Technology: Not Just Another Pretty Camera

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You've seen them before: tiny digital cameras that wow your friends when you slip them out of your pocket but don't always stack up when it comes to performance. Kyocera's Finecam SL300R ($399) is different. For starters, it takes less than a second to boot up and be ready to shoot. Once you start snapping, hold down the shoot button to activate the continuous shooting mode, which lets you capture up to three pictures a second--perfect for catching, say, that New Year's Eve toast. The Finecam will keep snapping as long as you hold the button down or until your memory card fills up. You will need to buy a new high-speed 256-MB Secure Digital Memory Card (about $100) to take full advantage of the continuous shooting mode. With 3.2-megapixel resolution, straightforward controls and unusual swiveling lens, the SL300R is one fine digital camera indeed.