Fujifilm Press Release 10/02/04

Fujifilm Introduces ColourKit Profiler Suite 4.0 for Comprehensive Color Management

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Feb. 10, 2004 ColourKit Profiler Suite 4.0 color profiling suite is now available for a free demo

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc., a pioneering leader in digital imaging products and services, today introduces ColourKit Profiler Suite v4.0 color profiling software. Continuing Fujifilm’s tradition of providing true color excellence, ColourKit’s full-featured host of color management applications allows photographers, graphic artists, and creative professionals to accurately display digital images on a monitor and precisely translate them when printed.

Fujifilm’s imaging products and services have long been the top choice of professional photographers and ColourKit Profiler Suite v4.0 follows in this tradition. The new color management software allows users to make, edit and process color profiles, delivering quality and consistency to the professional. As the final image is incredibly accurate, ColourKit cuts costs by reducing waste and increases overall workflow efficiencies by saving professionals’ time.

February 9, 2004, Miami Beach, FL - MAGIX, the award-winning technology leader in Personal Rich Media, announced today MAGIX Photo Cleaning Lab, the ‘must-have’ digital camera accessory that quickly repairs, organizes and preserves the thousands of digital images collected by photographers and consumers. Priced at only $49.99, MAGIX Photo Cleaning Lab includes real-time image correction, high-speed photo management, instant album creation, accelerated image explorer, photo printing, CD archiving and a powerful image editor in one easy-to-use program.

MAGIX Photo Cleaning Lab instantly resizes and restores digital photos, making it essential software for any photographer. Efficient batch-processing enables users to change entire folders of pictures to a different image format and resizes for printing, emailing or posting to a webpage. Exposure, focus, color correction and ‘red-eye’ reduction tasks are performed instantly—even while the photos playback in a slideshow.

Triscape Inc. Press Release 09/02/04

New FxFoto Version 1.2 Expands Digital Photo Organization, Enhancement and Web Publishing

Windham, NH (February, 2004) - Triscape Inc. announces the release of FxFoto 1.2, offering significant enhancements of its easy-to-use yet feature-rich photo package. Major new features include intuitive timeline navigation, a host of new photo enhancement and creativity tools, and improved tools for publishing slide shows on web sites using the FxFoto Viewer Plug-In. The FxFoto Standard Edition is still free and the Deluxe Edition is $29.99, with upgrades free of charge.

FxFoto’s unique user interface has been highly acclaimed by users as easy to learn and use. FxFoto automatically scans for photos upon installation and organizes thumbnails by date and folder in the navigation pane. The new Timeline Bar indicates visually the location of all folders by date, and one mouse click instantly moves the user to the folder thumbnails. Unique to FxFoto, all photo navigation, timeline representation, enhancement, slide creation, and creativity features are quickly accessible from a single application window, avoiding the complexity of products using complicated and sometimes confusing windows for separate tasks.

Luminous Landscape has today reviewed DSLR Remote Pro from Breeze Systems, a software program which allows you to connect a Canon DSLR to your PC and directly operate your camera’s controls and take photographs from your PC.

“As I was testing DSLR Remote Pro and putting it through its paces I found that the hours were slipping by. But, I couldn’t stop. I would take a frame and seconds later there it was on my screen to be studied in detail. Not a tiny viewfinder image. Not a coarse and unrepresentative rear LCD display, but a large 21” highly detailed image. I played with exposure changes, colour balance and more. I looked to see how blown highlights were handled by the camera with minute exposure setting changes. Then it hit me. What a great learning tool this is.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - DSLR Remote Pro Review

Imaging Resource have just reviewed Soundpix, a software program that allows you to record, embed and play audio in any JPEG file.

“SoundPix (http://www.soundpix.com) has developed an audio-imaging solution that ranges from integrated audio-image capture to desktop audio editing to serving audio over local and wide area networks.

In short, SoundPix technology embeds audio in the Exif header of JPEG image files. Its OEM developer’s kit can do it at image capture in the camera or phone. Its SoundPix Plus application can do it on your computer. And SoundPix Web can share it over your home network or over the Web.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Soundpix Review

Canon Europe have recently released updates to several programs that is ships with its digital cameras. Upgrades for ZoomBrowser, the File Viewer Utility and the Remote Capture Utility are now available. Just go to the following webpage, pick your camera from the list and all of the relevant updates will be shown.

Website: Canon Europe Software Updates

DO Labs Press Release 30/01/04

Breakthrough Software Application for Digital SLR Camera Users
Eliminates Blur, Distortion, Chromatic Aberration And Vignetting

Las Vegas, NV (February 12, 2004) ? DO Labs, a software company focused on research in image processing to enhance image quality, today announces DxO Optics Pro, a revolutionary software solution designed for professional and expert photographers. DxO Optics Pro delivers genuine and perceptible quality improvements by automatically correcting images for:

- Distortion
- Chromatic aberrations
- Vignetting
- Blur (lack of perceived sharpness)

“Isn’t it frustrating that the more you pay for high-end digital cameras or lenses, the more you feel their limitations?” asks Jerome Meniere, CEO of DO Labs. “The brighter a lens, the softer it is wide open, the wider the range of a zoom lens, the greater the distortion, the higher resolution the sensor is, the more visible chromatic aberration becomes. DxO Optics PRO will help demanding photographers get the best possible image quality from their equipment, at any settings”

“DxO Optics Pro can be thought of as a ‘software corrective lens’ for your DSLR,” explains Dr. Guichard, DO Labs? Chief Scientist. “We have created objective, laboratory-grade precise mathematical models of each fault, and developed fully automatic algorithms to remedy them”.

Ulead Systems Press Release 02/02/04

Photo Explorer 8 Digital Photo Album Offers a Complete Digital Photography and Media Management Tool for the PC for only £24.99

Northampton, January 2004 - Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of image editing, video editing and DVD authoring software, today announced the retail launch the Ulead Photo Explorer 8 Digital Photo Album, the most complete media management tool for the PC for acquiring, organizing, converting and sharing images, video and other media files.

The renamed, Photo Explorer 8 Digital Photo Album, provides a new format for easily and conveniently managing and finding photos according to file name, prefix, personal rating and date.

The software’s ability to pre-scan a folder and create image thumbnails both from a hard drive and CD allows users to quickly browse thumbnails and create a CD catalogue that can be used as a reference without inserting the CD into the drive. Its new auto-slicing tool saves time by slicing multiple scanned images to separate them into single images. Vast improvements in speed and performance, along with enhanced slideshow capabilities, and new, multiple interface layouts, make Digital Photo Album a fine-tuned and dynamic tool for digital media management.

Digital Outback Photo have started selling a new filter called PreSharpen 3D which apparently gives some photographic images a more 3D feel. There’s a free demo version available to download and try for yourself.

“Kevin Dobson implemented this concept as a pre sharpening filter. This filter gives the impression of a more 3D like feel to some images. Because it is a pre sharpening filter you can use your sharpening tool of choice for your final sharpening. PreSharpen 3D is best used just after your raw conversion or on your JPEG files right out of the camera. Always 16bit is better than just using 8bit.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - PreSharpen 3D

Pixory Press Release 30/01/04

Pixory is the easiest and most powerful way to share photos online - it is freeware that will turn your own PC and broadband internet connection into a personal photo album server.

Pixory allows you to store your photos on your own PC but to access, compose into albums, and share them anywhere on the internet. It’s your personal online photo sharing service, running on your computer using your broadband internet connection. Pixory is a client and a server, a lightweight web application for browsing photo collections on your hardrive; an album server to your friends and family or anyone on the internet. It simplifies accessing and organizing photo collections on your home network.

This release introduces a new, more powerful, sharing model.

The application can be found here:
http://www.pixory.org

About.com have published their review of Picasa, a software program from Picasa Inc. that allows you to manage and organize your digital photos.

“Since my original review, I took another look at Picasa version 1.6. Picasa is now integrated with Hello, Picasa’s own peer-to-peer photo-sharing and instant messaging program. Hello is a separate download that both you and anyone you want to share with will need to install. This version of Picasa shows improvements to the clarity of the timeline and slide show display, but Picasa 1.6 still lacks several essential features. There are no CD archive options, no 5x7 print option, no zoom control, no manual enhance, no annotation features, and sharing options are limited.”

Website: About.com - Picasa Review

Nikon UK Press Release 28/01/04

Nikon has announced the new software application entitled “Picture Project”, which is based on information gathered during a worldwide study into customer expectations and requirements.

Everything in ten minutes
Picture Project has been designed so that users will feel totally at ease with the software in under ten minutes. It addresses the core need to organise, edit and use the many images that digital camera owners create, presenting them in a series of easy to access Collections that free the user from the need to understand a computer hard disk.

Picture Project includes a number of useful functions to enhance digital images that rely on the proprietary image-processing knowledge of Nikon specialists, presented in easy-to-understand tools such as “colour boost” and “auto enhance”.

Future Expandability
Picture Project can be enhanced by the purchase of third-party plug-in software, which add darkroom and optical filter effects as well as image enhancements that are only possible by digital manipulation.

The first filters to be available have been created by Nik Multimedia and follow on from their acclaimed set of digital filters for Adobe Photoshop. Nikon UK already offers a limited set of Nik Multimedia filters as a free-of-charge bonus to customers who register their products for the Fotoshare service.

Portfolio
With the announcement of Picture Project, Nikon has signalled an intention to expand its’ software portfolio, delivering a compelling mix of value-enhancing complimentary software with every Nikon digital product supported by a catalogue of higher-function products.

Imaging Resource have reviewed the new iLife ‘04 software for the Apple Mac. Is is worth upgrading, and is it actually all that easy to do so? Find out in this review…

“Well, an upgrade is an upgrade. Our little trials and tribulations express our disappointment in how this one flies, certainly, but we’d rather be using the new versions than the old versions, just as a matter of policy (since it lets us install the inevitable updates).

We’d just rather be using them for free in the case of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and iTunes. We can live without GarageBand, which is certainly worth $49. But it’s a different kind of iLife (or it would have been called iCaramba).”

Website: Imaging Resource - Apple iLife ‘04 Review

Breeze Systems Press Release 27/01/04

27th January, 2004: Breeze Systems today announced another innovative product for users of Canon?s Digital SLR cameras (EOS-1DS, EOS-1D, 10D, Digital REBEL,  300D). Professionals can now use Breeze Systems highly regarded software to control the EOS-1DS and EOS-1D as well as Canon?s midrange DSLR cameras.

Use DSLR Remote Pro to
- See large high quality previews of shots on your PC within seconds
- Gain unrivalled control of settings for Canon cameras during tethered operation
- Enable tethered operation of the camera from a distance
- Store images directly onto the hard disk of a PC ready for onward transmission (e.g. by FTP to a picture desk)
- Automate addition of IPTC data to images as they are downloaded
- Enable customers to view pictures while you continue shooting
- Preview images in black and white or color

Use the large preview image to display
- Flashing highlights to indicate over-exposed areas
- Grid overlay to assist accurate alignment
- Black and white
- Focus point overlay

DSLR Remote Pro has been developed by Chris Breeze, who has established a worldwide reputation for digital camera software (including BreezeBrowser, Downloader Pro,10DRemote, PSRemote, D30Remote) over several years. DSLR Remote Pro is available from Breeze Systems website at an introductory price of US$129.

DSLR Remote Pro runs on Windows and is available on a 15 day free trial from Breeze Systems website - http://www.breezesys.com

Ulead Systems, Inc. Press Release 26/01/04

DVD MovieFactory 3: A Complete DVD Creation Suite with Integrated Video Editing Tools and Extensive Support for a Wide Range of Consumer Electronic Formats and Device.

Northampton January 26th, 2004 - Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of video, image and DVD software, announces Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3, a major upgrade of its PC consumer-level DVD creation software.  DVD MovieFactory 3 offers a rich, integrated suite of DVD creation tools for all DVD and CD burning needs. The software makes it simple for anyone, from home users to business managers, to create polished DVD movies, photo slideshows and quickly burn music and data to disc. DVD MovieFactory 3 offers significant enhancements such as motion menus and chapter buttons with real-time preview, and enhanced video editing tools such as the ability to add transitions and text to videos and photos. The software provides extensive and in-depth compatibility for all DVD formats including video recorded on set-top DVD recorders and DVD camcorders.

“We have put the broadest and deepest support for all DVD Video formats under the hood of an easy-to-master and feature-rich DVD creation suite,” said Mark Wurdemann, Marketing Manager at Ulead, UK. “Now consumers can create DVD titles from any content they desire and customize it over and over again on re-writable media. This is a major step towards DVD totally replacing VHS tape! By leveraging our leadership in consumer video editing and photo slideshow creation tools, DVD MovieFactory 3 is one of the easiest-to-use, all-in-one DVD creation programs available in the market today.”

It’s official - Adobe Photoshop CS automatically prevents you from making copies of world currencies. Adobe have added technology to it’s market-leading image-editing application that generates a warning message when someone tries to make digital copies of some currencies. Many users are now wondering what else is built into Photoshop CS that Adobe haven’t made public…

“Adobe Systems Inc. acknowledged on Friday it quietly added technology to the world’s best-known graphics software at the request of government regulators and international bankers to prevent consumers from making copies of the world’s major currencies.

The technology was designed recently by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group, a consortium of 27 central banks in the United States, England, Japan, Canada and across the European Union, where there already is a formal proposal to require all software companies to include similar anti-counterfeit technology.”

Website: Miami Herald - Adobe Helped Gov’t Fight Counterfeiting

Picasa, Inc. Press Release 08/01/04

Digital Photos Can Now Be Displayed on the Living Room Television, Offering a Comfortable Way to View Slideshows that Friends and Family will Enjoy

Las Vegas, NV (Consumer Electronics Show) ?- January 8,  2004- Picasa, Inc.(tm),  the leading developer of software which enables photographers to effortlessly organize, manage and share digital photos, announced today it has added new functionality to its service to allow compatibility with the TiVo Series2TM DVR and TiVo’s Home Media OptionTM. Now enjoying your Picasa digital photo collection on the family room television is easy .

Digital pictures can be transformed into a home entertainment venue for Picasa users who also subscribe to the TiVo Home Media Option. Once a member downloads the TiVo Desktop software application at www.tivo.com,  select your favorite photos in Picasa and click the ‘Export to TiVo Series2 DVR’  button to enjoy high resolution digital details on your big-screen TV. 

“Picasa is committed to delivering its customers a variety of platforms that allow them to share and show their favorite photographs,” said Lars Perkins, CEO of Picasa. “The simplicity and control that are the hallmarks of TiVo now extend to the home network, making it fun and easy to enjoy digital photos stored on Picasa on the television in the family room rather than crowding around a PC monitor.”

Konica Minolta Press Release 07/01/04

New multimedia communication tool now accessible to ACDSee software users

Las Vegas, NV (January 7, 2004) ? Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. announced today that they have developed a DiMAGE Messenger 2.0 Plug-in for ACDSee digital imaging software. The DiMAGE Messenger 2.0 Plug-in serves as a multimedia communications tool to link images, audio and text. ACDSee?s award-winning digital imaging software allows users to import, view, organize, print, enhance and share their digital photos.

?We?re very excited to have developed this customized version of our DiMAGE Messenger software for use with ACDSee?s popular and easy-to-use imaging software,? said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing for the Camera Division of Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc.  ?The combination of these two software programs enables savvy digital photographers to really get creative and have fun with their digital images.?

Through the Lens(tm), Inc. Press Release 08/01/03

Huge Demand Drives Launch of Affordable, Comprehensive Digital Image Management Software - Serious Photographers Impressed With the ImageStore(tm)

[PR Newswire] PR Newswire via NewsEdge Corporation : PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/—Through the Lens(tm), Inc. (TTLSoftware), maker of high-performance digital image management and studio workflow solutions, today introduced ImageStore(tm), a single resource for the tools needed to simplify importing, organizing and backing up of digital images. Within the first 36 hours of announcing limited availability to a list of digital photography leaders on December 10, over 250 copies of ImageStore were sold, indicating that photographers are looking for a robust set of features that are simply not found in existing point solutions.

“We believe the number of sales we have seen in just one day reflects a pent-up demand for software that offers photographers a simplified workflow for managing their digital images,” explained Brad Turner, Chief Executive Officer, TTLSoftware. “ImageStore was driven by input from photographers who are grappling with day-to-day issues of image management. We are excited to solve major issues by providing them with the ability to automate the backup of all images, sort and search for images by any key word or category and use the same software regardless of camera chosen. The best part is that ImageStore costs about the same as purchasing and developing three rolls of film,” continued Turner.

Kodak Press Release 07/01/04

ROCHESTER, NY (January 7, 2004) ? Eastman Kodak Company today introduced the new Digital ROC Professional Plug-In, which corrects, restores and balances the color of digital images from sources including digital cameras, flatbed/film scanners, Picture CDs, and the Internet.

The Digital ROC Professional Plug-In joins the suite of image correction and enhancement plug-ins to provide easy and effective methods for automatically improving digital images in ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Software and compatible image editing applications. Other members of the suite include the Digital SHO Plug-In for revealing hidden details in shadows or dark image areas, and the recently announced Digital SHO Professional Plug-In which adds more control and functionality for the Professional user. Additional Plug-Ins include, the Digital GEM Plug-In for noise and grain reduction, and the original Digital ROC Plug-In for color correction and restoration. These award-winning software products were developed by Kodak’s Austin Development Center, formerly Applied Science Fiction, which has been a leader in automatic image correction and photo restoration applications since the mid 1990s with its revolutionary Digital ICE Technology for film scanners which automatically removes surface defects like dust and scratches from scanned film.