Redbug Press Release

(Carlisle, PA) - Redbug Technologies has announced Mapwing Creator, a $39 shareware application for turning digital photographs into virtual tours. Redbug has also updated Mapwing Creator Pro to version 1.5, adding support for high resolution maps and improving web page integration. To learn more about Mapwing, visit http://www.redbugtech.com/mapwing.php. Mapwing is a software technology for building, sharing, and exploring virtual reality (VR) tours. It enables anyone with a digital camera and a computer to create tours quickly and easily. Users can create VR locations or “points” out of images and connect these together to form tours. A tour can be enhanced with an interactive map, text comments, web site links, and detail image hotspots. Mapwing tours can be viewed in web pages using Adobe’s Flash Player or explored with OpenGL using Mapwing Viewer.

Stamps.com Press Release

LOS ANGELES, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Stamps.com (Nasdaq:STMP), a leading provider of Internet-based postage services, today announced the availability of PhotoStamps(R) from within Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) CS2, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Album Starter Edition software. The launch of PhotoStamps for Business, also announced today, will now allow users of the Photoshop family of products to easily design and use PhotoStamps to create awareness for their products or services, to build their brand, or for other commercial uses.

DxO Labs Press Release

DxO Labs adds highly sought-after camera and lens combinations to its DxO Optics Pro offerings

Paris, France, May 17, 2006 – DxO Labs announces today that DxO Optics Pro v3.55 Digital SLR and lens automatic image quality enhancement software now supports the recently released Canon EOS 30D Digital Single-lens Reflex (SLR) camera. Existing users of either DxO Optics Pro Elite or Standard versions can add support for the Canon EOS 30D free of charge from the DxO Optics Pro Web site. DxO Optics Pro v3.55 is the award-winning digital image enhancement tool incorporating revolutionary optics, noise and exposure corrections in an easy-to-use, feature rich application for Mac and PC users.

Adobe have released an update for Photoshop CS2 on MAC and Windows platforms. The Adobe Photoshop 9.0.1 update fixes a number of problems discovered after Photoshop CS2 (9.0) software was released.

digitalreview.ca have some first impressions about Nikon Capture NX digital image editing software that was announced back in February at PMA.

“From what we have been able to see from Nikon Capture NX so far, we are very impressed with the simplicity of the user interface and the intuitiveness of the editing process. We feel that Nikon Capture NX will provide the photographer with a great tool with a wide range of powerful and exclusive image processing options to maximize the image quality when using Nikon’s NEF files, and also when shooting in JPEG and TIFF.”

Website: digitalreview.ca - Nikon Capture NX First Impressions

Shutterbug have just reviewed the latest release of Apple Aperture software.

“It was an ambitious undertaking for Apple to produce an entirely new application that would address all of the primary software needs of photographers in one integrated work space. That Aperture is as comprehensive as it is, and functions as fast and efficiently to produce high-quality results with relative ease is pretty miraculous.”

Website: Shutterbug - Apple Aperture Review

Shutterbug have just reviewed the photo-editing software Corel Paint Shop Pro X.

“In the relatively short time Corel has had Paint Shop Pro they have upgraded it significantly. They have added full color management support, raw digital camera file conversion, and a host of internal improvements, making it a fully competitive application for digital photographers using PC Windows XP. With both a training CD bundled with the application and a comprehensive, easily accessed learning support inside the application, beginners and even those with experience can gain a full range of editing and adjustment skills. “

Website: Shutterbug - Corel Paint Shop Pro X Review

arstechnica have an in-depth review of the latest release of Apple Aperture software.

“While I’m still left wanting on the filter quality side, Aperture 1.1.1 finally gets me excited about the prospect of doing complex imaging on the GPU via Core Image. Now that it’s clear it’s not necessary to sacrifice quality to get decent speed and true pixel accuracy and I think that it will be a small job comparatively to add a few options to the filters. Aperture 1.1 is everything that Apple should have released for 1.0 and at US$300, it’s hard to say no now to this program.”

Website: arstechnica - Apple Aperture Review

Serif Press Release

Serif (Europe) Ltd, the UK’s leading independent desktop publishing, design and graphics software developer, is delighted to announce the release of MoviePlus 5. MoviePlus 5 (List Price £59.99; upgrade prices available*) is Serif’s impressive movie-editing package that enables everyone to make the most of their video footage, audio clips and digital images, regardless of their experience. Already extremely powerful and responsive with unlimited multi-track timeline and real-time previewing, this latest version introduces DVD Authoring, HDV support and QuickTime Import & Export, making it easier than ever and more enjoyable to create video masterpieces and dynamic photo slideshows.

Adobe have officially released Camera Raw 3.4 for both Windows and Mac platforms. Support for the following cameras has been added in this update.

  * Canon EOS 30D
  * Leaf Aptus 65
  * Leaf Aptus 75
  * Olympus EVOLT 330
  * Olympus SP-320
  * Pentax *ist DL2
  * Samsung GX-1S

Website: Adobe Camera Raw 3.4 (Windows)

Website: Adobe Camera Raw 3.4 (Mac)

Breeze Systems Press Release

Downloader Pro is a powerful yet simple tool to automatically organize your photos as they are transferred from your camera or card reader to your PC. Downloader Pro 1.9 includes support for the Canon EOS 30D allowing downloading direct from the camera, setting of the owner string and synchronizing of the camera’s date and time with your PC. Also new in this release is the ability to use BreezeBrowser Pro style tokens to extract shooting data from images for inclusion in IPTC data. The JPEG auto profile plug-in has been enhanced to automatically select sRGB or AdobeRGB profiles based on the shooting data in the image.

Apple have just released Aperture 1.1.1, a free update for current owners of Aperture. This update addresses several issues related to performance, stability, color correction, and display compatibility and is recommended for all Aperture users.

Note: You must first update to Aperture 1.1 and Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later before installing Aperture 1.1.1.

Website: Apple Aperture 1.1.1 Update

ASMP Press Release

The American Society of Media Photographers has met with representatives of the Copyright Office and the Library of Congress and with industry partners to discuss the on-line registration of photographs from within existing and future digital asset management programs. “With on-line registration on the near horizon, this feature will make it much easier to actually register your copyright and more fully protect your images,” said Richard Anderson, chair of ASMP’s Digital Standards Committee and principal author of the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines (UPDIG) document.

ACD Systems Press Release

ACD Systems Updates ACDSee 8 and ACDSee Pro Photo Manager - Company renews commitment to customers with added RAW support and feature improvements

VICTORIA, British Columbia – April. 27, 2006 – ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX: ASA), today announced updates to its two flagship products, ACDSee 8 Photo Manager and ACDSee Pro Photo Manager. The enhancements are designed to improve speed, performance and productivity, and include advanced support for RAW formats that meet and exceed industry demands. “In our continued commitment to our customers, these updates allow them to take full advantage of the powerful capabilities that the RAW format offers,” said James Latham, vice president of marketing for ACD Systems. “Professional photographers depend on the latest RAW format support and feature improvements, while photo enthusiasts are just beginning to discover this format. These releases underscore our commitment to delivering the very best in product integrity and flexibility, and providing feature improvements that make the user experience and workflow both smoother and more enjoyable.”

VSO Software Press Release

Toulouse. April 26th, 2006—In one click, Image Resizer by VSO Software resizes pictures or changes their format as desired: the reduced file size enables faster loading, improved pictures management and saves storage space. Image files which are smaller in size are more easily sent by email, something difficult to do with the original file size. It is also the perfect tool for webmasters or people wanting to publish images on the internet. Image Resizer handles images in all popular formats: bmp, jpeg, gif, png and can converts them at the preferred resolution (from 320x200 to 1600x1200, including even Ipod photo and video, Sony PSPS, HDTV and DVD). The images will adjust automatically to the size of the desktop or to the source used to display them.

The Plugin Site Press Release

April 24, 2006 - The Plugin Site (www.thepluginsite.com) released the MacOS X version of LightMachine, a plugin for performing all kinds of light adjustments in photos. LightMachine combines shadow/highlight, virtual lighting and color-based correction tools for performing sophisticated corrections without the need for time-consuming selections and layer stacks. It lets you selectively correct photos taken under bad light conditions or with inadequate camera settings and achieve results that rival photos taken under the best circumstances. Additionally LightMachine can achieve special effects like glows, sunsets, high key and selective b/w effects, replace one color with another and simulate polarizing filters. LightMachine works in several graphics applications including Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Illustrator, Painter, Canvas and Fireworks. LightMachine can be applied to 8bit and 16bit RGB images.

Kodak Marks the Fifth Anniversary of Revolutionary EASYSHARE System with a New Wave of Imaging Technologies For the Future - Dual lens BLUETOOTH Technology-Enabled Camera Launched,  Facial Recognition, Context Sorting and Auto Albuming Among Future Kodak Innovations Demonstrated

London, April 25 - Eastman Kodak Company today unveiled the next advances in imaging innovation while marking the fifth anniversary of its first ground-breaking EASYSHARE consumer digital camera and docking system.  Ranging from the market’s first dual lens BLUETOOTHÒ enabled 6 megapixel, 10X optical zoom pocket-size digital camera to facial recognition and auto albuming software, Kodak’s line-up of innovations offer consumers new ways to radically enhance their imaging experience. “Kodak continues to innovate to make the complex simple - delivering new technologies that enrich the consumer experience,” said Julian Baust, UK Country Manager, Eastman Kodak Company. “Today we’re unveiling the next innovations in consumer digital photography that will allow people to take, share and archive pictures in ways they never thought possible.”

Auspicious Dragon have published an extensive review of the MAC-only Raw Developer software.

“Raw Developer (RD from here on) is a Mac only developer of digital camera raw files. Over 100 cameras are supported and the list is both wider and more up to date than either Adobe Camera Raw or Capture One. It costs USD 100 from Iridient Digital. This price includes 15 months of updates, major and minor. The website allows downloads of fully functioning demonstration copies which mark the resulting output files with a licence notice which is obvious enough to make the resulting images unusable, but discreet enough to allow the images to be assessed for quality.”

Website: Auspicious Dragon - Raw Developer Review

Ulead Press Release

New consumer video editing packages offer enhanced ease of use, expanded creative options and full high-definition support.

UK April 21st, 2006 – Ulead Systems Inc., a 17-year industry leader in video, image and DVD software, today announced VideoStudio® 10 and VideoStudio® 10 Plus, the newest versions of its consumer video editing and DVD authoring software. The new releases allow users of all levels to easily turn photos and video into high-quality productions for sharing on DVD, tape, the Internet or mobile devices. “With version 10, VideoStudio hasn’t changed so much as it has grown,” said Mark Wurdemann, European Marketing Manager, Ulead.  “Users new to video editing will find the software easier than ever.  Advanced users can now take advantage of multiple overlay tracks, and complete support for high-definition video.”

Pixel Genius Press Release

Chicago – April 18th, 2006 - Pixel Genius, LLC ships PhotoKit (TM) Color 2.0. PhotoKit Color 2.0 replaces PhotoKit Color 1.0, an Adobe® Photoshop® Automate Plug-in that applies precise color corrections, automatic color balancing and creative coloring effects. With a retail price of $99.95, PhotoKit Color 2.0 offers a comprehensive set of coloring tools for Photoshop CS and Photoshop CS2 for both Macintosh and Windows. PhotoKit Color 1.0 users can upgrade for $29.98. The upgrade will be free to users who purchased PhotoKit Color 1.x after the public announcement date of October 20th, 2005.