired Azingo

This one isn’t official just yet, but if some changes in employment status on LinkedIn is any indication, it looks like Motorola may have recently acquired mobile Linux OS company Azingo. It may not exactly be a major player in the mobile OS field, but its Linux-based Azingo Mobile OS does look to be capable enough (complete with a Webkit-based browser and Flash runtime), and the acquisition is especially interesting in light of some recent comments made by Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha. Back during Moto’s Q1 earnings call, he said that he has “always felt that owning your OS is important, provided you have an ecosystem, you have all the services and you have an ability and the scale to execute on keeping that OS at the leading edge,” adding that he continues to believe “that at some point, if we have all of those attributes, that owning our own OS will be a very important thing.” Is Azingo Mobile that OS? Probably not, but it’ll certainly be interesting to see where this leads — as long as it doesn’t lead to something called MOTOZINGO.

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Samsung announces pasty white Limited Edition NX10

Some cameras just beg to be taken out in the sun, and such is the new Limited Edition NX10 from Samsung, a Silas-inspired model that looks quite good in white and is perfect for documenting your self-flagellation techniques. This special edition will come as a kit with a slinky 30mm pancake lens and a leather case. (Yes, folks, leather. No flimsy vinyl enclosure for this bad boy.) Samsung isn’t saying how much the Limited Edition will set you back, but has indicated it’ll launch on May 7 in Korea, the Netherlands, China, Taiwan, and the good ‘ol US of A — making us think it perhaps isn’t so terribly limited after all.

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Nokia sticks to its stylus roots, offers telescopic SU-36 for capacitive screens

Nokia has listed a telescopic stylus for capacitive screens, the SU-36, which seems to have come out right alongside the N8 to serve as its Symbian^3 assistant. Compatible with the N8, X6, and any other phone with a proper touchscreen on it, this retractable accessory will substitute your fingers when they are either too cold or too imprecise to do the job themselves. It’s not yet been priced or made available, but you’ll be fine using that sausage stylus for another few weeks, won’t ya?

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Volkswagen rolls out foldable ‘Bik.e’ electric bicycle concept

Well, it looks like it’s the season for automakers to show off electric bicycle concepts, with Volkswagen now following Lexus’ lead with its own “Bik.e” concept. Unlike Lexus’ hybrid concept, this one is a full-fledged electric bicycle (sans pedals), and it boasts a few innovations of its own, not the least of which is that it’s able to fold up and fit where you’d normally store a spare tire. It’s also apparently able to be charged using your car’s DC current in a pinch in addition to a standard AC outlet at home, and it promises to deliver a range of 20 kilometers on a full charge, along with a top speed of 20 kilometers per hour. What’s more, it seems like Volkswagen is actually looking at commercial possibilities for the Bik.e, although it’s not making any firm commitments just yet.

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