Leica's M Monochrom is an $8000 camera that only takes B&W shots

Black and white photography is particularly dramatic with all the mood and shadow it conveys. Leica has gone ahead and created a high end digital camera that shoots only black and white photos and it costs a whopping $8,000. There's no punchline, but this does present some interesting questions. Like why not just offer users the option to switch to black and white option when they want to colour-free images.

Leica has actually created a camera  dedicated  black and white sensor without a colour filter that lets in more light. The camera can also add three toning colors to its monchrome output or its uncompressed DNG files can be edited using the included copy of Photoshop Lightroom. A full version of the mono processing software Silver Efex 2 is also included.

Here are the specs:

• 18MP CCD monochrome sensor (24 x 36mm)
• No anti-aliasing filter
• No color filter array
• ISO 320-10,000 (with a 'Pull 160*' option)
• 2.5" 230,000 dot rear LCD
• Supplied with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro 2

Source:  DPReview.com

BlackBerry handsets approved for US Department of Defense deployment

With a reputation for ironclad security earned though years of serving governments and the enterprise, Research In Motion got a bit of a boost when the US Department of Defense chose its BlackBerry smartphones as standard issue for the DoD.

RIM announced yesterday the DoD-wide approval for the use of BlackBerry 7 smartphones. Working with U.S. Army and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) sponsors and partners, BlackBerry 7 smartphones have undergone successful testing through Army labs leading to a subsequent listing on DISA's Unified Communications Approved Product List (UCAPL). 

Click to read more ...

Scotia iTRADE mobile trading app takes self-directed trading to the next level

Scotiabank has launched its new Scotia iTRADE mobile trading app, giving customers on-the-go the ability to make equity and option trades and manage their own investments with real time market data right from their smart phones. 

The mobile version of its popular online trading service allows Scotia iTRADE customers to track, review and trade their investments from beyond the desktop or laptop and is compatible with many smart phone devices.

Click to read more ...

Cardo Systems banks on Bluetooth enabled communications for cyclists

Cardo Systems, Inc.,  announced the launch of the cardo BK-1, a  communication and entertainment product designed especially for cyclists. The BK-1 delivers voice-activated, two-way, or three-way bike-to-bike communication capabilities that allow cyclists to easily converse with fellow BK-1 users who are up to 1,600 feet apart. With cardo BK-1, cyclists can also enjoy safe, hands-free use of Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, MP3 players, or GPS devices.

Click to read more ...