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Fujifilm’s latest series of digital cameras has few rivals in terms of travel photography, according to one reviewer.

The S series "marks the next step up in digital photography", states Scoop, and the ultra zoom provides brilliant results for the professional or serious amateur alike.

Part of the new series, the new S8100fd sports an 18x optical zoom lens and a ten megapixel sensor.

The camera also comes with face detection technology and can capture 13.5 frames per second at three megapixels and 6.8 at five megapixels.

It has a 2.5-inch screen and a small viewfinder, 58MB of internal memory and SD and XD memory card slots.

Scoop said the camera is "ideal for capturing long distance photographs without sacrificing detail or composition".

Meanwhile, Fujifilm unveiled its latest digital camera sensor at the Photkina technology fair in Cologne, Germany, reports Tech On.

The new device can record sharper images by using just half of its effective pixels to store the image and reducing errors, the news site states.

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An mouse designed by experts in ergonomics costs a "not so healthy £93", according to one reviewer.

The HandshoeMouse, created by scientists at the universities of Rotterdam and Maastricht, was four years in the making, Gizmodo states.

Research teams from the two universities carefully studied muscular tension in the arms and hands of mouse users as well as closely monitoring control behaviour.

The resulting design is a wireless mouse that helps reduce the ‘unnecessarily strong muscular tension’ associated with constant mouse operation.

Prof Snijders, leader of the project, said: "It immediately became clear to us that this is an important part of repetitive strain injury (RSI) problems."

"For the tension in the fingers also directly affects the muscle groups in the neck and shoulders," he added.

According to rsi.org.uk, primary factors resulting in RSI include an ergonomically unsound work area, prolonged periods of work without a break and poor posture.

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FSP NB’s new universal laptop charger may be a valid alternative to a manufacturer’s own charging device, one reviewer has said.

PC Advisor states that tracking down a replacement charger from the manufacturer may be more difficult than opting for the universal device, which may also be more compact and lighter.

The device measures 154 x 74 millimetres and is 17 millimetres thick and weighs less than half a kilogram with all its accessories attached, the website states.

Supporting Acer, Asus, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Sony and Toshiba laptops, the device is not compatible with older Apple PowerBooks.

Commenting on the 60W output from the charger, PC Advisor said: "Larger or older desktop replacement laptops may require more power though, sometimes upwards of 80W, in which case this adaptor could have difficulty in fully charging a flat battery while the laptop is in use."

In related news, the laptop battery shortage is expected to last three months longer than expected, according to leading manufacturer Simplo Technology.

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With 40 per cent of total waste coming from businesses, workers should put pressure on their employers to take up recycling, it has been reported.

According to Dudley News, while most councils provide recycling facilities for domestic waste, which makes up 10 per cent of the country’s total, businesses have no obligation to recycle.

Donnachadh McCarthy, author of Easy Eco Auditing: How To Make Your Home And Workplace Planet-Friendly, told the paper: "You have to approach your colleagues and managers with a constructive point of view and realise that you’re asking them to change their current behaviour and habits."

"People hate having their desks moved five feet - let alone being forced to think about recycling," he added.

In related news, John and Ann Till, a couple from Petersfield in Hampshire, recycled more than 60,000 pieces of rubbish and earned enough supermarket points to pay for flights back from their honeymoon in America.

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Uniross have launched the world’s fastest battery charge that can replenish four batteries in 15 minutes.

The device comes hot on the heels of the company’s one hour charging device, which it released earlier this year.

Uniross’s latest battery charger comes with a cigarette lighter adapter allowing people to charge AA and AAA batteries on the go.

According to Gizmodo.com, the charger is so fast it "has its own cooling fan to prevent it from overheating".

The charger has a built-in safety feature which causes it to cut-out after 20 minutes and ensure the batteries do not overheat and explode, the website claims.

Priced at £34.99, the Uniross 15-minute Charger is available now.
In related news, Hewlett Packard announced it was set to release a laptop with a 24 hour battery life in October.

According to Network World, to achieve round the clock performance the new laptop will run on Microsoft’s XP operating system, not Vista.

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Apple’s iPhone 3G has been named gadget of the year by Stuff magazine, it has been reported.

The smart-phone beat off competition from games consoles, laptops and home cinema systems to take the top spot.

According to the magazine, the latest incarnation of the iPhone is "a faster, cleverer version of an already remarkable phone".

Stuff’s Editor Fraser Macdonald said: "Having our readers vote for a number of the awards has been fascinating."

"They are the ones out there on the street buying gadgets and so they are a great barometer," he added.

Other products in the short-running were the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii Fit.

However, according to PC World magazine, Apple’s dominance of the smart-phone market is under threat from "a flurry of new competitors".

The magazine Nokia is the latest to challenge Apple with the release of its 5800 Express Music handset.

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Scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a new liquid camera lens that can be controlled with sound, it has been reported.

The cutting edge technology can capture 250 pictures per second and is powered by water and sound.

Researcher Amir Hirsa, associate chief of graduate studies at the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, said: "The mass of the system is pushed back and forth as a result of surface tension."

"This adds variable focus capability to lenses that have never had it before," he added.

Scientists at the institute have been working on the project since 2004 after receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation.

The researchers believe the technology could pave the way for more sophisticated liquid lenses.

In related news LG has unveiled its latest mobile phone, which has an eight-megapixel digital camera.

The LG-KC910, dubbed the Renoir, will be available in early October.

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Sanyo has unveiled a new digital video camera that comes with a waterproof casing and can be used underwater.

The Xacti CA8 can be used at a depth of five feet before pressure poses a threat to the device.

According to pcmag.co.uk, "five feet isn’t particularly deep" but the reviewer said the camera’s powerful zoom lens allows users to float below the surface of the water and view objects further down.

The website said that it was more concerned about the camera’s limited resolution, which is below DVD standard but good enough for films being put on YouTube or used as home movies.

Included with the digital camera, which can shoot stills at a resolution of eight-megapixels, is a copy of Adobe’s Premiere Elements video editing software.

Meanwhile, Sanyo has developed a new laser for use in Blu-ray devices that deliver’s the world’s highest optical output and plans to start mass production of the device in the next two or three years.

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The latest version of accounting package QuickBooks, which is aimed at small businesses is a marked improvement on the previous edition, one reviewer has said.

QuickBooks 2009 is available in both pro and standard editions and has numerous improvements on its predecessor, including multi-currency support, according to PC Advisor.

The computer review website claims that the less costly standard version, while lacking in certain industry standard features, will appeal to small businesses on a budget.

Meanwhile, the Premiers Edition is good value for new users, the reviewer states.

PC Advisor said: "QuickBooks Premier Edition 2009 (repeat) lets you download up-to-date currency exchange rates so you can easily prepare invoices in Euros or other currencies."

Meanwhile, Apple business customers were shown the first web-based accounting software aimed at both PC and Mac users.

Xero has been designed to work with Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari and Hamish Edwards, the company’s managing director said: "We specifically designed Xero online accounting software to work for business owners as well as their accountants."

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Sony has launched an all-in-one desktop PC, the Vaio JS1.

The computer manufacturer is designed to take up the same space as a laptop, but offer the performance of a full-size desktop PC.

With a 20.1-inch screen and sporting a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050, the PC has a built-in webcam and a DVD rewriter.

Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor E7200, the desktop computer also has a 500GB hard disk drive, 3GB of memory and Intel’s X4500HD Graphics Media Accelerator.

Commenting on the new Vaio, which will be released before Christmas, Martin Lynch, a reviewer for Gizmodo.com, said: "It’s tempting for those that want a PC that doesn’t look like a PC but be prepared to pay through the nose."

Meanwhile, Sony has taken full control of music giant Sony BMG.

The firm will be renamed Sony Music Entertainment and the company hopes the takeover will help it reduce costs.

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