Like the Pentax Optio W80… the Pentax  Optio W90 is one tough camera.  The Pentax W90 is waterproof down to 20 feet, works in sub-freezing environments, has shock protection for drops up to four feet, and is dustproof (?).  On top of the tough factor it has a 12.1 megapixel sensor, 5x optical lens, 720p HD video, Pixel Track Shake Reduction, a 2.7-inch LCD, a digital microscope with LED lens for macro uses, and an HDMI port for easy sharing.  Get yourself this rugged digital camera for about $330 here.

Watch out Canon (specifically Canon S90) the Samsung TL500 camera is a serious competitor.  The Samsung TL500 is a point-and-shoot that acts like a DSLR.  The TL500 has a 24mm 3X optical lens by Schneider, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual modes, RAW support, dual image stabilization, 10 megapixels, a 1/1.7-inch CCD, a swiveling 3-inch AMOLED LCD, and a slick front wheel control.

More pictures after the break.

Gorillapod makes some of the most functional small camera tripods around.  With the flexible Gorillapod legs you can usually get the camera positioned in some pretty awesome spots.  Looks like Joby, the manufacturer of the Gorillapod, are adding a unit with magnetic feet… great idea.

Specifications:

• Rubberized ring and foot grips provide extra gripping power for enhanced stability in difficult terrain and won’t damage delicate surfaces like paint.
• Intended for: Compact digital cameras and mini video cameras
• Max Capacity: 325g (11.5oz)
• Adapter: Universal camera adapter (1/4” tripod screw)
• Size: 150 x 30 x 30mm (5.9 x 1.2 x 1.2”)
• Weight: 74g (2.5oz)
• Gorillapad Magnetic

Nikon continues to grow their Style Series camera line with the S8000 digital camera. The S8000 closes the gap between the high end SLRs and pocket-friendly point-and-shoot cameras. The S8000 has a 14.2-megapixel sensor and a 10x optical zoom… add this with being the thinnest camera in it’s class and we may have a winner.   Other items of interest are four-way image stabilization, 30 fps HD movie recording capability, an advanced flash feature, high-speed photo shooting and a 3" LCD display. The Nikon S8000 should sell for about $300 in red, bronze, black and champagne silver colors shortly.

If you have ever been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans… you know how the fun that can be had.  Plenty of great bars, booze, and a relaxing sorta party atmosphere.  Now you can peak in the party scene via a 24-hour live web cam at the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Peter Street (atop the Cats Meow bar).  Decent quality… take a look here.

Kodak may actually have a winner here… the Kodak Slice is Kodak’s sexiest camera to date.  The Slice is ultra-thin and sports a 3.5-inch, 16:9 touchscreen LCD, a 14 megapixel sensor, 720p at 30fps HD video recording, a 5x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, photo viewer, and a rechargeable lithium ion battery.  Yours for around $350 here.

Video after the break.

“Because of their compact size and light-weight designs, video-capable smartphones and pocket-friendly camcorders can be rather difficult to keep steady when filming. But that won’t be an issue any longer since Steadicam-Tiffen, the company that pretty much wrote the book on camera stabilization, has revealed their new Smoothee stabilizing device initially designed for the iPhone 3GS, the Droid and the Flip. Now in order to use one of the devices with the Smoothee you have to place them in a special case, but besides providing a quick-release mount, the cases are actually strategically weighted for each device ensuring the setup is always in proper balance.”

[Via]

Two things I love coming together, like Reese’s peanut butter cups, the iPhone and an RC Helicopter.  Expect to see the iPhone controlled Parrot AR Drone helicopter in Q4 of 2010.  The best part, other than the fact it is controlled by the iPhone, is that the copter has two cameras on board for shooting video.  The front camera shoots 640×480 @ 15fps and the bottom camera shots 480×320 @ 60fps.

Video of the Parrott AR.Drone in action after the break.

Parrott AR.Drone Shoots Video with 2 Cameras from Charlie White on Vimeo.

Looking for a pocket friendly camera with SLR type controls?  Check out the Canon PowerShot S90 ($399). The Canon PowerShot S90 sports a 10-megapixel sensor, DIGIC 4 image processor, and a customizable control ring.  The S90 bridges the gap between a beginner camera (with great auto mode functionality) to a fully manual camera with control over aperture, shutter priority, and more.

Comparing the PowerShot S90 to the PowerShot G11… the S90 looks tiny and easily fits in your back pocket.  It measures 3.94 inches wide, 1.2 deep, and 2.3 tall and weighs in at only 8 ounces (the G11 weighs 14 ounces).  The lens is a 3.8x 15 optically stabilized zoom lens, with 28-105mm focal range.  The best part is the f/2.0 wide aperture lens which allows you to take high quality shots in low light… rare in this class of camera.

The S90’s lens also has a (clicking) control ring which makes you feel a bit more in control when making adjustments.  The control ring does different things depending on what mode you are in… while in “auto mode” you can switch between focal lengths (28, 35, 50, 85 or 105mm), and while in “Program AE” it adjusts the focus.  There are a ton of adjustments that can be made when you add the click wheel with the four-way controller on the back of the camera.

The top of the camera has a pop up flash, keeping the cameras lines clean and uncluttered.  On top of the S90 you will also find the power switch, a dial mode knob, the shutter control, zoom controls, and a ring function key.

On the back of the camera you have your large 3-inch LCD flaunting 461K pixels.  Next to the LCD screen are the shortcut, playback, display, menu and the four-way controller button.  Also, you will notice a small led and your speaker for audio playback.

Fring has developed an application for the iPhone that allows for video calls.  Neat idea, but won’t fully take off until the iPhone gets a front facing camera (assuming that will even happen).  Not much fun having a one-way video call.