Most of the Maldives lie less than three feet above sea level, which puts them much more at risk if global sea levels keep rising. Some scientists have warned that the islands could even be uninhabitable within 100 years (provided a rise of 7-24 inches), and the Maldives government has been vocal in the campaign to battle rising sea levels. Eleven of the 14 cabinet members attended the meeting, conducted with whiteboards and microphones 20 feet underwater, and all signed their wetsuits, to be auctioned off for the cause. [Telegraph, image from AP via CBC]

The Price

$US400

The Toughness

It’s rated to about three metres and for drops of 1.5 metres, which places it at the lower end of the spectrum of waterproofing. Well, it’s not the lower end, but given the shock and dust proofing and the lens reinforcement system, I’d expect the makers of the Toughbook to best cameras like the fluffy Fuji z33 and the slimmer Pentax w80 waterproofs for depth. Again, I wouldn’t call this a weakness, but if the DMC-TS1 had one, this would be it.

The Visuals

The photos were among the best in low light, high ISO and daylight. There was a simple beach/surf macro mode which worked well enough. Colours were accurate, and I only noticed a slight distortion around the edges while zoomed out. (Many periscoping internal zoom cameras have this issue.) The lens went pretty wide at a 28mm equivalent and the zoom was almost top of the class at 128mm (only the Pentax did better). Images, overall, were second best to the Canon with its traditional lens system, but this camera doesn’t have that problem of a protruding snout which makes it a lot more pocketable. The camera has optical stabilisation, which is pretty kick arse. The uncovered lens caused some photos to look smudged, which is perhaps the rule, not the exception in these cameras. Shots are at 12.1MP, but you can get variations of that in 16:9 mode. (My favourite!) As usual, water photos are generally limited in quality by water clarity and colour, so, well, above the sea shots work fine.

The TS1’s video recording happens at a high res of 720p, stabilised and recordable in motion jpg or AVCHD lite, giving you more recording time and quality. It looks better than good.

The Design

I’m into the spartan, square design. And the camera’s responsive shooting, burst modes and menus made it the easiest to use without being overly simple like the Canon D10.

Yeah, I don’t know yet

The Lumix is a fantastic all-around camera that is somewhat tough and waterproof. I’d originally gone into this review thinking it would be king, but given the shallow depth rating, I may have to wait ’til I see the new Olympus in action before I give a stronger rating. Especially at $US400. At that price, the smaller Pentax w80 rated to 4.8 metres with decent shots and shitty video looks like a lot better of a deal. And the super cheap and small Fuji z33 does, too. I don’t know. I’m not giving up on this camera yet. Strong video playback is an important thing these days. I guess it’s my camera of choice and should be yours too (for now) if you don’t go beyond three metres down and image quality and relative pocketability is a priority. Until I check out that Olympus Stylus tough 8000 which has some really solid stats all around and cost a bit less.

Great images

Great case design and menus

Great video at 720p

Despite the all-around toughness of the device, only waterproof to a middling (not poor) 10 feet

[DP Review, Panasonic, Giz]

Most popular, mid-to-high-range DSLRs eventually get their own waterproof diving cases, but this one is special. It’s a Sea&Sea housing for a Canon 5D Mk II, and it lets you take videos like this:

This specific video was actually shot through a modded case, originally meant for the 5D Mk I, but the effect is the same.

Predictably, making HD fish screensavers with your DSLR isn’t cheap: once you take care of import and shipping costs, it’ll probably cost you nearly three grand—more than the body itself. [Akihabara]

On Tuesday, our good friend and ex-Giz editor Seamus was down at Collaroy in Sydney to welcome the arrival of a new underwater cable that promises to boost Australia’s internet capacity by 50 per cent and offer competition to the Tier 1 telcos for cheaper broadband.This is the same cable we watched the heroes lay in the Tyco Durable ship back in March.

According to Shay, everything should go online around the September mark, although from his Midnight Update video, it looks like a pretty swish setup already. And when it does go online, we can expect either much cheaper broadband deals, or much higher data allowances for the money we’re paying now. I for one can’t wait.

[Midnight Update]

For the rest of us, this 22g camera would be great for snorkeling trips or mounting on top of an R/C car or plane for capturing some unique video. No word yet on pricing however. [Thanko via AkihabaraNews]

Because this sensors can be packed so tightly together, the robot would be better able to control itself in strong currents and delicately grip fragile objects. It may also be great at scaring away any living creatures on land or sea thanks to its menacing look. I mean is this design all about functionality or did they intentionally make it look like a nightmare creature from the sea? [Fraunhofer via Eurekalert via BotJunkie via DVICE]

I fantasise about replacing all my windows with flat aquariums, filling them with coral and reef life (rays, lobster, clownfish), lighting them with full-spectrum bulbs and calling myself Namor. [Aquawall via BornRich]

When I took a handful of waterproof cameras on my honeymoon in Fiji last year, one of the things I lamented was the lack of a real HD option, which this addresses perfectly.

Combined with their recently announced waterproof point and shoot it looks like Canon are making a strong play into the underwater camera segment, an area that typically has been dominated by Olympus in recent years. If nothing else, this should offer us geeks a chance to get away from our computers and visit the beach… if it weren’t moving into Winter, that is.

[Canon]

Oh what’s this awesome thing strapped to my head? I dunno, it’s just some thing Speedo sent over to me. Underwater music? Yeah. Yeah it’s kind of sweet, isn’t it? iRiver makes it, 2GB, costs around $US130, and not coming out anywhere but Japan any time soon. Man I love Japan. Hahahahaha. Hahahahahahahaha. I’m just a regular guy, at heart. Just a regular guy.

Hey do you want to see me breathe underwater? I can do it. [iRiver Japan]