These last two models take advantage of Casio’s new imaging engine - a high-speed module that packages the existing high-performance CPU with a new dedicated image processing CPU.

One result of this increase in processing power is that users can quickly and easily shoot and view complex images. However, these models don’t just offer improved performance in the usual range of features, they also offer completely new functions.

Casio promises the cameras are capable of delivering fantastic photos of people’s faces, night scenes and other subjects that have long caused amateur photographers to tear their hair in frustration.

It says the EX-Z300 and EX-Z250 can both detect difficult environments and automatically apply the necessary corrections. This might include night scene photography where camera shake could be an issue, or subjects that are backlit, carrying the risk of faces coming out too dark.

According to Casio: “This all means that users get great, well-balanced photos of family and friends against any background with no more worry than it takes to press the shutter button.”

Another feature is the ‘makeup’ function, aimed at improving photos of faces by using high-end image processing to smooth skin and soften hard sunlight shadows. There are 12 levels of this effect available, and the user can use the LCD monitor to preview which is the best to choose.

The EX-Z85 is a bit less fancy, but it does still have a couple of useful functions designed to help the less-than-confident photographer.

Its face recognition function can detect up to 10 faces and then give priority to any that have been pre-registered with it, picking the correct focus and exposure for them. And its auto shutter automatically takes a picture the moment the user’s hand stops shaking and the camera is still.

It also comes in eight colours - silver, black, two types of pink, blue, green, brown and orange - and users can customise the design of the focus frame and the colour of the menu screen.

Reviews of the new models have been generally positive, comparing the makeup function to an on-the-fly version of the image editing software used by graphic designers to improve rough photographs. However, some comments have suggested this feature is very similar to the ‘Picture Perfect’ mode available on some Samsung cameras.

Here’s one to remember - you can get 20 per cent off all Kingston products in a one-day promotion at MyMemory on June 19th.

The offer, which involves using a special discount code, covers the entire range of USB Flash Drives, digital camera memory, mobile phone memory, and ValueRAM.

There will also be hourly special offers on popular Kingston products, from midnight to midnight. Needless to say, stock is limited and competition for the more popular items is likely to be fierce.

To claim the discount, which is valid from a minute past midnight to a minute before midnight on the 19th, use the code kingsday08 kingsday at the MyMemory checkout.

Edit: MyMemory have had to change the discount code at the last moment - make sure you use the correct one, which is kingsday.

You’ll need to be quick on your keyboard, but if you fancy a shot at a bargain then you should make a regular date with SVP.co.uk, where they hold a weekly sale they call the Wild Wednesday Wipe-Out.

The sale starts at Noon and lasts for 24 hours each time - each week will feature different items priced to sell. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! The rules are:

• It doesn’t start until Noon on Wednesday
• Products will not be displayed at their promotional prices until the sale begins.
• Products will be made unavailable in the immediate run-up to the sale but are then released when the sale begins.
• Some lines have inherently limited availability

Offers specific to this week include a Linksys Cordless Skype phone that costs upwards of £50 but is slashed to just £6.99 in the sale, a Sumvision Akita III 7″ LCD multimedia photo frame reduced from £59.99 to £35.99, and SanDisk 512MB MicroSD cards for £1.49 (usually £3.85.

On the one hand, we thought gaming was supposed to be all about fun, not hard labour. On the other, what better way to expand the demographic? Anyway, here’s what Glenda thought, and if you have an opinion after trying it out, leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you.

Getting a Wii bit fitter?

I am unbalanced. It’s official. This is not news to my family or, indeed, to any neutral observer, given that I have impersonated a tree, headed imaginary footballs and run round my sofa for the last 30 minutes. But this is the first time I’ve had such a verdict delivered via my television screen.

I’m being insulted in my own home, courtesy of the latest idea to combat couch potato-dom. The success of the Wii video game console over the last year (last Christmas, Amazon sold 1,400 in a 10-minute period alone) has led its makers to develop a new “exergaming” (exercise combined with computer games) product called the Wii Fit, which is to be launched this month.

Exergaming has been around since the 1980s, when exercise bikes were hooked up to video games allowing the user to cycle through a virtual landscape. But the Wii, launched in 2006, was a breakthrough in that it was fun: players hold a wireless remote to mimic real-life sports - swinging it like a tennis racket, or punching the air to simulate boxing - while watching a computer-generated character of themselves (inevitably called a Mii) compete on screen with an opponent.

Read full article here…

The Wii Fit is due to be released on April 25. Pre-order it from Woolworths here >>

So, what’s on offer? Quite a lot, actually, as this retailer has a spring sale on as well as this extra offer. And there’s finance available with a ‘buy now, pay in a year and a day’ deal on everything over £99.

Here are some offers that might catch your eye on the Bennetts site at the moment:

• Sony KDL32D3000U - 32in HD-Ready LCD TV plus DVD Recorder - save £87 when you buy these two products together as a package. Now £788.99
• Samsung HTX200R Home Cinema System - includes three wireless speakers, a DVD and CD player plus Dolby digital sound. Now £327.89.
• Philips 42PFP553 Plasma TV - This stylish 42in HD-ready plasma TV includes integrated Freeview and offers absorbing, high-quality images. Was £798, now £698.

Check out the full Bennetts entertainment range here >>

To claim your £20 discount, enter the code 20EMAIL03 at the checkout when purchasing online. The voucher is valid until March 23 and excludes purchases of laptops or iPods.

If your idea of bank holiday heaven is a host of new gadgets and games, then keep an eye on the Woolworths website.

This retailer has let us know about some hot seasonal offers - here are the best of them…

• Portable DVD player with 7in LCD screen - was £69.99, now £59.99. With widescreen display for a bright, sharp picture and Dolby digital sound. Easily portable with built-in speakers, a car plug adapter and a wireless remote control.
• Pre-order Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii - £34.99, free delivery, available April 11. New tracks, new racers (including Miis), new rides and 12-player racing via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection makes for the ultimate Mario racing experience. Plus, all your favourite Mario Kart franchise features return, such as classic tracks, cup modes, battles, boosts and ghost data.
• Pre-order Wii Fit - £69.99, free delivery, available April 25. Now you can involve your entire body in the Wii phenomenon, using the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board to control on-screen players and take part in fun, dynamic activities including aerobics, yoga, stretches and games.

Here’s one of those fantastically daft products from IWantOneOfThose.com that the retailer tells us is fast turning into a sneaky best-seller - the Sound Asleep Pillow.

Making its first appearance in the UK, it works on the basis that lying in bed and drifting off to sleep listening to your favourite music is a great experience, whatever you like to listen to.

However if the fear of disturbing your partner or the uncomfortable sensation of headphones jammed into your ears, with the cord wrapped around your neck, is putting you off then you’re not getting the best from the experience.

Here’s where the Sound Asleep Pillow comes in. The retailer says that, as well as being very good at what it’s designed for - a superbly comfortable pillow - it also has a speaker buried deep enough inside to only be heard by the person whose head’s on top of it.

The pillow has a jack at one end to plug into an iPod or MP3 player, and will serve up the sleeper’s chosen music gently enough through the pillow that no-one else need ever hear a note of it.

Self-indulgence? Or the perfect pampering gift? Only you can decide…

Learn more about the Sound Asleep Pillow here >>

iPlayer is a new development that allows users to watch TV programmes on demand via the internet for a limited period of time - but not to save programmes for later playback.

Unfortunately the issue of whether the Digital Rights Management (DRM) software that stops users doing this is still in place is now very confused - it may have been removed, possibly inadvertently, in the player’s latest release in order to produce the MP4 files that the iPhone can handle.

And what on earth is the point of DRM from a publicly-funded broadcaster when users are perfectly free to make copies of programmes using VCR or DVD recorders anyway?

Read a BoingBoing article on this subject >>

Here’s what the corporation has to say about the latest developments;

BBC iPlayer comes to the iPhone

…it is the first time the service has been available on portable devices.

The iPhone and iPod touch are able to stream shows from the iPlayer website over wi-fi networks. The iPhone cannot stream BBC video over the cell network. A BBC developer said that the corporation was currently working on other versions of the iPlayer for “many more” devices.

Anthony Rose, writing on the BBC internet blog, said: “We started with iPhone because it is the device most optimised for high quality video currently available.

“It displays the BBCiPlayer site and BBC programmes nicely.” Read full article here…

Learn more about the iPlayer here and about digital rights management issues here.

• LG N10 - now £79.99. An affordable, entry-level model that comes with preloaded street level maps for the UK and Ireland, features an easy-to use colour touch screen and boasts an ultra-slim design - perfect for everyday navigation.
• Navman S30 Deluxe - now £99.99. Another entry level model that has all the basic features you’ll need plus a slim stylish design, a leather case and home charger, intuitive controls and minimal set-up.
• TomTom ONE UK & ROI - now £119.99. This popular and up-to-date model is now out in a new edition featuring award-winning TomTom navigation software, door-to-door planning and an anti-glare screen.
• TomTom ONE Europe V3 - now £159.99. If you’re looking for a model with Europe-wide coverage, this may be the satnav system for you.

See full discounted satnav range here >>

There are also some deals on car CD and DVD/MP3 players on offer with prices starting at £49.99:

• Refurbished Ripspeed CMR-2000 with AUX-input, USB and SD Card Slot - &pound49.99.
• JVC KD-G431 with AUX-Input for mp3 connectivity - £69.99.
• Refurbished Ripspeed DVD722B CD and DVD player with 3in screen - £59.99.
• Alpine CDE-9871RHAL with AUX-In and iPod cable included - £129.99.
• Sony MEX - BT2500 TMR with stereo music streaming and TMR-BT10 bluetooth transmitter - £129.99.

Some of these deals are while stocks last, so check them out fast if they sound appealing!

See full discounted car stereo range here >>

Taking on iTunes

Could a tiny business based in London’s Shoreditch take a bite out of Apple’s digital music empire? It seems unlikely and even 7digital will admit that it’s a David facing a Goliath. But this week’s deal between the download service and Warner Music could at least make Apple sit up and take notice.

The seamless integration between the iPod and iTunes – and the manner in which the Apple ecosystem makes rival devices and services less useful to music fans – has made Steve Jobs the most powerful figure in digital music, with Apple commanding around 80% of the market. The big four labels – who saw iTunes as a saviour when it arrived promising users a viable alternative to pirated tracks – are now chafing at the bit.

They don’t like Apple’s insistence on a single price for tracks and albums, and they’re waking up to the fact that they’ve handed the retail end of their digital business to one player.

So Warner is striking a blow for the whole industry by offering its catalogue DRM-free and in MP3 format to 7digital. Read full article here…

Interesting times…