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Sony’s legion of 15 new camcorders, announced today, offer so many exciting nuggets we’re not sure where to start. Highlights include the world’s first GPS-enabled camcorders, the company’s first YouTube cams, and an aggressively priced $599 full-HD model.

Geotag Your Videos

The HDR-XR200V ($999), HDR-XR500V ($1,299), and the HDR-XR520V ($1,499, pictured at right) are the first camcorders with a built-in GPS receiver for geotagging movies. We love that they come with maps for the U.S. and Europe, and that the camcorders’ clocks automatically update when you travel across time zones.

Aside from being full HD, these models also all have hard drives (the XR200V and XR500V’s  are 120GB; the XR520V’s is 240GB). And while the former two take 8.3-megapixel stills, the XR520V takes 12-MP photos, a first for Sony.

Another high-def HDD model, the HDR-XR100 ($749), has full-HD resolution and an 80GB hard drive. This is the only one of the new high-def HDD models that does not have embedded GPS.

Sony’s First YouTube Cams

Jumping aboard what’s proven to be a very popular bandwagon, Sony debuted its first two YouTube-ready cameras, a category pioneered by the Pure Digital Flip and perfected by others like Kodak.

Sony’s new line, known as Webbie HD, include the the MHS-PM1 ($169) and the MHS-CM1 ($199). Both shoot in 1080p resolution, as well as 720p and VGA. They also take 5-MP stills and boast 5X optical zoom. With the exception of the Samsung SC-MX20, optical zoom is unheard of in YouTube cams, and up until now, the best could only record in 720p.

One drawback to the Webbie HDs is that they don’t have flip-out USB connectors; they connect to the PC via USB cables. The PM1 has a vertical shape, in the same vein as the Flip series, only with a swiveling 1.8-inch screen that powers the camcorder on and off. The CM1, meanwhile, has a horizontal shape, similar to the SC-MX20’s, with a swiveling 2.5-inch screen and built-in LED video light.

Full HD for $599

In what might be a game changer, particularly in these tough economic times, Sony announced the HDR-CX100, a $599 full HD model. In addition to recording in full HD, it takes 4-MP still photos, packs features like Smile Shutter and face detection, and powers on by flipping out the LCD screen.

The CX100 is one of Sony’s Memory Stick models, which means Sony’s proprietary memory card is the camcorder’s primary recording format. It will be available in red, black, and silver.

Standard-Def HDD Models

If you don’t need to record movies in high-def, and you prefer hard drives, Sony has three new standard-def HDD models: the DCR-SR47 ($399), DCR-SR67 ($449), and the DCR-SR87 ($499, pictured at right), which have 40GB, 80GB, and 120GB drives, respectively, and are all 25 percent smaller than the previous generation’s models. Although it has the smallest capacity, the SR47 is unique because it has 60X optical zoom, a first for Sony.

Standard-Def Flash Models

Flash models are great because they’re so lightweight. The DCR-SX40 ($299), DCR-SX41 ($329), and the DCR-SX60 ($399, pictured at right) are particularly inexpensive because they’re standard-def. They have 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB of embedded flash memory, respectively, and will be offered in silver, red, and blue.

DVD Models

Lastly, Sony has two new standard-def DVD models: the DCR-DVD650 ($299) and the DCR-DVD850 ($429, pictured at right). While the DVD650 has 60X optical zoom, the DVD850 is a hybrid model offering DVD recording, 16GB embedded flash memory, and a Memory Stick slot

Back at CES, we got one of the first hands-on with ASUS’ touch enabled Eee PC T91. But the models were far from polished and the custom interface that ASUS was promising on top of Windows XP was unusable. Our buddy Sascha from Netbooknews.de got his netbook-loving hands on a more polished version of the T91.

Check out Sascha’s video of the T91 below. We are impressed (as is he) with the graphical user interface. It reminds us a bit of the interface that Intel developed for its touch enabled Classmate as it is complete with cool animations that allow you to manipulate icons and shortcuts. We are sure hoping to see this new Eee PC stateside in the coming months.

 Editors’ Note: The version of the Acer Aspire One that we tested came with a six-cell, 5,800-milliamp (mAh) battery that provided 7 hours and 57 minutes of runtime. While some initial systems will ship with this battery, the majority will feature a six-cell, 4,400-mAh battery that Acer claims should provide up to six hours of power. We will update this review once we receive the 4,400-mAh battery.

The affordable, stylish, and compact Aspire One catapulted Acer to the top of the heap in terms of market share for the red-hot netbook category. The latest version, the 10.1-inch Aspire One AOD150, is likely to keep the company in the lead. Expanding the original Aspire One’s screen from 8.9 to 10.1 inches, the new Aspire One is nearly as svelte as its predecessor and, even though the keyboard is the same size, its revamped touchpad is a marked improvement over the original. Add in a six-cell battery, which should offer between 4.5 and 5.5 hours of battery life, and you have a killer deal for $349.

Slightly Updated Design of the 10-inch Aspire One

Aesthetically, the 10.1-inch Aspire One looks a lot like its older brother, but with a few noticeable differences. While it has similar rounded edges, the glossy navy blue lid (also available in white, black, and red) has more of a sparkle to it than the original’s solid hue, and the glossy palm rest has been replaced with a brushed metal coating that won’t attract fingerprints. Instead of the circular orange colored hinge of its predecessor, the new 10-inch version sports a teardrop-shape metallic hinge whose colored accent matches the lid.

At 10.2 x 8.0 x 1.3 inches, the 10.1-inch Aspire One is longer and wider than the original but falls in the same size range as the other 10-inch netbooks on the market. When stacked up with the 10-inch Eee PC 1000HE, a slightly chunkier mini-notebook, the Aspire One was thinner and noticeably more compact.

Tipping the scales at 2.8 pounds, the Aspire One weighs 3.2 ounces more than the HP Mini 2140, mainly due to its larger six-cell battery, which extends out the back of the system. (However, once the 4,400-mAH battery becomes available, the Aspire One’s footprint will likely be slightly smaller and its weight will be slightly lower.)

Ports

Acer didn’t change the port configuration; surrounding the Aspire One are three USB ports, and VGA, Ethernet, headphone, and microphone jacks. A 4-in-1 card reader is on the right side

Well maybe people do care about Linux, and not just anyone but Intel. Earlier this week Moblin, a mobile Linux platform that Intel has been supporting, released its Moblin Alpha build for Netbooks. While initially Intel was backing this lightweight platform for its Atom powered mobile Internet device (MIDs) category, a very early Linux distro is now available for Atom based netbooks. Moblin is pushing its MID version off until 2010.

Moblin is now offering an ISO file for installing the OS and is encouraging netbook owners to try it out. Their site reports that it works successfully on the ASUS Eee PC 901, Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and the Acer Aspire one. Our buds at JKOntheRun loaded Moblin up on a MSI Wind. The interface looks pretty bare bones but the transparencies and the ability to shrink the menu panel is neat. Kevin reports that it doesn’t support Wi-Fi and the trackpad on the Wind; there are similar rumblings about the Wi-Fi on the Eee PC 901.

It will be interesting to see if any of the netbook OEMs embrace the Moblin offering, especially with many of them, such as Dell and HP, putting so much time and effort into customizing Ubuntu and other distros

i have been meaning to get this off my chest for a while: I hate pink notebooks. And seeing the release of the baby pink Samsung NC10 —one of my favorite netbooks on the market—I have just about had it with companies slapping pink on their current notebooks to make them appeal to women.

First, let me start off by saying I have never been a pink lady. I never liked pink dresses when I was a little girl and my room was never outfitted like that of Elle Woods; no pink boas, curtains, or tutus in sight. Oh, and Paris Hilton’s pink-outfitted Bentley makes me want to throw up.  But even if I liked the color pink, I think I would still hate pink laptops (and I am not the first to say it, either).

Too often these days we see notebooks vendors and other consumer electronics manufacturers (cell phone, MP3 makers), trying to reach out to the female market by simply (or half-assedly, if you ask me) taking an existing product and making it pink. And its not typically a solid pink either; it tends to be that wretched muted Barbie, newborn-baby pink.

Sure, some women do like pink, but most are attracted to a lot more than the color; they want a product that is modern, sophisticated, sleek, and useful. That is why a survey in 2007 found that only 9 percent of women thought it was important that gadgets looked “feminine.” Turning a notebook or netbook pink doesn’t make it for a woman; in fact, many woman prefer the typical white, silver, and black schemes. The pink in my mind is patronizing; it says, “Hey, we got this in pink! Now it’s perfect for women!”
This isn’t to say companies aren’t already going beyond the pinkwashing. For instance, Sony’s P Series is aggressively marketed toward women and comes in a variety of hues. And that is exactly what I would like to see: notebooks coming in a selection of stylish and bold colors, and if baby pink is one of them, so be it.

So, before you buy your special gal a pink laptop (or gadget) this upcoming Valentine’s Day, make sure you know she wants one, unless you’re okay with sleeping on the couch for a month