The Canon 60D is the third similar camera that Canon has released in the past year, so what makes it worth the £1,099 price tag?

Well, probably one of the most obvious new features is the articulated screen, which makes it easier for the photographer to be more creative with their angles, and which is also a bonus for filming video or when you’re waiting for that perfect shot when the camera is set up on a tripod.

The screen itself is the 3:2 ratio high-res LCD that was found on the 550D, which puts it a step ahead of its older sibling the 7D.

You can capture 1920x1080p HD video with a variety of user-selectable frame rates, including 30, 25 and 24fps, as well as 720p video at 60 and 50fps. Video photography also has a new plus – with full manual control of both image and, unusually for a consumer DSLR – audio.

So how about getting creative with your stills images? In an interesting move, Canon is offering built-in filters to give effects such as Miniature, Soft Focus and Grainy, as well as customisable features offering you quick access to your favourite settings.

The 9-point, all cross-type autofocus (AF) system offers an extra-sensitive centre point for lenses faster than f/2.8, which aims to allow you to get artistic with shallow depth of field during portraiture or for more atmospheric shooting.

With an 18MP processor, the 60D, which will replace the Canon 50D when it is released in October, can capture 5.3 JPEG images a second at full resolution. It can also capture Raw images; good news for photographers who like to play around with their pictures after the fact.

Whether you’re saving stills or HD video, the 60D user will be able to capture them to SD memory card and the new SDXC format, which can offer up to a massive 2TB of storage.

Other changes from the 50D it replaces include Wireless Speedlight control and standard ISO range extended to 6400 (rather than 3200), which can be extended to a speedy 12800.

So is it worth an upgrade? Well, you have to consider whether the articulated screen and upswing in video capability is worth trading in your 550D for. But unless you’re desperate to upgrade from a somewhat older model, we suspect a lot of Canon fans will keep a hold of their cash and wait to see what else their favourite camera manufacturer comes up with.

[Source: Get a new angle from the Canon EOS 60D DSLR]

Apple have been hard at work and yesterday Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleneck owner and Apple CEO Steve Jobs launched a totally revamped Apple iPod range, a new Apple TV and a music based social network, Ping.

Keen observers will have noticed Apple tacitly admitting 3 mistakes, as they restored buttons to the iPod shuffle, removed video from the iPod nano and switched to an all streaming model for the Apple TV. With convergence slowly killing off the PMP as a device category (no mention was even made of the iPod classic, the device which helped Apple rebuild their empire) it’s interesting to see what the market leader and more often then not, trend setter Apple had to say on the matter.

The new iPod shuffle has buttons (yay!), 15 hours of battery life and now works with Genius playlists. The iPod nano had a much more interesting makeover, removing the ho-hum video camera and playback facility and, most importantly the scroll wheel. The nano is now a small square of mulitouch glass and looks like a baby iPod Touch. Promising 24 hours of battery life the nano seems to run a version of iOS and has a similar homescreen – with icons for playlists and Nike+. It’s possible that apps could be developed for the platform in time – simple games and the like, although nothing was mentioned.

Apple’s flagship PMP the iPod Touch also received a major overhaul – although to even call it a PMP seems disingenuous as Apple were keen to point out it is a major player in the mobile gaming device market and the casual gaming ecosystem developing on App store is growing at an impressive pace. The Touch has been dramatically slimmed down and its new svelte form features the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, A4 chip, gyroscope, front and back facing cameras and 720p video recording. The camera isn’t quite as good as the iPhone 4′s but until we get some hands on time with it we won’t be able to compare.

iTunes was also revamped and now includes a socially driven musical recommendation engine- Ping. There are approximately 160 mn iTunes accounts floating around and the interface is light and Facebook-esque so it could work reasonably well. It reminded us of mflow – the Twitter-meets-iTunes service we looked at here. (Incidentally Twitter have finally updated their iOS client for the iPad and it’s pretty neat.)

Finally, Apple at long last revamped the Apple TV, shrinking it dramatically, painting it black and abandoning syncing for streaming. But did they make it useful? Well Netflix integration and iTunes streaming for TV shows and movies certainly goes a long way. It only streams in 720p, which makes streaming fast and bandwidth friendly, although I’m sure video enthusiasts will be furious. In the UK things are a little less clear. The USD99 US apple TV gets Netflix streaming and 99c HD TV shows. The UK version seems to lack the HD TV shows and nothing has been mentioned about Lovefilm or iPlayer integration. It is also GBP99. It’s not being released for about 4 weeks so hopefully there will be a little more clarity then.

[Source: Apple revamps iPod range, iTunes and Apple TV; eats a little humble pie]

IFA or Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin as it’s never called, is one of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade fairs and is held annually in Germany. Latest Gadgets will be heading down for the press day today. Here are a few things we’ll be excited about seeing.

In the same way the iPhone redefined smartphone, the iPad is helping to reshape the world of tablet computing – and dramatically polarising opinion as it does so (someone is getting angry just at the mere mention of the iPad). Competition is rife and we are looking forward to playing with the new “iPad beating” Galaxy Tab tablet on display from Samsung.

Auluxe, makers of the Dew, which we described our love for here, are set to launch the Reverie II, a luxury iPod dock crafted from wood (pictured) that apparently takes 13 hours to manufacture. Altec Lansing and Pioneor will also be unveiling some iPod docks and headphones.

Epson will have the latest and greatest in their Full HD home cinema range and showing off developments in 3LCD projection technology.

We are also eager to see Viewsonic who have an affordable 3D camera that can record at 720p for £199 and a handheld 3D TV, 3D digital camera and 3D digital photo frame. Keen to jump on the *other* bandwagon this year as well, they will be previewing a 7″ tablet computer – the ViewPad, which is Android powered and features 3G, GPS, Micro SD and USB ports and front and back facing cameras. A dual OS 10″ tablet will also been on display. I’m most excited about seeing the VMP74, not just because of the name but due to its award winning HD streaming capabilities.

Of course some of the more exciting innovations come from the smaller names and we will be keeping an eye out for the new and unusual from all corners of the show.

Depending on WiFi connections and roaming charges we should be tweeting our findings via @latestgadgetsuk and will take an in-depth look at our findings over the next few days.

[Source: Latest Gadgets at IFA preview: Tablets, docks and much much more.]

Once upon a time 3D in the home was an outlandish and fantastical idea best suited for the year 3000.

The popularity of 3D cinema however, with the likes of Avatar mopping up billions of dollars, has led to 3D television in the home – meaning that you can now get freaked out when things jump at you in the safety of your own home where no-one is looking at you.

The next step in 3D domination – and perhaps the most natural next step – is 3D home video and photography. The Aiptek 3D HD camcorder does exactly this, and you can pick up one for £199.99 from Firebox.com.

To take three dimensional video and images it uses two lenses, making it look like a not-quite-so-cute version of Wall-E, eyes ‘n’ all. Most conveniently, this snugly sized camcorder has an integrated display with on board 3D filter, meaning you don’t have to look silly with special eyewear to watch back your videos and photos.

The screen is only sized at a tiny 2.4” inches however, so luckily you can avoid eye strains and hook it up to your 3D TV, or, if you haven’t shelled out on a three dimensional TV yet, a 2D one – but you’ll need to wear 3D glasses (included with the camera – how nice.) You can keep the glasses on and upload to YouTube 3D too, meaning that you can show off to the world instead of just your easily amused friends. And it’s all in HD too, a definite plus-point.

We’re told it can also take 2D video and images – but do people care? The novelty factor of this piece of gadgetry is huge, so, ignoring a possibly short shelf-life and an undersized display screen, this Aiptek camcorder is a welcome addition to the 3D family.

[Source: Aiptek 3D HD camcorder: 3D technology gets up close and personal]

As we mentioned in our feature on the best iPod docks due to high consumer demand, competition to produce the very highest of quality iPod speaker systems is hastily gathering speed. Born from this surge in spiritedness Pioneer GB has launched an exciting new addition to its KODO range of iPod speaker systems – the KODO XW-NAW1.

In the same way TV wall brackets deliver the luxury of being able to hang a flat screen television on the wall, the KODO XW-NAW1 is a wall-mounted iPod speaker system; ensuring quality sound can be pumped out in any room without requiring precious shelf space.

Being just 83mm thick, black and elegant, by either mounting the KODO XW-NAW1 to the wall or transporting it with you and resting it on its own stand, it the will add a touch of glamour to wherever this speaker system is positioned. In keeping with its attractive exterior, the KODO XW-NAW1 is controlled by several blue illuminated touch sensors. Although if having to wearily reach up to crank the volume up a notch or two sounds like too much of a burden, an infra red remote is provided so users can control their digital music collection at their leisure.

Analogous to its elegant appearance, the quality of the sound the KODO XW-NAW1 produces will not disappoint – according to Pioneer. With a two-way 30W stereo speaker with neodymium tweetermagnets, Pioneer claim its latest iPod speaker system delivers “rich, powerful and outstanding” sound. For the less audio-technological-terminology-minded among us, we ask ourselves what the hell are neodymium tweetermagnets? After a few minutes research on Google, I learn that neodymium tweetermagnets are compact high efficiency dome tweeters with extended frequency response. Although this sheds little light and I am still a little confused of their function, I am later informed there is nothing new or revolutionary about neodymium technology and it is a common material for producing magnets.

Despite the fact the impressive techno terminology Pioneer uses to describe its new product is slated by some for being unoriginal and incapable of ‘razing a building’, I am reassured that neodymium tweetermagnets and the KODO XW-NAW1 produces high-quality sound. Although producing premium sounding music is not the only trait of this speaker system. A component video output is also at hand for outputting video from an iPod or iPhone to a television. An additional asset of the XW-NAW1 is that can charge any docked iPhone or iPod.

From September onwards you’ll be able to see whether this versatile and stylish iPod docking device, which uses neodymium tweetermagnets and can conveniently accommodate any living space, is worth its hefty £199 price tag.

[Source: Versatile and stylish – Pioneer’s KODO XW-NAW1 iPod wall mounted speaker system]

The Week in Gadgets

If you found our recent feature on what to do with old gadgets useful then you should check out trashnothing.com, who contacted us via Twitter to talk about their site. Whilst there is a lot to love about freecycling, its reliance on the old world charm of Yahoo! Groups tends to make each and every visit into a field trip to 1998. trashnothing.com takes data from Yahoo! Groups and reorganises it into a modern, manageable interface, making it much easier to browse, search and share. It also shields you privacy a little better and helps protect you from some of the more common free cycling scams.

If however, you liked the sound of a field trip to 1998 and would like to walk even further down memory lane, then you should definitely check out the re-released classic 80′s toy BigTrax. Whilst iPhone controlled, Augmented Reality quadricopters may be the latest and greatest, there is something to be said for the decidedly old school feel of BigTrax’s programmable fun. The little keypad at the top of the unit accepts 16 different commands that send it whizzing around your carpet making cool 8 bit sound effects and there is a mild degree of educational benefit you can teach your young one about control systems. Unfortunately, the 80s homage extends to the packaging and batteries are not included. Bigtrak is available to buy for £39.95 with Free Delivery at www.gizoo.co.uk

We also did a feature on iPad cases, and even had a few to give away. Another interesting iPad accesory was Australian company STM’s “jacket” – a super light iPad bag. Providing just enough room for your iPad (or similarly sized laptop or tablet) the jacket has high density foam and water resistant fabric. I was a bit too scared to test it against a full on downpour but the jacket provided adequate protection against casual bumps and splashes. There are some extra pockets for a few cables and papers and one zipped pocket to keep things from flying out. The jacket comes in iPad, extra small, medium and large sizes and the iPad jacket is SRP £24.95. STM bags will hook you up.

Next week at in IFA in Berlin there will be lots of big releases from Epson, Samsung, Viewsonic and many others. We’ll be there, tweeting (@latestgadgetsuk) or blogging as much as possible.

[Source: TWIG: STM iPad jacket, trashnothing.com and BigTrax]

I love my iPad but I seldom take it out of the house, partly out of fear of damaging it and partly to avoid a hoarde of over enthusiastic Android evangelists berating my purchase.

Exspect hope to change all that with a new range of iPad cases. I have the official iPad case from Apple but hate using it due to its rubbery feel and the hassle involved in taking the iPad out of the case. It does however make a pretty neat stand.

Exspect have a range of cases on offer as well as a transparant, scratch resistant Screen Protector film. The Toughskin, in Metallic Red or Blue is a simple shell case that should help with accidental knocks and bumps.

The Executive Wallet, is my favourite and is a simple black Nappa leather case that makes your iPad resemble a MoleSkin type notebook. The cover of the executive Wallet has a lovely solid feel to it, which makes it a lot less distracting than the Official case. It it also really easy to pop your iPad out from the case, which after spending ages stuggling with the official case makes a welcome change.

The Flip is another Nappa leather case but with a built-in stand, similar to the official Apple Case, enabling you to transform an idle iPad into an expensive digital photo frame.

Exspect also lauched a Toughskin iPhone 4 case, that completely hugs the body of the Phone. Whilst you can obviously just get a free case from Apple’s free Case Program for iPhone, Exspect would rather you buy one from them and point to their colour – metallic red or blue and security – the Toughskins cover the back of the iPhone 4 which is solid glass. Whilst Apple claim the solid glass back is fine the scratch on the back of my iPhone 4 says different.

Executive Wallet (Black Leather): £29.99
Flip Case (Black Leather): £39.99
Toughskin (Metallic Red or Blue): £14.99
Slip Case (Black Leather): £34.99
Screen Protector (Clear): £9.99
iPhone 4 Toughskin (Metallic Blue or Red): £9.99

We have some Toughskin iPhone and iPad cases to give away. To enter, simply follow @latestgadgetsuk on Twitter and tweet this message, linking back to this page.

Win an iPad or iPhone 4 case from @latestgadgetsuk

Normal competition terms and conditions apply.

[Source: Exspect iPad and iPhone cases review and giveaway]

Sony has announced 2 new gaming headsets, the DR-GA500 and DR-GA200. The headsets have apparently been designed with the user in mind following user research showing what gamers want from the perfect headset.

Both the DR-GA500 and DR-GA200 have 40mm drive units, which provide premium gaming sound. They also have a ‘triple enfolding‘ design to allow for those marathon WoW sessions in comfort. The major difference between these headsets is the DR-GA500 features 7.1 digital surround sound, ideal for first person shooters when what you hear is just as important as what you see. The sound is sharp and clear as the DR-GD500 uses a Dolby Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoder with Sony Virtual Phones Technology to create realistic 7.1 channel 3D surround effects enabling you to pinpoint your enemy. There is a separate signal-processing unit which comes in a compact external unit with the DR-GA500.

Unfortunately, the DR-GA200 does not have the 7.1 surround feature or the signal-processing unit. If you are after a more entry-level headset, the DR-GA200 is definitely an option. Both models have a compact boom microphone for clear communication with your teammates. The headsets are quite stylish and I would certainly put these to good use. There is a very noticeable difference when you have played a game previously without the headset and when you replay a game with the headset as you will hear sounds you never heard before, providing a much more immersive experience.

These headsets rival the Logitech G-Series, which I recently reviewed. Sony’s headsets are not quite as customizable as Logitech’s and they also lack the noise-cancelling feature. The headsets will be available from 15 October along with the much anticipated Medal of Honor as a promotion.

With many gaming accessories competing for your attention in the next few months, what will be your weapon of choice?

[Source: Sony’s DR-GA500 and DR-GA200 gaming headsets: Weapon of choice?]

A study has revealed that Brits throw away an unbelievable £6 billion a year in unwanted gadgets.

With just 20% of electrical devices recycled, the report, from www.weeebuy.co.uk, reckons each of us is around £90 out of pocket thanks to our wasteful habits.

As we know our readers love their gadgets (well, you wouldn’t be reading this otherwise would you?) we don’t like to think of you throwing good money down the drain, when you could be using it to indulge in your next piece of gadgety goodness.

So, here are a few ideas about what you can do with your unwanted gadgets, whether it’s making yourself a bit of cash, doing a good turn for someone less fortunate, or saving the earth with a bit of the old reduce, reuse, recycle ethos:

Sell them
As you, our astute readers are obviously aware, www.weeebuy.co.uk didn’t carry out that study entirely for philanthropic purposes. They wanted to get their name out into the open, so that we tech-heads would sell them our gear. So, let’s pander to them, and we’ll tell you how it works.

Log on to the site, enter the products you want to sell and they’ll tell you how much they’ll get. They then data wipe and refurbish devices before selling them on. Personally I’d wipe my device myself, but I guess it adds an extra level of security. If they’re not working, they may be broken down and used for parts to fix other devices.

I though I’d check out a few of my own devices – my EOS 350D DSLR would get me just over £13, while my Sony Ericsson F500i phone (I know, I really need to upgrade!) would get me a paltry two quid. My Nintendo Wii, however would bring in a not inconsiderable £47. You can also swap your gadgets for vouchers if you prefer.

If you send in five or more gadgets you get a better price, so if you have a drawer (or cupboard) full of old gizmos, it’s worth a go. I’d say for more up-to-date kit you’d be better off selling privately on eBay or on a second-hand site such as pre-loved.com or gumtree.com – or even at a car boot sale. At most car boot sales I’ve sold at (especially in London) dealers will pounce on you as you arrive asking for old cameras, electrical and computer equipment, so you’ll be in demand. Just go prepared, with an idea of what your gadgets could fetch, and if they ask how much, always go in with a higher price as they will want to haggle you down.

Recycle mobile phones
You’ve all seen the sites for mobile phone recycling from the likes of Envirofone and Mazuma Mobile. But which one to choose? Well, just like pretty much everything else these days, there are price comparison sites that will trawl the recycling sites and find the best deal for you. I used this and discovered I could get £130 for my husband’s Apple iPhone 8GB 3g (don’t tell him though!).

Donate to charity
Last month, Michael Lucas, retail director at the British Heart Foundation, appealed for Britons to donate their small electrical items to charity shops. Rather than hoarding old CD players, radios and other electronic, give them to charity. Last year the British Heart Foundation raised more than £9 million from selling old electrical goods. Oxfam and Cancer Research also accept small electricals, but it’s worth checking with your local shop that they will accept them before you haul in a boxful of gizmos.

Diabetes UK, meanwhile, offers a free collection service for gadgets including mobile phone, laptops, notebooks and even ink cartridges. They will receive upwards of £3 for each phone, 50 for ink cartridges and up to £100 for old laptops, so it’s a simple way to donate to charity without doing any legwork yourself. For details log on here.

Your local council has to offer a similar service under the WEEE directive, which is aimed at reducing the amount of electrical products produced and the amount thrown away, rather recycled (find out more about WEEE here ). You might find you have to pay them to take your gear away though.
Check out more about local recycling at www.recyclenow.com

Give it away
Don’t forget that someone (almost) always wants what you don’t! Communities such as Freegle and Freecycle are great places to advertise old gadgets. Often you’ll find it populated by at least one person who refurbishes laptops (whether they sell them on for their own gains, or donate them to some charity organisation or school), as well as someone desperate for a CD player that works because their new puppy just chewed theirs to bits. You’ll have to register to join your local site before posting up your offerings.

Make something new!
Finally, if you’re feeling creative and inventive, you could actually make some new gizmos from your old gadgets. Glean some inspiration from 62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer (Workman; £9.99; ISBN 978-0-7611-5243-9). This ingenious book has bright ideas for making a breathalyser machine, a water-gun alarm clock and USB-enabled fruit! Your old mobile phone can become a safe for money and thumb drives and your old Palm Pilot can become a doodle pad.
Find out more here.

[Source: What to do with unwanted gadgets: Weeebuy.co.uk, freecycling and charity]

Neologistically defining themselves as a “fusion of Audio and Luxury”, Auluxe’s new 2.1 Mini HiFi Dew speaker system had a lot to live up to and replacing my cherish Harman/Kardon Sound Sticks, which looked and sounded great was a tough task.

Available in Maple and Cherry woods with Chrome as well as Glossy Black & White, the Dew is a very classy looking audio device and has rightly won a Red Dot design award.

It comes with two small satellites and a cubed subwoofer, which looks a like a mini version of the Harman Kardon HKTS-7BQ subwoofer – high praise indeed. Installation is simple, as everything works off 3.5 mm inputs. The Dew works exceptionally well as a PC speaker – or something to plug a docked phone or mp3 player into and blends elegantly with desks and tables.

The premium nature of the Dew is fortunately not just confined to looks. This small but perfectly formed unit has been carefully sculpted by audio nerds and sounds even better than it looks. The improved sound quality has the downside of highlighting imperfections in poorly encoded mp3s and made me seriously consider joining the FLAC camp for the first time in a long time.

Volume control is handled by a solidly built rotating pot that sits on the desk and doubles as an easily accessible power switch. It also glows blue, has nice smooth action and is generally awesome. Auluxe pride themselves on using recycled materials to create their products and packaging so there is a lot going for the unit all-round. All this quality comes at a price and the Dew will set you back £199 from Amazon or M&S.

Alternatively, the more budget conscious amongst you could take a look at the Edifier Prisma. Cheaper, without looking cheap, the Prisma looks like an Opera house in a glossy white finish. The satellites stick out a bit more than the Dew’s, but work well with shiny white mp3 players or laptops. It also comes with a rotating volume control unit and there is a soft touch on/of switch that glows on the roof of the subwoofer.

The Edifier is £89.99 and whilst it doesn’t quite match the good looks of the Dew the sound quality is still really rather good. If you can spare the extra I’d recommend the Dew’s design, build quality, environmental credentials and excellent sound quality. If money is tight, you will be pleasantly surprised at what the Prisma has to offer.

The Auluxe Dew is £199 from Amazon, Micro Anvika or M&S. The Edifier Prisma is available at SRP £89.99 inc and is available online from the Apple Store and Play.com

[Source: Auluxe Dew and Edifier Prisma 2.1 mini HiFi review]