eK-gadgets info

Sony is getting ready to release a brand new upgrade to their UX line of Ultra Mobile PCs. This new model, the UX490, will physically resemble the current line of UX models, but should sport a slew of new features and upgrades. The handheld computer will ship with a copy of Windows Vista Business, and sport a 1.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Solo processor. The UX490 will have a 48 GB solid state flash drive and should have two batteries shipped in the box. Sony is also bundling the unit with a Bluetooth GPS receiver at no extra cost. Could this be the mobile navigator we’ve all been looking for? Maybe, but it’s still a bit too large to be a handheld solution, and with AT&T EDGE, we’re a little disappointed. We so would have jumped on this if they had a UMTS/HSDPA model. That said, we’re certainly a fan of Sony’s slide out keyboard form factor, and we all can expect to pay $2,499 starting next week.

Japanese lensmaker Tokina announced two lenses Friday, an 11-16mm wide-angle zoom and a 35mm fixed-focal-length lens.Both models have relatively fast f/2.8 apertures useful for low-light conditions, and both are designed to mount on Canon and Nikon digital SLR cameras with smaller image sensors, according to announcements on Tokina’s Japanese Web site.

The AT-X 116 PRO DX 11-16mm F2.8 is scheduled to be available in February 2008 at a cost of 90,000 yen, or about $810. It weighs 560 grams.

The AT-X M35 PRO DX 35mm F2.8 can focus as close as 14cm, or about 5.5 inches, and, as you’d expect for a macro lens, can reproduce subjects with a 1:1 magnification ratio. The 340g model will cost 68,000 yen, or about $610, and is scheduled to be available in December.