Why is the new iPad charging too slowly? Blame the battery for starters

The race to find something disastrously wrong with the new iPad is on (it’s already confirmed as a decent crotch warmer), and now there’s word that there may be issues with charging its Olympus Li-50b Battery.

The new iPad is apparently very slow to charge, and even worse, it barely charges at all during regular usage, reports PC World. The tablet takes almost six hours to reach full charge, PC World’s Melissa Perenson found, and you can forget about playing games or watching video if you want it to successfully charge.

But before we raise the pitchforks, it’s important to note what’s different with the new iPad. It sports a SAMSUNG SL202 Charger battery that’s almost 40 percent bigger than the iPad 2′s (11,560 mAh versus 6,944 mAh) — the largest we’ve seen yet in a tablet — so it makes sense that it would take forever to charge. Apple bumped up the battery’s size (and made the new iPad slightly thicker) because its Retina Display, faster A5X processor, and LTE connectivity are all big power drains.
In PC World’s testing, the site found that two versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 took almost as long as the new iPad to charge, and both of those only have 7,000 mAh batteries. The slow charging in Samsung’s tablets is far less excusable.
The upgraded hardware in the new iPad also explains why the tablet is slow to charge during use. I’d imagine that merely powering the Retina Display saps much of the power the iPad is taking in while charging. Hopefully, Apple will be able to further optimize the new iPad’s battery through software updates. And if the slow charging becomes a big problem for more users, Apple could release a fast charging accessory (similar to what some rechargeable Toshiba Satellite a300-1mc Battery packs use).

These battery issues shouldn’t keep you from buying a new iPad — it’s still the best tablet out there. Software updates could fix some of the charging issues, and it’s not too difficult to get in the habit of charging it overnight. And as a casual iPad user, the issues haven’t noticeably affected the way I use the tablet.

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Apple’s TV Remote of the Future? It’s Already Here, In Your Hands.

It’s possible that, one day, Tim Cook will stand up onstage and show off a “real” Apple TV set — an integrated box/screen/entertainment device  – that will replace whatever’s sitting in your living room now.
Another possibility: Over time, Apple simply builds an Apple TV set right in front of us, in bits and pieces — so slowly that we don’t really notice it.
Take the remote, for instance. PatentlyApple has its hands on an Apple application for an “advanced TV remote” that would offer some cool features. Like the ability to automatically scan your other devices and figure out the right code to control them, instead of requiring users to use a combination of manuals and trial and error.
At least as important is that, while Apple’s patent, filed back in 2010, could be a standalone device, the application makes it seem much more likely that users will use their iPhones, iPods or iPads to control their TVs.
Which makes sense, because Apple is already offering a “Remote” iOS app that handles some basic functions for its existing Apple TV. That is: There’s a good chance you’re just a download away from owning a bona-fide Apple TV remote already.

This kind of incremental building may be even more important on the content side, which is the real key to an Apple TV: If it’s simply a very nice screen that offers the same content choices that TV viewers already have, then it’s just a very nice screen. And for years, Apple has been making attempts to wrangle different TV choices, at different price points, without much success.
But instead of one grand, sweeping video package, Apple may end up just cobbling together an array of offerings, piece by piece.
To wit: The latest refresh of Apple TV didn’t offer any new content, but it did make it easier for Apple users to buy the content that’s already there. Anyone with an iTunes account can subscribe to Netflix, and soon, Major League Baseball’s MLB.TV service, directly from Apple, without having to pull out a credit card again.
Netflix + iTunes + baseball games won’t make up a full suite of programming choices for most people. But now that Reed Hastings and Bob Bowman have agreed to let Tim Cook handle their billing for them, more media moguls will likely follow in their footsteps. Get enough of them in there, and you could end up with something really compelling.

studuncan 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

2004 called.  Even they said you're wrong.  Everyone uses apps that do all kinds of things, in all kinds of lighting conditions.

KenEsq 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

 Reality called...you can also use a long stick as a remote...that doesn't make it the best suited device for the job. Actually, I've had touch-screen remotes since about 1995 (Crestron)...(yep, I know hard to believe Apple didn't invent them). They work, they're just not as convenient as a hard-keyed remote for certain functions.

studuncan 1 comment collapsed

The difference is that Apple's remote can adapt to every device.  Otherwise, most people have 3-5 separate 'hard-keyed' remotes.  Most people would be just fine with one app on their phone.  See dialing, music controls, game controls, video controls, keyboards, etc, etc, etc.

Reality is that most people are fine with the tradeoffs.  So says 1+ billion touch devices sold.

KenEsq 1 comment collapsed

Wow, and you were joking about me being in 2004? Have you ever seen a Universal remote? Just about every major manufacturer provides them when you buy a TV, DVD, AV receiver. How about the remotes made by Logitech/Harmony where you don't have to know codes to program devices? You just plug it into a computer and pick and choose what devices you have and then easily setup sequences, macros, etc.

I have apps that allow me to control devices like the Roku, Denon receiver,etc...but they just don't cut it for regular everyday use. There are plenty of apps out there now that act as universal remotes.
Some will use them sure...most will opt for the universal remote that comes with their device or one that they can buy for a fraction of the cost of an iPod Touch.

studuncan 1 comment collapsed

Invariably, universal remotes ... aren't. Typically won't control the stereo, or the third party media box.

Also, Logitech/Harmony remotes are $100+
You have separate apps for each device, which goes back to having a separate physical remote. So why not have one that's integrated?
Again, most everyone seems fine with apps that don't have physical buttons, in spite of the fact that everyone complained about it when it happened.

Kevinusa2012andforeveron 1 comment collapsed

The apple remote will only work with apple devices. and an apple tv set will only be controllable with another apple product. This just shows how apple tries to suck us americans in their ecosystem, which by the way isn't really good, because making apple stuff only work with other apple stuff isn't really a great accomplishment.
There are a bunch of other remote apps that work just fine, but when apple will launch theirs, they will say it's totally new, something that was never their before and all the apple fanboys will believe it and say it's better than everything else, than they go out by some more apple stuff to be able to actually use the remote and apple makes a ton of money.

Apple is just like other companies, they just put enough upgrades in their stuff to make u buy the new products and lock u in their "ecosystem".

KenEsq 1 comment collapsed 

 studuncan, You're just making things up now. You can get Logitech Harmony removes for $50 and even less if you shop. You'd be hard pressed to find an IR device that can't be controlled by a Harmony remote.
I have separate apps for some devices, but I also stated there are universal remote apps as well.
Look do what you want and when your phone is stuck between the sofa cushions...or the apple battery is near dead (most remotes last for months on a set of apple laptop batteries) you can just get up and change the channel yourself.
BTW, when has Apple built anything that works well with devices other than their own?

JohnDoey 1 comment collapsed

If we studied you side-by-side with someone running an AppleTV with an iOS device, you would see the Apple user doing 1% of the work. It's not even close. Whether people can articulate that or not, once you reduce their workload by 100 times, they can't go back. They won't go back.

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iPad3 and enterprise

It's definitely getting there, but it's still not quite enterprise-ready

19 Mar 2012 :  So, the "new" iPad has gone on sale and appears to have excited the ‘fanbois' in the usual manner, but what about the enterprise audience?
But let's get something out of the way-this is the third iPad iteration to hit the streets, so let's just be bold here and call it the iPad 3 so we know which one we are talking about.

Well, the enterprise question goes a back a little into the recent history of Apple and the late Steve Jobs. As Apple moved further towards the consumer market with the likes of the iPod and the iPhone, less and less attention was focussed on the professional market, that is people who were using Apple kit in industrial, not just commercial, settings.
The Apple Xserve line of rack mount servers were capable bits of kit but never seemed to get the development that they deserved. This may have been a commercial decision due to declining revenues as demand fell, but the argument from many was that the reason demand fell was because of lack of development. Either way, enterprise rejection of Apple products seemed to set Jobs against enterprise as a focus in general. In November of 2010, Xserve was confirmed as being discontinued as a product line to be replaced by the Mac Pro, a desktop machine which itself is criticised for a lack of development.
The attitude of ignoring enterprise seemed firmly set in Apple when the iPad was first released as there were few nods in its original design or operating system (OS) that would lend it to easy integration with enterprise IT systems.
Though the iPad now enjoys many of the features thought to be a minimum standard for enterprise, many of these were later additions to iOS. Apple provides a good outline of these features here.
So with what can only be described as a grudging attitude to enterprise readiness in iPad development, where does the iPad 3 sit? 
Well, full encryption, VPN implementations and over the air kill options are certainly useful, there is still some way to go in terms of fleet management. Apple offers its own Mobile Device Management (MDM) system, but unlike most of its competitors, it requires a special security certificate to work. The process for acquiring and implementing these certificates was deeply criticised in the past which led to Apple refining and improving the process late last year, perhaps in anticipation of the iPad 3 launch. 
There are also a number of third party options out there, but again there have been criticisms that these are not as fully featured as more mainstream products, which one could take to mean those that manage Windows devices, mobile or otherwise.
There is of course a way around all of this, and that is to simply use it as an access device through a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Citrix and VMware both offer solutions whereby a virtual desktop of almost any OS can be  accessed on an iPad. In fact, Citrix does a rather impressive demonstration whereby the Acer Aspire 5735 Battery is pulled from a laptop running Windows 7, only for the desktop to reappear moments later on an iPad, fully intact.
However, for those who have not yet implemented a VDI or similar, there is something of a conundrum. While the new A5X processor was not the quad-core that many had hoped for, it is still a significant performance boost over the previous iPad. The graphics power has also increased significantly, which, in conjunction with the new Retina display, has many data and business analysts salivating at the possibilities for displaying complex data. The Acer Aspire 5733 Battery life has also had a boost, as it now uses a laptop level Olympus c750 Battery, offering in the region of 1200mAh.
Forrestor's Ted Schadler was one analyst who said that such features would certainly make the device more attractive in enterprise where ever more resource hungry applications were in use.
Overall then, the iPad 3 is probably the best iPad iteration to have in enterprise, combining as it does the power boost and the extra Canon Digital Ixus v3 Battery life, but while concerns remain around management and security, whether well founded or not, it may remain the grudging addition that its predecessors were to the enterprise fleet of devices.
With Android making strides in terms of hardware combinations and OS development, the price and complexity of deployment and management for the iPad may not make mass enterprise adoption any greater a prospect for the iPad 3 than was seen for its predecessors.

What Do You Get With an Ultrabook?

A new category of thin and light Windows 7 laptops called ultrabooks has emerged in the past few months, but questions remain about whether the time is ripe to buy or to wait for Windows 8 models with features like touchscreens.
The initial ultrabooks resemble Apple's MacBook Air, and models are already available from Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer and Lenovo. The first ultrabooks are thinner and lighter than standard laptops, but are expensive with prices starting at US$800.
But as the biggest backer of ultrabooks, Intel has said starting prices of the devices will drop to $699 by the end of the year. The company also hopes future ultrabooks will blur the lines between laptops and tablets with features like touchscreens, long Dell Inspiron 14r Battery life, always-on connectivity and voice recognition capabilities.
A few prototype ultrabooks with touchscreens, like Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga, were shown earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Yoga turns into a tablet by flipping the screen backward, and users can take advantage of the touch interface in Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8. The ultrabook will ship later this year.
Apple's MacBook Air has proven that buyers are willing to pay a premium for thin and light laptops, and Intel hopes ultrabooks get the same response. The Intel-dominated PC market has weakened as people gravitate toward tablets with processors designed by ARM, which is also looking to enter the PC market. Intel has virtually no presence in the tablet market.
To unmask some of the mysteries surrounding ultrabooks, I took a test unit of Lenovo's IdeaPad U300S for an extended whirl. With a starting price of over $1,000, the price won't please buyers, but the ultrabook provided a peek into the future of Windows laptops.
Lenovo's U300S was extremely thin, with a generous 13.3-inch screen. It can be held by one hand and fits into a bag designed to hold smaller laptops. Ultrabooks have to meet certain design criteria set by Intel, including not being more than 21 millimeters thick (0.8 inches).
The ultrabook came with a solid-state drive, and the Windows 7 OS booted in just over 10 seconds. Ultrabooks like Hewlett-Packard's Folio 13 come with a hard-drive option, but an SSD component on the motherboard enables a fast OS boot. The U300S came back from sleep mode almost instantly, a significant improvement from past laptops I have used.
The ultrabook has a 17-watt variant of a Core i7 processor based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture. Applications loaded quickly and casual shooter games ran without losing frames. The laptop's battery life was between six and eight hours on active usage, similar to my current ThinkPad X220 laptop with a 35-watt Core i5 chip. The similar Acer aspire 5738z battery life may have been due to X220's smaller 12.5-inch screen and the ability for Intel chips to shut down inactive cores.
The chiclet keyboard made typing easy, and the ultrabook ran cooler than the X220. The U300S had standard laptop features such as USB 3.0 and HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) ports, though the display was not as sharp as IPS screens found on some X220 models.
Overall, if you immediately need a lightweight laptop and can shell out more than $800, ultrabooks could be worth looking at. But for those willing to wait, the next phase of ultrabooks coming out later this year could either be cheaper or have features like touchscreens.
The first phase of ultrabooks highlights the thin and light design and "ultraresponsiveness," said Becky Emmett, an Intel spokeswoman. It also provides a foundation on which the company can engineer its second wave of ultrabooks, which will be faster and more user-friendly, Emmett said.
The next phase of ultrabooks will have new Core processors based on the upcoming Ivy Bridge microarchitecture, which will speed up programs and graphics. The chips will have 3D transistors, which will make the processors faster and power-efficient.
A third phase of ultrabooks will follow in 2013, with Intel chips code-named Haswell, Emmett said. The acer laptop battery life should improve significantly with Haswell, Emmett said.

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USB battery charging: it’s harder than it looks

As the USB port becomes increasingly ubiquitous, it is also becoming accepted as a universal charging port. Unfortunately, this concept of universal is easier to say than it is to do. This article is an introduction into the common challenges a designer runs into in creating this highly desirable, omnipresent USB charging port.

Why is this taking so long?
So, what does it mean to provide a "fast" charge?  This usually boils down to customer expectations. The common example is, “I charge my phone, MP3 player …fill in blank, in x hours at home, but at work, with my laptop, with my monitor, with my new adaptor…fill in blank, it takes all day to charge!” 
So we start with the "native" charger that comes with any device. This charging experience is the baseline for customer satisfaction.
The native wall charger for a device will very often have a special signature on the data pins to let a device know it is safe to charge with more current. In some cases, it also prevents the device from charging at all if the host is unknown. This signature may come in the form of a specific voltage placed on D+, or D-, or both.
Refer to Figure 1, which illustrates a common architecture for a wall charger using this methodology. Note that these configurations are implemented so the manufacturer can sell more accessories.

 

Figure 1 - Common architecture for a wall charger

(Click here to enlarge schematic.)

Make no mistake: selling specialized accessories is definitely in the business plan for a portable product. For every chargeable product purchased, about 50% of us will go out and buy another charger. The reason is simple: we do not like carrying them around, so we leave a charger in the other places we frequent, such as in our office or in the car.

What is the "right" charging current? (Hint:  There may be three!)
To begin an analysis of USB charging, you first need a system to help measure the current on Vbus and to measure and apply voltages on D+ and D-. This can be done by creating a board that both the peripheral and the host can plug into while exposing their D+, D+ and Vbus lines for analysis.
Jumping ahead, it is time to evaluate the charging current with a device connected via your interposer board. So let’s assume we are all smart enough to determine what voltage the native charge places on D+ and D- and we recreate a discrete charging circuit to confirm our suspicions. We then apply the right voltages, just like the native charger on D+ and D-, but the charging current is not matching our previous results.
It is time to check your power. No, not just whether things are plugged in, but the level of power. Battery-power level plays a key role in charging. Many of us who have worked on cell-phone designs can tell you that a deeply discharged lithium-ion pavilion dv8000 battery needs to be trickle charged before the real charging can start.
This, too, complicates knowing whether you have an optimal charging current. The peripheral that gets plugged into a USB port may have several different points of charging before it is full. It most likely has a low-charging mode for the aforementioned trickle charging. It also may have a different charging state for when the Dell vostro 1400 battery is nominally charged. Finally, it may have a charging state for a fully charged battery.
As a result, you will need to observe what the charging current is when a) a given device’s battery for dell inspiron 1545 is empty, b) when it is midway charged, and c) when it is fully charged. Sound time consuming?  You bet it is, but it is a necessary evil for complete characterization.

Can I have the kitchen sink, too?
We now have a growing understanding for customer charger configurations and what we would like to be seeing for charging current. For many applications (such as PC, monitor, docking station), you may want fast charging and the ability to transfer data at the same time.
In this regard, there has been a lot of confusion as to what is possible. The reason for this goes back to the fact that many native chargers place a voltage on the D+ and D- pins of the USB port. Since traditional data communication on the USB is based on 3.3V for USB1.1 and 300mV for USB 2.0, putting a different voltage on these lines eliminates the possibility for enumeration and communication.
There are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, there are devices which require you to download device-specific software to your host when you first plug the device into the USB port. Some cell phones are like this for syncing purposes, and now some facilitate charging at a higher current while communicating. So for device communication and charging, we may be limited by what the device will allow given a specific software driver.
But all is not lost and there is help on the way. A recent specification has been created to help with this data plus charging challenge: it is the USB-IF HP Compaq business notebook 6715b battery Charging Specification revision 1.2 (BC1.2) and the full specification can be found at http://www.battery-store.co.uk/ .
This specification was created to try to unify battery-charging attributes for USB 2.0 in the future. The idea was to minimize the number of cell-phone chargers ending up in landfills, by converging on one USB-charging specification. The European Union has been an early adopter to the notion of less waste. Specifically, they have committed using the same microUSB connectors on data-enabled cell phones, but they have yet to fully adopt the BC1.2 specification.
In the BC 1.2 specification, there is a mode referred to as Charging Downstream Port (CDP) that allows for data and higher charging currents. If a voltage between 0.4V and 0.8V is sensed on D+ of a host or hub device, then D- should respond with 0.5V to 0.7V.
More details of timing associated with this specification that can be found in the specification. Once CDP has been established, peripheral devices are allowed to draw up to 1.5A and simultaneously communicate data. Devices with this technology, including cell phones, should be showing up this year.

Far from simple
In summary, the USB port has infiltrated our life for providing power and we need to be intelligent if we want to be the provider of this power. Hopefully, this primer on USB charging should help you from going down many of the dark alleys in which our colleagues get stuck.

About the Author
Mitch Polonksy is the director of product marketing for analog products and technology at SMSC (Hauppauge, New York). Prior to his role at SMSC, Mitch was in marketing at Motorola. He holds a BA in mathematics form Emory University, an MSEE from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

Test suggests iPhone battery issue not a hardware problem

According to research carried out for me by an iPhone app developer, the vaio vgn-sz55gn/b battery issue that some iPhone 4 and 4S owners are experiencing is not, as some have suggested, related to the hardware.

The developer, who at this point wishes to remain anonymous, approached me late last week to discuss the issues he was experiencing with one of his two iPhone 4S handset. The problem he was seeing was pretty much along the lines of what others are reporting - rapid drop in Dell xps m1330 battery when the handset is doing little or nothing.

Nothing new there, but what I thought was interesting was that he had two handsets, one that was displaying the battery problem that some people are screaming about, and another that wasn’t. He admitted that the two handsets were very different in their configuration and had different apps installed. One was a test bed for apps he develops, the other was his day-to-day use handset. It was his day-to-day handset that was displaying the battery for Dell Inspiron 1501  problems.

Both handsets were bought at the same time (direct from Apple for delivery on launch day), both are connected to the same network (AT&T) and both handsets are now running iOS 5.0.1. This to me was strong evidence to suggest that the problem affecting iPhone handsets was not a hardware issue. However, so that we could totally rule out this being a hardware problem the developer took things a step further. He factory reset both handsets and then recovered them from a backup. However, rather than reloading them with their original backup, he swapped them over. He reloading his day-to-day handset with the backup from his development handset, and loaded the development handset with the backup from his regular day-to-day handset.

Would the Dell Vostro 1400 battery problem stay with a specific handset or swap over with the software?

The problem jumped handsets. Now the handset that was his development test bed (but loaded with the apps and settings from his day-to-day handset) is displaying the battery drain problem. The other handset (the one that was displaying the problem), is showing excellent Dell Inspiron 6400 AC Adapter battery life.

Note: This is a sample of one so bear that in mind. Ideally I’d like to try this with multiple handsets, but I don’t have access to armloads of iPhones.

The problem, it seems, is down to software. What exactly (whether it’s an app or set of apps, or a setting somewhere), we’re still not sure. However, I am now convinced that this problem ISN’T a hardware issue and will eventually be fixed by a software update.

Sidenote: As an aside, I think that iOS 5.0.1 has introduced the battery bug to my iPhone 4. Typically the handset would drop about 3 - 4% Dell inspiron 1545 Battery capacity overnight (around 7 hours). Since installing iOS 5.0.1 I’ve noticed a much bigger drop of around 15 - 20% with no change in how I’m using the handset. I’ll keep a closer eye on this over the next few days and see if the pattern holds true.

How to Buy a Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera

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By far the largest segment of the digital camera market, point-and-shoot models are compact, easy to use, and typically take great pictures with minimal effort. You simply press the shutter button, and the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed, aperture, focus, and light sensitivity to capture a clear image with optimal color. Unlike Digital SLRs which offer larger image sensors, more manual control and interchangeable lenses, point-and-shoot cameras can often slip into a pocket, and are typically less expensive.
Deciding to buy a point-and-shoot camera is the simple part, but with hundreds of models with varying price points and feature sets to choose from, selecting the best one is no easy feat. Follow these rules to find the right compact digital camera.
Rule #1: There's More to a Photo Than Megapixels
"That camera looks great, how many megapixels does it have?" This is a question I've heard time and time again, but the truth is that more megapixels don't make for better photos. A decade ago, when cameras were making the jump from 2-3 megapixels to 4-5, it was a matter of discussion. But now, with point-and-shoots starting in the 10-megapixel range and climbing as high as 16 megapixels, it's a moot point. Very few of us are going to make prints large enough to take advantage of all those extra pixels.
Sensor size is much more important. Putting too many pixels on the smaller image sensors (which are generally 1/2.3" when measured diagonally) found in compact cameras, can actually hurt camera a camera's low-light shooting performance. These sensors are much smaller than those found in D-SLRs, which can make color gradations less smooth, and make it more difficult to create a shallow depth of field. But the advantage is the ability to put lenses with longer zoom factors in compact packages—you can find a camera with an 18x lens that can fit into your shirt pocket like the NIKON EN-EL14 , something that no D-SLR can match.
Some compact cameras have larger image sensors, in the 1/1.7" range, but these are usually aimed at enthusiasts and are priced accordingly. If top-notch image quality in a compact package is an absolute need, no matter the cost, consider one of these larger-sensor compacts like our high-end Editors' Choice, the NIKON EN-EL5 (Best Deal: $409.00 at BUYDIG.com). These cameras can't match the long zoom range of compacts with smaller sensors, but generally perform better in low light. You won't be able to blur the background like you can with a D-SLR unless you're focusing on an object only a few inches from the lens, but larger sensors generally produce images with a bit more depth than their smaller counterparts.
Rule #2: Pay Attention to Lens Focal Length, Not Just Zoom Factor
The zoom range of a camera is often highlighted in marketing material, but that "x" number, which expresses how far a camera's lens reaches, doesn't tell you the full story. The focal length range, which is generally expressed as a 35mm equivalent value, tells you more about the field of view that the camera can cover. For example, two cameras may both have 3x lenses, but if one covers 24-72mm, like the SAMSUNG VP-D20 Camcorder , and the other 36-108mm, like the Sony DCR-DVD91E Multi-Chargers  Best Deal: %displayPrice% at %seller%, the former will be better suited for shooting in tight spaces while the latter will have a longer telephoto reach. Better point-and-shoots start at around 28mm these days, which is a nice wide angle that is well suited for shooting in tight spaces. Budget cameras often start around 35mm, which is less useful for family snapshots, as it will be harder to frame photos with multiple people in smaller spaces.
Rule #3: Weigh Size Versus Features
You can get a truly capable point-and-shoot camera that's downright tiny, but it will likely lack a long zoom lens and other advanced features, to keep it slim. And it might come with harder-to-manipulate controls, especially if you have larger hands (smaller cameras mean smaller buttons and dials). If you can, get your hands on a camera before you buy, it's the best way to see which models feel best.
If you're happy with a moderately long zoom and you don't need, say, an articulating LCD, an ultracompact model like our midrange Editors' Choice, the 8x CANON LP-E10  (Best Deal: $239.99 at Crutchfield)is a very capable camera that takes beautiful photos and will slide into even a tight pocket. Cameras that add more advanced functionality, like the GPS-equipped CANON DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS (Best Deal: $249.99 at Dell)or the ruggedized LP-E8 Battery (Best Deal: $138.95 at FumFie.com)will generally be a little bit bigger. And if you want a camera with an extremely long zoom range, like the 35x-equipped Canon PowerShot SX40 HS , you'll be nearing the size of a small D-SLR.
Rule #4: When it Comes to LCDs, Display Resolution is as Important as Size
Because you'll be using your camera's rear LCD to frame and review photos and videos, its quality is paramount. You should look for a camera with at least a 2.5-inch display, although 3 inches is preferable. Camera LCDs are generally measured in dots, with larger values representing sharper displays. A 230k-dot display is just passable in terms of sharpness for a standard 3-inch screen. You'll be able to see fine detail in your shots and enjoy better outdoor performance with a camera with a bright 460k or 921k LCD. Larger point and shoots, like the KODAK KLIC-7002 (Best Deal: $437.48 at ANTOnline), sometimes include articulating screens, which can rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing you to shoot from more interesting angles.
You can also get a point-and-shoot with a touch-screen interface. These models allow you to adjust camera settings and fire the shutter by tapping the rear screen, eliminating traditional physical control buttons. The main advantage is the ability to put a larger screen on the rear of the camera—the SAMSUNG VP-D270I Camcorder has a 3.2-inch display. If you're the type who wants to fiddle with manual controls, a touch-screen camera might not be a good choice, as it takes longer to change settings when compared to button-based commands. But if you want to happily shoot in automatic mode, the touch interface could be an appealing choice.
Rule #5: Good Low-Light Performance Lessens the Need for Flash
We test the high-ISO performance of every camera that comes through the PCMag Labs. Basically, ISO is a measure of the camera's sensitivity to light. The higher the setting, the more light the sensor collects. A camera that is set to ISO 100 will capture the same amount of light with a one-second exposure as it will with a half-second exposure at ISO 200. Getting a camera that performs well at higher ISO settings will make it possible to snap blur-free photos in lower light. Almost every compact camera has a built-in flash, but there are certain situations where it doesn't make sense to use it. Because the surface area of the flash is much smaller than that of a professional light, it's better to let the camera use it to fill in shadows rather than provide the entire of illumination for a scene.
As you increase the ISO, image noise increases as well—and too much noise makes for grainy, blotchy photos. A camera that performs better at high ISO values—you should look for one that keeps noise under 1.5 percent at ISO 800—can use the a lower powered flash to grab sharp photos, without creating a washed-out look. It's important to check reviews to see how cameras actually perform at these higher settings, as one camera may produce much better images at ISO 1600 than another. A few point and shoots are really masters of low light—the Sony HDR-HC5E Charger (Best Deal: $499.99 at Best Buy®)has an extremely fast f/1.8-2.5 lens that can snap clean images through ISO 1600.
Rule #6: Image Stabilization is a Must
Optical image stabilization, which compensates for the shakiness of your hands when taking a photo, is a must in a point and shoot camera, unless you plan on shooting on a tripod all the time. Nowadays, almost every midrange and high-end point-and-shoot includes this feature, but if you're trying to find a camera in the $100 range, it's something you should definitely check for. Our roundup of the best budget cameras is a good place to start.
Rule #7: Go for HD Video
Almost every point-and-shoot on the market will capture video, but you should set your sights on one that can record in HD. Don't get hung up on full 1080p resolution, a compact that records in 720p is more than capable of capturing video destined for online sharing. Most models that record HD video also feature a micro or mini HDMI output port to the camera connect to your HDTV for hi-def image and video playback; if you have a large screen HDTV, this is where you might benefit from the higher video resolution.
As far as recording the video, you'll want to check and see if the camera can zoom while recording, but be aware that the sound of the lens zooming is often picked up by the camera's mic. Some larger point-and-shoots will have an external mic port, making them better suited for more serious video work.
Rule #8: Get Last Year's Camera for Less
Point-and-shoot models are generally refreshed yearly, and improvements are usually incremental rather than dramatic. You can save a bundle by going for a year-old model, without sacrificing much in terms of functionality. For example, our Editors' Choice for high-end compacts was the OLYMPUS LI-12B until its successor, the S100, came to market and stole its crown. If you're able to live without the features new to the S100, you can find the S95 for sale at a full $100 off its original $400 sticker price. Likewise, the predecessor to our Editors' Choice superzoom, the Nikon Coolpix S9100, a $330 camera, is the same Sony DCR-PC8E Charger.It doesn't feature quite as long a zoom lens, but can be found online for as little as $130—which is an excellent value in our book.
Finally, before you settle on your perfect shooter, read our recent point-and-shoot camera reviews, and check out The 10 Best Digital Cameras for the top point-and-shoot cameras we've tested.