As a technology becomes more mainstream, a reasonable concomitant is to offer the device in increasingly lighter, sleeker, and smaller designs. This has generally not been the case for single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, which have continued to be large and awkward to carry and move. On October 31, Panasonic—Matsushita until October 1—will release the Lumix G series, which is a step in the right direction.

Weighing in at less than 14 ounces (385 grams), the Lumix brand will be the first of its size to offer the SLR technology with interchangeable lenses. SLR viewfinders are special because they display the exact image that the photographer captured, whereas the display of non-SLR camera viewfinders can be substantially different from what the photographer actually captured. The LCD viewfinders in cheaper digital cameras also cannot match the high-end performance of SLR devices.

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Global positioning systems (GPS) may help Americans travel more efficiently, but purchasers should be aware that law enforcement officials are using them as tracking devices. The strategy of monitoring criminal suspects via GPS devices in their cars, cell phones, and boats is often executed without a warrant or court order, raising privacy concerns.

On the one hand, prosecutors have used GPS information to convict murderers and rapists, most commonly by discrediting a suspect’s alibi. On the other hand, not requiring a warrant may lead to arbitrary or capricious use of the power on innocent civilians. Renee Hutchins, law professor at the University of Maryland, argues that the current protocol restricts rights granted under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

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Revamped designs to the iPod Nano and the iPod Touch are the prevalent rumors being spread in the wake of Apple’s recent announcement to hold a special event September 9 in San Francisco. For the past four years, new digital music player introductions have been the practice of Apple prior to the holiday season. Also speculated is a decrease in price to the iPod Touch.

One rumor is that the iPod Touch will have a curved outer shell, which is inferred from the recent upgrades to the iPhone 3G. Additionally, many expect the iPod Nano to receive substantial redesign. The 4th generation Nano may have a slimmer design, while not affecting the screen size of the current model.

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Microsoft and Apple have been getting all the attention when it comes to touchscreen computing, but it will be a long time until the average user has the future as promised by Minority Report in their own home.

Surface’s high cost, which will retail for between five and ten-thousand dollars, ensures that the Microsoft touchscreen will be available only in stores, hotels, restaurants, and other corporate environments for several years following its release. Apple’s touchscreen, it seems, is only in the early stages of development — if one’s being developed at all.

What appears to be the way of future computing might come to home computing years early, thanks to open source.

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With the Kindle 2.0 on the way, perhaps it is time to pay more attention to Amazon’s e-book reader. With a redesign and a new model for college students, there is a possibility that predictions of the “iPod for readers” might deliver. However, it seems that some of the original version’s features may remain the most interesting in the new Kindle.

The sales count is given to conjecture, so numbers prediction lends itself to amusing guesswork. For more concrete information, examine the 2.0 developments. Users have complained about interface issues, so the new version is supposed to fix finicky navigation and pare down size and weight. The college model will have a larger screen, redesigned for class coursework that usually comes photocopied and bound together at local copy shops, rather than for actual textbooks. The numbers are vague, the market is vague, but the product is covet-worthy.

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Microsoft Live Labs today released a free public version of Photosynth, which allows you to mesh a collection of photos into a 3D, 360-degree environment, which can then be embedded in any web page.

“Synths constitute an entirely new visual medium. Photosynth analyzes each photo for similarities to the others, and uses that data to build a model of where the photos were taken. It then re-creates the environment and uses that as a canvas on which to display the photos,” according to Microsoft Labs.

Photos are uploaded into Photosynth, which stitches — “synths” — them together into a 360-degree environment. A browser plugin is needed to view the montage, and the images are stored online.

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Dell is currently marketing its new line of business laptops, the Latitude E Family, which comprises seven laptops for mainstream business users and three laptops that are targeted toward “power users,” also known as engineers and graphic designers. Most notably, the E4200 model weighs in at an effortless 1 kg—or 2.2 pounds. Dell is expected to release the Latitude E Family to the public in the coming weeks.

With a display size of 12.2 inches, Dell designed the E4200 to compete with its Sony, Apple, and HP counterparts in the United States. The Sony Vaio TZ offers an 11.1 inch screen at 2.7 pounds and the Macbook Air offers a 13.3 inch screen at 3 pounds. HP offers a 2133 Mini-Note PC with an 8.9 inch display, weighing in at 2.63 pounds.

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Best Buy will be the first major U.S. retail store beyond to sell the iPhone 3G, beginning September 7.

The Minneapolis retailer announced Wednesday that it will sell the iPhone at its 970 stores. “Quite honestly, many of our customers come to our store every day asking for it,” said Best Buy’s mobile division president Shawn Score. “We’re excited we’re going to be able to say yes.”

Despite its incredible popularity and enviable sales, Apple’s phone is currently only available in two places, Apple and AT&T stores. Best Buy will sell the iPhone at the same prices as at the other outlets, and will still require a two-year AT&T contract for activation.

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No matter how light your laptop, going through airport security is always a hassle. Not only is there the quasi gymnastic level of contortions required to simultaneously remove your laptop, jacket, shoes and belt, and change from pockets while waving your ticket and ID in the air– as hundreds of others are all doing the same, like tai chi in fast forward – there’s always the fear that sending your computer through the X-ray conveyor could damage your hardware or data.

The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) wants to help with all that. And Aerovation Products, based in Tipp City, Ohio has released the first X-ray friendly laptop case, relieving travelers from having to remover their laptops at airport security checks.

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Who says Microsoft Vista sucks? If you’re looking online, it seems like it’s everybody. A Google search brings up entire blogs and Web sites solely dedicated to exposing fair use rights infringements, CPU-hogging mandatory security programs, and lack of application and hardware support. Specialized Web sites and blogs have the most vehement criticisms:

Responding to actual Microsoft documentation, Peter Guttman of University of Auckland has published an exhaustive article stating that the Vista Content Protection specification, which raises the bar on Digital Rights Management, “could very well constitute the longest suicide note in history.” Bruce Schneier condenses many of the details , concluding that the OS makes a computer less reliable and less secure. This slows down processing, and media pirates, the intended target for this software, crack the security in days. BlimpTV’s “Vista Sucks ” video says it simply: “No One Does Bloatware Like Microsoft!”

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