It looks like Olympus will be offering a new photo system called the Olympus Solution. Lets Go Digital found this nugget and it looks like Solution will be the buzz of early 2006 going into the PMA Show.

On January 26, 2006, a month before the PMA 2006 (Orlando, US) starts, Olympus will introduce the ‘Solution’. This teaser will give us all already enough information to get some rumors started. Will Olympus introduce a new digital concept like they have done before or will it be an upgraded innovative version of a FourThirds System digital camera? Time will tell. In the meantime we will prepare ourselves on the upcoming introduction and will give you the latest news and innovations. We are now working on our CES coverage which will start on January 5, 2006 in Las Vegas. Expect some new digital cameras, flash storage, video cam introductions, etc. and other interesting consumer electronics. Via Lets Go Digital.

Kim Komando takes a look at the Digital Camera offerings. She is the best looking geek out there.

Some well-reviewed compact cameras are the Canon PowerShot A510, www.consumer.usa.canon.com; $150; 3 megapixels, Kodak EasyShare CX7430. www.kodak.com; $180; 4 megapixels, and the Hewlett-Packard Photosmart R717, www.hp.com; $220; 6 megapixels.
Smaller versions that fit into your pocket are sleeker, thinner, lighter and often snazzier. But that style usually means a larger price tag. Some standouts in this category are the Canon PowerShot SD300 ($240; 4 megapixels), Casio Exilim EX-750, www.casio.com, ($325; 7 megapixels), and the Pentax Optio SV, www.pentaximaging.com; (under $235; 5 megapixels).

 Need more controls? Many models allow you to manually focus the camera and adjust shutter and aperture settings.
The Fujifilm FinePix E550, www.fujifilm.com, ($250; 6 megapixels), the Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom, www.olympusamerica.com, ($450; 7 megapixels), and the Canon PowerShot S60, ($235; 5 megapixels) have received good reviews.
      
 Most cameras have at least a 3x optical zoom. Some go to 10x or 12x — truly long-range lenses. Two cameras with good reviews that let you get close to the action are the Fujifilm FinePix S5100 ($290; 4 megapixels; 10x) and the Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom ($290; 7 megapixels; 10x).
For even more flexibility, consider a digital single-lens reflex camera. These cameras allow you to swap lenses. Use a wide-angle lens to photograph the Grand Canyon, and switch to a telephoto for a close-up of wildlife. Two well-reviewed digital SLRs are the Canon EOS 20D ($1,300; 8 megapixels) and Nikon D 70 ($1,000; 6 megapixels).

A new camera from BenQ offers 6 megapixel still and mpeg 4 video. Lets Go Digital Reviews this camera and says “ BenQ introduces a new addition to its digital camera line up, the BenQ DC E63+ digital camera. The BenQ DC E63+ its trim looks show off the aesthetic appeal of a digital camera measuring a mere 24 mm front to back. With their elegant aluminum alloy casing, these camera exudes sophisticated beauty. Not only a delight to behold, the new BenQ DC E63+ is sublimely easy to handle as well, making the very act of taking a photo a source of pleasure. The BenQ E63+ provides a 6 Megapixel CCD image sensor, as well as 3x optical zoom that makes it easy to get great shots even at a distance. And the high-resolution CCD image sensor means you can get crisply detailed prints even at huge A1 sizes. “

A New Camera from Sanyo, the Xacti VPC HD1EX, is one of the more interesting designs we have seen. It is a 5 megapixel camera that has a 10X zoom lens. The camera also can film at 1270 x 720 at 30 frames per second as a digital fim camera.

Lets go Digital says “The design of the Sanyo Xacti VPC HD1EX is stylish. The ultra-portable Sanyo HD1EX weighs just 205 grams, with dimensions of just 80 x 119 x 36 mm, it is one of the world’s slimmest photo-video camera. Not only does it fit in a jacket pocket, it makes a trendy companion in any designer handbag. Its ultra-slim form, clear lines and elegant aluminum case in a classy finish make it a stylish accessory. Thanks to its compact form, the Sanyo HD1EX can be easily operated with just one hand”

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While we are talking about Scrapbooking today, we saw this article about the new scrapbooking community at Snapjot. This is a free service that allows you to collaboratively build a scrapbook online. This looks interesting if you are a scrapbooker.

SnapJot is a free, secure web service where groups can easily pool their digital pictures, video clips and commentary to make a collaborative album or DVD around their shared experiences. Co-founder and CEO Steve Douty got the inspiration for SnapJot when he became frustrated with how difficult it was to gather photos from the parents of his son’s little league team. “Everybody uses a different method for sharing photos,” says Douty. “Instead of individuals broadcasting their photos through photo printing services or email, I wanted to create a single, private place for groups to collect full-resolution photos, video clips and commentary about their important experiences.”  via Lets Go Digital

If you are a scrapbooker, and you are comfortable with a computer and digital camera, the Washington Post has an article that can help lead you in the right direction.

Scrapbooks are a wonderful way to memorialize important moments in our lives, but building them the old-fashioned way can be time-consuming. So, why not go digital? Instead of mucking about with glue, craft punches and colored paper, you can create marvelous montages on your computer. Rhonda Thiessen, a Gaithersburg mother of two, says that while a regular scrapbook can take her a week or longer to build from scratch, she can knock out an electronic version in a day.

E-scrapbooking has other advantages over the traditional approach, too: If you get distracted, just hit save and return to the task when you have time — no scissors or craft paper to put away. Or if you are commemorating events that involve many friends or family, you don’t have to duplicate your efforts by hand — merely print extra copies or post your creations online where others can view them.

“I’m an online convert,” Thiessen says. Here’s how you can become one, too.

Read the rest at the Washington Post.