Someone stole 15 transformers from a billboard advertising company in New Zealand. The transformers are worth $5000, but the thief probably wanted them for the $150 worth of copper they contain. The billboard company responded by placing a security photo of the suspected thief on its own billboards. The company is offering a $500 reward. Thief gets his own billboard after robbing advertising agency...br style="clear: both;"/ a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=b8eaea113329f9b386694973ffb96cd8p=1"img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=b8eaea113329f9b386694973ffb96cd8p=1"//a img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b8eaea113329f9b386694973ffb96cd8" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/

For many visitors of New York's Houston St., the giant PSP has been a landmark for years. The billboard-sized PSP ran videos of the newest and best PSP games (when it worked). However, it looks like it's finally being taken down. Perhaps Sony's going to put a giant PSP-3000 system up there, which will be slimmer than the original giant PSP-1000. But ... that seems unlikely.

http://www.pspfanboy.com/2008/12/01/...sp-taken-down/

MySpace is not known for good design. Its garish profiles make designers nauseous. And yet, there are signs of hope: we’ve tracked down 50 MySpace music layouts that are quite remarkable. Stylish. Stunningly well-conceived. Beautiful, even.

Could it be that MySpace profiles aren’t all bad? You be the judge.

A Fine Frenzy - This artist has been high in the charts for quite some time, and her page, courtesy of BandSpaces.com, happened to make it as the first in our musical roundup. As you can see, it’s no wonder why.

Joss Stone - It’s all about placement and graphics. One glance down the artist’s page and it’s clear that the standard layout can be warped with some nice colorful touches. This page is a winner.

Shine - You can keep your page looking segmented if you like, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Sweep the page with images and buttons in the right places and you’ve got yourself a rockin’ MySpace destination.

MyNameIsAugust - Delivered by OutLoudMarketing, the page for August looks fairly ordinary in comparison with the items above, but it still manages to please.

Valerie Nicole - Tidy and neat, this isn’t as in-your-face as some of the others, but it’s still a sight for sore eyes - of which there are plenty across the wide world of MySpace.

Underhills - Though the silver-colored music player does feel a little clunky amid the wallpaper, the complete ensemble is nothing short of fantastic. It’s one of those pages bound to elicit an “I wish that had been mine” kind of critique from visitors.

Airlines - Let’s face it. Good promotional media from bands can mean great publicity. (Books are judged by their covers, in other words.) Which is why the MySpace page for The Airlines, another invention of BandSpaces, lands on this list. It gives the visitor a clear impression that they can make equally kick-ass without breaking the bank.

Lady Sovereign - I’ve been somewhat familiar with Lady Sovereign’s songbook for several seasons now, and the sharp color contrast of her MySpace page is befitting of the musical experience she delivers. Very billboard-esque, this one is.

Stereo Transmitted Disease - If you want to take things a little musica obscura in terms of your band name and bio and things, the page assembled for STD sets a good example. It’s a kind of hodgepodge, wrapped into an easily digestible square.

Man Like Machine - Lots of white space but still fun and playful, Man Like Machine is a music page, but gets marked in the Just Plain Pretty category just the same.

We Are Tokyo - This design is white and red in a way reminiscent of staple colors commanded by The White Stripes. Which is fine by us, because We Are Tokyo pull it off quite well.

Mia Sable - This is a winner in so many ways. Done up with just the right amount of glitz and glamour to make it stand out from the crowd, Mia Sable’s MySpace page is nothing short of fantastic. If this doesn’t make you envious, few others will.

The Academy Is - Having your band name plastered across nearly the full top fold of your MySpace page may not such a bad thing, so long as everything else looks proper. And it does!

Censura - Put your name and music front and center and leave the rest for window dressing. This one is not only beautiful. The geography of it makes it worthwhile to emulate.

The Midway State - Another boxy beaut, the page for The Midway State is impressive for its elegant design and its translucent features.

Race the Sun - This one’s simply a gem to look at. Loading the page takes some time, and some things make seem out of place, but heck if this isn’t one of the most image-enhanced pages on the network.

Cambria Detken - An extraordinary piece of work, the profile for Cambria Detken is one of the best. It makes good use of white space like and wraps it up in butterflies and flowers with plenty of green to go around.

Mr North - Oh what some motion graphics can do. The idea here is to splash the page. The paint job is entertaining. The features are all there. Altogether, it’s an engaging place to be. Which is the point.

Rented Mule - One of the more plainly drawn pages, Rented Mule Jazz is something that lots of folks could take cues from without a degree in design. Easy does it.

Helena Jesse - The lesson here: put heavy emphasis on your header and you’ll grab some attention. The rest of the page is fairly ordinary, but perhaps we’re in store for further enhancements.

Goodnight Caulfield - Akin to the Mia Sable page, albeit made for a four-piece group, Goodnight Caulfield’s profile is so polished that you start to question whether anything is wrong with it. Very little, it turns out!

Gonna Get Got - What a treat. Name emblazoned in white across the top, great graphical touches the entire length of the page, music placed front and center. What else can you ask for? Add another URL to the winner’s circle.

Zone Music - It would be quite basic without that collage to the right of the music player, but if that’s what makes this gem, then so be it. The page is superb with all facets included.

Paul Cullen - So well done, yet not excessively so. It befits the artist, for sure. Which is how it should be, wouldn’t you agree? Out Loud is responsible for making this page happen.

Scott Philipp - That’s Scott Philipp and the StoneBaby Band, to be precise. The contrast of colors make seem a little unusual to some. Black and soft gold are quite a juxtaposition to make. But stick around for a moment and you’ll why we picked it as one of the best.

Ricky Martin - Alright, you may like the guy’s music, or you may not. But one thing is certain. His MySpace page is a great one. It’s refined and easy to navigate without being imposing in any way.

The Stooges - The page rocks. Enough said.

Lenny Kravitz - If you haven’t seen the place before, you will be surprised. The choice of  photo slideshow and background and menu layout and profile componentry, there’s something for most any MySpace page designer to be fond of.

The Almost - Bold and soft all in one page, it’s an interesting thing to look at. It’s colorful but not too much so. It’s very clearly and basically designed, which makes it seem borderline amateurish. So it get a nod.

JMR Productions - We’ll toss this in simply for spice. It’s brash and at the same time fairly plainspoken. It’s great.

Brianna Sage - One of the better sites to make smart use of white space, the profile constructed by Out Loud for Brianna Sage is really well done. The design firm has certainly shown a consistency across many of its creations that it’s hard to imagine anything dreadful coming from its assembly line. A complementary applause is deserved.

Teddy Geiger - It’s not immediately apparent that this is a great design, but give it a moment, we say. It’s the right mix of photography and fringe edits that give it a place on this map.

Ken Hyland - One of the more clean and collected profiles of this broad bunch, the profile for Ken Hyland has professionalism written all over it.

Coldplay - Are broad brush strokes enough to make a MySpace page attractive? We think so. Oh, and there are plenty of little quirks and uniquities to satisfy most folks. (Just as long as they’re noticed.)

Led Zeppelin - The page is top notch. There’s nothing else to say, really. Top notch, indeed. Befitting of the band, wouldn’t you say?

Blue Island Tribe - It’s all waterworks here. And we have to admit, it looks pretty darn good. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for surfer inspiration, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something much better.

Anouk - From top to bottom (or at least the middle), Anouk’s MySpace page is nicely finished. Everything is clearly delineated, which definitely works in its favor.

Kate Nash - It’s amazing what a checkerboard background can do to a MySpace page, isn’t it?

Citizen Cope - A grand banner topping the page, Citizen Cope’s profile has its rough spots, but there’s nothing that will displease. Chalk that assessment up to the backdrop.

Death Cab for Cutie - Have we gotten loose with our praise with this one? Perhaps, perhaps not. It’s certainly a subjective thing. Some will love the page for its squarish sensibility. It’s got a few abstract bones in its body, for sure.

Dido - Mostly black with plenty of beveled edges, Dido’s profile is well made. There’s ample empty space, which can detract from the sense of fine design, but that may suit some folks. Does it suit you?

Eisley - At least one member of the Mashable crew is partial to Eisley (hint: check the byline), so take this plug as you wish. The extra-large borders around every piece of the puzzle are what really bring things home.

Elbow - This band’s profile is black and white done right. It’s as simple as that.

Eminem - Everything’s so packed together that we can’t help but like it. It’s pretty much the antithesis of sprawl. Kudos on the set design, Eminem.

Ingrid Michaelson - There’s hardly anything unusual about this page, but its colorway and layout are what we think every band should strive for at the very least. The better to please listeners.

M.I.A. - Beware of the flash. Alternatively, if you like the flash, you’ll love it. Seriously.

Nine Inch Nails - Another fairly docile setup, the Nine Inch Nails profile is totally square and totally worth a plug. It’s NIN, through and through.

Radiohead - Its theme coincides with the In Rainbows release, so of course it looks great. Love the darkness, people. Love the darkness!

Smashing Pumpkins - How to summarize…. It has an elaborate headdress with plenty of band stamps to go around. Thumbs up for intelligent design.

U2 - Compared with the first half of this series, the U2 page is, in terms of the band’s global impression, woefully inadequate. But that’s this Irish quartet, for you. MySpace just isn’t cool enough for Bono and his Chanel shades. The thing is, the profile still amounts to an appreciable contribution to the network. How’s that for a finale?

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NEW YORK (Billboard) - Bruce Springsteen has unveiled a second new song from his next album, "Working on a Dream," jointly through Amazon.com and MySpace Music.div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/Reuters/InternetNews?a=ta4znhGh"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/Reuters/InternetNews?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/Reuters/InternetNews?a=x0RjNtwm"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/Reuters/InternetNews?i=x0RjNtwm" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/Reuters/InternetNews?a=mBr2EJpd"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/Reuters/InternetNews?i=mBr2EJpd" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Reuters/InternetNews/~4/y8Yt3-a7iUY" height="1" width="1"/

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Billboard) - "Halo Trilogy," a compilation of the complete soundtracks of Microsoft's top-selling "Halo" video game franchise, will be released Tuesday (December 2) as a five-disc collectible set.div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/reuters/technologyNews?a=oO8EVYlo"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/reuters/technologyNews?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/reuters/technologyNews?a=XDYvHNsE"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/reuters/technologyNews?i=XDYvHNsE" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/reuters/technologyNews?a=chfd3e2Q"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/reuters/technologyNews?i=chfd3e2Q" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~4/BA4CSZxd2i8" height="1" width="1"/

pemsmallPhoto by stronga href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunggnus" target="_blank"Sung Kim/a/strong/small/embr /br /Given all the silly undertakings stronga href="http://www.weezer.com/" target="_blank"Weezer/a/strong have, uh, undertaken in recent months, it's easy to forget that Weezer are, at the end of the day, a band. A band which, like many bands, makes music. Too much music, as it turns out: as Rivers Cuomo stronga href="http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/weezer-raids-vaults-records-xmas-carols-1003917715.story" target="_blank"revealed to Billboard.com/a/strong recently, the veteran power-poppers are cooking up a little odds and ends collection tentatively titled, you guessed it, emOdds and Ends/em.br /br /According to Cuomo, this is "just another fun project. They're great songs, but for some reason they didn't make the final cut for [a] record. They span a vast period of time from the very beginning of our career in the early '90s right up to the present day." There's no word yet on a release for emOdds and Ends/em, but considering Cuomo's own stronga href="/article/news/146861-rivers-cuomo-talks-alone-ii-weezer-that-hair" target="_blank"emAlone II/em/a/strong clearing house comp just hit shelves last week, it may be a minute.br /br /Due much sooner according to Rivers are Weezer renditions of six beloved Christmas carols, including "O Holy Night", set to appear span style="text-decoration: line-through;"on a holiday benefit comp/span as downloadable add-ons for the iPhone game stronga href="http://tapulous.com/taptap/" target="_blank"emTap Tap Revenge/em/a/strong. Because nothing brings good tidings like you burying your face in some electronic gadget.br /br /But wait, there's more: Cuomo spilled the (pork and) beans on what could well prove a career-defining moment for the songwriter. Yes, Rivers has apparently written a song with teen pop sister act stronga href="http://www.alyandaj.com/" target="_blank"Aly amp; AJ/a/strong. Who knows when (or how) we'll ultimately hear it, but as Rivers told Billboard.com, "It was such a blast to remember how teenagers approach songwriting. Their minds just work so fast and they have no fear and no ego." We'll sound the alarm once he starts wondering about the clothes they wear to school, how they decorate their rooms, and, um, stronga href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ise4axZMDxo" target="_blank"yeah/a/strong.br /br /Weezer's camp couldn't confirm any of the above at this time, so we'll just have to take Rivers at his word for now./p pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/OqYKDPr9V7EAuV-jj66B_aJBbWs/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/OqYKDPr9V7EAuV-jj66B_aJBbWs/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pitchfork/today/~4/UJWZY5R7J4c" height="1" width="1"/

p#149; The U.S. leg of Madonna's Sticky Sweet tour had a gross of $91.5 million on sales of about 550,000 tickets. For those of you keeping score at home, that's an average ticket price of $166. By my math, the average ticket price on on the U.S. leg of her a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_Tour"2006 Confessions tour/a was $183. The total Sticky Sweet tour is on pace to gross around $282 million. (a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKTRE4B00EA20081201"Billboard/a)/p p#149; Labels fret as Woolworths Entertainment UK, the distribution arm of Woolworths, has gone into adminstration. The company is said to be responsible for up to 30% of physical sales in the UK. (a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7755443.stm"BBC News/a)/p p#149; An article on the new owner of LA club The Viper Room, with requisite pun title. The owner, by the way, says he "absolutely" plans on creating a Viper Room franchise. (a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112502098.html"Washington Times/a)/p p#149; a href="http://www.songbeatplayer.com/en/"Songbeat Player/a is a new application that scans multiple search engines (such as Seeqpod and Project Playlist) for music. The paid version (about $30) offers unlimited streaming and downloads -- but nothing for copyright owners. The marketing of this product (pay for unlimited, maybe-maybe not legal downloads) is similar to the way P2P applications used to be marketed before the a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Studios,_Inc._v._Grokster,_Ltd."Supreme Court's Grokster decision/a. (a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/01/songbeat-makes-searching-for-music-online-really-simple/"TechCruch/a)/p p#149; RIM's new Blackberry Storm isn't much of a music device. (a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10107163-27.html?tag=mncol;title"Digital Noise/a)/p p#149; Concord Music Group will develop Ray Charles' post-1960 catalog. There will be six catalog reissues in 2009 and some digital-only releases as well. (a href="http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=115368"Press release/a)/phr/[music jobs] a href="http://coolfer.jobamatic.com/a/jbb/job-details/43602"The Beggars Group Matador Records is seeking a Paralegal/adiv class="feedflare" a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/coolfer?a=zyz2o"img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/coolfer?i=zyz2o" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/coolfer?a=EbDSO"img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/coolfer?i=EbDSO" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/coolfer?a=OsAAO"img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/coolfer?i=OsAAO" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/coolfer/~4/471461828" height="1" width="1"/

According to Billboard.com, GUNS N' ROSES' long-awaited new album, Chinese Democracy, will sell in the range of 250,000-260,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release (including a reported 25,000 downloads at iTunes on November 23 not counted towards the opening week for the Sunday release), which is down from expectations that it would sell anywhere from 300,000 to 784,000 uni

As first tipped here last month, Creed is hammering out details for a lucrative 2009 reunion tour, sources tell Billboard. The Scott Stapp-led group, which was one of the top sellers of the past decade, has not performed since a rancorous split in June 2004.

According to Billboard.biz, BLACK SABBATH's Iron Man and and WOLFMOTHER's Woman are among the original master recordings that have been licensed by Acclaim Games, best known for multiplayer online role playing games, for its upcoming music-based game Rockfree.

An Australian road safety body known for its hard-hitting road safety TV ads has signed a $100,000 deal to advertise on virtual billboards in PS3 games such as Need for Speed. "It's all about engagement with our audience. Eighteen- to 30-year-old males are the biggest cause of road trauma. We want to see if we can talk to this male audience, and if we can get some positive responses, that would be fantastic." said a rep.

La récente tournée mondiale de Madonna a rapporté 207 millions de dollars (250 millions de francs), annonce le site du magazine américain Billboard. ...

pimg src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/12/25442_D3X_front.jpg" width="640" height="544" style="display:block;float:none;" /The a href="http://gizmodo.com/5099189/nikon-d3x-24mp-dslr-rumors-solidify-around-dec-1"rumors/a pointed pretty firmly to it, and then some leaked a href="http://gizmodo.com/5099857/nikon-d3x-specs-leaked-a-mighty-flagship-cometh"specs/a detailed what it'd be like, but now Nikon's new pro-level D3X DSLR has arrived officially. Touting it as a 24-megapixel "Digital Masterpiece," with exceptionally low noise sensor, 5fps full-frame shooting speed and with file sizes of 138MB, Nikon's saying the camera's available now for an estimated selling price of $8,000 for the body only. Full press release below.script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" galleryPost('d3x', 3, ''); /script/p blockquote pMELVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 2008) – Nikon Inc. today announced the D3X, an FX-format digital SLR featuring extreme 24.5-megapixel resolution and superb low-noise capabilities, which provides professional photographers with commercial-quality image performance in a familiar and extraordinarily versatile D-SLR form factor. In conjunction with the groundbreaking Nikon FX-format D3, the D3X tops off a collection of flagship level, rugged, professional caliber digital single lens reflex cameras engineered to excel in all types of professional photographic disciplines from photojournalism and sideline sports, to commercial in-studio applications./p pThe foundation of the enhanced performance of the D3X is its FX-format, 24.5-megapixel (6048 x 4032) CMOS sensor providing commercial, high fashion, fine art and landscape photographers with the extreme resolution, dynamic range, color depth, detail and sharpness that clients demand. Whether creating catalogs, magazine covers, billboards or gallery prints, the large 5.49-micron pixel size and high signal to noise ratio produces vibrant images with breathtaking image fidelity while reducing lost highlights and shadows, and ensuring smoother tone reproduction with minimized noise. With full resolution shooting speeds of up to five frames-per-second (fps), and 14-bit files, that when processed are approximately 138 MB, the D3X offers today's photographic artists an extreme level of performance and versatility ready for demanding assignments in the studio or on location./p p“In 2007, the 12.1-megapixel FX-format D3 delivered groundbreaking digital SLR image quality, coupled with incomparable high ISO, low noise performance and high-speed handling. In doing so, the D3 broke photographic barriers, enabling photographers to work in ways never before possible,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for Marketing, SLR Systems Products at Nikon Inc. “Now, the new 24.5-megapixel FX-format D3X D-SLR provides the extreme resolution and high dynamic range capabilities needed to meet the extraordinary needs of photographic disciplines such as high fashion, commercial advertising and fine art. The D3X delivers this remarkable capability while fitting seamlessly within the Nikon system, taking full advantage of Nikon’s world-renowned collection of NIKKOR lenses and Speedlights.”/p pImage Quality Takes Center Stagebr To re-emphasize the importance of image quality above all else, the D3X delivers an incredible level of digital SLR performance to provide photographers with extremely high resolution, exceptional dynamic range, phenomenal total gradation and outstanding color reproduction. Image files can be recorded as TIFF, JPEG or NEF (RAW) formats in either 12- or 14-bit compressed or uncompressed formats, and recorded to UDMA compatible CompactFlashâ„¢ cards for optimum speed. Photographers can save image files directly to the dual card slots as overflow, backup, or as separate file formats to different cards. Building on the D3X's flexibility, users have the creative option to shoot in the 5:4 crop mode with 20.4-megapixel resolution, the ideal format for creating 8 x 10-inch portraits. While using DX-format lenses, faster continuous shooting of up to seven frames per second can be achieved at a resolution of 10.5 megapixels./p pThe exceptionally low noise of the D3X is essential to any professional commercial application, and it provides photographers with an ISO range of 100 to 1600, expandable to 50 (Lo-1) and 6400 (Hi-2). The ultra smooth tones and lack of grain at ISO 1600 as well as at low sensitivity settings result in smooth, natural skin tones and exacting detail that, before the D3X, required larger and far costlier studio-bound camera systems./p pAdvanced Technologies, Meticulously Executedbr In a commercial setting or on location, imaging professionals need high performance in both speed and processing. The Nikon D3X can shoot at up to five fps at full resolution or up to seven fps in DX crop mode, allowing photographers to catch the split-second difference in a model’s expression or capture all of the action in a sequence. Just like the D3, the D3X achieves a start-up time of a mere 0.12 seconds and a shutter release time lag of 0.04 seconds./p pThe D3X’s speed, as well as high levels of performance, leverages Nikon core technologies including a newly enhanced EXPEEDâ„¢ Image Processing System, specially designed for the D3X to provide superior image quality, faster processing speeds and lower power consumption. This advanced system is able to achieve extremely precise color reproduction for a broad spectrum of hues, in addition to vivid saturation and smooth gradation. What’s more, Nikon’s advanced noise processing function is engineered to minimize noise at all sensitivities and operate seamlessly without interfering with other image color parameters./p pThe D3X also features Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System, which continuously analyzes information from the 1,005-pixel RGB light sensor, to further refine auto exposure, auto white balance and autofocus calculations. This results in flattering portraits and awe-inspiring landscapes that portray accurate color and fine details. Nikon's exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II helps ensure accurate exposures, even in the most challenging lighting conditions. Instantly evaluating each scene before capture, input data from the system's sensor is automatically referenced against an internal database of more than 30,000 images derived from actual photographs to calculate correct exposure values. Active D-Lighting, used in combination with 3D Matrix Metering II, helps to determines proper exposure, and creates realistic contrast while compensating for lost shadows and highlights. Prior to shooting, users can choose from Extra High, High, Normal, Low or Off settings, as well as an Auto mode./p pAdditionally, the D3X features Nikon’s exclusive Multi-CAM 3500FX focus module, with 51 AF points, 15 cross type sensors and 36 horizontal sensors that easily track and lock onto moving subjects, delivering the same fast and accurate AF performance that helped make the D3 immediately successful. Users can select any of the AF points, making it easy to consistently attain accurate focus right on a subject’s eyes, frame after frame. Additionally, three AF-area modes – Single point, Dynamic-area AF and Auto-area AF – are available to maximize the use of the 51 focus points by selecting the most suitable one to match subject conditions. AF is also available in one of two Live View modes optimized for the studio, including a phase detection handheld mode and a tripod mode. This feature allows the user to zoom in up to 27x on the LCD screen to ensure critical focus. While in Live View, the graphic indication of a virtual horizon is also available, making it easier than ever to confirm camera orientation./p pTo further ensure each photographer's ability to balance their personal style, Nikon’s Picture Control System enables users to adjust their images to pre-set parameters such as Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome that apply tweaks to image sharpening, tone compensation, brightness, overall tone and saturation. Photographers have creative control over these image parameters with the use of up to nine available customizable presets./p pSynchronizing Both Form and Functionbr Engineered for real-world functionality, the D3X retains a rugged shell with moisture, dust and shock resistance that has become a hallmark of flagship Nikon D-SLRs, while preserving the usability and ergonomics that allow the camera to remain an extension of the photographer’s vision. Attention to detail goes so far as to include a self-diagnostic shutter system that is tested to exceed 300,000 cycles for maximum durability and longevity. The camera’s body also maintains the resilient magnesium alloy construction and form factor of the D3, promoting consistent Nikon system synergy./p pA bright and accurate viewfinder offers 100 percent coverage with 0.7x magnification. The body also houses Nikon’s acclaimed 3.0-inch super density LCD screen, now relied upon by so many photographers. The high-resolution 920,000-dot screen is viewable at wide angles up to 170 degrees, and will allow photographers to quickly zoom in to confirm critical focus. Users can also output the video signal to an external display via HDMI to allow client viewing. Thanks to incredibly efficient internal circuitry, the D3X can capture up to 4400* shots per single charge of the camera’s Lithium ion battery./p pSystem Strength Withstands the Test of Timebr The D3X is fully compatible with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) to give photographers a mobile lighting solution that is easy to manage. To further enhance mobility, the D3X is compatible with Nikon’s GP-1 GPS receiver to gather information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and date of shooting. Photographers can easily shoot tethered via USB, or use the WT-4a wireless transmitter to send images wirelessly when speed and mobility are essential. D3X users will also enjoy the system strength of more than 50 genuine NIKKOR lenses that provide outstanding sharpness and high resolution across a broad range of focal lengths./p pPrice and Availabilitybr The Nikon D3X will be available at Nikon Authorized Professional Dealers starting December 2008, and will be available for an estimated selling price of $7999.95.**/p p* Based on CIPA Standardsbr ** Estimated selling price listed is only an estimate. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time./p /blockquote p[a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25442/D3X.html"Nikon/a]/p br style="clear: both;"/ a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=90a7f8c637103dbe5aa27794bf3dba4ep=1"img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=90a7f8c637103dbe5aa27794bf3dba4ep=1"//a img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=90a7f8c637103dbe5aa27794bf3dba4e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/div class="feedflare" a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=VU3iAJrJ"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?d=120" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=SCK7uts6"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=jRcIkIR2"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=jRcIkIR2" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=2UVEO8vs"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=2UVEO8vs" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/qcHsBYSPfCs" height="1" width="1"/

pimg src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/12/25442_D3X_front.jpg" width="640" height="544" style="display:block;float:none;" /The a href="http://gizmodo.com/5099189/nikon-d3x-24mp-dslr-rumors-solidify-around-dec-1"rumors/a pointed pretty firmly to it, and then some leaked a href="http://gizmodo.com/5099857/nikon-d3x-specs-leaked-a-mighty-flagship-cometh"specs/a detailed what it'd be like, but now Nikon's new pro-level D3X DSLR has arrived officially. Touting it as a 24-megapixel "Digital Masterpiece," with exceptionally low noise sensor, 5fps full-frame shooting speed and with file sizes of 138MB, Nikon's saying the camera's available now for an estimated selling price of $8,000 for the body only. Full press release below.script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" galleryPost('d3x', 3, ''); /script/p blockquote pMELVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 2008) – Nikon Inc. today announced the D3X, an FX-format digital SLR featuring extreme 24.5-megapixel resolution and superb low-noise capabilities, which provides professional photographers with commercial-quality image performance in a familiar and extraordinarily versatile D-SLR form factor. In conjunction with the groundbreaking Nikon FX-format D3, the D3X tops off a collection of flagship level, rugged, professional caliber digital single lens reflex cameras engineered to excel in all types of professional photographic disciplines from photojournalism and sideline sports, to commercial in-studio applications./p pThe foundation of the enhanced performance of the D3X is its FX-format, 24.5-megapixel (6048 x 4032) CMOS sensor providing commercial, high fashion, fine art and landscape photographers with the extreme resolution, dynamic range, color depth, detail and sharpness that clients demand. Whether creating catalogs, magazine covers, billboards or gallery prints, the large 5.49-micron pixel size and high signal to noise ratio produces vibrant images with breathtaking image fidelity while reducing lost highlights and shadows, and ensuring smoother tone reproduction with minimized noise. With full resolution shooting speeds of up to five frames-per-second (fps), and 14-bit files, that when processed are approximately 138 MB, the D3X offers today's photographic artists an extreme level of performance and versatility ready for demanding assignments in the studio or on location./p p“In 2007, the 12.1-megapixel FX-format D3 delivered groundbreaking digital SLR image quality, coupled with incomparable high ISO, low noise performance and high-speed handling. In doing so, the D3 broke photographic barriers, enabling photographers to work in ways never before possible,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for Marketing, SLR Systems Products at Nikon Inc. “Now, the new 24.5-megapixel FX-format D3X D-SLR provides the extreme resolution and high dynamic range capabilities needed to meet the extraordinary needs of photographic disciplines such as high fashion, commercial advertising and fine art. The D3X delivers this remarkable capability while fitting seamlessly within the Nikon system, taking full advantage of Nikon’s world-renowned collection of NIKKOR lenses and Speedlights.”/p pImage Quality Takes Center Stagebr To re-emphasize the importance of image quality above all else, the D3X delivers an incredible level of digital SLR performance to provide photographers with extremely high resolution, exceptional dynamic range, phenomenal total gradation and outstanding color reproduction. Image files can be recorded as TIFF, JPEG or NEF (RAW) formats in either 12- or 14-bit compressed or uncompressed formats, and recorded to UDMA compatible CompactFlashâ„¢ cards for optimum speed. Photographers can save image files directly to the dual card slots as overflow, backup, or as separate file formats to different cards. Building on the D3X's flexibility, users have the creative option to shoot in the 5:4 crop mode with 20.4-megapixel resolution, the ideal format for creating 8 x 10-inch portraits. While using DX-format lenses, faster continuous shooting of up to seven frames per second can be achieved at a resolution of 10.5 megapixels./p pThe exceptionally low noise of the D3X is essential to any professional commercial application, and it provides photographers with an ISO range of 100 to 1600, expandable to 50 (Lo-1) and 6400 (Hi-2). The ultra smooth tones and lack of grain at ISO 1600 as well as at low sensitivity settings result in smooth, natural skin tones and exacting detail that, before the D3X, required larger and far costlier studio-bound camera systems./p pAdvanced Technologies, Meticulously Executedbr In a commercial setting or on location, imaging professionals need high performance in both speed and processing. The Nikon D3X can shoot at up to five fps at full resolution or up to seven fps in DX crop mode, allowing photographers to catch the split-second difference in a model’s expression or capture all of the action in a sequence. Just like the D3, the D3X achieves a start-up time of a mere 0.12 seconds and a shutter release time lag of 0.04 seconds./p pThe D3X’s speed, as well as high levels of performance, leverages Nikon core technologies including a newly enhanced EXPEEDâ„¢ Image Processing System, specially designed for the D3X to provide superior image quality, faster processing speeds and lower power consumption. This advanced system is able to achieve extremely precise color reproduction for a broad spectrum of hues, in addition to vivid saturation and smooth gradation. What’s more, Nikon’s advanced noise processing function is engineered to minimize noise at all sensitivities and operate seamlessly without interfering with other image color parameters./p pThe D3X also features Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System, which continuously analyzes information from the 1,005-pixel RGB light sensor, to further refine auto exposure, auto white balance and autofocus calculations. This results in flattering portraits and awe-inspiring landscapes that portray accurate color and fine details. Nikon's exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II helps ensure accurate exposures, even in the most challenging lighting conditions. Instantly evaluating each scene before capture, input data from the system's sensor is automatically referenced against an internal database of more than 30,000 images derived from actual photographs to calculate correct exposure values. Active D-Lighting, used in combination with 3D Matrix Metering II, helps to determines proper exposure, and creates realistic contrast while compensating for lost shadows and highlights. Prior to shooting, users can choose from Extra High, High, Normal, Low or Off settings, as well as an Auto mode./p pAdditionally, the D3X features Nikon’s exclusive Multi-CAM 3500FX focus module, with 51 AF points, 15 cross type sensors and 36 horizontal sensors that easily track and lock onto moving subjects, delivering the same fast and accurate AF performance that helped make the D3 immediately successful. Users can select any of the AF points, making it easy to consistently attain accurate focus right on a subject’s eyes, frame after frame. Additionally, three AF-area modes – Single point, Dynamic-area AF and Auto-area AF – are available to maximize the use of the 51 focus points by selecting the most suitable one to match subject conditions. AF is also available in one of two Live View modes optimized for the studio, including a phase detection handheld mode and a tripod mode. This feature allows the user to zoom in up to 27x on the LCD screen to ensure critical focus. While in Live View, the graphic indication of a virtual horizon is also available, making it easier than ever to confirm camera orientation./p pTo further ensure each photographer's ability to balance their personal style, Nikon’s Picture Control System enables users to adjust their images to pre-set parameters such as Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome that apply tweaks to image sharpening, tone compensation, brightness, overall tone and saturation. Photographers have creative control over these image parameters with the use of up to nine available customizable presets./p pSynchronizing Both Form and Functionbr Engineered for real-world functionality, the D3X retains a rugged shell with moisture, dust and shock resistance that has become a hallmark of flagship Nikon D-SLRs, while preserving the usability and ergonomics that allow the camera to remain an extension of the photographer’s vision. Attention to detail goes so far as to include a self-diagnostic shutter system that is tested to exceed 300,000 cycles for maximum durability and longevity. The camera’s body also maintains the resilient magnesium alloy construction and form factor of the D3, promoting consistent Nikon system synergy./p pA bright and accurate viewfinder offers 100 percent coverage with 0.7x magnification. The body also houses Nikon’s acclaimed 3.0-inch super density LCD screen, now relied upon by so many photographers. The high-resolution 920,000-dot screen is viewable at wide angles up to 170 degrees, and will allow photographers to quickly zoom in to confirm critical focus. Users can also output the video signal to an external display via HDMI to allow client viewing. Thanks to incredibly efficient internal circuitry, the D3X can capture up to 4400* shots per single charge of the camera’s Lithium ion battery./p pSystem Strength Withstands the Test of Timebr The D3X is fully compatible with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) to give photographers a mobile lighting solution that is easy to manage. To further enhance mobility, the D3X is compatible with Nikon’s GP-1 GPS receiver to gather information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and date of shooting. Photographers can easily shoot tethered via USB, or use the WT-4a wireless transmitter to send images wirelessly when speed and mobility are essential. D3X users will also enjoy the system strength of more than 50 genuine NIKKOR lenses that provide outstanding sharpness and high resolution across a broad range of focal lengths./p pPrice and Availabilitybr The Nikon D3X will be available at Nikon Authorized Professional Dealers starting December 2008, and will be available for an estimated selling price of $7999.95.**/p p* Based on CIPA Standardsbr ** Estimated selling price listed is only an estimate. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time./p /blockquote p[a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25442/D3X.html"Nikon/a]/p br style="clear: both;"/ a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=90a7f8c637103dbe5aa27794bf3dba4ep=1"img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=90a7f8c637103dbe5aa27794bf3dba4ep=1"//a img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=90a7f8c637103dbe5aa27794bf3dba4e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/div class="feedflare" a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=8V2Nuoqw"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?d=120" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=x1C6toSG"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=MDmRQct9"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=MDmRQct9" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=WPxtdWiw"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=WPxtdWiw" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/ejiIf_zqb5w" height="1" width="1"/

As first tipped here last month, Creed