The final word: The GR-D750 is a solid little performer that punches well above its weight; offering impressive image quality for entry-level users. If you're on the lookout for a cheap miniDV camera, you could certainly do a lot worse than this.

The GR-D750 is a standard-definition camcorder that records video to miniDV tapes.

aVinci Premieres myMovieProducer at PMA Convention

"myMovieProducer is a revolutionary solution designed for today's digital photo consumer," stated Chett Paulsen, president and CEO at Sequoia. "The needs of the digital camera user are changing. Users want the spontaneity and immediacy that myMovieProducer provides. Our affordable, easy to use product generates results that rival professional productions that typically cost hundreds of dollars to produce. A typical myMovieProducer DVD can be completed in mere minutes."

During 2008, myMovieProducer plans to offer a wide variety of specialized themes, including "Travel Destinations," "Wedding," "Baby Boy," "Baby Girl," "Sports Highlights," "Achievement," "The Polar Express Christmas," and two special music video themes set to licensed popular music: "On Stage" featuring "We're All In This Together" from the "High School Musical" soundtrack and "In Concert" featuring "Best of Both Worlds" from the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack.

What the heck is the difference among all those Canon ELPHs anyway?

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm a big fan of Canon's Digital ELPH series, but I can't tell you how many times friends have called me from Best Buy in a state of confusion about which one to buy. It's no wonder. Stop into any electronics store today and you'll find a slew of ELPH models and they all look pretty similar to the untrained eye. So here's a quick primer on what's what, broken down by resolution (since for better or for worse, that's how most people seem to shop for cameras). For comparison's sake, I included current pricing from Amazon.com.

Canon PowerShot SD950 IS ($340) - released August 2007: This is Canon's current top-of-the-line model (successor to last year's SD900 which you'll still find in some stores). It sports a sleek, rugged titanium body, 3.7x optical zoom lens (36- to 133mm), an Optical Image Stabilizer, Canon's latest face-detection autofocus technology, in-camera red-eye correction, and like all the current ELPHs, uses Canon's top-end DIGIC III image processor.

Axiom Telecom brings on board Sony Ericsson K850(i) 5 megapixel cyber ...

Sold at Axiom stores across the region, the 5 mega pixel Cyber-shot phone features a slim-designed snapshot clamshell. Beyond the camera, the SE K850(i) with its large 2.2 inch display is a capable multimedia phone too. 'At Axiom, we focus on offering ultimate mobile phones with loads of improved features to suit the demands of our customers,' said Faisal Al Bannai, CEO, Axiom Telecom.

'For customers who love photography, this first and upgraded SE K850(i) with 5 mega pixels focuses at making photography lovers believe that they have a digital camera in their hands rather than a mobile phone.'

Got a great photo of a fuzzy, furry or feathered friend?

The Oregon Humane Society is looking for great pictures of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, horses and other pets for its 17th annual Fuzzy, Furry and Feathered Friends Photo Contest. The contest is open until May 31, 2008. Winners will see photos of their pets published in the full-color OHS Magazine and will also receive great prizes from Pro Photo Supply and Canon. Prizes will be awarded for the best photos in the following categories: Top Dog, Top Cat, Top Other Animal (rabbit, bird, etc.), Funniest photo, Child with Pet, Me & My Pet, Editor’s Choice, and Grand Prize. "Me & My Pet" is a new category for 2008, and focuses on adults posing with their favorite furry or feathered friend.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a Canon Rebel XSi Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm lens.

Camera makers vie for SLR buyers' attention

Camera manufacturers including Canon, Pentax, and Fujifilm will show new digital SLRs for professional photographers at the PMA07 show in Las Vegas next month. The new models balance traditional and advanced features to retain existing customers and tempt new ones.

Fujifilm, meanwhile, will show the FinePix S5 Pro, which begins shipping this month. The digital SLR has a 12.34 megapixel image sensor: half the pixels respond best to low light levels, the other half to stronger light, a system that captures images with a wider dynamic range, the company said.

SpyTec 2007

I'm beginning to worry that I spend too much time concerned with the technological trappings of the world around us. I think Lord Vader put it best when he admonished Imperial Admiral Motti not to be too proud of the technological terror he'd constructed—after all, the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force. Or, for that matter, the power of the Internet to slowly suck your life away, gurgling down a series of tubes. But seriously, when you close your eyes at night and just see an endless parade of dancing cell phones, multifunction printers, and digital music players, you can be sure of one thing: your dreams are going to be seriously messed up, man.

So, you may ask, what do video camera glasses, a gaming projector, and a compact bag have in common? Other than all being featured in this week's edition of Gadgetbox, I have absolutely no idea.