Gadgets this week: MacBook Pro, Sony Xperia miro

High-tech product releases announced recently include a hugely upgraded MacBook Pro with a Retina display, updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pros, the Canon EOS Rebel T4i, the Sony Xperia miro, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100, and a solar-powered bag for your gadgets.

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High-tech product releases announced the week ending June 13 include a hugely upgraded MacBook Pro with a Retina display, updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pros, the Canon EOS Rebel T4i, the Sony Xperia miro, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100, and a solar-powered bag for your gadgets.

A super-slim laptop with the world's highest resolution display
Apple has unveiled a brand new 15" MacBook Pro laptop with a super-high-resolution Retina display, a slimmer and lighter design, and faster quad-core processors. The laptop measures in at just 1.8 centimeters thick (almost as thin as the MacBook Air) and weighs 2.02 kilograms. Its display has over 5 million pixels -- 3 million more pixels than an HDTV. It has a battery life of up to 7 hours, a FaceTime HD camera, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad, full-size backlit keyboard, dual microphones, enhanced speakers, 3-stream 802.11n Wi-Fi and a thinner MagSafe 2 power port. The MacBook Pro with Retina display is available now from $2,199.

Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
Both Apple's MacBook Air (11" and 13" models) and MacBook Pro (13" and 15" models) laptops have been given minor updates. The two laptops feature the latest Intel Core processors plus faster graphics and flash storage that is up to twice as fast as the previous generation. Connectivity has been improved too with the addition of a Thunderbolt port and two USB 3.0 ports. The MacBook Air is priced from $999 for the 11" version and $1199 for the 13" version. The MacBook Pro is priced from $1,199 for the 13" version and $1,799 for the 15" version. Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops are available now.

An easy-to-use DSLR with a multitouch screen
The Canon EOS Rebel T4i (also known as the 650D in Europe) is an easy-to-use entry level digital SLR that sports an enhanced set of features. The T4i comes with a redesigned 18MP CMOS sensor, full HD video capture, an improved 9-point autofocus system, stereo microphones, and a 3.0" flip-out LCD - Canon's first LCD to feature a multitouch screen. The Canon EOS Rebel T4i is set to arrive on the market by the end of June. The body-only configuration will be priced at $849.99, the body and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens kit at $949.99, and a Movie Kit bundle with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens will be available for $1199.00.

A smartphone that wants to connect with your friends
The Sony Xperia miro is a social smartphone that comes with deep Facebook integration. It features unique animations for incoming messages and social updates and makes it easy to chat with friends via the front-facing camera. It has Sony's xLOUD audio technology for crisp, loud sound and comes with Sony's Music Unlimited service built-in. It has a 3.5" display, a 5MP camera, DLNA and runs on Android 4.0. The Xperia miro will launch in the third quarter of 2012. No price has been announced.

The world's first compact digital camera with 20.2 effective megapixels
The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 packs in a 20.2 effective megapixel sensor and bright F1.8 lens in a compact camera body. It has a newly designed Advanced Aspherical lens and a 3.6x optical zoom. It can shoot full HD movies with low noise and comes with plenty of built-in creative effects including auto portrait framing, Toy Camera, Partial Colour, Pop Colour, HDR Painting and Miniature. The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 will be available in Europe from mid-July. Pricing has not been announced.

An eco-friendly backpack that will charge your gadgets in the sun
The CrossKase Solar 15 backpack soaks up the natural sunlight to charge your power-hungry devices. It features a built-in 3 Watt solar panel on the front of the bag, a high capacity internal battery for storing the energy and lots of padded pockets to protect your gear. It will charge many of your handheld gadgets in around two hours and is compatible with phones, cameras, music players, GPS and pocket consoles. The internal battery requires around eight hours of sun power, three hours of mains power or four hours connected via USB for a full charge. It holds 25 liters and is water repellent. The bag is priced at £139.99 (€170) and is available now.