Jam TEC update - 23/03/09 Olympus' E-620 raises the bar for entry-level DSLRs

Olympus just joined the pre-PMA pileup with the announcement of its E-620 DSLR for entry-level enthusiasts. The E-620 is a mash-up of Olympus' semi-pro E-30 and entry-level E-520 in a compact body approaching Oly's own E-420 (the world's smallest DSLR when launched). The resulting cam brings a 12.3 megapixel Live MOS image sensor with sensor-shift image stabilization, 7-point AF, TruePic III+ image processor, built-in wireless flash controller, and a fully articulating, 2.7-inch tilt-and-swivel live-view LCD. It also features Olympus' Art Filters which take in-camera image enhancements a bit beyond sepia. Expect the E-620 body to ship in May for about $700; $800 with the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 lens. Front-side front after the break.

Jam TEC update -23/03/09 Red 'Resident Evil 5' Xbox 360

Looks like that red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle wasn't just some tripped out figment of your imagination. Just moments ago, the package popped up for Xbox Live subscribers, detailing a handsome red Xbox 360 Elite with a 120GB hard drive, Resident Evil 5, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and a few other odds and ends (like a handful of cables). There's an indication that you can pre-order the kit, but at this point, we're not aware of any place to follow through. We'll keep our eyes peeled, of course.

Update: According to the German press release just received, the limited edition bundle will hit Europe on March 13th for €299 -- likely $399 Stateside

Jam TEC update - 22/03/09 Microsoft's SideWinder X8

The benefits of BlueTrack over optical or laser mousing technology in gaming situations will probably be debated amongst our children's children, but if you've decided that Microsoft's latest and greatest is the one for you, the SideWinder X8 gaming mouse hits stores this week. Besides that 13,000fps image processing of BlueTrack and a user-configurable 250 to 4,000 dpi, the mouse is a 2.4GHz wireless number with "virtually no latency" and it includes a play-and-charge cable for upping the juice without dropping the action. It even has a decent hands-on under its belt, so if you've been holding out for this one there's nothing really stopping your unemployed self from heading down to a local big box and plopping down $99 for the privilege.

Jam TEC update - 22/03/09 Razer Carcharias headset

Razer's Carcharias headset is yet another audio-related diversion for the input peripheral company, and as with its mighty impressive Mako 2.1 sound system, this here headset was remarkably solid. Originally announced at CES this year, this gaming headset is a multi-functional tool that works first and foremost as a two-way communication device for gamers who love to yap while fragging. Secondly, it can double as a really, really decent set of cans. The flip-down microphone can easily fold up and out of the way, and considering just how light these are, they can be worn for hours on end (trust us, we tried) without any sort of ear pain and unusual pressure on your dome.

The lengthy braided cable was slick, the in-line remote was a thoughtful touch and the headband was amongst the most comfortable we've had the pleasure of coming into contact with at this price point. When speaking with Razer CEO Robert Krakoff, he confessed that these were specifically designed to be worn comfortably for upwards of 10 hours, and we believe it. He also noted that customers were clamoring for deeper bass response in its headphone products, and yet again, it delivered in bringing the low-end to these cans. Not once did we feel the bass was magnified out of proportion, and while it's obviously designed to let gamers feel the "booms," we thoroughly enjoyed how it handled good ole rock 'n roll.

All in all, we're comfortable recommending these to PC gamers who could also use a new pair of headphones for music alone. At $79.99, these are solid enough to last you for quite some time, and the superior comfort level here is really what sets it apart. Razer may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think audio, but these are definitely worth a listen.

Jam TEC update - 22/03/09 Sleek new Studio XPS 435

Well, what do we have here? Dell's own website has outed a new Studio XPS 435. Here's the specs for its supremum configuration: a 3.2GHz Intel Core i7 processor extreme edition on a X58 chipset, up to 24GB DDR3 SDRAM and 4.5 TB with three hard drive bays, ATI Radeon HD4870, Blu-ray disc drive, 15-in-1 card reader, and eight USB 2.0 ports. Of course, getting the max settings is certainly going to cost you a pretty penny, and at this point we've got no deets on pricing or availability.

Jam TEC update -09/03/09 LaCie intros 8x d2 Blu-ray burner, LaCinema Black MAX media streamer

It was May of last year when LaCie last updated its external d2 Blu-ray burner, so it's about time we saw that 4x burn rate double to an entirely more palatable 8x. Available now for consumers in the US, the latest d2 Blu-ray Drive ($449.99) can toast both single- and dual-layer BD-Rs at 8x, and it can connect to one's machine via FireWire or USB 2.0. In related news, the outfit has also introduced a LaCinema Black MAX over in Europe, which acts to serve up all sorts of digital media (photos, video clips, music, etc.) on one's HDTV. You can order it with 500GB / 1TB of inbuilt storage, and the integrated Ethernet jack / WiFi module enables it to pull media (up to 1080p) from other locations on your network. We've nary a clue on pricing / availability for this one, but we'll leave it to those in Europe to hunt it down and brag to us Yanks.

Jam TEC update -09/03/09 Leaked Samsung M7600 phone

We don't know exactly where this one came from... but these leaked photos appear to be of an Ocean-esque Samsung M7600. Here's what we know about it, spec-wise: it's an HSDPA phone which will have a 3 megapixel camera, GPS, a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, and yes, a Bang & Olufsen amplifier. We understand that it'll also sport some kind of of DJ scratching app -- which should make your nightlife way more interesting -- and that it's supposedly set to appear sometime in May of this year (though we'd be surprised if we don't see more of it at MWC).

Jam TEC update -09/03/09 How would you change HP's TouchSmart tx2z?

The TouchSmart tx2z isn't the first multitouch laptop out, but HP's pretty adamant that it's the first multitouch "consumer" convertible tablet. Semantics aside, we're interested in finding out just how impressed you early adopters are with what the company has crafted. Are the multitouch capabilities as awesome as you had hoped? If not, what areas could be improved? Would you still recommend it to prospective buyers looking to give their digits a bit more work? We get the feeling we'll see loads of multitouch laptops gracing our presence over the next few months / years, so make sure you really unload on this one. It's what makes progress possible, people.

Jam TEC update -09/03/09 Optoma delivers 1080p ThemeScene HD82 projector to the UK

'Tis a shame Optoma's reserving its latest 1080p beamer for the overseas crowd, but we'll set aside our envy for a tick and just join in the across-the-pond-excitement. The ThemeScene HD82 sports a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1,300 nits of brightness, a 20,000:1 maximum contrast ratio and a DLP engine. Britons will also enjoy a 1.5x zoom, PureMotion / PureShift technologies, twin HDMI ports and a DVI socket to boot. Of course, enjoying that £2,999 ($4,382) price tag may not be as easy, but it's still comparatively affordable in the grand scheme of things.

Jam TEC update - 09/03/09 Samsung to release 12 megapixels of cameraphone

It's been a few years since Samsung unleashed its 10 megapixel cameraphone onto the world. Now we're hearing that Samsung will push the limits of absurdity to a full 12 megapixels "this month," likely at Mobile World Congress. The phone is expected to hit the production lines in February with a European debut shortly thereafter. No details are provided other than the picture above used (but not attributed) by Unwired View. If this is the unannounced phone then we can obviously expect GPS geotagging, DivX video capture, and WiFi with DLNA support. One thing is clear: Samsung thinks that Europeans are pixel braggarts with little concern for image quality.