Info 24 Online

LePage calls IRS the 'new Gestapo'

<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gov.  Paul LePage used his weekly radio address to blast President  
Obama's  health care law and described the Internal Revenue Service as  
the "new  Gestapo."</div>
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<img alt="Paul LePage" border="0" class="PopBoxImageSmall" height="489" id="id016725242231527937" src="http://media.onlinesentinel.com/images/300*489/portland-press-herald_3626240.jpg" title="Paul LePage" width="300" /><div style="color: #aaaaaa; float: right; font-size: 9px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 20px;">
click image to enlarge</div>
<div class="small">
Gov. Paul LePage</div>
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<br /></div>
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The IRS description was a reference to a provision in the 
Affordable  Care Act that requires Americans not insured by their 
employers or  <b>Medicaid</b>
 to buy health insurance or pay an annual penalty when filing  their tax
 returns. The provision, known more broadly as the individual  mandate, 
was the subject of a multi-state lawsuit, but was recently  upheld by 
the U.S. Supreme Court.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LePage said the court decision has "made America less free."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"We the people have been told there is no choice," he said. "You must buy health insurance or pay the new Gestapo -- the IRS."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maine  Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant, responding to LePage's  
remarks,  said, "We've come to expect a bunch of nonsense from Gov.  
LePage, but  this is a step too far. There appears now to be no limit to
  the extreme  language he will use to misinform, degrade and insult  
people. Somebody  needs to explain to him that he's the governor of a  
state, and not a  talk radio host. I demand a full apology on behalf of 
 all those who  suffered at the hands of the real Gestapo."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"There is nothing that  degrades politics more than purported leaders
  who so cavalierly invoke  the worst in human history when they can't  
get their way in legitimate,  modern policy disagreements," Grant said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Gestapo were Nazi Germany's official secret police under  Adolf  
Hitler, who imprisoned and murdered thousands of people without  cause.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The debate over the mandate has become a political flash point since 
  the health law was enacted. Republicans maintain that the requirement 
 is  an unfair tax. Democrats say the mandate was originally a 
Republican   idea born from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which 
introduced   the measure in 1989 as a counterpoint to calls for a 
single-payer  health  care system.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LePage also addressed another element of the  health-care law that  
was immediately thrust into the public debate:  Medicaid expansion.  
Originally, the Affordable Care Act required states  to increase  
eligibility for low-income residents or pay a penalty. The  court  
decision struck down the penalty; however, the federal government  is  
still offering to pay for the expansion.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The federal government will fund 100 percent of the expansion from 2014 to 2016, gradually declining to 90 percent after that.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LePage  says he needs more answers before making a decision about the
  Medicaid  expansion, which has been assailed by fellow Republican  
governors. At  least 15 have said they'll forgo the federal funding.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LePage said  the state doesn't know how the federal matches will be  
paid for and how  the newly eligible recipients would be defined.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"However, Maine  is already a welfare expansion state because of the 
 generous benefits  offered," he said, adding that Maine's welfare costs
  are among the  highest in the nation because the state had expanded  
Medicaid prior to  the Republican electoral sweep of 2010.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The governor also appeared to preempt potential pressure from hospitals to support Medicaid expansion.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hospitals  may end up supporting the expansion because increased  
Medicaid  offerings lower uncompensated, or charity, care levels.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Uncompensated  care is health-care costs that hospitals absorb  
because people can't or  won't pay. A recent report in the Portland  
Press Herald showed that  uncompensated care by Maine hospitals has  
doubled over the last five  years, from $94 million to $194 million.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LePage said that  increasing Medicaid may make it more difficult to  
pay hospitals the $500  million the state already owes in reimbursement.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The governor  added that Maine will not move forward the ACA's  
insurance exchanges --  the marketplaces where individuals can shop for 
 health plans from  private companies -- until the proposed $800 million
  tab to pay for them  passes Congress.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"With these looming uncertainties circling around this issue, Maine cannot move forward right now with Obamacare," LePage said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The  governor finished his radio address by outlining his ideological
   opposition to the health-care law, which he said "raises taxes, cuts 
  Medicare for the elderly, gets between patients and their doctors, 
costs   trillions of taxpayer dollars, and kills jobs."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Even more  disheartening is that reviving the American dream just  
became nearly  impossible to do," he said. "We are now a nation which  
supports  dependency rather than independence. Instead of encouraging   
self-reliance, we are encouraging people to rely on the government."</div>

LePage calls IRS the 'new Gestapo'

Gov. Paul LePage used his weekly radio address to blast President Obama's health care law and described the Internal Revenue Service as the "new Gestapo." …

08 Jul 2012

Great white sharks send Cape swimmers running

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ORLEANS, Mass. (WHDH) -- Nauset beach was evacuated Saturday afternoon 
when a 12 to 14-foot shark was spotted only 100 feet out.<br />
A great white's dorsal fin cut through the top of the water as it cruised the shoreline.<br />
“All of a sudden, we saw this person in a kayak, and we saw a fin 10 feet from it,” said Lizzy Jenkins.<br />
Everyone else in the water immediately ran onto the beach.<br />
“We started swimming and people on the shore started waiving us in,” said Christina Proulx.<br />
They all watched as a kayaker was seemingly stalked by the shark.<br />
“There were hundreds of people on the beach, and they were all at the 
edge, yelling paddle paddle, paddle!” said Dave Alexander.<br />
“Everyone was screaming, ‘shark,’”said Haley O’Brien.<br />
Then the guy noticed and everyone started screaming shark, and he started paddling coming towards the shore. Everyone was screaming at Walter Szulc, Jr. It was his first time kayaking.<br />
He didn't see the people run from the water. He didn't hear them yelling, either.<br />
He had no idea what was lurking a few feet behind him.<br />
“So I looked behind me and that's when I saw the shark, it was pretty 
much right there, I got a glimpse of it. It was a good size and it had a
 fin sticking out, so I just turned and paddled,” said Szulc.<br />
“Then he started booking it,” said Debbie Sutton, “You could see the 
darkness of it. It was longer than the kayak…it was crazy big.”<br />
Szulc paddled in safely-he never turned around long enough to see it's face.<br />
He didn't need to, it was already too close for comfort.<br />
“I took a quick glance, probably 7-8 feet behind me,” said Szulc.<br />
The beach was immediately closed to swimmers. Despite the warnings, 
when lifeguards left, some still ventured in the water, even with 
shark's preferred meals swimming just a few feet away.<br />
A lot of beachgoers at Nauset beach were nervous about stepping back 
into the water, especially after seeing a 12-to-14-foot great white 
shark only a few hundred yards from where they were swimming.<br />
“I've been coming to this beach my whole life. I never thought I’d see a shark.”<br />
Szulc, the kayaker with the close encounter, said when they first got to the beach, his daughter was afraid to go in the water.<br />
Like many, she’s afraid of sharks.<br />
Szulc says he teased her about it, and assured there's nothing to worry about. After all, what are the odds?<br />
“That's exactly what I was thinking, and I found the odds, and they're not exactly as good as I thought,” said Szulc.<br />
Along the Cape coast, there have been frequent great white shark sightings throughout the past week.<br />
This is the closest any of these sharks have gotten to people so far this summer.<br />
The Harbor Master said the shark swam south toward Chatham and probably away from the coastline.<br />
The Nauset beach was closed for the remainder of the afternoon. It was 
still undecided, but the beach is expected to reopen tomorrow morning.<br />
Police said a great white shark killed a seal about a half mile up from
 where the shark was spotted at Nauset Beach. The ‘no swimming’ sign 
could come down as early as Sunday morning.<br />
Lifeguards will come in around 9:00 in the morning and decide then if the beaches are again safe for swimmers.</div>

Great white sharks send Cape swimmers running

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08 Jul 2012

Fast Food Workers Of Reddit Tell You What Not To Eat

</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the heels of a recent Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) with a McDonald's employee, an AskReddit conversation thread popped up yesterday that we couldn't tear ourselves away from. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Fast food workers of Reddit,
 what is the one menu option at your employment that you would recommend
 people never eat? (Because of cooking safety, cleanliness, unhealthy, 
etc)," asked user 4ScienceandReason.
 This thread, which generated over 6,000 comments in 24 hours, brought 
some amazingly gross things to light -- some expected and some 
unexpected -- as well as some good-to-know tricks for the fast-food 
customer. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some things you should probably stay away from:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Chicken Nuggets:</strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some of the grossest stories on 
this thread talked about the dubious material nuggets are generally made
 of. As noted by 4ScienceandReason, pictures and videos like these have already scared a lot of us off of chicken nuggets forever. Just in case that wasn't enough, this comment by Dfunkatron
 might seal the deal for you, "When I worked at McDonald's, I 
accidentally left a whole bag of about 100 chicken nuggets out on a 
counter for way too long. They melted. Into a pool of liquid. I never 
understood why. But they were completely indiscernible as being the 
nuggets i once knew."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Wendy's Chili:</strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While not as traditionally disgusting as some other fast food traditions, we found Cozmo23's description of the chili recipe at Wendy's
 to be pretty stomach-churning -- "The meat comes from hamburger patties
 that sat on the grill too long to serve to customers. They take them 
and put them in a bin and then throw them in the fridge. When the chili 
is made they take it out, boil it, chop it up and dump them in the 
chili."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Vegetarians Beware:</strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While a lot of comments admitted to using the same grill/spatula/knife on vegetarian and meat items alike, this comment from user attack_goblin
 made us gasp a little extra: "I used to work at a restaurant where we 
deep-fried the Gardenburger patties in the same oil we deep-fried the 
bacon."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Grilled Chicken:</strong> If there was any common theme in 
this thread, it was this: just probably don't order grilled chicken in 
any fast food establishment ever. One McDonald's employee confessed to slathering grilled chicken breasts with liquid margarine to keep it from sticking. An ex-Subway employee described the defrosting process they used, which involved soaking the chicken in hot water for hours, then squeezing the "chicken water" out at the end of the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Five Guys Appears to Be Safe:</strong> For now, no one has refuted user Cameron432's claim
 that they freeze nothing and make most everything fresh. Also, stick to
 the regular-sized fries, "One thing I will say is that ordering a large
 fry is always a bad idea. The difference between a large fry and a 
regular fry is surprisingly small (especially when it's busy)."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One comforting aspect of this discussion was the friendly 
disagreement. The most disgusting facts were usually counter-balanced by
 at least one other employee of each chain remarking that they'd always 
done it differently and that it really does depend on the management of 
each particular location. So if you have traditionally good luck in 
life, you can still order chicken nuggets, we suppose.</div>

Fast Food Workers Of Reddit Tell You What Not To Eat

On the heels of a recent R…

08 Jul 2012

Hitler ordered reprieve to Jewish man

<div class="cnn_stryimg640captioned" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="This image dated around 1918 shows Ernst Hess, a judge at the district court of Duesseldorf, western Germany. " border="0" height="360" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120708025732-ernst-hess-story-top.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div class="cnn_stryimg640caption" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="cnn_strycaptiontxt">
This image dated around 1918 shows Ernst Hess, a judge at the district court of Duesseldorf, western Germany. </div>
<div class="cnn_strycaptiontxt">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1067060932251704212" name="em0"></a></div>
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="cnn_strylctcntr">
<div>
<b>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</b></div>
<ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght">
<li>The Jewish Voice from Germany newspaper unearths internal Nazi files on Ernst Hess</li>
<li>Hess served in Hitler's infantry unit in World War I but didn't know him, then was a judge</li>
<li>A 1940 order saved Hess, despite his Jewish heritage, "per the Fuhrer's wishes" </li>
<li>The order was revoked the next year, and Hess ended up in Nazi concentration camps</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>(CNN)</b> -- An estimated 6 million Jews died at the 
hands of the Nazis and their allies during the Holocaust. Hundreds of 
thousands more suffered, but somehow survived, in concentration camps. 
And some escaped, savoring freedom they otherwise never would have 
known.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2" style="text-align: justify;">
Then there's Ernst Hess, 
who was a decorated World War I soldier, former judge and, despite being
 raised a Protestant and marrying someone of that faith, a "full-blooded
 Jew" in the eyes of the Nazi regime.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3" style="text-align: justify;">
According to a 
groundbreaking report, Hess was granted a reprieve despite this 
designation thanks to none other than Adolf Hitler.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4" style="text-align: justify;">
Susanne Mauss, editor of the Jewish Voice from Germany
 newspaper, found the August 27, 1940, note from the Gestapo (the 
infamous Nazi secret police) that saved Hess -- albeit temporarily. The 
order was revoked the next year, and Hess spent years doing hard labor 
in Nazi concentration camps and work sites.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5" style="text-align: justify;">
Still, given Hitler and 
his colleagues' extreme views and actions on Jews, even the temporary 
amnesty granted in the letter that Mauss unearthed in a file kept by the
 Gestapo in Dusseldorf about Hess is extraordinary.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6" style="text-align: justify;">
Written by the notorious 
SS figure Heinrich Himmler, the note calls for saving and protecting 
Hess "as per the Fuhrer's wishes," referring to Hitler, who had led 
Germany since 1933.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote">
<div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr">
<div>
The slave workers were forced to live outdoors and were treated terribly, and of course they were watched by members of the SS</div>
<div>
<br />
Ursula Hess</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7" style="text-align: justify;">
The letter, a copy of 
which is posted on the Jewish Voice from Germany's website, also states 
that Hess should not be inconvenienced "in any way whatsoever."</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8" style="text-align: justify;">
Hitler and Hess had 
crossed paths before, serving in the same infantry unit during World War
 I. In fact, for a short time Hess had been Hitler's commander -- though
 the Jewish Voice from Germany said Hess, whose now 86-year-old daughter
 was interviewed for their story, didn't personally know Hitler and 
their fellow comrades described the future Nazi leader as quiet, with no
 friends in the regiment.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9" style="text-align: justify;">
But Hess himself was 
close to many of his fellow veterans, including Fritz Wiedemann, 
according to daughter Ursula Hess. And Wiedemann, who became a top aide 
to Hitler from 1934 to 1939 before becoming Germany's consul in San 
Francisco through 1941, helped connect Hess to Hans Heinrich Lammers, 
the head of the Reich Chancellery during Hitler's reign.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10" style="text-align: justify;">
Hess, who was forced to 
retire as a judge in 1936 -- the same year he was beaten up by special 
police in front of his home -- had pleaded for leniency before. 
According to the Jewish Voice, he had petitioned Hitler to make an 
exception because his daughter Ursula would be considered a 
"first-degree half-breed" under Nazi doctrine.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11" style="text-align: justify;">
Highlighting his 
patriotism and Christian upbringing, Hess wrote, "For us, it is kind of 
spiritual death to now be branded as Jews and exposed to general 
attempt."</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12" style="text-align: justify;">
That appeal was denied, 
though the Hess family was able to move to a then German-speaking part 
of Italy for the next several years. In that time, Hess still got part 
of his military pension and his passport wasn't stamped with a red J to 
brand him as Jewish, the Jewish Voice reported.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13" style="text-align: justify;">
But after a pact with 
Italy that ceded that area to the Nazi regime and the family's attempts 
to flee to Switzerland and Brazil failed, they landed back in Germany in
 1940.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14" style="text-align: justify;">
The reprieve, credited to the fuhrer, came in the summer of that year.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15" style="text-align: justify;">
But in 1941, Hess 
submitted the letter of protection, only to have it swiped away. The 
special order revoked, he landed soon thereafter in a concentration 
camp, and then began working for a timber processing company helping 
build barracks for Nazi soldiers.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16" style="text-align: justify;">
"The slave workers were 
forced to live outdoors and were treated terribly, and of course they 
were watched by members of the SS," said Ursula Hess of her father, who 
besides being a soldier, judge and "sportsman," had once been a concert 
violinist. "Had he not been as fit as he was, he would never have 
survived."</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17" style="text-align: justify;">
The name Hess is well 
established in German 20th-century history. A man also named Ernst Hess 
was one of Germany's ace fighter pilots during World War I, before being
 killed in action. Rudolf Hess was once Hitler's deputy, before flying 
to Scotland on an alleged peace mission in 1941 that instead ended with 
him becoming a prisoner of war.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18" style="text-align: justify;">
Ernst Hess, though, was a
 prisoner of a very different sort through the early 1940s when Nazi 
authorities deemed him "a Jew like no other."</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19" style="text-align: justify;">
When the war ended and 
he gained his freedom, according to the Jewish Voice report, Hess was 
asked to become a judge yet again. He turned down the offer. A year 
later, Hess launched a new career and gained new prominence as a railway
 executive.</div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20" style="text-align: justify;">
By then, he'd rejoined 
his wife and daughter. But not all his family: His sister Berta was 
killed in 1942 in the Auschwitz concentration camp.</div>

Hitler ordered reprieve to Jewish man

This image dated around 1918 shows Ernst Hess, a judge at the district court of Duesseldorf, western Germany. STORY HIGHLIGHTS The Jewish Voice from Germany newspaper unearths internal Nazi files on…

08 Jul 2012

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 review

<div id="reviewSummary">
 <div class="theGood">
<strong>The good:</strong> <span class="summary">The <b>Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4</b> is an easy-to-use rugged point-and-shoot with some extra exposure control that you won't find on others in its class.</span></div>
<div class="theBad">
<strong>The bad:</strong> <span>The
 TS4's photo quality and performance don't improve much from its 
predecessor, the TS3. It has a somewhat small, low-resolution LCD 
compared with competing models.</span></div>
<div class="theBottomLine">
<strong>The bottom line:</strong> <span class="description" id="seodescription">While it doesn't offer much for upgraders, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 is still a very good rugged camera.</span></div>
<div class="theBottomLine">
<br /></div>
Panasonic took a "why mess with a good thing" approach when it came time to update its 2011 top-of-the-line rugged model, the Lumix DMC-TS3.<br />

Its replacement, the TS4, is just as durable, waterproof to 
approximately 40 feet, shockproof to approximately 6.6 feet, freezeproof
 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and dustproof. Much of the rest of the 
camera's hardware -- the 4.6x f3.3-5.9 28-128mm Leica lens, 12-megapixel
 high-speed CCD sensor, 2.7-inch LCD, and built-in GPS -- are the same 
as on the the TS3, too.<br />
 Most of the new features are shooting 
modes, two of which stick out as unusual for a rugged compact. One, it 
has a full manual mode, giving you control over shutter speed and 
aperture. Shutter speeds go from 60 seconds to 1/1,300 second, and 
apertures are f3.3-10 at the wide end and f5.9-18 at the telephoto end. 
While the aperture control isn't all that useful, the shutter speed 
control can come in handy.<br />
 The other interesting mode is a Time 
Lapse Shot, where you can set the start time, interval, and the number 
of photos to shoot, and the camera automatically snaps photos. When it's
 done capturing, the TS4 will condense the shots for fluid playback, so 
you can see things like clouds moving across the sky or a flower 
opening.<br />
 All in all, the new stuff is nice to have, and the photo
 quality and performance are just as good as they were in last year's 
model, making the TS4 a fine rugged compact camera. <br />
 <b>Photo quality</b><br />
The TS4's photo quality is like that of a lot of point-and-shoots: good 
with a lot of light, but with a noticeable drop in quality in low-light 
conditions. <br />
 Below ISO 400 you'll get very good results with nice
 color and decent detail. Its main sticking point is with softness; 
photos -- and video -- never look really sharp straight from the camera.
 Add in increased softness from noise reduction at higher ISO 
sensitivities and you may not want to view or print your results at 
larger sizes. On the upside, the TS4 handles noise better than its 
predecessor in low light.<br />
<div class="theBottomLine">
<span class="description" id="seodescription"><br /></span></div>
Basically, don't expect to be able to take this 30 feet underwater 
without additional lighting or be able to make huge prints of what you 
capture. It's more likely you'll end up with good photos that you can 
share online. In shallower waters, such as with snorkeling or in a pool,
 you'll get better results, though you probably won't have a lot of fine
 detail when viewed at 100 percent. A lot of what you're paying for with
 this camera is its durability and features, so if your main concern is 
having a pocket camera to take along with you to the beach, hiking in 
the woods, or flying down the slopes, it's a solid option.<br />
 Video 
quality is better than an HD pocket video camera or high-end smartphone;
 good enough for Web use and undemanding TV viewing. Panning the camera 
will create judder that's typical of the video from most compact cameras
 and you may see some ghosting with fast-moving subjects. The zoom lens 
does function while recording, but you may hear it move in quieter 
scenes. However, there is the chance you'll get no audio at all because 
the mic is easily covered by your fingers when holding the camera.<br />
 <b>Shooting performance</b><br />
Shooting performance is very good. Shutter lag -- the time it takes from
 pressing the shutter release to capture without prefocusing -- is only 
0.3 second in bright lighting and 0.7 second in dim lighting. From shot 
to shot without the flash is only 1 second; adding the flash drags that 
time to 2.2 seconds, though. The TS4's time from off to first shot is 
1.8 seconds. <br />
For those who need to capture action, the camera can
 shoot a continuous burst up to 3.6fps, but in our lab tests it averaged
 2.7fps. That used to be pretty fast for this class of camera, but there
 are a couple other models this year that can beat it. Note, though, 
that they all set exposure and focus with the first shot, so anything 
moving really fast might not be in focus for all shots. <br />
 <b>Design and features</b><br />
The TS4 looks and feels like it can take a beating. Judging by user 
reviews of rugged cameras, one might wonder if the TS4 will hold up to 
its durability claims. I had no problems with my review camera, but that
 doesn't mean problems can't happen. However, as with all rugged and 
waterproof cameras, there are handling precautions you need to take to 
keep water and dust out of the camera. Panasonic has stored information 
about these precautions in the camera for easy reference and a warning 
pops up when the camera's turned on. <br />

<img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="459" src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/26/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-TS4_35136367_08_610x459.jpg" width="610" />
<div class="image-caption">
The TS4 warns you before you get it wet. </div>
<span class="image-credit">(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)</span>
</div>
Fortunately, even with all this protection, the TS4 still functions 
like a regular point-and-shoot. Controls are easy to master, as is the 
interface. Actually, the TS4's all-button controls are nicer than on 
Panasonic's compacts that use switches for power and to change from 
shooting to playback. <br />
 
<img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="459" src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/04/26/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-TS4_35136367_03_610x459.jpg" width="610" />
<div class="image-caption">
While I like the controls carried over from the TS3, the smallish 2.7-inch 230K-dot resolution LCD could be better. </div>
</div>

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 review

The good: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 is an easy-to-use rugged point-and-shoot with some extra exposure control that you won't find on others in its class. The bad: The TS4's photo quality and per…

08 Jul 2012

Nikon Coolpix AW100 Review

<div id="reviewSummary">
<section id="mediaCarousel"><figure class="slide selected" style="display: block; opacity: 1; visibility: visible;"><img alt="" height="279" src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/07/03/Nikon_Coolpix_AW100_35004495_05_620x433.jpg" width="400" />  </figure></section><div class="theGood">
<strong>The good:</strong> <span class="summary">The <b>Nikon Coolpix AW100</b> has good rugged specifications for its price and solid GPS performance. The camera is also fairly easy to use out of the box.</span></div>
<div class="theBad">
<strong>The bad:</strong> <span>The
 AW100's slow lens requires more use of high ISO settings or slow 
shutter speeds. Its controls feel spongy and occasionally unresponsive 
due to the waterproofing and the body's somewhat slippery.</span></div>
<div class="theBottomLine">
<strong>The bottom line:</strong> <span class="description" id="seodescription">The
 rugged Nikon Coolpix AW100 is a fine choice for shallow water or dry 
land adventures -- just make sure you have plenty of light.</span></div>
<div class="theBottomLine">
<br /></div>
Nikon came late to the rugged compact camera party, but its first 
entry, the Coolpix AW100, arrived prepared to handle some fairly rough 
treatment. It's rated to be waterproof down to 33 feet, shockproof to 5 
feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. <br />
 Like all rugged cameras, it has limitations as to what it can actually survive, and Nikon is more upfront about that than most manufacturers. <br />
 To
 go along with its durability, there's a built-in GPS receiver for 
geotagging your photos, an electronic compass, and Action Control (which
 is very similar to Olympus' Tap Control), which lets you change 
settings by tapping the sides of the camera or shaking it. <br />
 The 
rest of the features and shooting options are similar to what you'd find
 on other higher-end Coolpix cameras, so all in all, it's a pretty good 
rugged compact. But, much like the AW100's ruggedness, the rest of the 
camera has some limitations, too, that might make you think twice about 
picking one up. <br />
 <b>Picture quality</b><br />
If you're considering a rugged compact to take diving, the Nikon Coolpix
 AW100 is probably not the one you want. While it's capable of taking 
some very good photos when you have plenty of light, its small maximum 
aperture requires you to use either higher ISOs or slow shutter speeds 
to get a shot with less light; for better or worse, the camera regularly
 goes with the latter. <br />

Overall, the AW100's photos are best suited for prints up to 8x10 
inches or Web use without a lot of enlarging or cropping. When viewed at
 100 percent, there are visible artifacts and noise even at its lowest 
sensitivity of ISO 125. Subjects look soft, too (not unusual for rugged 
cameras), and could stand some post-shoot sharpening.<br />
<div class="theBottomLine">
<span class="description" id="seodescription"><br /></span></div>
As you move up in sensitivity, photos get softer and softer, and 
color quality starts to deteriorate. At and above ISO 800, subjects look
 flat with muted colors. Basically, this camera's high-ISO photos aren't
 great and coupled with its slow lens, it's hard to recommend it for use
 in low light. <br />
 That said, if you're more of a snorkeler or pool 
denizen, or want a rugged camera for snow or offroad sports, it can take
 some very good photos. You can read more about picture quality in the 
slideshow above.<br />
 Movie quality is also decent, though again, the 
more light you have the better things will look. The AF assist lamp can 
be turned on and used to brighten close subjects. The zoom lens does 
work while recording; you won't hear it move necessarily, but you will 
hear the press and release of the zoom rocker. Also, if you turn on the 
continuous AF function, you may hear the camera focusing in your movie.<br />
 <b>Shooting performance</b><br />
In our lab tests, the AW100 was a pretty fast camera. It goes from off 
to first shot in less than a second and has a very low shutter lag of 
0.2 second in bright lighting, which increases to 0.5 second in low 
light. Shot-to-shot times are a little more average, but still good at 
1.6 seconds without flash and 1.9 seconds with. The camera's 
full-resolution continuous burst is capable of 7.1 frames per second, 
though it can only do it for three shots and takes several seconds 
before it's ready to shoot again.<br />
 The camera generally performed 
the same in anecdotal testing, however it did occasionally have problems
 focusing. Several times during testing I was greeted with an 
"Initializing lens. Cannot focus." error that basically locked down the 
camera until it recovered. Also, when shooting in macro mode from time 
to time, the camera would say it was focused on my subject, but actually
 wouldn't be.<br />
 <div class="cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none" style="width: 610px;">

<img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="436" src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/07/03/Nikon_Coolpix_AW100_35004495_10_610x436.jpg" width="610" />
<span class="image-credit">(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)</span>
</div>
<b>Design and features</b><br />
The AW100 certainly looks the part of a rugged point-and-shoot, but it's
 not overdone. You can tell it's different, but it doesn't stick out. 
Aside from the large knob on the right side and the long button on the 
left (more on those in a bit), all the controls are pretty typical of 
what you'd find on Nikon's other Coolpix models. However, the buttons 
are small and tightly spaced, which can result in some accidental 
presses. Also, the buttons feel very spongy and were occasionally 
unresponsive, likely because of the waterproofing below them. The body 
is kind of slippery, too, especially when wet, and there's nothing 
really to grip on to.<br />
 On the right side of the camera is a single
 door protecting the battery, card slot, Mini-HDMI port, and Micro-USB 
port. Having everything under one door limits access points for water 
and the door has a nice big seal on it as well as a lock that requires 
you to push in a button while turning a knob, so it's fairly secure. I 
say fairly because if you for some reason forget to turn the knob all 
the way till you hear the button click, the door can be closed but not 
locked.<br />
 <div class="cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none" style="width: 610px;">

<img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="436" src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/07/03/Nikon_Coolpix_AW100_35004495_09_610x436.jpg" width="610" />
<span class="image-credit">(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)</span>
</div>
Another sticking point for me is that the battery is 
charged with an external adapter. Normally, this doesn't bother me, but 
for a rugged camera to require an outlet and charger is silly. If it 
charged over USB you'd have other options for refilling your battery. If
 you're considering the AW100 for a trip where you won't have an outlet 
for awhile, you'll want to bring an extra battery or two.<br />
 </div>

Nikon Coolpix AW100 Review

The good: The Nikon Coolpix AW100 has good rugged specifications for its price and solid GPS performance. The camera is also fairly easy to use out of the box. The bad: The AW100's slow lens requ…

08 Jul 2012

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