Fujifilm UK Press Release

Experience the deep blue see with Fujifilm FinePix cameras and underwater housings - Freedom for your sub-aqua photography with new underwater housings for the FinePix F30 Zoom and FinePix A500 and A400 Zoom cameras

3 August 2006 - Fujifilm today announced the release of a durable underwater housing unit for the TIPA and DIMA award-winning* FinePix F30 Zoom. The WP-FXF30 is a sturdy, watertight casing that keeps the camera dry and copes with the pressure of dives as deep as 40 metres. It also gives protection on a sandy beach, from splashed water or bad weather on boats and in snowy conditions. So once you’re done diving in summer you can ride the slopes with it in winter. In addition, Fujifilm has released its first waterproof case for entry-level cameras. The WP-FXA500 is suitable for the FinePix A400 and A500 Zooms and is waterproof at depths of up to 3 metres.

The new Sony GPS-CS1 GPS device allows you to record where your photographs were taken and later synchronise them to a mapping web site powered by Google Maps. The GPS-CS1 GPS device will be available next month for about $150.

Sony USA Press Release

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 1, 2006 – Sony Electronics today announced a GPS device that puts your pictures on the map. Using time and location recordings from Sony’s GPS-CS1 GPS device and the time stamp from a Sony digital still camera or camcorder, photo buffs can plot their digital images to a map and pinpoint exactly where they’ve been. The 12-channel GPS unit is 3-½ inches long, weighs two ounces, and is sold with a carabineer to easily attach to a backpack or a belt loop. “Whether you’re traveling to the Seven Wonders of the World, or just wondering where to buy your next house, our new GPS device can track your journey,” said David Johns, product manager for digital camera accessories at Sony Electronics. “Adding a geographic context to your digital images helps organize and make use of your photos in entirely new ways.”

Sigma Notice

Notice to end-users of EF-500 DG Super Pentax and EF-500 DG ST Pentax flashguns. 

2006.7.31 To our valued customers,

Sigma’s EF-500 DG SUPER and EF-500 DG ST model flashguns for Pentax mount do not operate with the recently introduced Pentax K100D D-SLR camera. To overcome this, we will start supplying a free-upgrade service to our customers today *. We regret any problems this may cause our customers who own Pentax K100D D-SLR cameras and we will take all necessary steps to minimize inconvenience to these valued customers.

Hama Press Release

The name says it all: Hama’s two new card readers from the 1000 & 1 series are real jacks of all trades – they read from and write to all standard memory card types. There is even a separate slot for various mini and micro cards, allowing them to be used without additional adapters. Currently, two card versions are available. They can be adapted for new card types and capacities easily at any time via the Hama internet page. Both readers support the brand-new SDHC 4 GB cards.

PhotoVu Press Release

Boulder, CO—July 27, 2006—Today PhotoVu™, the leading wireless digital picture frame company, announced compatibility with the latest beta software of Picasa™. Additionally, using RSS technology, the PhotoVu frame can directly download photos from Picasa Web Albums, letting friends and family easily display and share their published photos. “For a typical PhotoVu customer who has tens of thousands of photos, they need a photo management solution that is fast and efficient, and we’ve found that Picasa is ‘best in class’ when it comes to the speed of accessing and organizing large volumes of photos,” said Mark Van Buskirk, Partner, PhotoVu. “The response from our early beta customers has been extremely positive and we look forward to making Picasa compatibility a standard feature when the full version is formally released.”

Wacom Press Release

26.7.2006 - Wacom, the leading manufacturer of pen tablets and interactive pen displays today announces an update to the Studio and Studio XL versions of its Graphire4 range, aimed at amateur photographers who record family events such as birthdays, weddings and holidays, and who want to get the best out of their digital photographs. From now on, all Graphire4 Studio packages will be equipped with Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0. The Graphire Studio is priced at £99.99 and the Studio XL at £179.99 including VAT. Both tablets come with a two-year warranty.

WaterField Designs Press Release

San Francisco, CA., July 25, 2006 – WaterField Designs, a leading maker of custom-fitted cases for digital gear, announced today a new line of protective cases for compact and ultra-compact cameras. The Pic Pocket camera cases incorporate the company’s signature trademarks of stylish simplicity and premium craftsmanship, and are small enough to fit into a pocket, purse or portfolio.

The Pic Pocket is constructed of WaterField’s custom-made ballistic nylon and accented with eye-popping color in Indium material or leather. An interior layer of plush neoprene and a no-scratch liner offer solid protection without bulk. A loop sewn on to the upper corner lets customers carry the case with one finger. Self-locking YKK zippers keep the camera secure and allow customers to use their camera’s wrist strap as well. Every Pic Pocket comes with a removable carabiner for hooking onto a belt loop, backpack, or strap for quick access. The cases are water and shock-resistant.

Kata Press Release

Kata Launches the Bag of the Future - Ergo-Tech Collection blends futuristic design and ergonomics to offer state-of-the-art carrying solution

Ramsey, New Jersey (July 17, 2006) – Announcing the launch of its new Ergo-Tech Collection, Kata is giving consumers worldwide a new reason to get excited about what they put on their backs, shoulders or belts. Boasting state-of-the-art designs that look as though they were taken from the pages of a sci-fi novel, Kata’s new bags, packs and cases are most definitely ahead of their time and were designed to be the definitive carrying solutions for the future. A unique blend of cutting-edge technologies and materials are at the heart of the Ergo-Tech Collection and together with its unprecedented design, are sure to elevate Kata’s position as a leading manufacturer of ergonomic and protective carrying solutions. As with the entire Kata line, the Ergo-Tech Collection will be distributed exclusively in North America by Bogen Imaging.

Transcend Press Release

Specialized devices are often operated in extreme conditions such as, industrial environments with high temperatures. Transcend’s industrial type CompactFlash® (CF) Memory Cards are specially designed and engineered to withstand higher temperatures and the more severe environmental conditions, which can be experienced in industry. Transcend Information, Inc., a company always at the cutting edge and a world leader in flash memory cards, has increased the capacity of its Ultra performance industrial type CF Memory Card to an incredible 8GB, currently the highest capacity industrial CF Card in the world.

Transcend’s industrial type CF Memory Cards are thoroughly tested to comply with the most popular digital cameras, storage products and industrial devices. Ultra performance and the ability to work in the most demanding environments with an extended operating temperature range of -40ºC to 85ºC (normal CF Card ranges 0ºC to 70ºC) makes Transcend’s industrial type CF Cards (128MB ~ 8GB capacities) the perfect choice when performance is required in extreme temperatures.

SanDisk Press Release

SanDisk Introduces SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash - World’s Fastest Cards For Professional Photographers - New Cards Result In Faster Capture of High-Resolution Images and Quicker Card-to-Computer Transfers

NEW YORK, NY, July 19, 2006 – SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today introduced the new SanDisk Extreme® IV line of CompactFlash® digital film cards for professional photographers. The line is targeted at photographers who require the highest possible performance and the largest capacities for their medium format and high-end digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras. The SanDisk Extreme IV cards are available in capacities of up to 8-gigabytes (GB)1 and deliver minimum read and write speeds of 40 megabytes per second (MB/sec.)2 making these the fastest flash memory cards in the world. This exceptionally fast card speed is critical when shooting large numbers of high-resolution images. SanDisk also introduced the new SanDisk Extreme FireWire reader that can transfer images from the SanDisk Extreme IV cards to a computer at up to 40MB/sec. for significantly improved workflow efficiency. These new products were announced at a press conference held today at the NASDAQ Market Site in New York City.

The new Lexar 133X 8GB CompactFlash will be available in August for the suggested price of $424.99.

Lexar Press Release

Large Capacity and High-Speed Data Transfer Rate Benefits Professionals and Advanced Amateurs Shooting in RAW Format

Fremont, Ca., July 18, 2006 – Lexar Media, Inc., a leader in advanced digital media and accessories, today announced that it has increased the performance of its popular Professional 8GB CompactFlash® memory card to 133X. This performance improves the digital imaging workflow for both professional and advanced amateur photographers working with and managing large files. Lexar’s new card is capable of a minimum sustained data write speed of 20MB per second and is currently available in CompactFlash Type I flash memory card format, the most popular format for today’s digital SLR cameras. “Lexar has encouraged photographers to ‘keep shooting’ while consistently introducing products that improve digital imaging workflow once images are stored on their flash memory cards,” said John Omvik, director of professional product marketing, Lexar.  “Those who shoot in RAW format require a vast amount of storage capacity, but also need reliable high-speed performance at all steps in the digital imaging process. Our new 133X 8GB cards directly address and satisfy both needs and, as a result, are ideal for photographers shooting in all situations,” he added.

SanDisk Press Release
 
New Large-Capacity Cards Are Ideal For Digital Video Or Still Cameras; SanDisk Bundles 4GB SDHC Cards With Free MicroMate USB 2.0 Reader

MILPITAS, CA, July 17, 2006 – SanDisk ® Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today introduced a 4-gigabyte (GB)1 SD High Capacity (SDHC ™ ) card. The new cards, which support capacities of 4GB and higher, are rated Class 2 for speed and performance and can store more than 2,000 high-resolution pictures, more than 1,000 digital songs or up to 8 hours of MPEG 4 video 2. The 4GB SDHC card will be bundled with the MicroMate ™ USB 2.0 reader at no extra charge. These new readers work with both SDHC and SD cards. SDHC cards require an SDHC-compatible reader.

Medea International Press Release

Medea International have been awarded exclusive UK partner distribution of the an innovative new “Scratchless” disc from the USA. ScratchLess disc is a totally new patented innovation that virtually eliminates the problem of surface damage to discs. For professional photos, important video and critical data applications, demand is expected to be substantial. Demand is also expected from applications where discs are handled frequently, and where damage potential is therefore higher. The ScratchLess Disc was designed to protect data or media stored on discs from physical damage caused by everyday use and handling.  The disc has 20 small, patented bumps (Aero-Bumps(TM)) that elevate the disc to avoid contact with any flat surface, thereby eliminating damage.  Co-developed with General Electric, the disc’s secondary layer of protection is achieved by adding a polymer coating, which gives it an extra glass-hard layer of protection.

Kingston Technology Press Release

[11 July 2006], Kingston Technology, the world’s leading memory manufacturer, today announced the launch of it’s new 2GB capacity miniSD and MMCmobile Flash Memory Cards to support the growing storage demands of feature-rich mobile phones.  The new mobile memory cards are immediately available in 2-GB capacities. Jim Selby, Product Marketing Manager EMEA, Kingston Technology comments,  “As consumers become more sophisticated in their use of the many features available on new multi-functional mobile handsets, the need for higher capacity Flash memory increases in order to allow end-users to maximize the phones full capabilities.”

Unibind Press Release

XU138 is Great Add-on for Professional Wedding Photographers & Consumers Alike – Creates On-the-Spot High-Quality Bound Wedding Photo Album Gifts to Give Out to Guests at the Reception

July 11, 2006, Alpharetta, GA—Unibind http://www.unibind.com, the leading binding, laminating, and presentation system company, announced today The Professional Series XU138 Book Creator. This do-it-yourself binding system is perfect for weddings or other special occasions.  Priced at $455.00, XU138 binding machine is the perfect system to add-on for photographers to generate additional income by offering their wedding customers hard-cover 8 ½” x 11” personalized wedding photobooks/albums during or after photographing an event.  The wedding party can also quickly create their own wedding photobooks/albums the day of the wedding to give out at the reception using a digital camera, photo printer and Unibind XU138 at the wedding.

Fuji Hunt Press Release

Fuji Hunt’s dedicated R&D division has long been developing methods to bring digital printing media to a par with traditional papers. Now, a new trio of especially smooth finishes have passed the quality barrier and represent the very best materials on which imagery of all types can be printed.

Fuji Hunt’s range of FUJIFILM Fine Art Museum inkjet media, which has already proven extremely popular with users seeking a higher than average result, especially when used for display and exhibition work in both black-and-white and colour, has been extended with three additional products: Fine Art Museum Baryt paper; Fine Art Museum Smooth RAG paper; and HD White Cotton Canvas.

Sony Europe Press Release

Paris, 5 July, 2006 - Sony Europe’s Recording Media & Energy (RME) division has announced its smallest class USB drive yet - the MICRO VAULT Tiny – part of the MICRO VAULT family line-up. The ‘Tiny’ USB drive is compact and light, making it ideal for travelling, and offers storage capacity ranging from 256MB to 2GB. The Tiny USB drive, wafer thin at only 2.4mm and weighing just 1.5g, plugs directly into a USB compatible interface and is capable of storing a variety of file formats, from word documents to photos, music files and videos.

Monster Pod Technology Press Release

The incarnation of the amazing, patent pending, MonsterPod will finally materialize in all its gravity defying glory beginning, quite appropriately, on the 4th of July. Monster Pod Technology has begun printing shipping labels and will begin the first shipments this week of the much anticipated, digital camera gravity defying tripod. The newly designed MonsterPod X (Xtreme) and MonsterPod FX (Flash Xtreme) include important improvements and enhancements over the original design, making this goo gripping device unique in the industry. MonsterPod is as revolutionary to taking self-portraits of yourself, as your flash is to improving photograph quality in low lighting. Billed as the “Stick and Click” tripod of the future, MonsterPod is the next generation mounting device for electronic gadgets.

Toshiba Press Release

IRVINE, Calif. and TOKYO, June 28 /PRNewswire/—Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., (TAEC)* and its parent, Toshiba Corporation, today announced a new microSD card family for use in cellular telephones, with initial capacities of 256 megabyte (MB)(1), 512MB and 1-gigabyte (GB)(2). The microSD card, with approximately one-fourth the cubic measure of a miniSD memory card, is currently the smallest memory card available worldwide. Its primary application is in cellular telephones equipped with music playback and camera functionality. The microSD card is intended for use in handsets equipped with microSD slots to enable transfer and storage of music and digital photos, although it can also be used with an adapter in standard SD memory card slots.

Toshiba Corporation Press Release

TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation today announced new SD Memory Cards that will extend both the ultra-small and the ultra high-capacity segments of its comprehensive product line-up. The company will launch new microSD Memory Cards in July and August, and follow up in September with the introduction of SDHC Memory Cards. All the new memory cards will be available in the global market. Toshiba is a technology and market leader in applying NAND flash memory to compact memory card solutions that add to the functionality and performance of portable digital equipment, and that provide highly flexible bridge media for transferring data between products as diverse as digital cameras, PCs, TVs and personal video viewers. SD cards are the most widely used multi-platform memory cards. The different versions meet diverse needs, and continue to bring increasingly large capacities to increasingly small cards. Toshiba provides the global market with a full line-up of SD cards that offer the latest advances in memory capacities and the evolving SD standard.