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COLOGNE, Germany -- Leica may not have the mass-manufacturing clout of Samsung or the retail footprint of Canon or the electronics know-how of Sony. But the German camera maker has got one thing in spades: a brand.

And nowhere is that brand more obvious than at Photokina, the camera show that takes place every two years here in Germany, Leica's home turf. Canon and Nikon had bigger crowds, but the Leica had the better ratio of booth visitors to customers as it introduced a new top-end rangefinder camera with new electronic abilities, a lower-end rangefinder that's not quite … Read more

Everyone knows that Apple is dealing with a firestorm of criticism over problems with its new iOS 6 Maps feature, but a new ad for Google-owned Motorola Mobility's Droid Razr may have crossed the line.

The ad, which appeared on September 21 on Motorola's Google+ site, shows a Razr alongside an iPhone 5, and reads, "Looking for 315 E 15th in Manhattan? Google Maps on Droid Razr M will get you there & not #iLost in Brooklyn."

The post shows the Razr displaying the proper address in the middle of a grid of Manhattan streets, while … Read more

COLOGNE, Germany -- Every 99 years or so, a company has to shake things up a little bit.

Thus it is that Schneider Kreuznach, a high-end lens brand founded in 1913 that's been focused on cinema, medium-format, and large-format markets, unveiled four lenses for more ordinary 35mm SLRs, three for Micro Four Thirds cameras, and even a polarizing filter for iPhones. The lensmaker, part of the Jos. Schneider Optische Werke, unveiled the lenses at the Photokina show here.

Its earlier lenses for conventional SLRs were the company's relatively exotic Super Angulon line, tilt-shift models that can enable perspective … Read more

After years of talk, Intel is finally making some headway into the smartphone business.

Motorola Mobility is the latest company to unveil a smartphone, the Razr i, to be powered by an Intel processor. The Razr i is essentially the recently announced Droid Razr M for Verizon Wireless, only with the different processor. It will be available in Europe and Latin America.

The Razr i is one of a handful of smartphones now running on an Intel Atom processor, further evidence that Intel is establishing a beachhead -- albeit a small one -- in the mobile arena. Intel has shrugged … Read more

Val Kolton has a lot of ideas. I know him first as the man who runs V-Moda, but he's also a hotshot DJ. I met with him in NYC last week for a sneak preview of his brand-new Crossfade M-100 over-the-ear headphones. Kolton had just received the first production batch and hadn't actually listened to the completed headphones yet. I had the honor of listening first, even before the V-Man, and the M-100s totally knocked me out. It has a closed-back 'phone design, but the sound was remarkably open and spacious, a rare feat for a closed design. … Read more

commentary At Motorola's "On Display" press event in New York City last week, most eyes centered on the company's new Razr phones. Yet, there were also a couple of tech celebrities in the audience, both of whom drew their own share of attention.

A man One of those luminaries was a person, a former Motorola vice president and division manager named Martin Cooper. Seated in the front row, but not banging away on a laptop, you knew he wasn't part of the journalist and blogger throng. Instead, with his dark suit, conservative red tie, and … Read more

commentary I'm not sure I understand what Motorola was doing last week when it announced three Droid Razr models for the remainder of 2012.

On one hand, I get that an iconic company like Moto wants to show that it's still in the game. And I understand the benefit in giving customers choices. In this case, however, the number of choices is simply too much. While I see the value in both the Droid Razr M and the Droid Razr Maxx HD, I don't see a need for the Droid Razr HD.

Looking at the official specifications … Read more

Motorola just confirmed plans for its Droid Razr M Android mobile phone. Available from Verizon for $99 with a two-year contract starting September 13, the Razr M will feature a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen running nearly the entire width and length of the device for stunning visuals.

Check out our first take of the Droid Razr M

… Read more