Canon EOS 60D review: Shoot full HD videos

Canon has unveiled the EOS 60D DSLR camera, the latest in the company's mid-range DSLR offerings.

The EOS 60D features an 18-megapixel APS-C sized sensor with usable ISO settings of 100 to 6,400 as well as 12,800 in ISO boost mode.

The autofocus system is via a 9-point cross-type autofocus and a metering system taken from the 63-zone dual-layer sensor first seen on the EOS 7D.

There's of course Live View and the ability to shoot 1080p video at a variety of frame rates (30fps, 25fps and 24fps) and up to 60fps in 720p video mode.

A new feature introduced in this series is a 3in 1,040,000-dot resolution LCD monitor which is hinged so you can flip the LCD and rotate it in a variety of angles.

The EOS 60D features an SDXC memory card slot which accepts SD cards and SDXC cards up to 2TB in size. There is no word yet on the availability or local pricing.

Japan develops 'touchable' 3D TV technology

INTERACTIVE 3D: Watching television may soon be a less passive, more interactive and tactile experience.

A Japanese research team said it had developed the world's first 3D television system that allows users to touch, pinch or poke images floating in front of them.

"It is the first time that you can feel images in the air," said Norio Nakamura, senior scientist with the research team at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

"You can have the sense of touch like poking a rubber ball or stretching a sticky rice cake" when manipulating images.

The technology changes the shape of three-dimensional images in response to "touches," aided by cameras that monitor how the fingers move, Nakamura said.

It is not known when the technology will be put to practical use but its creators see it being used to simulate surgical operations and in videogame software allowing players to experience the sensation of holding weapons or sports equipment.

It could even use scanned images to supplement existing realities, said Nakamura.

"This technology could create a virtual museum where visitors, including vision-impaired people, can put their hands on valuable sculptures that are usually untouchable," Nakamura said. - 

Singularity: A stitch in time - Reviewed

Use time as a weapon in this fast-paced first-person shooter.

NASTY: Aside from the Russians, you'll be fighting against horribly mutated creatures.

SINGULARITY puts you in the role of black ops operative, Nathaniel Renko, who has to investigate an abandoned Russian facility on the fictional island of Kartorga 12.

The mission inevitably goes bad and an alternate timeline is created where the Russians have taken over the world. It's up to you to find a way to restore the timeline.

You will spend much of your time exploring an abandoned research facility on Kartorga 12 and learn of its dark past from audio recordings which tell of a new element called E99 that allows time and space to be manipulated.

For the most part you will be in an altered 2010 reality but also get to travel back in time to 1955 to change history and save the world.

Presentation

The game uses the popular Unreal Engine 3 but it doesn't look great because the characters and ­buildings look bland.

Although uninspiring, it gives Kartorga 12 a dark and desolate atmosphere.

DESOLATE: You'll spend most of your time in the game exploring the ruined buildings.

Also, the level of gore is quite high as dismembered limbs start flying once the action begins.

The game's musical score is a mix of horror and fast-paced beats that sets the tone when you play the game's intense set pieces.

Singularity has a clichéd cheesy science fiction vibe that matches well with the game's story.

Design

At its core, Singularity is a standard first-person shooter. It guides you through a set of linear pathways that's often populated with enemies.

If you get lost in the game, pressing the D-pad will point you in the direction of your next objective.

There is a set number of objectives to complete in each chapter and there is only one way to solve a problem.

FACE OFF: Your enemies aren't afraid of getting up close so give yourself lots of space to move.

However, the game encourages you to search for weapon upgrades and listen to audio recordings to get the bigger picture.

The major hook is a special device called the TMD (time manipulation device) which can restore or age objects.

Implementation of the TMD is severely limited because only a few things like locks, crates and stairs can be manipulated to solve puzzles.

Also, the same puzzle is repeated over and over again that it becomes tedious very fast.

More impressive usage of the TMD is usually only seen during prescripted events like when you have to restore an entire ship.

Gameplay

Combat is what you expect from an FPS game and Singularity has its share of standard weapons like the pistol, assault rifle, shotgun and sniper rifle.

Unique to Singularity is its E99 powered weapons. One such weapon is the seeker, a rifle that allows you to guide a bullet in slow motion towards your target and make it explode on impact.

E99 weapons are fun to use but the game limits its use because they are so powerful - you will only get one in certain parts of the game and it'll usually run out of ammo.

Also, weapons can be improved at upgrade stations if you manage to find upgrade kits scattered on the island. The upgrades increase clip size, reload speed and damage.

The kits are limited so you have to hunt them down and choose your weapon upgrades carefully.

ELECTRIFYING: The abandoned facility Kartoga 12 still shows signs of life.

You can also "upgrade" yourself (better health, take less damage, etc) and the TMD.

Besides manipulating the environment, the TMD can also be used in combat and it's very handy for killing certain type of enemies.

Some mutants are so fast they phase in and out of time and the only way to get a clear shot is to slow them down with the TMD.

The TMD also replaces the standard melee attack with a strong force blast that can blow soldiers to pieces at close range.

Other creative uses of the TMD include sending rockets back at enemies and creating a time bubble that stops any object within its sphere.

This allows you to pump enemies full of lead as they are helplessly frozen - it's simply fun to see them turn into a red mist once the time bubble bursts.

To keep the game challenging, the TMD has a finite amount of power that recharges over time and can also be replenished by special vials.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer aspect of Singularity has you taking the roles of either the Russian soldiers (each using a TMD specialised for a certain function) or the mutants (with different skills for each type).

Similar to Team Fortress 2, players can play as different classes, specialising in certain roles and must work together to win a match.

There are only two modes available in multiplayer: Deathmatch and Control Point where a team has to hold and defend and area from enemies.

The two multiplayer modes feel uninspired and boring.

Conclusion

Singularity is an average FPS game that has some interesting ideas that could have been better realised.

It's a fun game nonetheless as the pacing is good and the set pieces are well scripted.

The TMD also makes combat interesting as there are so many ways it can be used to dispose of enemies. Also, the storyline wasn't too bad and there are multiple endings to explore.

Overall, Singularity was a fun game with some clever implementation of time manipulation.

Pros: TMD makes combat fun; impressive set pieces; fancy weapons.

Cons: Dated graphics; boring and limited multiplayer modes.

Singularity
(Activision)
First-person shooter for PlayStation3, Xbox 360, PC
Price: RM190 (PS3); RM180 (Xbox 360); RM160 (PC)
RATING: 3.5

Dell introduce the first hybrid devices : Dell Streak Review

The Dell Streak is the first Android device to combine smartphone and Tablet features in one slim device.

THE introduction of the Apple iPad has reignited interest in Tablet devices. Most phone and computer manufacturers are planning to release their own version of a Tablet computer.

Dell is one of the first to showcase its Tablet/smartphone hybrid device, the Streak. We managed to get our hands on it but the Streak is only expected to launch early next year.

Sleek and hardy

There isn't any other device quite like the Streak because it integrates phone and tablet functions into a simple yet attractive device.

And don't be fooled by the term Tablet - the Streak is both lightweight and compact enough to fit in a pocket easily.

The build quality is rock solid and the housing is made of metal. Even the screen is made of durable Gorilla Glass material which is supposed to be scratch resistant.

We tried scratching it with sharp objects such as car keys and a pair of scissors but the glass screen survived with almost no damage. The test caused a barely noticeable scratch on the screen but it's very minor.

Bright and sharp, the 5in display has an impressive 800 x 480-pixel resolution which is a lot of space for displaying text and apps.

The Streak uses a customised Qwerty keyboard which has a numberpad. Typing on it takes getting used to because the alphabet keys are off centre because of the numberpad.

The numberpad makes entering dates and passwords easier but generally the keypad feels a little clunky to use at first.

Size matters

As a phone, the Streak is a little cumbersome to use as it is much bigger than most phones.

Call quality was fine but the tiny ear piece makes it difficult to align one's ear to hear calls clearly. The speakerphone fared better - it was clear but we would have preferred it to be a little louder.

Needless to say, a Bluetooth headset is a must if you intend to use the Streak as your primary phone.

HANDY: The Streak's on-screen virtual keyboard is good for text messaging and web browsing.

Also, the device can become quirky when receiving calls. For example, we received a call once when using an application - the Streak just kept switching between the app and phone function.

Messaging, on the other hand, proved to be no problem on the Streak. The large virtual keyboard and predictive text made it easy to type accurately.

The device only has 2GB of internal memory but you can expand it using microSD cards. The review unit was bundled with a 16GB microSD card and if that's not enough you can get a 32GB card.

Good performance

Under the hood, the Streak has a speedy 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 512MB RAM.

Browsing on the Streak was a pleasant experience as it was able to render full webpages relatively fast although graphic intensive sites tended to load a little slower.

However, the browser struggled to keep up when we rapidly scrolled a webpage which caused it to appear choppy as it attempted to load the content.

Also because the Streak lacks Flash, not every site will display properly, and some embedded videos and animation clips will not appear at all.

SLEEK: Despite its large size, the Streak manages to keep a slim profile.

The device uses the outdaded Android 1.6 but Dell has done a good job in redesigning the interface to better suit a Tablet environment.

Like other Android devices, the homescreen can be personalised with applications and widgets. However, the homescreen is orientated permanently in landscape view although applications work in portrait modes also.

Also, the Streak misses out on many improvements introduced with Android 2.2 - there are no animated wallpapers, support for integrated e-mail accounts or multitouch gestures.

Hopefully, when the Dell Streak is launched here early next year it will have the new OS.

The Streak's battery performance is surprisingly good for a device with a 5in touchscreen.

We were able to use it for an entire day for surfing the Web, making phone calls, checking e-mail and such before we needed to recharge it.

Other features

The 5-megapixel camera isn't anything to shout about. It comes with standard features such as autofocus and dual LED flash.

It takes decent quality photos under bright sunlight but even those tended to be over sharpened and saturated to look natural.

LIMITED: The 5-megapixel on the back has a dual LED flash but it doesn't help illuminate subjects well in the dark.

The camera performs poorly in low light conditions and photos turned out mostly grainy and the dual LED flash doesn't really help matters.

Disappointingly, the camera is only capable of recording in standard VGA quality. The videos recordings were decent but could be better.

As a portable media player, the Streak features a nice clean interface that easily allows you to select your tunes.

Also, the Streak's large 5in screen is perfect for playing HD videos. It supports H.264, MPEG-4, 3GP and WMV formats but we were not able to play some movies on it.

The lack of codec support for popular formats like Xvid also limits the device's usefulness.

Conclusion

The Dell Streak is just compact enough to fit in your pocket and it's built tough so that you don't have to worry about your car keys scratching it.

However, as a phone it feels a little cumbersome to use, and the ear piece is too small and sounds too soft.

Also, it will take a little practice to get used to the virtual keyboard for messaging.

Browsing the Web is nice thanks to the large screen but the lack of Flash support means some site won't display properly.

In terms of performance, the Streak is fast but it's just hobbled by an old operating system. But this could be fixed when the device is released next year.

The device has some minor flaws but if you are interested in using a device that combines phone and Tablet features, then the Dell Streak is worth checking out.

Pros: Large 5in touchscreen; good web browser; decent battery life.

Cons: Outdated Android 1.6 OS; no Flash support; VGA video recording; limited video codec support.

Dell Streak

Smartphone/Tablet hyrbid device
Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
Operating system: Android 1.6
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz
Display: 5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
Camera: 5-megapixels with autofocus; dual LED flash; VGA video recording
Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, micro USB
Memory: 2GB
Expansion slot: microSD (16GB microSD card included)
Standby/talk time: 384 hours/10 hours
Other features: Facebook and Twitter widgets; Google Talk, Google Maps and Quickoffice apps
Dimensions (W x D x H): 152.9 x 79.1 x 10mm
Weight: 220g
Price: TBA

The first digital operating theatre in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: KPJ Healthcare Bhd, a member of Johor Corporation, unveiled Malaysia's first digital operating theatre with navigation system. The facility is at its newly opened KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital.

The RM2mil facility will be used for orthopaedic surgery, said KPJ Healthcare managing director Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah Sheikh Bakir.

"It will also serve as a platform for orthopaedic specialists to share their knowledge, and to enhance healthcare education (in the country)," she said.

According to her, the facility is the second in the region after the one in Singapore. - Bernama

Good effort to have this such state of the art facility in Malaysia

Nokia goes for 'Touch and Type' with the X3

CONSUMER electronics companies are busy racing forward, embracing new technology and trying to develop gadgets with the latest and greatest features, but recently a couple of mobile phone makers have changed their tactics, introducing high-tech phones with, what many might consider, outdated features.

In a world where everyone is fighting to invent the next iPhone killer, companies such as Nokia and RIM have decided to "make the familiar new," opting to transform the older-styled 12-button keypad into a desirable smartphone feature.

Nokia announced it would introduce its first "Touch and Type" device while hinting at a new category of phones that embrace both the future and the past.

Nokia's first Touch and Type device, the X3, bridges the gap between smartphone and feature phone, combining smartphone features such as a touchscreen, and 3G and WiFi connectivity with "the most used mobile interface on the planet."

The device gently eases users who feel comfortable using the traditional mobile phone keypad into the world of smartphones.

"Our research tells us consumers who have invested years in becoming fast one-handed, one-thumb texters want to maintain their speedy edge for SMS, chat and instant messaging - yet enjoy the benefits of touch as well," said Mary McDowell, executive vice-president of mobile phones at Nokia.

It is a strategy that RIM also employed with their recently released Pearl 9100 3G handset.

Nokia's diminutive X3 phone comes with a 5-megapixel, 4x digital zoom camera for both video and stills, dedicated music and messaging keys, access to Nokia's Ovi Store, 3G and WiFi connectivity, e-mail, social networking, FM radio, and Bluetooth2.1.

The X3 is scheduled to be locally available this quarter but prices have yet to be determined.

Microsoft will launch more games on Windows Phone 7 platform for Xbox

NEW: Users with Windows Phone 7 handsets will be able to access their friends lists, game library and Xbox Live messages.

Microsoft will launch more and more games for mobile phones running its Windows Phone 7 operating system as the year goes on, unveiling 73 launch titles that integrate with the existing console service in one way or another.

Included in the roster are mobile versions of popular casual games Uno, Puzzle Quest 2,Bejeweled, and Flight Control, as well as more traditional console fare such as Assassin's Creed,Castlevania, Guitar Hero 5, and the blockbuster Halo series.

Integration with Xbox Live means that those with Windows Phone 7 handsets will be able to access their friends lists, game library, and Xbox Live messages.

Also included are leaderboard rankings and a cumulative, personal Gamerscore that can be increased via PC, Xbox 360, and mobile phone games that work with the Xbox Live service.

Latest estimates for Windows Phone 7's release indicate an October launch is most likely for European users, with United States joining in by November, though Microsoft has refrained from naming specific dates or, indeed, confirming anything beyond the 2010 holiday period.

Having elected to stand back from the handheld console market while Nintendo and Sony battled it out with their DS and PSP platforms, Microsoft looks well poised to leapfrog its console competitors, but face a tough challenge cutting through the established enthusiasm for Apple and Android handsets.

Given the buzz enjoyed by the iPhone 4 since its June release in the United States, and Google's march into the game space with its browser-based Web Store also targeting October, Microsoft need to come up with something special to cement its presence in the mobile entertainment sector - this could be just the foot in the door that it needs

Testing prototypes at MIMOS for Malaysian Developer: saves time, money

Software and hardware developers can now test their products at the Mimos Centre of Excellence before commercialising them.

The facility, established four years ago, has systems for end-to-end tests, including checks on reliability and user friendliness.

Mohd Redzuan Abdullah, the centre's director of testing, said developers should use the facility instead of sending their products to the targeted markets overseas for compliance checks.

"The test standards we have here are in line with international yardsticks, and local testing will save the developers a lot of money and time," he said.

According to Redzuan, more than 100 products from Mimos and its industry partners have been tested at the centre over the years.

Cheap mobile phones to gain high-powered operating systems

MOVING UP: Smartphone operating systems such as Google's Android are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones. - Relaxnews

Mobile operating systems such as Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian and Microsoft's Windows Mobile are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones.

Chinese-based consumer electronics seller Chinavasion predicts that the shift from proprietary mobile phone operating systems to open-sourced operating systems will completely change China's mobile phone market, creating new opportunities for China's mobile manufacturers.

"We are looking at what is potentially the most exciting development in the cheap mobile phone sector in years," said Rose Li, PR manager, Chinavasion in a statement.

Chinese-made devices priced at less than US$130 (RM416) have typically been powered by the Nucleus real-time operating system (RTOS), but with the advent of open-source operating systems, manufacturers are now starting to make the shift.

"While the Nucleus RTOS is a very capable OS it doesn't have nearly the same potential that Windows, or Android or Symbian has," explained Rose Li.

For consumers the change means they may soon see smartphone-like features such as PC syncing, productivity tools, online browsing, email, and customisable phone applications on low-end mobile phones.

An August study by market research ABI suggests that by 2015 more than 60% (about 3.8 billion handsets) of mobile phones worldwide will be capable of surfing the Internet via a mobile web browser.

SMS trojan targets Android phones

KASPERSKY has detected the first widespread malware that targets the Android smartphones.

Called the Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a, it proliferates in the guise of a harmless media player, which when installed will send out premium rate text messages without the owner's knowledge.

Denis Maslennikov, the mobile research group manager at Kaspersky, said this form of malware, also known as SMS trojan, can rake up huge bills.

SMS trojan is the most widespread class of malware for mobile phones and the AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a is the first to target the Android platform. The new malicious program penetrates smartphones running Android in the guise of a harmless media player application. Users are prompted to install a file of just over 13 KB with the standard Android extension .APK. Once installed on the phone, the Trojan uses the system to begin sending SMSs to premium rate numbers without the owner’s knowledge or consent, resulting in money passing from a user’s account to that of the cybercriminals.

As the Android smartphone market is experiencing high growth, users can expect a rise in malware attacks in the future.

In light of this, the company plans to release Kaspersky Mobile Security for Android in early 2011.

In the meantime, Maslennikov urged users to pay close attention to the services that an application requests to access when it is being installed.

For a security concern, Android users are advised to download from a trusted source and avoid downloading media player files that request permission to access your text messages, particularly if they want to send messages from the phone.

Quick Review : Lenovo Ideapad Y560

The Lenovo Ideapad Y560 is a feature-packed multimedia laptop with a big price tag.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 has some serious firepower - it has an Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6Ghz ) processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics chip with 1GB RAM, JBL stereo speakers and Bluray combo drive.

It also has numerous ports such as three USB ports, and a VGA and HDMI out as well as a 6-in-1 card reader for easily accessing files from memory cards.

The Y560 is marketed as a multimedia notebook and it does not disappoint. The sound quality of the JBL stereo speakers are a lot better than most laptop speakers.

The speakers were great for listening to songs, watching movies and playing games. When listening to songs, the speakers were able to handle gradual changes in notes. And when watching movies and playing games, the speakers produced enough bass to make it a fun experience.

Design

The Y560 has a slick black body with red linings and decals on top. This multimedia notebook looks really impressive even though the plastic body feels cheap and flexes easily.

For a laptop of its class and price, we expected the Y560 to have a more solid design.

The Y560 weighs 2.7kg which is unusual for a notebook of this size but it's probably because of its plastic exterior.

NEAT: The Y560 has a sliding touch control that gives you quick access to applications.

The interior of the laptop is glossy which is nice but is prone to smudges. It has a large touchpad and touch-sensitive buttons located just below the screen. The buttons allow users to customise shortcuts for the programs of their choice.

To test the graphics chip, we played games like Dawn of War 2 and Far Cry 2 on the Y560.

We ran DoW 2 at the highest setting and even when there were a lot of units and explosions, the notebook didn't falter. It was the same for Far Cry 2 - the frame rate was stable and the game sessions were lag free.

The notebook is also great for watching movies as it comes with a Blu-ray combo drive. We watched movies like BBC World's Earth: The Biography and The Phantom of the Opera.

The Blu-ray movies looked great on screen the 15.6in widescreen and played very smoothly. The resolution of the screen is not full HD (1,080p) as it is only 1,366 x 768pixels. That's slightly higher than 720p and is still great for watching movies.

HIGH DEF: The Y560 also comes equipped with a Blu-ray drive for watching high definition videos on the go.

Surprisingly, even after long sessions of watching and gaming, the surface of the laptop remained cool.

The efficient but noisy cooling fan does a great job at venting out the hot air from the system.

An unfortunate problem with most multimedia notebooks is battery life and the Lenovo Y560 is no different.

Even at the lowest brightness setting, the battery life is just under two hours with normal usage. Running more programs in the background will significantly shorten the battery life.

Conclusion

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 is a good multimedia laptop with the proper specs to handle graphics and processor intensive programs.

Watching movies and playing games on it is also great because of the nice and large screen, and powerful JBL stereo speakers.

POWERFUL: The notebook's dual JBL speakers sound better than the average notebook speakers.

Sadly, the notebook's main shortcoming is its build quality. For a notebook of this price, the Y560 doesn't feel solid.

Another shortcoming is the battery life but this is not surprising because most multimedia notebooks don't have long battery life.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 is a decent multimedia notebook if you don't mind the build quality.

Pros: Good performance; stays cool.

Cons: Cheap build quality; noisy; pricey.

Ideapad Y560
(Lenovo)
Multimedia notebook
Processor: Intel Core i7 (1.6GHz)
Memory: 4GB RAM
Display: 15.6in (1,366 x 768pixels) with LED backlight
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB RAM
Storage: 500GB
Connectivity: WiFi, 10/100 Ethernet port, Bluetooth
Optical drive: Blu-ray combo drive
Ports: 3 USB ports, eSATA\USB combo port, VGA out, headphone and microphone jack, 6-in-1 card reader
Battery: 6-cell
Other features: JBL stereo speakers, 1.3-megapixel webcam
Dimensions (W x D x H): 388 x 33 x 255mm
Weight: 2.7kg
Price: RM4,999

BlackBerry Curve gets updated with 3G

RIM has updated its BlackBerry Curve line with a feature-rich yet affordable mobile device called the BlackBerry Curve 3G (9300).

The device sports RIM's much-loved full-Qwerty keyboard, an optical trackpad, BlackBerry Messenger, a removable battery, GPS, WiFi, a 320 x 240-pixel LCD display, and a 2-megapixel camera.

The BlackBerry Curve 3G can be upgraded to RIM's newest operating system, BlackBerry 6. The device is set to be released in the United States and Europe this month. As yet no prices have been announced.

Photoshop CS5 Reviewed

Photoshop CS5 introduces powerful new features that change the way you work with images.

IMPROVED: CS5 improved High Dynamic Range photo processing offers better rendering and gives more options to tweak your image.

Adobe has always set the standard for image editing with every new version of its Photoshopapplication.

Photoshop CS5, has even more tools and features that will make your work easier and more fun.

However, there are so many major updates in CS5 that it's impossible to cover them all. So, we'll be focusing on the more important ones in this review.

The user interface has received a facelift but if you are a Photoshop user, you will not have any trouble using it.

When you are working with images, CS5 uses a tabbed interface for switching between projects so you can manage multiple jobs easily.

Another cool feature is called Mini Bridge, an extension that allows browsing of photos within the app.

Mini Bridge can be launched and minimised anytime and it is certainly a lot faster and smoother than using Photoshop Bridge.

Other more subtle changes in CS5 include a built-in rule of thirds grid within the crop tool for easily framing your photos before cropping them.

Sharpening images has also been improved so that you don't accidentally overdo it and make the images look unnatural.

There is now an option that can protect the image so that detail is not lost when over sharpening.

One of the biggest improvements in is the Content Aware brush. It is a more refined tool used to edit out specific parts of the image.

Think of it as an improved Heal brush but one that is aware of the content that you are working on.

And the big feature that has everyone talking is the Content Aware Fill (CAF) option.

The way this tool works is quite amazing. Say, you have a photo of the Eiffel Tower but it is being blocked by a crowd of people.

Normally you would have to manually erase them using the clone tool, a time consuming and tedious process.

CAF can automatically remove the crowd and fill the space by making smart guesses based on other parts of the image.

Another good use for CAF is when you have a wide panaromic shot and don't wish to crop the top and bottom part of the image.

REFINED TOOL: Photoshop CS5's new Content Aware Fill allows you to selective edit out portions of a picture.

However, after toying with CAF, we were not overly impressed because it is not a tool that will work with all images.

It works well with images that have a simple background but it gets steadily worse when working with more and more complicated images.

Very often it would end up sampling very close the part of the image that you want to remove, which usually results in a garbled mash of colours and shapes.

We tried using CAF to remove a person in a group shot but in the end we had to resort to using the Clone Stamp to get better results.

Another new tool for photographers is the Automatic Lens Correction filter. You will find it really handy for quickly correcting photos for distortions, vignetting and chromatic aberrations.

CS5 maintains a detailed database of various camera bodies and lenses so it minimises guess work when applying the corrections.

This will definitely help many photographers get their pictures looking the way they want without spending hours manually correcting their photos.

As the tool uses crowd sourced information to continually update its database, users like yourself can also do you part to keep it accurate and complete.

So if there are lenses that you own that aren't included in the database, you can always add their profiles and share them with others.

Another much talked about feature that CS5 has is Puppet Warp, which is basically an advanced Warp tool that let's you bend and twist parts of an image.

You have to place control points on an image that serve as anchor points for the process.

One of the applications for Puppet Warp is for changing the position of a subject's limbs.

If a person is holding his hands up instead of putting them on his waist, you can add control points to his joints and bend the arms into position.

Usually, the distortion is minimal and the results are quite impressive but it's not always natural looking.

While the application for photographers to manipulate images through this method is limited, it may prove more useful for image compositors who want to correct perspective lines or straighten something out.

For graphics artists, Adobe has added advanced new brushes in CS5, allowing them to paint as if they are using actual paint brushes.

For example, you can mix colours from a paint palette with your brushes to create new colours, so red and yellow makes orange while blue with yellow makes green and so forth.

It's even better if you have a tablet because CS5's new Brush tools will allow you to work as if you were using a real brush.

Users are given a preview of what shape the brush looks like in real time as you twist and turn it, giving you all sorts of different shapes and patterns that could only have been produced by a real brush.

Conclusion

Adobe is again trying to push the boundaries with Photoshop CS5.

Features such as Puppet Warp, Lens Correction Filter and Advanced Brushes are great for photo editing. Plus, lots of tweaks and improvements also make CS5 an even more refined software for working with images.

However, some tools didn't quite work as we expected them to and one of them is CAF.

The new features, enhanced interface and improved performance will benefit serious users.

Casual users who won't be taking advantage of advanced features can opt for the more basic Photoshop Elements.

Pros: Enhanced user interface; Mini Bridge for accessing images fast; Lens Correction Filter is handy; Improved brushes.

Cons: CAF and Puppet Warp needs tweaking.

Photoshop CS5
(Adobe Systems Inc)
Photo editing software
System requirements: Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 processor, 1GB RAM, 1GB HDD space, 16-bit video card with OpenGL 2.0 and Shader Model 3.0 support, QuickTime 7.6.2, Internet connection
Website: www.adobe.com
Price: US$699 (RM2,300) for Adobe Photoshop CS5; US$999 (RM3,300) for Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended