Weekly high-tech product releases: cameras galore and a slate to rival the iPad

High-tech product releases announced the week ending February 24 include a slim camera that you can take swimming with you, a powerful PC slate to rival the iPad, a compact digital camera for professionals, a low-priced digital camera with a touchscreen display, mini-camcorders for HD recording and compact digital cameras that make taking photos a cinch.

A colorful and super-slim digital camera that doesn't mind a swim in the ocean or a trip to the North Pole
The TX5 is the world's smallest waterproof camera with Optical SteadyShot and is also the first waterproof camera in Sony's Cyber-Shot range. The camera is built for people who like to take their camera with them everywhere - whether that means going to the beach, the ski slopes, for a walk in the desert or for a drunken night out on the town (bumps and drops included). The 17.7mm slim TX5 is a fashion-forward waterproof (to 3 m), dust-proof, shock-proof and freeze-proof digital camera. It comes with a 7.5cm (3") LCD touch screen that apparently works even whilst wearing gloves, a resolution of 10.2 megapixel, a 4x optical zooms and 720p HD movie recording. The TX5 will be available at the end of March 2010 for around $349.99 or €349 via Amazon.

A 'finger driven PC' to rival the iPad
A Canadian company is going up against Apple's forthcoming iPad and Archos's already released 9 PCtablet with a new slate computer called the ExoPC. The ExoPC will run Windows 7 Pro with an ExoPC UI Layer and will be able to multitask and play Flash. The ExoPC's touchscreen display measures up at 8.9 inches and has a resolution of 1024 x 600. The "finger driven PC" comes with an SD card reader, Wifi, Bluetooth, 3 USB ports, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and 32 GB of onboard storage. The high sensibility resistive multitouch device has an expected battery life of four hours after a full charge and will be priced at $599 when it is released at the end of March. A 3G model is expected to become available too.

High performance digital camera that crams a wealth of advanced features into an ultra-slim body
Samsung's EX1 (also called the TL500) is for expert photographers looking for a compact digital camera that supports RAW. The high-performance camera packs in an ultra sensitive 1/1.7" CCD sensor (with a maximum ISO of 3200/full-resolution) and a super bright 24mm wide angle Schneider KREUZNACH f/1.8 lens. In plain English it means the compact camera is capable of capturing crisp images with a wider range of aperture steps - so you can focus on an object in the foreground and blur out the background. The camera can also take much better pictures in low light environments as more light passes through the high-performance sensor. Other features include 3x optical zoom, resolution of 10 megapixels, a 3 inch AMOLED on a swing-out display and video recording at 640 x 480. The camera will be available in April for a price of €450.

A low-priced point-and-shoot digital camera with an LCD touchscreen display
HP unveiled a new range of point-and-shoot digital cameras and lightweight camcorders at the 2010 PMA photo imaging International Convention and Trade Show on February 19. Among them was the HP CW450t point-and-shoot digital camera that comes with an LCD touchscreen display and HP's newly designed camera touch interface. HP's CW450t camera is priced at $109 and is expected to start shipping in spring.

Compact mini-camcorders that record HD video
Samsung has updated its original mini-camcorder, the HMX-U10 with two new models, the HMX-U20 and HMX-U15. Both models can record and share full 1920x1080 HD video and come equipped with 3 half-inch CMOS sensors. The HMX-U15 will capture 14 megapixel digital still images while its HMX-U20 brother captures up to 10 megapixel still images. The HMX-U20 also has the added bonus of a true 3x optical zoom. Both models enable consumers to transfer video and still images to their computer via the inbuilt USB connection. The cameras will be available in Spring 2010. The U15 will be priced at $229 while the U20 will cost $249.

Compact point-and-shoot cameras get added features and stylish designs
Casio updated its popular EXILIM line of compact digital cameras this week at the PMA unveiling both the Casio EX-S7 and EX-Z35 models. The cameras were designed to make taking photos easy with added BEST SHOT, Easy-Mode and Face Detection technologies. The EX-S7 delivers 12.1 megapixel shots and has a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.7 inch LCD display. The EX-S7 can also record 720p HD video and is compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards. The EX-Z35 offers users a simplified menu 12.1 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom. The EX-S7 is priced at $139.99 and will be available in spring while the EX-Z35 will sell for $109.99 starting in March.