g-series

A lot has changed since we gave the Panasonic TC-PV10 series our Editors' Choice award last year. The most relevant development to the review you're reading now can be summed up with the eminently Google-able phrase "Panasonic black levels." The short story? Testing revealed that 2009 Panasonic plasmas lose their excellent black-level performance--the crucial capability to produce as dark a shade of black as possible--over less than a year of typical use. They become, literally, grayer, and lose the very edge that made them stand above the pack in the first place. As a result we lowered … Read more

Panasonic may have been first company to market with its interchangeable-lens camera, but its early models made some missteps. The relatively reasonably priced Lumix DMC-G1 lacked video capture capability, and the video-capable GH1 came with an optimized lens that made it a pretty expensive package. The GF1 didn't really address the same market segment; instead it went after enthusiast users, a small group, as Olympus' E-P1 did.

With its two latest Micro Four Thirds camera announcements, Panasonic seems to be finding its footing at last. The new Lumix DMC-G10 ostensibly targets one of the major groups these cameras were initially intended for: diverting potential entry-level dSLR buyers seeking to upgrade from their point and shoots. Price is key here, and until Olympus announced its E-PL1 kit at $600, these cameras had been significantly more expensive than their dSLR alternatives. I say "ostensibly" targets because Panasonic has not released pricing information, but it did indicate that it will probably be the least expensive model in the line, which puts it somewhere between the E-PL1 and the Samsung NX10.

At the same time, Panasonic introduced its replacement for the G1, the Lumix DMC-G2; this time, it can capture video. In a feature twist, Panasonic endowed the G2 with a touch screen, the first in any consumer interchangeable-lens camera, including dSLRs (medium format digital cameras have had them for a while). Although I haven't seen the implementation, based on the product photos it seems like it'll be relatively intelligent.

The touch screen enables capabilities like touch focus and metering, which have been available in point-and-shoots for a few generations; however, it looks as if there are still plenty of direct-access buttons and navigation controls so that you're not stuck using touch when it's not the optimal interface. There's also a dedicated Intelligent Auto button to provide a one-touch override, which makes more sense to me than putting it on the mode dial. It also has a movie record button, which Panasonic didn't put on the G10, instead sticking with a specific capture mode. (A tentative thumbs-down on that decision.) Like the G10, Panasonic won't provide pricing and availability information until about 30 days before they cameras ship. I expect the G2's price to be pretty close to the G1's.… Read more

Logitech announced several new member of its G-Series line of PC peripherals today. We'll tackle them one at a time, starting with the G35 Surround Sound headset.

When it's available in March, the Logitech G35 Surround Sound headset will cost approximately $130 for the benefit of its simulated 7.1 channel audio output. It includes an adjustable, noise-canceling boom mic, as well as three buttons on the left ear piece dedicated to what Logitech calls "voice morphing" in its press release. This sounds like a simple voice-effect overlay, and we're confident your World of Warcraft guildmates or whoever might be on the receiving end of your chat software will want you to use these effects over and over and over and over. You get volume and mute buttons built into the ear piece as well, and Logitech also gives you three different headbands to use with the G35, a welcome nod towards customization.

Logitech is not the only peripheral vendor with a 7.1-channel headset on offer. Razer's Megalodon was announced in 2008 and is also scheduled to launch sometime in Q1 2009. We're skeptical as to whether it's worth getting too excited over 7.1-channel audio simulated over headphones, but we'll withhold judgment until we can give either headset an actual listen.

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Zebra Technologies just announced their new "G-series" line of thermal printers. These little guys fall under the four-inch desktop printer category and, while not specifically for the consumer market, will still appeal to industries that deal with printing labels, receipts, price marking tags, shipping and return labels, boarding passes, ID wristbands and tags, and admission tickets.

The new offerings from Zebra include the GX420t,GX420d, GX430t, GK420t, and the GK420d. Across the board, these printers feature a wide range of convenient, easy to operate printing solutions in the work or home office. Notable specifications include:

Say what you will about Sony computers, but they've always been at least a finalist in laptop version of The Biggest Loser--the most recent lightweight contender being the first to break the 2-pound barrier with its Vaio G series. Yet the latest upgrade to that line apparently has a feature that has little to do with weight but is extremely close to home for some of the less coordinated road warriors among us.

According to Engadget, the G series now has a waterproofing function that discharges your spilled Red Bull or chai latte through a "water pit&… Read more